Willie Gamble wrote:Well, today would have been day one of the ISGA festival, held each year in the Green Isle hotel, Clondalkin, Dublin.
Due to this bloody virus this years show has had to be cancelled. At this moment in time I feel as low as a snakes belly, due to the fact that I won't be meeting up with my "steel guitar family" in Dublin.
The Scots lads usually set off on Friday, head for the mid day ferry at Cairnryan, sail to Larne, book into our B&B and have dinner and a few pints and laps into the arms of Morpheus.
Saturday morning, bright and early, rise , breakfast and set of for Dublin and every year we manage to get lost (but we get there eventually) then into the hotel to receive, what must surely be the friendliest welcome on earth.
Steel guitar all day, vendors, chat, jokes and fun all day till dinner time, then after dinner it's down to the bar for the jam session at night.
The 2 lads who do the sound for the steel show ( Brendan and Declan) provide the backing band for the jam session, and what a band they are, fantastic players and harmonies like you wouldn't believe.
And guess what.
We have it all to do again on Sunday.
I am so so sad that it isn't happening this year, it really is the highlight of my year and I will miss you all.
Anyone who has not been to the festival yet, I would urge you to give it some serious thought, it really is a fabulous, friendly atmosphere, well, we are all steel guitar lovers after all, so why would you expect otherwise.
Here endeth the rantings of a very depressed little unit.
Asleep at the steel
Hi Willie!!
Thank you for posting this, last year was my first year ever at the Irish steel guitar festival. It was such a pleasure to meet y'all and I regret not to play more at the jam session later in the bar. It was really fun and the music was way too good at the shows and jams, I enjoyed of everybody's playing. Anyways, I was really excited for 2020's show because I was also invited to play which is such an honour. Hopefully we are soon back to the normal situation of life! I'm really glad that I went to the show and I would advise to every steel player to come to these shows, it is really special!
Take care all and hopefully see you soon.
