A Good Reason Not To Like Steel Players

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 22 Oct 2010 11:09 pm

There is a new establishment opening not far from my city that wants to set up their own country house band and were calling for a steel guitar. Only two steelers showed up for an audition & short rehearsal, myself and a steel player from somewhere in the east.

We took turns at setting in behind a couple of vocalists and were asked to do a couple of solos, breaks, bridges, the usual run for auditions. This second (or first) steeler was very rude, a show off and insisted on doing his own thing whether or not it fit in with the band or the vocalist. His ongoing insistence was that any half decent band should be able follow his lead got everyone completely pis**ed off right from the start. He was asked to play the intro’s to Look At Us and a couple of Charlie Pride numbers. Jeez, even I could not pick out what in hell he was playing or what the songs were that he was leading into, and I am a steel player. His breaks, bridges & wraps were completely unrecognizable and he stomped on everyone else no matter when he was supposed to come in.

He was a good steeler (being judged by another steel player) however, he would not co-operate with anyone because of his over blown self importance attitude and insisting that he was his own man and will do his own thing. It was all his thing or nothing from start to finish. By the time this guy was told to pack up and leave, the rest of the band members were mumbling that they wanted to go without a steel guitar because they did not have to put up with that sh** from any steel guitar player. The guy damn nearly got me run as well just because of his stinking attitude.

By the way, I will be playing with these guys until they either fold; find another steel player ooooorrrr, drop me because of money shortages to pay the band.

Rick Winfield · Post by **Rick Winfield** » 23 Oct 2010 1:00 am

No matter how accompolished a person may be on his instrument, he has missed the point if he can't make music with it. (which involves other band members.)
Congrats,on the job, to the best steeler
Rick

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 23 Oct 2010 6:24 am

This is a pervasive attitude amongst alot of bar players. It seems that it is in the minority of people who are able to cooperate in a group setting. Attitude is everything.

Dickie Whitley · Post by **Dickie Whitley** » 23 Oct 2010 6:35 am

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 23 Oct 2010 8:33 am

Could be, that's the only way he knows how to play. I've seen some "musicians" who could play a limited number of things pretty well, but didn't know how to work with a band or even what key they were in. We had a piano player sit in with us last night who played Jerry Lee Lewis style and wowed the crowd, but he played every intro, fill, solo and ending and we might as well not even have been there. He said that he'd never had any music lessons and didn't really know anything but how to play like JLL.

Ellis Miller · Post by **Ellis Miller** » 23 Oct 2010 9:04 am

A band is a team in every sense of the word. I know very few who would put up with this guy very much for very long.

Reminds me of a bass player we auditioned some time ago. We were talking about playing "Night Life" and I asked him if it would help if I ran through the chords with him. He replied something to the effect of "just kick it off, I don't know chords, I know music". No, he didn't get the gig.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 23 Oct 2010 9:23 am

AARGH!! Awhile back I saw a live clip of Johnny Paycheck doing "The Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised"-my all-time favorite JP tune.Whoever was playing steel shredded all the way through the song and made a point of not playing anything that was actually on the recording.OK,it wasn't the player's fault the steel was mixed louder than the lead vocal,but he never shut up and pretty well tanked everybody's performance.Geeze!

Wonder if his main instrument was harmonica

Stan Schober · Post by **Stan Schober** » 23 Oct 2010 9:38 am

Kevin Hatton wrote:This is a pervasive attitude amongst alot of bar players. It seems that it is in the minority of people who are able to cooperate in a group setting. Attitude is everything.

Which may be one of the reasons that so many clubs use pre-recorded music these days.

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 23 Oct 2010 10:32 am

Cal "He said that he'd never had any music lessons and didn't really know anything" [/u]

I know a few like that, but they don't admit it.

Maybe he's a savant?

I am currently working with a very good band but the stage volume is beyond loud. While I appreciate assertive playing, I turned my amp up a notch (higher than ever) and it was right behind me at shoulder level, and I could barely hear myself by the end of the night. Our guitar player who is always on the other side of the stage plays over everything, maybe it's because he can't hear me over the wall of sound.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 23 Oct 2010 11:07 am

Kevin Hatton wrote:
This is a pervasive attitude amongst alot of bar players. It seems that it is in the minority of people who are able to cooperate in a group setting. Attitude is everything.
Stan Schober wrote:
Which may be one of the reasons that so many clubs use pre-recorded music these days.

That, and the fact that they would like you to play for damn-near nothing...

Dickie Whitley · Post by **Dickie Whitley** » 23 Oct 2010 11:13 am

Les Green · Post by **Les Green** » 23 Oct 2010 11:17 am

Dickie,

That's a good one! Got to remember it. I'll use it....

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 23 Oct 2010 11:48 am

The main problem that I had with guy is that the band, for some reason, lumped me into the same category with this guy because I was the other steel player auditioning for a spot on the band.

Truthfully, I was embarrassed more than pissed off with this jack ass. Never-the-less, it takes only one jerk to make others look bad.

Ron Kirby · Post by **Ron Kirby** » 23 Oct 2010 12:14 pm

This is not uncommon!!! Good Luck,,God Bless!!

Ron

Dickie Whitley · Post by **Dickie Whitley** » 23 Oct 2010 1:33 pm

Jeremiah Hanley · Post by **Jeremiah Hanley** » 23 Oct 2010 5:59 pm

I thought around here was the only place where people played too much, all the time! It just takes one of these people to ruin a good jam session or a good song. We have a lot of jams at our house and right off the bat, I'll tell them what the rules are. First rule, have fun! Don't play when someone else is playing. If a person consistently walks on someone else, they're not invited back. I've heard some mighty good steel players that could never play in a recording session because they compete with the singer. Music is a lot of fun, but if somebody is so rude to dominate the airwaves with their incessant playing, it ruins it for everybody else! So be thoughtful and be courteous!! Add your 2 cents when it's your turn and if you can't keep from playing just take your picks off and put your bar down and wait until its your turn to play!

John Cadeau · Post by **John Cadeau** » 23 Oct 2010 8:39 pm

What part of BC. I wasn't invited to audition.
JC

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 23 Oct 2010 9:11 pm

His ongoing insistence was that any half decent band should be able follow his lead

bad attitude...

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 23 Oct 2010 11:31 pm

John Cadeau wrote:What part of BC. I wasn't invited to audition.
JC

No invites it was in the newspapers and on the radio. In the south central interior. You just had to show up. The band had already been together for the better part of two weeks before the steel guitars showed. I am not sure how this guy is going to pay for a five piece band because our economy is still on a slippery slope and the locals are still a bit cautious with their nickles and dimes.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 24 Oct 2010 5:55 am

This might be a "Last guy in first guy out deal"..But look at the upside..The canadian dollar is still worth more than the US buck..

Ben Godard · Post by **Ben Godard** » 24 Oct 2010 7:08 am

I hate it when you start playing with a band that's never had a steel player before. They think that we can just pull the steel guitar out of our pocket, hook up to an amp and be ready to go for any song. They don't understand what it takes to get the steel setup. Also some will say "I cant hear you. Play louder" while you are already maxed out your amp because by the middle of the practice, everyone's volume has just gotten so loud.

I also remember the singer/harmonica player got upset with me for taking so long to setup. Needless to say, I quit dealing with idiots.

I made a vow to never ever join a band that doesn't have any sense of professionalism about their music and are just a bunch of loud rednecks who are out just to get hammered and score with the ladies.

Fun is fun but if i played in a band like that, then I probrably play the spoons or a juice harp.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 24 Oct 2010 10:27 am

It alway did bother me when a player auditioned and had volume knobs that went as high as 15.

John Cadeau · Post by **John Cadeau** » 24 Oct 2010 10:32 am

Les, I'm playing in a very good five piece band here in the greater Vancouver Area, called Off The Wahl. Ed Wahl's band. I was concerned about being in a five piece band the way things are economically these days, but most of the time we each make $100.00 per gig. I'm not in it for the money anymore but for the love of music. The money is a nice treat though.
JC

Joe Smith · Post by **Joe Smith** » 24 Oct 2010 11:01 am

Well I've also seen guitar players do the same thing. Several years back These guys called me and wanted to know if I would be interested in playing some gigs with them. I went to one practice and the guitar player played every note of every song. I just sat there wondering when he would leave me a spot to play. Finally I just packed up and thanked the guys for having me over, but that I didn't think I would fit in.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 24 Oct 2010 12:02 pm

It is a real pleasure to play with musicians who love the music and have a good idea of "muscianship". That ain't every fella who can play...

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