A VISUALLY impaired singer who learns all his songs verbatim has told how he has grown in confidence as his band experiences musical success.

Steve Evans, 61, joined Bridport blues and Americana group the East Street Band as their lead vocalist earlier this year.

The former Met Police detective, who lives near Eype, has just 4.5 to 5 per cent vision peripherally and needs some help getting to and from the floor area at the band’s gigs.

However, he hasn’t let his visual impairment hold him back and is now hoping the band’s reach can extend even further than Bridport with more regional gigs.

He said: “The members of the band have been so patient and understanding. They’ve been brilliant.

“With my sight I need to know where the microphone is all the time and that makes me feel safe - I have a new mic stand and that has been great.

“My only regret is that I wish I was 40 years younger doing this. Performing gives you so much confidence.

“I knew I could sing but at first performance-wise I didn’t have that confidence, even though we have a really good set-list but I’m building that confidence all the time.”

READ MORE: How East Street Band singer overcame challenges

With his sight loss Steve isn’t able to read and has to learn lyrics verbatim.

“I now manage around 30 songs verbatim and we can easily fill an evening of eclectic mixture of styles and sounds, and if our audience feedback is to be believed we ain’t half bad!” he said.

Steve surrounded by his East Street bandmates Steve surrounded by his East Street bandmates (Image: Supplied) “I think people like the fact that we play a lot of quirky stuff like Walk on the Wildside by Lou Reed - people seem to enjoy it.”

Although Steve is currently recovering from a knee operation, he is hoping to be back in action in six weeks – and is so determined to get back to performing that a band rehearsal has been arranged in his bedroom!

He and his fellow band members’ spirits have been buoyed by hearing that legendary guitarist Steven Van Zandt from the E Street band is following the East Street Band on Facebook.

Welshman Steve, who also sings with local shanty band the Bridport Broadsides, developed Stargardt disease – an eye disease that causes vision loss - when he was in his late 20s.

The band performing at another gig The band performing at another gig (Image: Supplied) He said: “If you know what to do that’s the key and sometimes you’ve got to wait until the time is right.

“I was messing around being in a band when I was at school but I got onto my career and was playing a bit of rugby and I remember singing after the matches and realised I could hold a tune.

“Now that I’m out there performing it’s created an environment I have never experienced and I suspect if I had this level of support and encouragement I would have done it before.”

The band's David Greenshields said Steve joining the band has helped to take the group to the next level.

He said: "East Street Band members have always looked to mix less obvious music in with the more well-known songs in our sets, and since the two Steves (one on drums, one on vocals) have joined us, our musical options have increased just that bit more.

"We’ve had very positive responses to our playing in Bucky Doo Square, along with gigs in neighbouring Burton Bradstock, The Crown in Puncknowle and The Spyway in Askerswell.

"We’re building a strong following on social media, which is feeding the increasing confidence felt by the band."

The East Street Band would love to hear from venues that would be interested in hearing them perform – they can be contacted on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/Eaststbandbridport