North East 'Steel Pedlars' first meeting
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:53 pmWell, we finally got ourselves organised and five steel guitar enthusiasts met yesterday at the Buck Inn, Thornton Watlass, (that's North Yorkshire, for the geographically challenged) for the inaugural NESP jamboree.
Thanks are due particularly to Tony Russell Davis for organising the venue. It was perfect - good food, good beer, generous hosts - couldn't be better! (London steelies please note - all this, and no charge for room hire!! That's how tight they are in Yorkshire!!)
So, to introduce the 'boys in the band'...
I'm not sure Tony needs much introduction. He is a stalwart of the North of England steel guitar weekends. he is extremely knowledgeable on all things steel guitar (and a very good player of both E9 and C6 necks) and is obviously a whizz on the lathe - he's the only person playing a Fender D10 that is more Tony than Leo!
Derek Evans - plays a beautiful-sounding (and looking) Rains SD10 - Derek has got the chops all right, and is great fun to be around!
Keith Glendinning - Keith plays guitar and slide - apart for a Gibson 6 string tuned C6, he played a fantastic sounding 'Telecaster' and an absolutely fabulous sounding and looking 8 string C6 - both of which were made by the man himself! Now that's talent!
Tom Fletcher - Tom is a very good player. He's playing a Fessenden U12 which he has set-up as an extended E9 with 4 pedals and 5 (I think) levers, but there were some very different changes on some of the knee levers which Tom is very adept at exploiting, to make a very pleasing and interesting sound.
Yours truly - I play an E9 Sho-Bud with a Curnow undercarriage. I haven't got the 'ear' or the 'chops' of the other guys, but I make up for this with enthusiasm and a total lack of embarrassment!
We gave savage treatment to 'Green, Green Grass of Home', 'I Fall to Pieces' and 'Help me Make it Through the Night' - with thanks to Shaun Winning for sharing the backing tracks. By the time we'd swapped stories, tried each other's guitars and shared ideas, knowledge and interests, the time flew. Derek has a wealth of backing tracks of excellent quality, so he's selecting the tunes (and keys) for next time, which he will advise in due course.
Tony will advise of the date of the next meeting - probably late June, to be confirmed by availability of the room.
Keith filmed part of the meeting, so, by the time he's edited out the bum notes and cursing, there should be several seconds of quality playing which I hope he is going to post on BSS or YouTube. No still camera on the day - but, all in all, a great day and with the promise of a lot more to come.
I know Steve Hicken (and his dad) are hoping to attend the next meeting, and Derek Thurlby also indicated an interest, although he was unable to attend on the day.
I hope this write-up fires up enthusiasm from other 'Northern' steelies - all welcome. Send me a PM if you'd like to join us!
Nick
Thanks are due particularly to Tony Russell Davis for organising the venue. It was perfect - good food, good beer, generous hosts - couldn't be better! (London steelies please note - all this, and no charge for room hire!! That's how tight they are in Yorkshire!!)
So, to introduce the 'boys in the band'...
I'm not sure Tony needs much introduction. He is a stalwart of the North of England steel guitar weekends. he is extremely knowledgeable on all things steel guitar (and a very good player of both E9 and C6 necks) and is obviously a whizz on the lathe - he's the only person playing a Fender D10 that is more Tony than Leo!
Derek Evans - plays a beautiful-sounding (and looking) Rains SD10 - Derek has got the chops all right, and is great fun to be around!
Keith Glendinning - Keith plays guitar and slide - apart for a Gibson 6 string tuned C6, he played a fantastic sounding 'Telecaster' and an absolutely fabulous sounding and looking 8 string C6 - both of which were made by the man himself! Now that's talent!
Tom Fletcher - Tom is a very good player. He's playing a Fessenden U12 which he has set-up as an extended E9 with 4 pedals and 5 (I think) levers, but there were some very different changes on some of the knee levers which Tom is very adept at exploiting, to make a very pleasing and interesting sound.
Yours truly - I play an E9 Sho-Bud with a Curnow undercarriage. I haven't got the 'ear' or the 'chops' of the other guys, but I make up for this with enthusiasm and a total lack of embarrassment!
We gave savage treatment to 'Green, Green Grass of Home', 'I Fall to Pieces' and 'Help me Make it Through the Night' - with thanks to Shaun Winning for sharing the backing tracks. By the time we'd swapped stories, tried each other's guitars and shared ideas, knowledge and interests, the time flew. Derek has a wealth of backing tracks of excellent quality, so he's selecting the tunes (and keys) for next time, which he will advise in due course.
Tony will advise of the date of the next meeting - probably late June, to be confirmed by availability of the room.
Keith filmed part of the meeting, so, by the time he's edited out the bum notes and cursing, there should be several seconds of quality playing which I hope he is going to post on BSS or YouTube. No still camera on the day - but, all in all, a great day and with the promise of a lot more to come.
I know Steve Hicken (and his dad) are hoping to attend the next meeting, and Derek Thurlby also indicated an interest, although he was unable to attend on the day.
I hope this write-up fires up enthusiasm from other 'Northern' steelies - all welcome. Send me a PM if you'd like to join us!
Nick
oh well, I will just have to hope for some stills
