Suggestions for some new additions to our festivals

[Basil Henriques]

Surely Maurice should be in the list as one of the leading "On Call" UK session Steel Players..
I know he's in the original post but I thought it would help if he was mentioned on this page as well..

So who's going to troll through the complete thread and compile a list of suggestions so far ?

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

I love this forum, its a mine of information and ideas....... When you say "our Festivals" Uncle Roy, are you talking about those that have been like Newbury?? or just the "Ireland" one? because I have not been aware of any since Newbury that you could justify calling a Steel Festival in Britain? maybe one or two of us have tried to get something started but from my own limited experience there is a wall of apathy to be overcome before you get any where with it.... Then Basil mentioned the magic word sponsorship,,,,,wow! that made me think! never thought of asking for that! I reckon that could be the key to success as the trouble with a lot of the established players that have "made it" re recording sessions or fame and success want paying for there time and then the whole thing has to revolve in a more business like fashion that lets me out! I have never been any good at business ...you can tell that by the price Rebecca is charging for the strings here! Anyway, Maybe this thing Digby is doing in the South west will revive us all, I sincerely hope so......
Twood be nice if those that have made a good living from it, "looked behind" now and then to help the rest of us, but I fear ,for the most twill not be..... Re.. the great players that have put a twinkle in my little meetings....I cannot thank them enough...JD

[Dave Nutt]

John, Those top boys 'looking behind now and then' thats an interesting point.
We as mere ordinary steel players can name our list of guys we would like to see at meetings/festivals, we all know the list could be long and controversial.
I dont think the apathy you mention is just towards shows/festivals it starts a long way before that.

A question- How many of the names already mentioned show any interest in this site? no one can tell me that they are to busy, I would doubt there are half a dozen MU rate payed, pedal steel guitar sessions a week recorded in this country and thats probably an overestimate. So! I dont believe available time is the issue. Ok a few names go on the road, and a few others delve into other instruments and not just PSG, giving them a reasonable living.

There are guys that could do so much to promote our instrument to a wider audience, they certainly could show a modicum of interst in the newer players. They could also contribute to this site, lord knows it needs it at times (if its going to continue)
How many steel players, hot and not so hot are there in Ireland? to the best of my knowledge we have only Paul Brennan, Ted and Eddie who contribute to this site. Same goes for Scotland, take away Billie and Bob, where are the rest?
(If I am wrong because guys use nicknames on here,then -'sorry')
I have and always will, admire and rave about the player that dings my bell (we all enjoy different styles of playing,thats understandable) But go to the expense of turning out to watch a steelie/steelies who show no interest whatsoever in the UK scene, or this site (unless there is cudos,dosh or marketing opportunities involved) then sorry, its a 'no no' for me, good they may be, but! place em on a pedestal???

The problem with the apathy or that 'we are at the top now, so wont look back' attitude is that it will eventually destroy the interst at grass roots level. We older guys know the names being bandied about, we know from the past that these guys can pick, after all, we watched them as begginers. but! there's a whole load of guys out there that have never heard of 'so and so' and 'so and so'
If guys cant be bothered with the scene at our level, should they expect to be put on 'the platform' at our expense?
Sorry if this is a bit off topic, just trying to link into JDs earlier comments.
Dave.

[Ken Byng]

Going back to Butch. He is a actually a good guy who just says it as he sees it. He loves the black stuff almost as much as any Irishman. I met him in Commonwealth Corner a few years back at the Dallas Steel Show. One of those people who you can connect with very quickly, even though he had not been treated very civilly by one of our kind.

I haven't had the pleasure of hearing him sing but I hear that he is very good. Hopefully I will get the chance some day.

[Ken Byng]

B J Cole and Pete Willsher would make good additions to any festival. They don't play bog standard country E9 stuff.

I echo the earlier reference to Tony Smart & Bobby Haskell. Both lovely guys and excellent pickers. Always loved Tony's dry sense of humour. One of the very few Franklin guitar owners in the UK.

[STEDDIE EDDIE]

i think we are all good guys, who say it as we see it, i think that can be said about me, and i would suggest that joining a forum with the obvious single minded intent of attacking two, yes two, not one, of its regular contributers, is not very civil, and not even an acknowledgement to those posters who welcomed him onto the site before his attack on the two said members, i would have let the 'butch' subject drop, cos its not important, but i have the right of reply to being one of the two obvious candidates being labelled 'uncivil' too much sucking up to people who dont give a damn about this forum goes on, and i agree with a lot of dave's comments on this thread, regarding ' most of these guys who are being forwarded to perform, where are they when it comes to contributing to this forum? theres an old saying that goes something like 'look after your own before outsiders' and non contributers are outsiders,

[bob adams]

Yo! Mr Nutt! At the risk of missing somebody, The Scottish contingent that come to mind are (in no particular order!) Donny Johnston, Malcolm McMaster, Allan Thompson, Davie Holland, Billy Murdoch, Bill McKillop, Willie Gamble, Dougie Stevenson, Ian Harris ( who just joined us this week!) and yours truly, there are a few more who sort of do their own thing quietly! We keep saying we will get together up here but it hasn’t happened yet! Hopefully it will in the not too distant future. I went along to a gig of Donny’s not so long ago to do some shots for him this de'man when he’s better dressed! Actually they are a good they put a lot into it!

As for the Irish boys! There are many! Not least Mr Nelson! Rick is as good as it gets on C6th and wow! He is good! The man plays a Bethel like only he can! Awesome!..... Richard is responsible for the house band at the ISGF! Enough said! How many comments have there been on that! As for other players! Mr O’Neil! Mr Cunningham! Mr McLernon to name but a few! Come to mind! Mucho talent over there! That’s for sure!!! I only wish we were as active!

[Dave Nutt]

Hiya Bob.
Yes a lot of those boys from bonnie Scotland are well known in the fraternity, as are the Irish lads, but! my point is,why dont they involve with the site, its British, so regarding Scotland and N.I there should be no problems.
Am I missing something, are these guys members under a different name?

Dont get me wrong lads, Im not being critical of any individual, Im just saying that if we put guys up for being 'the ones we would love to see at a festival' either paid or not, then surely them putting something back into the wider UK steel guitar community is not much to ask, oris it?
Its not a trade off Im asking for, it would just be nice to see some return input into the scene as a whole.

Dave.

[acerod]

I was just about to contribute to this thread when I realised I was 2 years too late. Oh silly me

[STEDDIE EDDIE]

not silly at all Roy, one of the best debates we ever had, and i for one would like to see your input, cos it is still a very relevant topic,
ps. you must have done some digging to find it ?????????