Post Irish Steel Guitar Festival

[Bill McKillop]

Hi,
Just got back late last night from the 2013 Irish Steel Guitar Festival. I have to admit that this is only my third time attending this event but it was probably the best one (for me anyway) yet! I was enthralled by the virtuosity of not only the great Jay Dee Maness the superb playing of Derek Thurlby and the great showmanship or should it be showwoamship of Sarah Jory and all of the other wonderful players but was blown off my feet by my wee pal Willie Gamble. Having travelled over with Willie and and my good friend Malcolm McMaster I knew only too well the emotional turmoil and nervous tension that Willie was experiencing leading up to his first ever appearance. Well, as they say "It'll be alright on the night" (in Willie's case the Saturday afternoon) this was an understatement! Willie was fantastic and as the tension eased his natural humour shone through and his playing got better and better and better. He was a real star and everyone knew it!

I missed the Saturday night session in the bar because I was dead tired but I believe that everyone got a treat with Jay Dee playing some of the songs he recorded with the Desert Rose Band. I did see him play in the bar on Sunday night and he was fantastic! He and his wife are a lovely couple and were thoroughly enjoying their stay in Ireland and the UK. I also had a nice time chatting with Derek Thurlby and his partner. The band in the bar and all of the singers that got up were also first class!

I have to thank Pat Orpin, Lawrence Wilson, Ted Nesbitt, Tony McGrath all of the committee of the Irish Steel Guitar Association (I'm so sorry if I missed out any other names) for their generosity and all of their hard work and supreme effort in putting on a great festival of steel guitar. I would also like to thank all of the vendors such as Jeff Suratt and Ray Hunt of Sho Pro steel guitars, Bob Adams, Ted Nesbitt of Rainbow Music and Barbara Hogan and Mike Ferreday of Hogan's Music. It was also great to see Roy Heap and his wife there representing the British Steelies Society. I do hope that people who see this post will think about coming to the next one. Believe me you do not know what you are missing!

[Malcolm]

What Billy said, get yer a es over to the next one and support STEEL guitar