The Steel Guitar Forum

Just wondering if there are any available yet for downloading. Looks like a great time was had by all. I guess Bobbe Seymour will be selling his new designer phantom finger picks from now on! I want 10% Bobbe. Bill in Vegas

You have got to be kidding Bill. Scotty made the annoucement at the beginning of the show on Friday, saying no video cameras and if anyone saw one they should tell on them. However Scotty did his usual great job of getting the show together and providing us with the best music on the planet.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Dan Dowd on 06 September 2001 at 08:51 AM.]</p></FONT>

Then I assume that there will be a long vid for sale or there should be for the folks that can never seem to go to such a great event. Bill in Vegas

OH OH I hear that can opening. I think I heard Scotty ask about making a video, but we couldn't hear the talking at all where we were sitting. I mentioned this to Scotty, however he said no one else mentioned this. I guess the folks I was with are all getting hard of hearing.

No Dan, you're not getting hard of hearing yet. I was sitting to the right of the sound booth and had trouble hearing on Friday and part of Saturday. The mix left something to be desired the whole show. It looked like Bobby Caldwell did a Chet Atkins style break on one song, but I couldn't hear him at all. I looked at the sound man and he was walking around smoking a cigarette, evidently not paying any attention at all. The bass and keyboard were usually too loud.

This is my opinion and I realize everyone has one.

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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording

I don't understand why they don't make a video and CD of the conventions either. Artists make live recordings all the time. I couldn't make to St. Louis and I would love to have a live CD. I think this came up last year and there some excuse about if you make a video than people won't come. If that is the case, why then do people go to ball games when they can sit at home and watch it on TV??

Tim-

You make a good point there. Someone should check that out.I can't go anymore, but I would buy a video....Al

Dan, the can has been opened.

Its about time. Bill Stafford mentioned on a different post about Joe Wright and a video made in Japan of Joe by Mitso Fugi. I dont believe any of the stuff about Video taping at St Louis. The Hall of Fame show in Grand Rapids is Videoed every year by the Public TV folks using 4 Cameras and they do a great job, and it also is aired on the TV stations up there and in Paducah KY. The video has some of the major pickers that play at St Louis. Jeezz, dont get me started on this again. We have been talking about this on the forum for several years. Also its good to know my hearing is OK based on the comments about the audio at St Louis. By the way, the Video tapes are available for the Grand Rapids Show if anyone wants to get involved and have them aired on their local Public Access TV station. Its FREE guys. E mail me if you are interested. <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Dan Dowd on 07 September 2001 at 09:10 AM.]</p></FONT>

I go to the show and would also purchase a video if available. Can you imagine what it would be like to see Curly or Bobby, Buddy (who wont be there again)or Jimmy from a previous show. What about preserving these greats besides a bronze plaque on the wall at the Regal.

My wife ( a steel player) and myself attended the Superjam at Bell Cove when the Lloyd Green and Tommy White video was made and we purchased a copy from Teresa ( Tommy's wife) at one of the NTSGA meetings and it's priceless, and absolutely terrific with two of the great ones. Didn't seem to bother these two super players. Seems a bit selfish to withold performances by the good players at the ISGC, particularly those who are no longer with us.

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B#

Out of some 3500 people at the convention, there were only 4 that came to the sound booth and complained about sound. Scotty (as always) asked the audience how the sound was, and he always got a favorable response.

Now I did not do the live sound at the convention, but since I do the live sound at the other shows, I know what is involved. There is NO way in a round ballroom with as many different players (with their own volume levels) to have the sound perfect in every part of the room, or to please everyone. That's just a fact. Where I was sitting in the sound booth (recording), I would rate the overall sound for the weekend at a 9. Robert Higgins is a professional and does a wonderful job, or Peavey would not have him there.

On the video. No video tape was made and since I was in charge of video at St. Louis for many years, I personally feel that no matter what the opinions of any of us, it is Scotty's right to say no video and not to video the show for himself.

We can bicker about this forever, but it will not change the fact that the man putting up the money has the right to make the decisions.

And that's my opinion.
Bill Ferguson

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"Stop worrying about what makes a steel work and concentrate on how YOU make it sound"

But, would the man have the money to put up if it weren't for the fans. The convention should be recorded for history sake, if for no other reason. If there is every a Hall of Fame Building these clips could be played.

Bob, I don't completely disagree with you, however, every show is a risk financially, so that argument doesn't hold water.

REMEMBER, It was some of the players (that you want to see) that stopped the video taping.

If I were a promoter, and was threatened with boycott from the very players that the fans want to see, I too would no longer video tape, no matter what the fans thought.

Maybe someday, ALL the issues can be resolved and we can resume videotaping.

But, when that happens, what would we have to bicker about on this forum?

Bill

If a player does not want to be videoed thats fine, but I bet there are pickers that would not mind beeing taped. Do what steelradio did and only record the people that want to be recorded. It really doesn't matter if you have all the greatest pickers in the world,if the fans are not getting what they want they will not come. Sometime promoters get so big they forget that small fact. I have just read that the numbers are down for some of the biggest names in country music today. Thats because if you don't give the customer what they want,they will go some place else to get it.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by bob drawbaugh on 08 September 2001 at 03:49 PM.]</p></FONT>

Maybe thats why we have so many radio stations playing old country. We have several County FM stations here and only one plays the old stuff . Most real country fans around here listen to it. I personally have not listened to the other stations for a couple of years so I dont hear the adds either.

Okay, this topic is back again.
The video debate is one that starts up at most conventions, orpost-convention I suppose, especially with St. Louis.

I see that there's been mention of other artists having live recordings, well generally thos artists have a record company behind them, a company that can market, and distribute through it's own video offshoot.
Also there's the simple fact that some players may have a deal where they are tied to a deal and cannot appear in another commercial product.
Scotty has no video label or distribution, nor is he in a postion where he can edit, enhance, dub, manafacture and lease a video outlet.
The start money for a 'quality' video venture would seriously cut into the show's budget, and to be quite fran, I don't think that there would be enough of a customer base to warrant this.

Now, I have made a note of 'quality' as some people are not interested in having live performances as commercial product, they prefer to be seen and heard live on formats that have a better sound quality, which video does not.
A televsion station may have four cameras, but I suspect that Scotty does not, nor does he had an editor, director to go with those cameras, to direct them rather than having a camera in afixed postion offering one unaltering view of the event.

I cannot even see the comparision between a ball game and a steel show, a ball game has multi-million dollar sponsors and endorsements, plus crowds of thousands who are willing to view such an event.
The steel conventions are big events for the steel community, but compared to one major league ball game, well it's pretty small-time.
On a personal note I understand everyone's desire to see a show, from a historical and fan point of view... heck, I wish it was possible that every steel show from Dallas to St. Louis, Nashville and the West Coast had been taped, cut to album, video and remastered to CD, but it's got to be viable for everyone, the performers, the backers and the fans.

Jason, The public Access TV station in Grand Rapids Video tapes the Hall of Fame show with no cost to the show. These are dedicated people and they use students to man the cameras who are studying TV production. I would thing that St Louis has the same thing. Carl Redding is the producer of the Video and he works with the students with 3 fixed cameras and one hand held. They are fed to the mobile studio where they are recorded and edited just like a baseball or football game. I can not except any of the excuses for not doing this. There will always be road blocks to progress and we should look for ways aroung them and get this done as the clock is ticking away. Lets stop talking about why it cant be done and talk about how it can be done. Does anyone know why we can audio tape but not video tape the show. <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Dan Dowd on 09 September 2001 at 05:52 AM.]</p></FONT>

We can debate this forever, but the fact remains that it is at the discretion of the promoter whether to video tape or not.

But without the players that boycott, many would not even attend the shows as these are the very players that draw the crowds.

Yes, I play many of the shows and would like to be videotaped as I have been in the past, but I fully understand what is going on.

Its easy to say there are ways around the videotaping issus, but stop and think that it just may not be worth the hassle.

The way it is is the way it is.

Bill

Gee Guys, Im sorry I opened this can..just was currious. Close this thread if you want Bob.. Bill in Vegas