A toilet cleaner and his band are finally knocking on the door of the big time after enjoying a Top 10 hit on the Amazon best-selling songs chart. Steven Nicholas fronts Newcastle band Hassle, along with Tony English and Dave Donaldson.
Their acoustic reggae track Life is For Living has been downloaded more than 30,000 times, which saw them climb into seventh place on the main charts, just one below pop icon Kate Bush. The release also went right to the top of the reggae download charts, bringing some much-awaited and long overdue success to a band formed in 2002, while Nicholas has been playing the pub circuit for the past 35 years.
Their new single was remixed by rapper and producer K-Gee, who co-wrote All Saints’ first album and who has also worked with Rod Stewart and George Michael. Nicholas is a cleaner in a hostel and he and his bandmates receive 69p for every download of their surprise smash and while he is set for a windfall, he isn’t about to hand his notice in.
“I thought it was hilarious to be honest, but I won’t be giving up my day job any time soon with the cost of living crisis,” he told the Mirror. “The lyrics of the song say ‘life is for living’ and this proves it. It’s not about money, it’s about music.”
The 51-year-old's band has supported such reggae luminaries as Toots and The Maytals and Jah Shaka, as well as Inspiral Carpets lead singer Tom Hingley. Nicholas told the Northern Echo: “When something like this happens when you get a bit older, you think this should have happened 20 years ago, why’s it just happening now?
“We have been getting lots of radio plays, even in places like Greece and Brazil which have helped it up the chart and then DJs have been playing it in clubs as well so that’s been great. I was laughing my head off because Kate Bush was number six and we were number seven and even to be near Kate Bush in the charts is ridiculous.”
The song costs 99p to purchase on Amazon and iTunes.
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