The Steel Guitar Forum

as i stated, I am glad a steel player is employed. way to go Kurt!

but i think it's sad that some of you think we should rejoice about the steel being used this way...
not to mention the fact that they put him behind the drummer???

I'm 34 and I enjoy playing (or at least trying to play) all types of music on the steel, be it country, jazz, or rock.

but i just had a guy offer me a job in his band. he sounds like he's trying to be the next Toby Keith...
very guitar-heavy, with the steel only really being used as a vague background color, and to somehow validate the music as "real country".

I had to say no thanks.

I just quit a band for those very reasons, To much of a pain to load and unload all the gear just slid up to a couple of chord now and again, which can be done with a bottleneck.

It's funny. Everytime something happens that brings steel guitar to a wider audience someone whines about the credibility factor. COME ON. we are not talking Stravinsky , Bach or Bethoven. Or for that matter Sinatra, Tony bennet or Linda Rondstadt, or Haggard. For God's sake your talking about pop stars whether it be Bon Jovi or Buck Owens. These are not Nobel Prize contenders. I would suggest that these pop artist are aiding and abetting our cause. Let's be happy for that.
BB

Yep. And also, I just don't get the hate. You may not like his music and that's fine, but the idea that somehow, his music takes something away from yours is just ridiculous.

let me add that if Jon Bon Jovi offered me a job playing steel I would certainly accept. Even though he seems like a real ego maniac to me. Put me behind the drummer, i don't care.

but I would rather work for Buck Owens (no longer an option, sadly). And ol' Buck deserved a Nobel prize if you ask me...!

Yeah man this is ridiculous. If Jon wants to have a steel in the band more power too him. I guess it would not seem odd to some of us if he put a violin or harmonica in his tunes.

Hey Kurt,

Congratulations on the gig and the exposure. Well done. Forget all the static. If you ever need a sub, I'd LOVE to do it, with a smiling face and heart full of gratitude. Very best to you...JW

Well Kurt is on a payroll, And that changes everything! I really do hope it opens doors for all of us, and I know the manufacturers will benefit, But it is fun to rank on Bon Jovi a bit,,there is a nice blue grass band called "good life" that did a record of Bon Jovi Covers. They translate REAL well

"I am sure NJ is on Bon Jovi overload"....
I'm from West Plains, Missouri. How do you think I feel? Lol, luckily I am a HUGE Porter fan.

I'm with David and the rest of the minority on this one. I'm not real hip on Jon Ban-Jovis' new material, but he IS making music, making a living, and contributing to the overall musical landscape.
Wouldn't it be nice to see a few younger folks gettin' turned on to pedal steel? Maybe their curiousity will lead them to some of the vintage stuff as well?
It always amazes me how folks who don't live in Nashville have such a "keen insight" on the inner workings of the business there......

AMEN BB!

Scott, Jon Bongiovi is NOT an egomaniac. I worked with him back when he was sweeping floors at his cousin's recording studio in NYC (Power Station) and he is a very level headed, down to earth, nice guy...I'm told he hasn't let stardom change that.

My point was based on my experience with musicians here. I really dont care what is going on in Nashville, If I did I would move there. There a lot of steelers HERE who dont really want to learn how to play their instruments, and are in bands as a prop. "look we are a country band because every 5 minutes someone pumps their a ped up and down!" I have had to quit bands that have an attitiude of the steel should be seen and not heard. Guitar players walking all over steel parts,,yada yada. It weighs to much and takes to long to load, setup, tune, unload to be used as a drone note in the background. I dont like steel as a prop. I dont like banjo as a prop. I would like to hear the steel.
I hope they decide to move in a direction that showcases the steel. I doubt to many non-steel players even noticed him. Yes I would take 2000 a month to sit behind Bon Jovi too. And Yes I hope I am wrong and every band starts wanting a steel player.

By "Here" I mean Seattle, not the forum.

there are steel players in seattle?

no matter how bad you think something is, there will always be a couple people here who will like it and who will be offended by negative comments... so unless you enjoy offending people, Ive found it best to just not comment on artists i dont like or if forced to comment just to admit its not MY cup of tea. Ive put my foot in my mouth a couple times and its finally sunk in i guess....i hope....

..just trying to make the net a better place...one post at a time hehe....

Your right,,easy to get sucked in by these things,,
sorry if that was inflammatory and offensive. I tend to run my mouth a lot. And my fingers to I guess..

No sweat Steve, Like I said Ive done it a couple times myself and felt bad afterwards...its hard to resist sometimes

i dont think you really said anything that inflamatory anyway. I agree its kinda lame to put the steel behind the drummer..to put ANY musician behind the drummer...why? even on the smallest of stages (which I doubt is concern with the artist in question) I canno think of any reason to put ANY instrument behind the drums..a gong maybe...

regarding the steel as stage dressing here in seattle, I havent seen much steel period but the few i have seen have played in proportion to thier abilities and didnt seem constrained or used as a prop. I am a beginner looking to join my first band on psg and I fear I would be playing very much as you described...mashing AB occasionally and laying low, not because the steel is an after thought country stamp, but because thats the extent of my abilities at this time.

PS I'd really like to find a teacher here in seattle for the occasional lesson...do you know anyone who teaches? Cheers.

I learned a lot by jumping right in the Fire. Join a band and play as often as you can. The learning curve that way is very quick. I learned a lot by watching Sara Cahoon's Steeler Jay. He taught me a lot, and put up with my constant questions at shows.If you go to the Little Red Hen I think they still have a house band on Mon with a good PS guy. I always bug who-ever is playing the tractor a well, Dave from the Hacienda Bros showed me some stuff after their set that opend up a whole new world for me. Transmissionary six's ps player Paul Is another to watch. I just quit playing with Westerly for all the reasons I have been gripping about, But I learned A LOT trying to squeeze stuff by the two guitar bimbos. They are probably looking, I could show you what I know as well. I play with Carrie Biell right now....look forward to meeting you !
Steve

Before I know how much indignation to muster, I need more information.
Was this BanJovi a 4-string or a 5-string ?

-John

I'll watch for your gigs Steve, I look forward to meeting you as well. Trans 6 steeler is Jon not Paul and is a very cool cat. He's showed me a couple things and I hope to steal some more from him when he has the time...hehe.

I'm finding it hard to take the plunge and try out for a band as a steeler (ive played in countless bands as a guitarist). I have a back injury that makes it really hard to move my steel and that makes it a bit hard to answer the craigs list ads on a whim most of which state implicitly that they are either:
a. looking to "make it" in the business
b. looking to play modern top 40 country
(neither of these ideas are "my cup of tea" )

I guess i'll find something eventually...
I'd like to do/sing my own songs with a band and play as the steeler...but i'm not sure I wuld wanna be part of any band that would have ME as their steeler .

well enough about me, back to Banjovi

Ahh your right,,SORRY Jon
good luck Ben

Sorry Steve, didn't mean to ruffle your feathers, in fact my "Nashville" comment was not intended for you at all. You made no reference that I saw anywhere in your posts to music city. It was those other fellers.

No Prob man,,I think its easy to misread the intent of someones post. I wasnt mad, but after I posted it I realized it probably read that way. Like Ben said, I put my foot in my mouth so much I brush my teeth with oder-eaters

Kurt's website
http://www.kurtjohnston.com/

I recently worked on a TV special for A&E that showcased Bon Jovi playing the entire new album front to back. Like them or not, that band plays great and Jon seems to be a hard working no-nonsense band leader. The kind of guy who is the first one there and the last one to leave. They had the number one album in the world 25 years ago and they have the number one album in the world NOW. Who else can say that in any genre of music? I was never into them at all but I gained a new respect for how a great rock band gets it done while working on this show. There were no overdubs, re-do's, forgotten lyrics, etc. Imagine that, a real band playing music and capturing the performance in HD.

A word about Kurt. He struck me as a very good musician. Not just a good steel player but a very good all around multi instrumentalist musician. On most songs he would play banjo on his lap and switch to steel, play mandolin and switch to steel. Same deal with guitar and Dobro. They only played a couple of the hits from days gone by and Kurt was right there with parts that fit nicely.

To all of the Bon Jovi nay-sayers: I am pretty sure that the show will be on in November on A&E. Check your local listings. I think you just might like some of what these guys do.
TC

Kurt Johnston here. Responding some 15 years later to my fellow steelers regarding my opportunity to play steel,dobro,mando,and banjo for Bon Jovi and the Lost Highway tour. I read through a dozen or so reactions and , all of you are right. It was a blast, it was weird and it was the top of the pop music biz mountain. Having done such high profile venues back then, I am here now in N.Ga. I work with the Country River Band most weekends. We play VFW's Community affairs, little festivals and y'know places where traditional country is desired. These venues are the best. I am celebrating my 50th year in the business. I am looking forward to acquiring no.7 of the Resound 65 Emmons D10.For me it is more desirable to play my guitar throughout a 3 hour show ,make a little money,and drive home that evening ,than to play pockets of phrases on songs that are pedal steel challenged for higher profile status. I mean, isn't that why we do this when all is said and done. We want to play that thing,because we want to have a relationship with the guitar itself, and there seems to be only a few styles of music to accomplish this. Swing, traditional country,and some folk. That's a lot,and that's all I require because it takes a lifetime to get it right. Anyway God Bless you all and keep you safe on your musical journey. Kurt

Great response Kurt, and I have to say I'm no Bon Jovi music fan, but I've met him before and he is a super nice guy and very generous! Around these parts he is very popular still.