The British Steelies Society

What would you do to protect your gear if you were playing in a pub and there was a big fight?
It occurred to me that it could be a very tricky situation if there were glasses, tables and chairs flying about.

Please don't state the obvious i.e. send the wife in to sort it out......

Mic stands make excellent cattle prods and I can attest to their effectiveness in keeping, any over enthusiastic, hoi polloi at the acceptable distance.
Always ensuring that one has recruited the minimum of one tasty b@st#rd into the ranks of the band, is also worthy of consideration.

You can always crawl under your steel to avoid flying chairs, people etc.....obviously a D10 works best in this scenario

Safety in 3 easy steps.

1.Have you're case open behind you before and during your set. Quickly unplug the cable from the steel and case the steel when a fight kicks off. (Preferably do a Robert Randolph chair kick to move the chair out of your path for moving the steel. Then get your back to the audience for airborne glass protection)

2.Decide what you are going to use to protect yourself. (Use the chair, one of your steel legs or even just hold your bar for extra weight in a punch.)

3.Make your way backstage or out the door whilst windmilling any enemies in your path with your chosen weapon.

Congratulations you have used your steel guitar martial arts successfully and you along with your gear are now safe.

You'll thank me someday, it took me a mere 15 minutes to think of this emergency routine.

Someday you will be a PSG MMA Sensei like me

Ha ha!!! Love it, Steven
From now on you'll forever be....Ninja Hicken

Thankyou wise student.

I remember years ago playing at I think, The Tilbury Railwayman's Club and there was a fight, believe it or not between a grandmother and her granddaughter.
Roger, hiding under your steel is not going to go very far in protecting your gear......( have you got French blood )
I can look after myself but it's the gear I was thinking of. In my experience these things kick off quickly and you don't have time to do much.
I suppose you could keep an iron bar to hand if you're playing somewhere that gives you that dodgy feeling. I can see a situation where your steel becomes a target. - Let's hope it never happens to anyone.

Remember playing a gig near Blackburn which may have been called the "Criterion" a Country House style venue. The Manager decided to eject a punter and his mates who were apparently barred and you could sense it was about to kick off. Fortunately I was playing my Gretsch Country Gent (other makes are also available) at the time, and when it did go bang I was able to step back from the Mic and duck down behind my trusty Peavey Session 500 perched behind me on a chair. Tables and chairs were flying everywhere but the Session did it's business. Fair play to the singer who carried on regardless without missing a note. Happy days which I am glad are just a distant memory.