Gas and Gigs

Drew Howard · From: 48854

Fill up now, gas is $3.19/gal and climbing.
Don't know if I'll accept any more out-of-town gigs for the rest of the year.

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Drew Howard - website - Fessenden D-10 8/8, Fessenden SD-12 5/5 (Ext E9), Magnatone S-8, N400's, BOSS RV-3

Chris Schlotzhauer · From: Colleyville, Tx. USA

I had to quit the long distance driving gigs to meet up with the band. I live in the D/FW area in Texas. You can log many miles gigging in this state. Everyone but me live in the Austin area, so if they play in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, I have to drive to meet up with them. It's become cost prohibitive to do that anymore, so I'm only doing the gigs they do in my area, and I'll tour the states with them on their gas money.

George Redmon · From: Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.

Drew at 2:30PM it just hit 3.54.9 a gallon up here in north western michigan...two stations here have gunny sacks over their pumps "Out Of Gas"! They claim up here anyway it is going to go even higher. I went to Walmart, they had a sign, "Sold Out Of Locking Gas Caps"... The boss said don't even think about more money...

Craig A Davidson · From: Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA

You know if all of us and the folks we know could agree on a day to not use any fuel we could bring this gas thing to a halt. If we don't I am afraid some idiot will do something drastic. We need to do something I think.

Wayne Morgan · From: Rutledge, TN, USA

Gas prices jumped here in East Tennessee, from $2.43.9 to $2.99.9 today, all because a Hurricane blew over one oil rig.
Yeah Right!! Econimist were saying a month ago, it would climb to $3.00 a gallon by Laborday. Guess they knew it was going to be very windy.
Wayne

Archie Nicol R.I.P. · From: Ayrshire, Scotland

Aww! Lucky youze. We're about twice that, at least, over here. Even the cowboys wear two dollar hats.

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One of those steel guitar thingies and an amp.

Ben Slaughter · From: Madera, California

Just saw a report that a couple off shore rigs are out of commission and as many as 9 refineries along the gulf coast are non-op (flooded). The Pres said they're going to realase some oil from the reserve, so that should help.

But, I've been paying $3.20 for diesel fuel for a couple weeks now. I'm told a refinery went down in So Cal.

And all of this at harvest time.

Did an "out of towner" last weekend, three of us went in my pickup. The leader took his rig and the PA. I'll try to do more car pools with prices like this.

Bob Knight · From: Bowling Green KY

Ben Slaughter · From: Madera, California

I tend to believe the president of the American Petroleum Institute, Red Cavaney, when he's being interviewed on national television...

This is a supply/demand issue. The factors that limit supply and create demand are political, which I will refrain from discussing on the Steel Guitar Forum.

Bobby Boggs · From: Upstate SC.

I'm m pissed too. Have been for months. As for parking them. It's about to happen here the southeast.The pipe line is down that supplies the tank farms that supply the dealers that supply the retailers.In other words. There are already places where you can't buy gas for any amount of money.And it's going to get worse before it gets better....

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Oil Companies=The Republican Party=George Bush= Manipulated gas prices.

Allen Peterson · From: Katy, Texas

First of all Bob Knight, I resent being called a liar. I have worked for an oil company for most of my adult life. I am NOT a liar.

Second, you better get used to higher gasoline prices. This is NOT the fault of the oil companies. It is the result of NOT having enough refining capacity in this country. There have been NO new refineries built in this country since 1978 and there have been NO upgrades to refineries for the last twenty years. Californians, Arizonans and others will not allow a refinery to be built in their pristine states. Instead they insist that the Gulf Coast have all those dirty, smelly things next to their homes. And guess what, they are vulnerable to hurricanes. It takes about 5 to 10 years to build a refinery. Before Katrina we were just barely hanging on. Now that 8 to 10 critical refineries are out of commission on the Gulf Coast it has caused a severe shortage of refined products, particularly in the southeast.

Third, the Chinese have an almost unsatiable appetite for energy. Their energy demands have grown by nearly 15% per year for the last couple of years. In the US the demand has only grown 2-3% per year. The Chinese demand has caused a global supply shortage. If you know anything about economics, you understand that when the supply goes down the demand goes up and so do the prices.

Fourth, the war in Iraq has reduced the Middle East supply of crude by about one-third, and to make things worse the Saudis may have been overstating their reserves.

Fifth, one of the reasons you are experiencing high prices in Kentucky is that the pipelines to the northeast are down. There is not enough electricity to run the pumps that move the oil through the pipelines. This will be fixed shortly.

I have worked hard as an oil finder in South Louisiana for over 30 years. I am just like you. I get up every day and go to work for about 10 to 11 hours. I have caused nearly 300 wells to be drilled in the Gulf Coast. I can tell you that it is extremely difficult to find oil and natural gas. The well I am currently drilling in Terrebonne Parish has cost my company $6,500,000 so far, and we are not even nearly done. It looks like it might not be economical. So far we have found two gas sands that are only 6' thick at a depth of about 14,500'. It would cost too much to get that little amount of gas out of the ground. We needed to find about 60' of gas to make it economical. We have 100% working interest in this well. Which one of you guys wants to buy in? I would gladly lay-off about 75% of this well.

Not buying gas for a day will do absolutely nothing to solve this problem. I say fine with me if you stop buying gas, then there will be more for me. Stop driving the big gas guzzlers might be a step in the right direction. Americans are spoiled rotten. Go to England or any other place in Europe and see how they live. Most of them don't even own a car and if they do it is a small economical one. They have been paying through the nose for their petrol for years. Most of the cost goes to their governments.

Maybe one of you guys that are complaining should check into the US government's cut of the profit. I think you will find that a very large portion of what you are paying at the pump goes for taxes.

Finally,it wasn't just one rig that got knocked over. The company I work for lost many producing platforms on Monday. Each of these platforms cost hundreds of millions of dollars. This will add up to a major loss for my employer. I may eventually lose my job over this before it is said and done.

So don't sit there comfortably in your air conditioned homes or your SUV and tell me this spike in the gasoline prices is the fault of the big bad oil companies. You don't know what you are talking about.

Allen Peterson

[This message was edited by Allen Peterson on 31 August 2005 at 09:01 PM.]

Bobby Boggs · From: Upstate SC.

As for gigs. If these 3 to 5 dollar gas prices hold. There want be any gigs for steelers unless you play Rap or Dance music. The only people going out are the 21 to 30 year old crowd.The Hip Hop crowd. Maybe in the west younger people support what's known as Country music. But not here. I would gig with groups like Bob Hoffner and Dave Van Allen work with.But that scene ain't happening here.
When the economy goes south.Entertainment is the first thing to take a hit.Old married folks gone stay at the house.

Just my 2 cents.

[This message was edited by Bobby Boggs on 31 August 2005 at 09:13 PM.]

Bob Knight · From: Bowling Green KY

Allen,
Please accept my sincerest apologies. This was not meant to be a personal attack to you or any individual.

I too, worked many years in the energy industry.

Regards,
Bob

[This message was edited by Bob Knight on 31 August 2005 at 09:18 PM.]

Tom Olson · From: Spokane, WA

The root of the problem is simple:

more people = more demand = more consumption = less supply = higher prices

Wars, hurricanes, refinery problems: they've always been around, and they do affect prices, but nothing like exponentially rising demand affects prices.

Whoever said gas isn't going down in price is right.

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

Allen has it 100% non-politically right.

The products that we bought and buy from Communist Red China were severely back loaded. They took the money and invested it where it would gain the most advantage. Maybe we should have made them promise to lose money on their investments..

People of yesteryear might have gotten away with saying that corporate stockholders were a guilty class apart from the "rest of us", ( while everything they owned was a product of one..) but those days are long gone with the advent of 401Ks.

Anybody feel guilty enough to demand that the companies in their portfolios lose money?

I know the guilty party.

I see him in the mirror many times a day.

Other people see him too, but he's not always recognized..

No smiley.

Things are going to change drastically again.

It was a nice long run while it lasted...

EJL

Bobby Boggs · From: Upstate SC.

Allen makes some really good points. The thing that burns me. Every time we have an energy shortage. The oil companys show hugh profits. I'm sorry.But it looks really bad.

There have been NO new refineries built in this country since 1978 and there have been NO upgrades to refineries for the last twenty years. Californians, Arizonans and others will not allow a refinery to be built in their pristine states. Instead they insist that the Gulf Coast have all those dirty, smelly things next to their homes. And guess what, they are vulnerable to hurricanes.

This must be changed.If for no other reason it sets us up for an easy terrorist attack. We could get things up and running and some one could fly a small plane into one major refinery and cripple the whole nation.

I guess the good times really are over for good????

[This message was edited by Bobby Boggs on 31 August 2005 at 09:48 PM.]

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

"The good times really over for good"? Naw, just time to get creative. How many want to go and play for free now??

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

The bands I tour with are having problems enough keeping me hired without transportation costs going through the roof.

We all knew this was coming for a long time. I hope we can start dealing with our petrol addicted economy before we all get hurt real bad. The good news is there are a couple guys that are cashing in in a big way with the oil crisis. The bad news is they are running the country.

Bob

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

I'm filing for Bankruptcy tomorrow. The whole economy of everything going up in prices and venues/sessions/restorations/lessons are still paying the same if not less, than even 15 years ago...>has KNOCKED me out of Business....I'm done....I'm fully Cooked and "Rock Bottom".
Ricky

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

I couldn't slow down any farther, so; why complain? Just like so many people in New Orleans, there's no place left to go! Isn't it too bad that so many of the good folks had to evacuate and some of the ‘not so good’ stayed to loot and take advantage of a bad situation! Now even they are waiting for some of the good people to come back and rescue them! I'm not saying all those who stayed are bad, just some! What's all that got to do with ‘Gas and Gigs’? I'm on the wrong thread! But, I did fill up today at $2.69.9 per. gal. to beat any more increases, because; I have no plans to go anywhere for a while! It will probably be way up by sunrise in Nashville. I'm glad I live here near some good Country~Music (occasionally)!
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“Big John” Bechtel
’04 SD–10 Black Derby w/3 & 5 & Pad
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence
web site

[This message was edited by John Bechtel on 01 September 2005 at 12:32 AM.]

Leslie Ehrlich · From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

I ride a bike, so the rising fuel costs don't affect my getting around town. As for gigs, the band I play in rarely gets the chance to perform out of town, so gas prices are not a major issue.

But some day the oil is going to run out. It is a finite resource, and all those drivers who clog the roads with their cars during rush hour will be in for a rude awakening one day. High oil prices have less to do with refining capacity than the auto-dependent lifestyles of consumers in industrialized nations.

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Who called anybody a liar?
This forum is a perfectly good place for opinions, thoughts, ideas. To denigrate a fo'bro for doing so is to take it a little personally.
And so personally, I start wondering when an industry gets defensive about its workings and policy. It may all be true, but when it comes down to a musician wondering what he's going to do for gas to get to a gig--well, the industry should understand why people have these issues, and be a little compassionate about it.

It's true, gas will never go back down, but who says we can't bitch?

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

first off this is the wrong place to have a discussion like this because it DOES GET POLITICAL.and we all, even me, have a view which is not related to MUSIC.

OUR Nation, the greatest in the WORLD..has the abilty to provide all we need ..and more for many lifetimes...but we have some obnoxious forces working against civilization moving forward. This is a prime example of a few very loud voices setting the agenda...

You can't Drill here, you can't drill there, you can't put a rig here , you can't put a rig there..Oh..NO way..No Nuclear power is allowed here..

SO what did we all think was gonna happen at the end of the day ?

Thank you Allen above..you stated THE case much more calmly than I would have..

And GAS is not the same price at the pump in every state..the wholesale price may be but the PUMP price varies..remember to look at the State taxes added..

In our region, Gas in Charlotte NC had been $2.55 early this week..

50 miles down the road in SC..$2.27....

Yesterday, Ashville NC $3.19, Charlotte $2.99 Willmington $2.79..and this in one State !

SO while we are beating this issue to death you may want to start the flogging in your own backyard..

OH, and yesterday the head of the EPA removed all of the Summer Fuel grade requirments( to protect the so called Ozone) for all states..which added 30 cents to each gallon of Gas back in May...by the way this happens every summer...this now means that Gas which could not be sold in some states now can be..

" I'm sorry, you can't drive your car with that Gas in our State"....

Is that someone you voted for ?

Last I heard the Refineries are supplying something like 2 dozen different blends of the same Gas due to Summer regulations..which may or may not be legit...

we are our own worst enemy when it comes to advancing civilization...

Now I do know that El Menio is now 10 years overdue..but can I at least buy Gas at a normal price until it gets here ? 10 years ago El Menio was knocking on our back door, today we can't even spell it correctly....

At some point in our future..we as a voting Nation..will shut down the anti everything crowd and start to move forward again...

and don't think for a moment that we can't move forward...

sorry

Oh, I did completely tear down my Steel and clean/lube and whatever it this week...just to keep it on Steel Guitars here...

Oh, and my gig is local this week, about 25 miles from home..maybe 2-3 gallons round trip..so it will cost me around $9 to get there and back...

Keeping all of the Hurricane victims in my prayers..the photo's and images are getting worse..and I suspect it won't get better for a few weeks...

t

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 01 September 2005 at 02:36 AM.]

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 01 September 2005 at 02:49 AM.]

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 01 September 2005 at 02:53 AM.]

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

I saw this coming in some form or another.

It was a part of the reason I took the gig in Thailand, and split europe,
before the X hit the fan.

The prices for gas in France must have passed $6 a gallon, and my Chrysler minivan had long been a liability. It's history now.

The prices are rising here too, but not in the same way.
Trouble in paradise, but not as hard as at home.

It is the coming together of several forces both man made,
and mother nature made,
that are bringing things to a boil in the USA.

Several of these things have been mentioned above,
and need not be reitereted.

For the working steeler it is not of good portents.
If a super player like Ricky D. see's the writing on the wall,
what is there for the average bloke.

We are in this mess, now, and can only excercise our franchise at a future time to do damage control...
But WE individually MUST think when we do, not of small parocial issues, but the BIG picture of "real politique".

But all was foreseeable, including Katrina,
and we shall reap what we sow.
Hopefully not a harvest of tears... but who knows.

I hope all my steeler friends can continue to gig when they choose.

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