Calum aka Haddock reaches Iceland

[Haddock]

Hi all
Nice to know that in addition to the Scottish and Icelandic Coastguard’s, I had the steel forum watching out for me! Fabulous trip and a great country. Well the east coast anyway; I’m told Rekiavek smells of eggs!
Thought it looked very Scottish at first but didn’t quite get the scale till I got back. Mountains are all huge!
Got met by orcas and a selection of whales including humpback and then a customs man waiting on the quay at 11.30 at night. Didn’t take nearly enough whisky. Paid £65 for a bottle of grouse not to mention the £9 a pint! Someone gave me 25 kilos of frozen cod though so not all bad. Still got lots of it and I gave away ¾..... We had a piper on board which broke the ice with the locals and I think we made a good impression. Word had certainly spread down the coast when we moved on to the next port!
I did indeed meet a steel player on the first party night who was from Shetland and had played an Emmons for 20 years. The world is small.....

Most dangerous moment was when one of the crew went to the toilet and discovered after the event that it wouldn’t flush. Then discovered that the door latch had jammed and he couldn’t get out. All in a 12ft swell and 25kts of wind! Had to send a volunteer forward to pass a screwdriver in the small hatch.......

Cheers
Calum

[Jif]

No giant octopus then?

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Most dangerous moment was

Customs man finds stowaway Banjo in chain locker = Captive audience.... no available ear protection...

[Willie Gamble]

Hey Calum, who was the steel player from Shetland, I thought there was only one" John Victor Ingster ", and he sadly passed away last year. Do tell dear boy.

Asleep at the steel

[Haddock]

Hi Willy
The guys name was Alastair and he plays a LeGrand. I didn’t get a second name as we were all busy sorting out a whisky oversupply issue. I suppose there must be lots of players under the radar as new instruments are getting churned out every year. Then again it seems that one steel is never enough........

Cheers

[Willie Gamble]

Hi Callum, is just found out his name is Alastair Tulloch, he hasn't played for a long while, did he say if he still had the Le Grand or not. Well it's has been 14 years since I was in Shetland and I am reliably informed that there were three steel guitarists on the Old Rock none of them play much any more, well J.V. Ingster won't play at all, as he is dead.
I had a strange experience one time in Shetland, I was up on a mini tour and one night the gig was in the British Legion in Lerwick, there were 3 bands on the bill, I had had the pleasure of recording for all three but had only ever met one.
It was good to make their acquaintance eventually, generally when you put steel on an album you tend to be last man in, and a lot of the time it may only be you and the engineer in the place, well that was how it worked for me, but then again Phil Anderson was the producer / engineer.
Great days indeed
Asleep at the steel

[Haddock]

Willy ‘Google’ Gamble has it nailed in a matter of moments. To think some of us are worried about the information Amazon etc hold on us. I think I’d better put the career in organised crime on hold.........

I believe he still has the LeGrande but many small nippy sweeties had been consumed by then. I suspect he will be in Greenland by now. Perhaps you have contacts there?

Interesting about playing for 3 Shetland bands. Was it all diddle music?

Cheers