South London Steelies 17th January 2015

[jonshack]

Hello Bar Tenders!

The next session in Clapham is on Sunday 17th Jan at The Bread and Roses, usual fun, email going out soon. If you weren't at the last couple of meetings PM me to get on the email list. See you there!

Jonathan

[jonshack]

It's not too late for you to get on the list for this Sunday, just drop me a PM if you're interested...

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Jon, I hope to make it down there with Will, looking forward to it ......

[jonshack]

John, that would be fantastic, I think it might be a smallish group tomorrow but we'd love to see you there.

[jonshack]

I'd really like to thank JD and Will for travelling the distance and sharing their knowledge with me and Andy and David yesterday - and providing backing tracks (which I managed to forget!). And thanks to Andy and David for being stalwarts. Also it was nice to meet (new) John, I hope he can be persuaded to bring his steel guitar another time. I know everyone else was disappointed not to be able to make it.

I'm having a think about whether to book another one. For one thing it seems insane that there was no-one from South London in attendance and the rest of us have to travel a good distance. For another I don't think there are enough people willing to set aside a Sunday two months in advance (i.e. prioritise it over subsequent gig offers, family events etc, whatever may come up). That's not a criticism, it's totally valid but a group this size depends on enough able, committed stalwarts to keep it ticking and when medical issues also come in to play we start to get wobbly.

Also I'm gigging quite a lot (45 last year), working full time, have a young family and am finding it hard to spare the time preparing material which people aren't that into. Like all of you guys I've got other things I could be doing. When it comes to collecting the room fee I feel bad that the few that can make it really end up overpaying. Doubly so when they've travelled a long way.

It's been a long while since we've had low attendance and there's no real reason to think it's anything other than a blip. I also have a lot of fun in a small group anyway. So what's the problem?
A: The room is too expensive and no longer optimally located (although personally I like the pub).
B: I'm not sure I have the energy/time to find a new venue or to keep running things (not that it's a huge burden).

Let me know what you chaps think. Maybe the occasional one-off is a better model. Maybe one of you really wants to take up the reins. If enough of you want to carry on as we are or have suggestions please let me know. This has been a really fun experience so far and we've all done well to keep it going this long (2 years) - time to take a moment to work out where we go from here.

All the best, Jonathan

[bobhcot]

My first and only thought................I think you'll find it is now 2016..........been that way about 18 days. Might some of your attendees have thought this posting was last year's?

Bob

[jonshack]

You are of course correct Bob, I created the original post by cutting and pasting an old topic in December without amending the year. My mistake, thank you for bringing it to my attention. I could do with less of the sarcasm though, perhaps a second thought might have been a good thing?

I ask everyone who is thinking of attending these meetings to get on the email list so I do in fact know how many people were aware of the correct time, none of them thought it was last year. Most of them replied with intentions to attend, and then gradually many dropped out, all with good reason. I'm not questioning anyone here.

Just to clarify, I decided to direct my comments to the forum because there are wider issues with trying to organise steel guitar meetings and I was hoping for some constructive advice from the forum as a whole as well as from those who have dropped off the list due to inactivity/lack of interest.

Proof reading everything is always good advice though.
Jon

[bobhcot]

[bobhcot]

Sorry - didn't mean to offend. Humour can be a very personal thing.

OK - second thought................whilst I don't know what underlying problems you may be having with your particular sessions, I am aware that Roy Heap doesn't run a session in January at all. I've always assumed that was in part the potential for bad weather and partly the proximity of Christmas, New Year and all that stuff. It could just be an inherent wish to hibernate through January and hope it's safe to come out a month later! Wish I was a bit closer and I'd consider joining your sessions but it has to be over three hours each way. Good luck, Bob

[jonshack]

No offence taken Bob, I do see the humour in the situation, it would be hard to bemoan everyone missing a date from last year. I'm just a bit too tired and jaded to do this>>>

It has crossed my mind that January is less than ideal, especially financially. I will definitely bow to Roy's experience. Once again though, I'm sure everyone in the group fully intended to make it when we agreed the provisional date, we just got considerably more unlucky this time. My concern is always that we don't have quite enough "100% into it" members to always ride out low attendance meetings. One day I'm going to turn up on my own and stay that way - which is the sort of thing which gives me sleepless nights and makes me consider chucking in the towel. Sense of humour definitely required.
Jon