The Steel Guitar Forum

last nite we went down town Nashville on Broadway.In one of the clubs was a band with the steel player (who is a member of this forum),I wanted to hear some good steel playing and enjoy myself ,instead he just kept laughin his A%# of at the poor turist guy who tried to sing a tune.Needles to say it was a sad and tasteles picture.I always try to make those people welcome and do my best to make sure they anjoy their visit to nashville including their stage experience.I never did nor I ever will laugh at the people whos dream is to sing on the Nashville stage regardles if they are great singers or not.I always try to do my best to make sure they had a good time and that they leave Nashville with a nice memories.Some of those people will keep those picures taken on the stage in Nashville forever.Some of those singers are good and most are..well..not...but that doesn`t mean that I would be laughin at them.If a steel player is a pro he should act like a pro..meaning,his job is to entertain the people..period.This player is a great Nashville player and a nice guy and I was VERY disapointed to see player like that acting the way he did.If he is reading this I would just want to say..man,it did not look good at all (and you could tell that by the faces on some other people in the crowd)

Db

ps
just immagine Buddy walking thru the door at your gig and start laughin his tail of ...

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

With what musicians get paid in Nashville, they must take every opportunity to laugh that they can. You can bet the musicians are NOT laughing ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
My CD's: 'I've Got Friends in COLD Places' - 'Pedal Steel Guitar'
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Larry, cast the money changers out of your temple - Ha Ha

When, in the '70s, Buddy Emmons walked into the London pub where I just happened to be playing my ZB 'Student' steel for the very first time in public (really!!!), I thought I detected the glint of a tear in his eye.

I still try to convince myself that this was due to the depth of emotion that I'd injected into my playing, but I'm not really sure....



Hopefully, this incident didn't even register in Buddy's mind, but I'll never forget it! Anyway, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

RR<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 12 June 2006 at 11:23 AM.]</p></FONT>

I have more regrets than I can count, for my own attitude in public and on stage. I'm very sorry for each incident. I know they've cost me fans and, in some cases, made enemies. It's sad, really.

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<font size="1"><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b2005.gif" width="78 height="78">Bobby Lee (a.k.a. b0b) - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Williams D-12 E9, C6add9, Sierra Olympic S-12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop S-8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (E13, C6 or A6)   My Blog </font>

A "glint of a tear" could have been attributed too indigestion or maybe a roid flare up, but is considerably less than out right laughter. What goes around comes around..

My wife thought she was doing me a favor by getting front row seates for my daughters High School play. It was the hardest thing not to bust out laughing at some poor singing and acting. I'm glad they didn't put me on stage to watch!

I would cut the steeler some slack.

Russ

I`m not going to comment nor get into any arguments here,I was disapointed to see that,I don`t like hurting people and situation like this can realy hurt somebody`s feelings.


Db

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

I have always tried to find something nice to say to someone after their set, regardless of their level of accomplishment---hey, they are out there trying as hard as they can. I am certain that I have been on the receiving end of such generosity of spirit as well. We are all working hard and doing the best we can. I am talking about musicians now.
A tourist, drunk, karaoke fool, etc., has also earned every bit of what they get. If that means laughter, that beats getting in their face and asking them "what on earth do you call that?!" when they are done.
If the gig's about doing the live karaoke band thing, then sure, get in the spirit of it. But part of that spirit is having people get up there, outright sucking, and having everybody laugh.
The minute anybody wants to get serious about this, there is something seriously wrong about this 'professional' situation. Very demeaning. To the pros, not to the drunk wannabees who are up there voluntarily demeaning themselves.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Jon Light on 12 June 2006 at 12:47 PM.]</p></FONT>

Folks are coming into a club to hear music and maybe drink a Beer. IF the Band lets someone up to sing who CAN'T the Band should quickly end the song , thank the guest and have them exit the stage and move on without a break in the action.

Historically the folks who come in and want to sing on Broadway are not alone, they are with a small group or with family members.
For the most part they probably all think the person doing the singing CAN sing...

I've seen Jimmy Snyder handle this issuereal well over at Tootsies, one time a fella got up and was singing, way off mind ya, Jimmy started to sing with him until the song was over. At the end of the song he just said "Lets have a big hand for xxx"...Quite an appropriate way to handle the issue.

The part about the laughing player is in a way troubling, I suspect more people in attendance noticed the laughing Musician before the poor singing guest.

Like Bob above, I have done things which were pretty shamefull and although it probably appeared funny at the time, today, it does not.

As a musician, I am in no position to laugh at anyone, especially a singer !

Many months back, and I mentioned it here on the Forum, I sat in on Steel at one of the Broadway clubs.The Steel was configured different than mine. Now I am not a stranger to sitting in with bands, with my gear, or on a Telecaster, but never had I done THIS on a foreign Steel.

and never will I do it again !

If ever there was a time for laughter, that was it....

very humbling to say the least...

t<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 12 June 2006 at 12:23 PM.]</p></FONT>

It bothers me when people can't sing, but put everybody else in an uncomfortable situation just so thier ego can be satisfied. IMO, anybody who bullies their way onto a live band stage and can't deliver the goods deserves to be laughed off. I play and sing for a living, and have no time for people who invade my space to impress their friends and family. I've not only laughed them off, I've taken the mic away from them.

Say this guy was a fireman for a living. I wonder what he'd say if I showed up at the firehall unannounced, wanting to try on a suit and shoot the water hose. I know what he'd say: "Get out, you freak." But musicians aren't allowed to say that because we have to be nice and friendly no matter how much bull is being thrown at us.

Unless they're professionals or at least competent, people should not sit in with a band - especially on vocals.

Also, it's pretty pathetic when you have to ask the band if you can sit in. If you're not being asked, there's probably a good reason for it. As you can tell, this kind of stuff drives me nuts.

I remember distinctly watching cats laugh behind the back of Bill Frisell when he first came to NY. I witnessed this a few times, as I was a frequent patron of 7th Ave South (a club owned by the Breckers). I thought it was pretty funny, too--and who has the last laugh now?

This weekend on a gig, a young guy with a tenor voice asks me if we play "Ring of Fire" and then tells me what a killer Johnny Cash impression he did. Well, I asked for a sample and he obliged, with me all the while giggling in his face. At least I had the balls to laugh in his face.

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www.mikeneer.com

Mike Neer on MySpace

Hey Folks:
After Reading all the post here. All I can say is that for any and all of that were born with a mike in your hand and a wonderful voice should be allowed to throw a demeaning Blow to who ever but I just pray to the good Lord above he doesn't take those attributes away from you.

Ken

If folks didn't have a natural urge to laugh at bad singers, then American Idol would not be the hit show it is!!!!

<SMALL>and have no time for people who invade my space to impress their friends and family</SMALL>

Chris,your job is to entertain those people,that`s what they pay you for

<SMALL>Say this guy was a fireman for a living.</SMALL>

if he was (and may very well be) his job is not to entertain you

Db

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

I used to work for a bandleader, years ago, who allowed "guests" to get up and sing, many times. Some of the singers were good, but, most of them couldn't hold a tune in a bucket. We always played the best we could, no matter how bad or good they were. That way, at least the crowd knew it wasn't us sounding that bad. The ironic thing is, that, the owner of the club had a big "hook" on a broomstick and would come out and pull the offending singer off the stage with it. That usually turned out to be quite comical and everybody got a laugh, so, nobody's feelings were really hurt.

Damir said: Imagaine Buddy walking in on my gig and laughing his A$$ off...Maybe he thought I was some kind of comedian and the steel was just a part of the joke.

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Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night.

Damir,

Clubs, concerts and festivals pay me and my bands to entertain an audience. And we do that job with passion and professionalism. I am not paid to entertain somebody's personal agenda to use our stage as a platform for their erroneous notions of talent. That's a job for security.

Unless it's open mic or something of that nature, the band should be able to do their job without the hassle of an audience member's desire to be on the stage for no particular rational reason. In fact, I think it's an insult to the audience at large to subject them to a bad performance. They pay to see a professional act. American Idol is to blame for the wave of people we see lately who think singing is easy, and the music business in general is easy. It's annoying to spend years cultivating a career in music only to have jokers wanting to invade your workspace. It may be rude to laugh at someone, but it's more rude to assume that you can somehow add to the show with your self-proclaimed hidden talent.

Do people jump up in the middle of a play and want to act? Do bad artists show up at galleries wanting their paintings hung on the walls? I stopped being polite to these kinds of people a long time ago. Everyone should stick to what they do best. Everone's good at something. I suck at almost everything besides music. That's why I let someone else fix my car, do my taxes, sew my clothes, fix my electronics, etc.

When an audience member walked on stage one time at a Who concert, he got Pete's SG on his head. There's a barrier there that should be respected. I don't want strangers on stage tripping over cables and leaning into my expensive equipment. I'm sure the guy at the club there on Broadway was given permission to get up (probably after bugging the band for an hour), but he should have known better unless he could deliver something worthwhile to the audience.

Edit:

*See my post below for the hindsight view of this overblown post. <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Chris LeDrew on 12 June 2006 at 03:27 PM.]</p></FONT>

There's a difference between a concert act and a bar band.

Damir, I have gone back and read your opening post: perhaps you should explain to the group the nature of the scenario: Was it a portion of the evening where there was an "open mike?" Was there not any intention of allowing folks to come up on stage because it wasn't an "open mike" situation, but the guy from the audience was being very persistent to get a shot at singing with the band?

Unless I missed something, you didn't bother to explain the situation. If we knew what the deal was, maybe it would make more sense to all of us readers, and it might elicit much different responses to the original post.

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Mark

Chris..are you comparing "The Who" concert with a local bar gig on Sunday nite???
I don`t think you understand what I`m talking about here,so I better end this argument.

YOU ARE 100% RIGHT,IN EVERYTHING YOU SAID

hope this helps,

Db



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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com

I`ll try my best

<SMALL>Was it a portion of the evening where there was an "open mike?</SMALL>

on the lower broadway,specialy on slow nites like Sunday nite, it is a common practice to let the turists sing a song or two

as far as I could see,the gentleman was not drunk nor abusive,he looked confused and lost and I felt sorry for him.He was not your "drunk agresive wanna be pushing his way to the stage" typ of person.His wife was there trying to take a picture of him singing.When asked to step of the stage he did without a word.Singer that was with the band was not much better if you ask me,planty of laughs could be directed to the band itself, I didn`t see anyone else in the band laughin tho.To my standards this was a low quality ,quickly put together,no rehearsed tipical Nashville lower Broadway typ a band, no "The Players" or "The Who" by any means.No reasons for any big ego`s here what so ever.

Db

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com


<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Damir Besic on 12 June 2006 at 02:59 PM.]</p></FONT>

Nobody bully's there way onto a bandstand on Broadway..

they ask, they are invited or it ain't happening.

It is possible the fella was just way over is head and couldn't get with the program.

I wasn't there so what do I know..
But when I was there, and I fumbled, I felt the pain personally, even though my gracious wife told me that it sounded like I was playing safe, not bad, but very safe.

I was wishing I was playing "IN A SAFE"....I was playing a Steel that I just couldn't find my way around...

Things happen, even to folks who think things can't happen to them...

t<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 12 June 2006 at 03:04 PM.]</p></FONT>

There can be 'laughing at', 'laughing with'
polite laughing, rude laughing, appropriate laughing, innappropriate laughing -
You'd HAVE to have been there - and out of all of us only Damir was. He knows what the vibe was so i'm going to take his call as the correct one!

Damir,,
I've seen lots of laughs on "open Mike" type things, mostly good natured laughs though! None of us like to be subjected to a bad situation but when we are I try to grin and do the best I can, then politely steer the person off the bandstand. I have a problem with rude people so I try extra hard not to be one myself!

But every one could have had a good laugh at me last week, like I stated in a Crash and Burn thread the other day I totaly lost an instrumental and was wanting to hide under my pac-a-seat, a "good Natured" laugh I could have handled and would have probably welcomed, but could have lost it if some "Rude" person had given me a hard time! lol..

The job pays the same and doesn't cost any extra to try and be nice. JMO!

Larry
edited for spelling
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"Fessy" S/D 12, 8/6 Hilton Pedal, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Larry Strawn on 12 June 2006 at 03:14 PM.]</p></FONT>