Start your own band and call the shots yourself and assume the headaches that go with it. I tried it and I like it.
Been there, done that, and I'm about to do it again. Yes, it's a PITA to have to deal with all that stuff, but at least it gets done the way I want it, and I can't whine if it doesn't work out.
Bill - you have a very calm and rational view of this, and I think your attitude is spot-on. If you think they're good musicians and a little time and rehearsal will open them up to some different ideas, it makes sense to try. I always try to be patient with people, but when I point out the obvious and they summarily dismiss it without consideration, I think it's a waste of time after that.
Hey, I've played a chord-melody version of Sleepwalk on guitar with bands for a long time, but I
guarantee you that if I was working with a steel player, he or she would at least get equal time. Unfortunately, with very few steel players around here, that steel player is usually me.
Honestly, I would really enjoy working in a band with two people who could trade off steel and guitar duties.
I guess the part I don't understand about this egomania thing is that spreading the wealth to multiple instruments only adds
interest to any song.
as a rock guitarists I can tell you this. its true, we have NO clue how to work with a steel player. we solo all the time never once thinking the steeler might wanna take one. we play faux pedal steel licks with no consideration at all about how it detracts from the real deal and clashes with it, we have no concept of proper volume, our concept on that is... if we are not the loudest thing in the band then we need to turn up some more...we give no consideration to staying out of any of our bandmates tonal range, if you are playing in the upper register then so are we, if we're playing with a B3 player, we will grab our POG's and try and out organ them. If we do allow you to solo, we'll be sure to throw in some extravagant backup to clash harshly with your licks instead of just laying low and playing the chords, we might even step right in front of your steel while you are soloing and put our foot up on the monitor as if we were playing the MAdison Square Garden..we are idiots. Laughing
Um, as a guy who has definitely played a lot of rock and roll guitar, I certainly know some of those guys. They're no fun to play with in
any kind of band, playing
any instrument. But I think that if you just record a show, and then play it back when they're sober, then if they're good players, they'll say, "Man, who was that lousy band?"
dude... rock and roll is about massive guitar solos, all day and night, all the time, all louder than you or anyone else...preferably played with flaming chaps on and midgets serving me green m&ms off a silver platter. playing our leads over everyone else's is rock and roll 101. It is required by the gods of rock that we...ROCK! and the very definition of rocking is my blazing guitar solo...crank up the wind machine and get out of my way!! The drummer bassist and any other pesky instrument that happens to be on the stage with me...thats my backup. The singer? His job is to frame my guitar solos with stupid lyrics about elfs and dragons and say "Ladies and gentlemen....Ben Jones on electric guitar!!!" *makes crowd going crazy noise, then "wheeedly wheedly wee " twenty minute finger tapping solo on guitar. Cool Cool Cool
dude, been there, done that too, but truly - the great players, even in rock and roll, do not stomp on everything. They may wail during pauses, fills, and absolutely take no prisoners on solos - but they do things that stay out of the sonic space of the singer while they're singing, and riff or add cool rhythmic figures while other instruments take solos - it is possible to support very aggressively without stomping over everything.
To me, the only place this kind of thing works is in a power trio, preferably with the lead guitarist doing most if not all of the singing - it's amazing how that nonsense subsides when it's yourself that's getting stomped on. But in a band with good singers and/or other flamboyant players, I think this is a recipe for either getting fired or breaking up the band, I don't care what kind of music it is. OK, maybe you can get away with that in a punk band. That's all about energy, musical values have very little to do with it.
M&M's? Midgets? I always preferred young college coeds serving a shot of tequila while I'm taking a solo, connected to the stage by a 100' cord or a wireless unit. That is rock and roll.
My opinions, what else is new.
You have to let the lead guitar player know that the steel guitar is also a lead guitar. Our band has been playing 8 years,same lead guitar player,keys, and steel guitar. Joe
Never again.
Oops! I said it! Flame Suit "ON"!!! 
