Who gets the most action? Steel pickers or????

About Steel Guitarists and their Music

Moderator: Shoshanah Marohn

User avatar
Ray Montee
Posts: 9506
Joined: 7 Jul 1999 12:01 am
Location: Portland, Oregon (deceased)
Contact:

Who gets the most action? Steel pickers or????

Post by Ray Montee »

Thro' my many years of playing dance halls and dark and dingy nightclubs....there was always a mystic value, it seems, placed on musicians by some of the lovely ladies in that audience. You know the kind, the ones that came down to the club in order to over-come the lonelies while their spouse was out tromping thro' the woods in his camoflage suit, killing deer, elk or other of God's little critters with his latest canon.
Now, I'm not expecting any disclosures here about your very own personal experiences but, merely as an observer over your years of serving your community as a live, working musician, WHO seemed to get the most action? Fiddlers? Lead Guitarist?
Banj'r Pickers? Drummers? Bassman? Rythmn guitarist? Vocalist/tamborene/triangle percussionists? Baton twirlers?
Just curious.
User avatar
Jim Smith
Posts: 7946
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Midlothian, TX, USA

Post by Jim Smith »

Around here it seems to be the fiddle players. It sure isn't me! Image
Paul Graupp
Posts: 4922
Joined: 24 Jan 2001 1:01 am
Location: Macon Ga USA

Post by Paul Graupp »

Didn't Johnny Gimble once tell Chet Atkins that he'd been known to fiddle around ??

Regards, Paul Image Image Image
User avatar
Ray Montee
Posts: 9506
Joined: 7 Jul 1999 12:01 am
Location: Portland, Oregon (deceased)
Contact:

Post by Ray Montee »

I once heard some feed-back about that!
User avatar
chas smith
Posts: 5043
Joined: 28 Feb 2001 1:01 am
Location: Encino, CA, USA

Post by chas smith »

The bass player, it was uncanny, I'd be rolling my equipment out to the parking lot and he would be coming back with a smile on his face.
Paul Graupp
Posts: 4922
Joined: 24 Jan 2001 1:01 am
Location: Macon Ga USA

Post by Paul Graupp »

I actually watched Jim Reeves leave the stage one night with a Floor Lady. The bass player finished the song and Bobby Garrett sat there just shaking his head. I don't think he played any instrument but would a microphone count ?? Image Image Image

Regards, Paul
Bob Hayes
Posts: 958
Joined: 18 Sep 2000 12:01 am
Location: Church Hill,Tenn,USA

Post by Bob Hayes »

The Singer,Bass Player,Guitar Player,Drummer,Fiddle Player,Keyboard, Light and Sound man,Bartender, bouncer,owner, cowbys,trucker,party guy, janitor, then the Steeler..But I still didn't do too bad!!!!
Mark Tomeo

Post by Mark Tomeo »

I played stand-up electric and acoustic guitar in a hotel show band through the mid-70s and got more a$$ than a toilet seat.
When I could play steel well enough to switch, all that lovin' fell off to next to nothin'. I played steel in a band with a major label deal in the early 80s - we were on the radio and MTV, toured the U.S., Canada and Europe, and was the only one not getting any action.
Steel has to be the least sexy instrument in the world. You sit down, don't move around, don't make eye contact with the audience, and hardly anybody knows what the hell instrument you're playing anyway.
I really like playing steel but it's done absolutely nothing for my love life. Well, you asked.
User avatar
Larry Bell
Posts: 5550
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Englewood, Florida
Contact:

Post by Larry Bell »

I believe Rusty Young once said that there is only one steel guitar groupie in the USA. She lives in a small town in rural Wyoming and her mother won't let her stay out past 10PM.

"You play that electric organ so well"
"Nice keyboard . . . I bought my wife one just like that one"
"Do the pedals make the notes last longer?"
"What's the singer's phone number?"
Image

------------------
<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

User avatar
John Heinrich
Posts: 272
Joined: 28 Oct 2001 12:01 am
Location: Whites Creek, TN, USA
Contact:

Post by John Heinrich »

Wow, I never had the problem of the have not side, actually, my problem is in the have side!! Cripes!!!!

------------------
BJ Bailey
Posts: 1184
Joined: 4 Dec 1999 1:01 am
Location: Jackson Ms,Hinds

Post by BJ Bailey »

I have managed to pickup alittle side work,that I rather injoyed.
But now my tools arent as good as they use'st to be so I do'nt incurriage my self on the matter.
But if the subject prosented it's self,,,well I'd just have to shoot it with my best shot.
Now that's what I'd call growing old gracefully Image Image Image

------------------
BJ Bailey


Charlie Hunter
Posts: 9
Joined: 1 Apr 2001 1:01 am
Location: Fullerton, CA, USA

Post by Charlie Hunter »

By far the bass player, but he didn't give a hoot about how they looked or what they smelled like.

------------------
Swampwater Smyth
TonyL
Posts: 177
Joined: 30 Jan 2001 1:01 am
Location: Seattle. WA

Post by TonyL »

Upright bass players...

I speak from experience... Image

TL
Al Udeen
Posts: 1831
Joined: 4 Aug 1999 12:01 am
Location: maple grove mn usa

Post by Al Udeen »

The girls all get prettier at closing time!
User avatar
Larry Bell
Posts: 5550
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Englewood, Florida
Contact:

Post by Larry Bell »

Yes, Al, but sometimes you wake up with a "pig in a blanket". Image

LTB
User avatar
Tony Orth
Posts: 497
Joined: 5 Dec 2000 1:01 am
Location: Evansville, Indiana, USA

Post by Tony Orth »

Bass player,

I think it has something to do with the size of their equipment.
User avatar
Ray Montee
Posts: 9506
Joined: 7 Jul 1999 12:01 am
Location: Portland, Oregon (deceased)
Contact:

Post by Ray Montee »

Okay fellows, we didn't ask for any incriminating admissions here, just your observations to help us with our school work in conducting a survey about public conduct.
Mr. Hayes: Been there....I've seen it.
Mark: I can relate to that; at times I felt like a musical pimp, getting messages to the bassman or vocalist or whatever.
BJ: We're all very proud of you; and humble too.
Larry: Is that sorta like Cayote (sp?) Love? (Pig in a Blanket....pretty well describes it!)
Well if any of you other pickers have anything to ad, we'll certainly include your comments in our national survey. How about those pickers over there on the others side of the world. Any similar problems?

User avatar
Michael Johnstone
Posts: 3841
Joined: 29 Oct 1998 1:01 am
Location: Sylmar,Ca. USA

Post by Michael Johnstone »

I've always noticed that there were bass player groupies,drummer groupies,lead singer groupies,etc,etc. And the dumbest ones always went for the obvious - the front man or the lead guitarist.I've also noticed that steel groupies were smarter than the others.To be absolutely fascinated with that instrument and the guy playing it,you have to "get it" on an esoteric level.And an esoteric drunk girl in a bar - hanging around the band at closing time,usually translates into a freak. Just one man's recollections.......
B Bailey Brown
Posts: 606
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX (USA)

Post by B Bailey Brown »

Well, what the heck I’ll add my two cents. I have to go with the majority of the posts I have seen here. The Bass Player is usually #1. Huh??!! Oh come on now…these guys only have 4 strings!! After that, I have seen the singer (cause he is usually young, cute and has an IQ of almost 15), and then the guitar player (because his IQ is usually above 50, he plays louder than everybody else so he gets noticed, but he shakes his “booty” when his turn to play and he looks sexy).

The last in line are the drummer and the steel player. We are usually the last to get our stuff packed up and leave the club. As I mentioned in another thread, even the barmaids are tired, cranky, bored, have PMS or the tip jar sucked that night and they just want to go home and be done with it. Image Image

Oh well, I did not choose this instrument to help out my “social” life! Image Image

B. Bailey Brown
User avatar
Gary Lee Gimble
Posts: 2006
Joined: 19 Jul 1999 12:01 am
Location: Fredericksburg, VA.
Contact:

Post by Gary Lee Gimble »

"Who gets the most action?"

My 17 year old son!

Gary Lee
Bill Nauman
Posts: 1042
Joined: 22 Nov 1998 1:01 am
Location: Cresco,Pa,USA
Contact:

Post by Bill Nauman »

Guitarplayers always have their Pick! Bill in Vegas
Frank Parish
Posts: 3062
Joined: 15 Sep 1999 12:01 am
Location: Nashville,Tn. USA

Post by Frank Parish »

It's got to be the Baton Twirlers if they twirl it just right! Image
User avatar
Ray Montee
Posts: 9506
Joined: 7 Jul 1999 12:01 am
Location: Portland, Oregon (deceased)
Contact:

Post by Ray Montee »

Soooooo that's it???
Nothing like this has ever been experienced in far away places like Finland, Germany, Australia, New Zealand? I am amazed, believe me. Oh well, this has been most interesting and fun. Thanx for sharing.
slick
Posts: 560
Joined: 25 Dec 1999 1:01 am
Location: Calhoun Georgia

Post by slick »

The ladies were impressed by the hardness of by bar,gotta lot of action,That was way back then,this is now. Image

Wayne<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by slick on 12 November 2001 at 04:05 PM.]</p></FONT>
Locked