Steve Hopkins

Steve Hopkins is the co-founder, manager and bassist of The Britpop Boys, one of the UK’s leading live celebrations of the Britpop era, bringing the sound, energy and attitude of Cool Britannia to festivals, theatres, large-scale events and venues across the UK.

Steve first picked up the bass in 1994, inspired by the explosion of British music that defined the era. In 1996 he joined original rock band Kramer, with whom he released an album and two EPs, received BBC Radio 1 airplay including exposure on John Peel’s show, supported the late Bonnie Tyler and received songwriting credits on the band’s recorded material.

Following further recording and session work, Steve returned to the live circuit before meeting guitarist Jon Harris in 2015. Together they co-founded The Britpop Boys, launching the band in 2016.

Today, alongside playing bass, Steve manages the band’s bookings, promotion and touring operation. The Britpop Boys have performed at numerous major UK festivals and events, including Isle of Wight Festival, as well as theatres and venues across the country, including their own theatre production, Britpop Lives Forever.
A long-time Ashdown user, Steve is now taking his new UK-built UK-RBM-800 and UK-RBM-210T cabinets onto the road for 2027.

“I started playing bass in 1994 because I was inspired by the incredible British music coming out at the time. My first professional rig was a Trace Elliot, so there has always been a real connection between British music and British bass amplification for me. To now represent Ashdown with a UK-built rig, while playing music from one of Britain’s greatest musical eras, feels incredibly fitting. Joining the Ashdown artist family alongside such esteemed players makes it even more special.”