Article compiled & edited by Mike Clifford from an interview by Graham Mackie. From MT 17  July 1998

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Steve Sanders is a local professional trombonist and pianist who regularly arranges the pantomime for the Concordia Theatre, as well as many other theatres.

In summer 1995, a bizarre set of coincidences happened that ended up with me playing keyboards on tour with superstar Vanessa Mae in Austria, Germany and Hong Kong.

At Blackpool’s Grand Theatre, I was musical director for a show starring Joe Pasquale, Andy Prior and - amongst others - singer Rebecca Storm. Rebecca - who  left two weeks before the show ended - was replaced by singer Claire Cattini. Claire told me her boyfriend had written music for superstar Vanessa Mae and helped to produce her album: ‘The Violinist.’

In May 1996 I was asked by Nick Thomas Enterprises - the same company I worked for previously in Blackpool - to be audition accompanist for some pantomime auditions. Coincidentally, of all the singers in the world - they chose Claire, and of all the piano players in the world - they chose me.

Claire now informed me her boyfriend was putting together a band for Vanessa Mae and she would pass him my phone number.

A couple of months later I received a phone call telling me I was the musical director of keyboards in the band! As Claire’s boyfriend had seen me working in Blackpool, I didn’t even have to audition. An amazing case of being in the right place at the right time.

The first thing I had to do was to listen to supplied tapes to learn my part so that I would know what I was doing at the first practice session.

A week or so later, we rehearsed two hours a day from Monday to Friday. The Austrian tour bass player, Geriant Roberts, worked for Five Starr during the eighties, and like all the band musicians, he was excellent.

On Friday, Vanessa Mae arrived to run through the entire classical and pop repertoire. We learned eleven numbers including a medley for the Austria/ Germany tour. We used six for the Hong Kong gig. Much material came from her, ‘The Violinist’ album.