Dublin October 18th &19th

[Uncle Roy]

Who is coming to the Irish steel Festival this year?
Good line up with Buck Reid headliner and our own Sarah Jory appearing both days. Also from the Uk Mr Southampton Steel himself Ken Byng plus Kenvin Bartholomew from Hungerford , Brighton based Francois Deville and not forgetting Arthur James from Leicestershire. Plus all the players from Europe.
The BSS stand will be there as will Barbara Hogan with Hogans music stand. Ted's Rainbow Music with his always impressive arrange of top brand steels for sale and hopefully Mr Bob Adams will be exhibiting his wares again this year
Be great to meet up with every one. A great weekend in store.
SO WHO IS COMING?

[Ken Byng]

Looking forward to seeing you after many years Roy. I will be playing through the new Telonics TCA500 combo amp. I am sure that it will attract a fair bit of interest. Kevan Bartholomew also owns one of these fine amps.

I am really looking forward to meeting up with my friend Buck Reid, he is just a lovely guy and such a phenomenal player. He tells me that he has put his new Infinity pedal steel through its paces during his summer touring with Lyle Lovett, and that it has stood up to everything he could throw at it.

I am told that there is a guest speaker this year. None other than Ivor (The Driver) Greenwood, and Ivor will be talking for 2 hours on the subject of steel guitar TONE. I don't think that 2 hours will be long enough.

[Malcolm]

McMaster, Gamble, McKillop and Sutherland reporting for duty Sir.Ken the lecture by Ivor can be significantly shortened --- buy an MSA, the engineering is much superior, and those guitars with inferior end plates don't help tone. Lookforward to seeing you there. Ps I am shure Ivor would be happy to let you use one of his many MSA's, save your old back AND improve your tone

[Ken Byng]

Sounds like a good turn out by Alex Salmond's team Malcolm.

Re the MSA's - I buy my guitars to play and for their tone and not to look at, although I would pIt my Show Pro against any other manufacturer's in the looks department. I won't repeat Bobbe Seymour's view of the MSA tone, but I can say that it wasn't very flattering. The later MSA's (Bud Carter era and beyond) definitely had superior tone to the early ones. I played an older one owned by a friend in texas, and it had almost no sustain whatsoever.

There is quite a contingent coming from Southampton and Hampshire, so there will be a bit of pressure on the 'new boy' to perform. My charts for the show are in and I have been burning the midnight oil in my studio fine tuning my set, and will continue to do so right up to the weekend of the show. Pass me the matchsticks!!

[Malcolm]

Never did like Mr Seymour, thought he was well named "Saymore".See you in Dublin, looking forward to your set.Will get Ivan to contact you with suggested settings for amp. Is Dunny going?

[Ken Byng]

Malcolm
Not sure if Mark D is going. He has got quite a bit going on at the moment with gigs and the tie in with Telonics and everything. I have a spare seat in the car if anyone needs one (please send me a PM).

Who is Ivan? Do you mean Ivor the driver? I am not sure I would want to let him loose on my knobs thank you very much - they could be a little too technical for him, especially my TCE G-Force.

[Malcolm]

Slip of the finger Ken, I take it you were referring to amp controls?

[David Patterson]

Guys, guys, you are going to end up giving poor Ivor a complex, he's only trying to get you all to a new level of tone excellence. : :

Looking forward to seeing you/hearing you in Dublin Ken, both Ted and Ivor say great things about you.

An added bonus would be, if you brought the push/pull.

[Ken Byng]

Guys, guys, you are going to end up giving poor Ivor a complex, he's only trying to get you all to a new level of tone excellence. : :

Looking forward to seeing you/hearing you in Dublin Ken, both Ted and Ivor say great things about you.

An added bonus would be, if you brought the push/pull.

Don't believe everything you hear David. It's Mr Buck Reid you should be looking forward to - he is an absolute demon player. I am bringing 3 guitars with me - My #1 guitar, the Show Pro, my Emmons push pull and my Mullen. Just in case I break a string you understand. I am also looking forward to partaking in a Guinness or two.

[Willie Gamble]

Ooooooooooh Guinness Ooooooooooh Guinness, unfortunately Ken I don't normally drink but when I do I don't drink normally, if that makes sense at all
Tum te tum te tum Sparkle sparkle little twink, who the hell you am I think

Ken the festival is only a part of the weekend, the jam in the bar afterwards is absolutely unmissable

Asleep at the steel