Who played their best playing ever this weekend??

David Hartley · Posted 25 Feb 2008 4:24 am

I felt like I did on Saturday !! At Lakenheath British Legion Club...It was just one of those nights where nothing I attempted to play went wrong, Its nice when that happens.. DH

Don Discher · From: Sault Ste Marie,Ontario,Canada

This weekend was the best ever,right on pitch and never missed a lick,I was at home by myself, no gig.
I save my worst for when I have a job.

Joe Drivdahl · From: Montana, USA

Hey Don,
I think you and I were at the same gig. I played at home this weekend too, and while I wouldn't say it was my best playing ever, my playing was adaquate considering the size of the audience.

joe

Lem Smith · From: Long Beach, MS

It was the exact opposite for me this past weekend. I told some of the guys in the band that I thought that I played the worst that I ever had. I've been playing pedal steel for almost 30 years, and it seems to me that someone with 6 weeks experience could have done as good, if not better than I did. Several people told me that it sounded really good, but I think they were just being nice and generous. It's times like this that really make me think about throwing in the towel and giving up.

I've had times like you mentioned, David, when it seemed like I could do no wrong. Unfortunately those don't seem to happen nearly as often as I would like! As Don mentioned earlier, it seems like those times when everything just falls into place, mostly happen when you're picking by yourself and not on a gig.

Joe Drivdahl · From: Montana, USA

Man do I know that feeling, Lem. Twice in my life I have completely sold out and quit playing altogether for months at a time for the exact reason you are talking about. I just got so tired of being frustrated. Yet for some strange reason, I came back for more torture. Who can explain it?

I almost sold out a third time here recently, but my wife pointed out that I had tried that before, and managed to disuade me.

Good luck.

joe

Twayn Williams · From: Portland, OR

My playing this weekend was maybe a little below my average Sad

Just one of those things...

On guitar gigs I've had those nights, especially in improv situations, where no matter what I tried, it worked. I think I need about 5 more years before I get one of those nights on steel.
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Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

David,

Apparently you haven't read my recent post so let's recap shall we.....I SUCKED REALLY BAD.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I thought that my band sounded worse than it ever has this past Saturday night. My own playing was okay, and the mix wasn't bad, but our tempos were all wrong and our arrangements were basically gone.

I guess that's what happens when you haven't played together for a while.
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Lem Smith · From: Long Beach, MS

Joe, it's like some kind of addiction. We just keep coming back for more punishment, even when it kicks our behind's! Laughing

b0b, our band was pretty much in that same category as well, because it seemed that nothing clicked at all. So, if felt doubly bad to me, with my playing not being up to par, and then the band doing the same.

I won't mention any names, and he can chime in if he feels like it, but a certain pro player, who is also a friend of mine, told me that this past Saturday night that he was considering changing his name to "Mitten's" because he felt like his playing sounded like he was wearing mittens. So, if it can happen to him, I guess we're all prone to having off nights. Neutral

Jim Peters · From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.

This was the 1st gig with my new country-rock band. I was pretty nervous, I really don't know these songs as thoroughly as I'd like, but I'll be damned if I didn't play my a@@ off all night! I played all 5 of my licks backwards and forwards, and in 3 different octaves, and in tune with confidence. It was a really great first gig. JP
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David Hartley · Posted 25 Feb 2008 3:12 pm **FUNNY**

I had a guy called Jonny Rondo here tonight too who is a singer but learning steel, and he said he played his best this weekend too? It must be a 'Weather' thing,, Its been bright and sunny here in UK this weekend? Perhaps it was rainy and miserable elsewhere? Just a thought.. I MUST GET OFF THIS COMPUTOR NOW.. I spend too much time on it these days,.. especially when COCA COLA have just given us all NEW ones and we can access the internet absolutely EVERYWHERE, remotely, whether you are in a field in the fens or a city centre.. amazing technology.. BUT nite nite going now..David

Randy Gilliam · From: San Antonio, Texas, USA

We Opened For Earle Thomas Conley . Great Sound System And Overall I Thought The Band Sounded Great. Earle Has A Knock Your Socks Off Band and All A Bunch Great Guys. By The way The 24 ounce Ribeys Pinto Beans Winking

And Potato Salad Probably Didnt Hurt. Randy. b.h.m.w.b.com

Larry Weaver · From: Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Seems like it was a good weekend all around! My band sounded pretty darn good this past Saturday, had a good sound guy and a great mix. I managed to find a great clean tone at the start of the night (thx Brad, this Revelation is AMAZING), by the second set my dirt and OD tone was there too, and even managed to for the most part navigate away from too many clams. Lots of complements from the crowd, so all in all, a good weekend. Very Happy

-LarryW

Jody Sanders · From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.

Not me. I couldn't find my rear with both hands and a flash light. Can't blame it on booze as I don't drink the stuff. Jody.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

I was at my worst this past saturday.. Sounded like a 7th grader on both steel and six... awful.. Bad tone to the max, fumbling, couldn't hit one even if I had a long stick..
wow,never would have imagined I could play this poorly at this point in my life, especially with my considerable experience..frightening... bob
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Ernest Cawby · From: Lake City, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

I got me Fostex working everything i tried went south
I should turn of the recorder, no I want to get better so just try to do it right and keep going. I have decided to record every thing to see what I need to do, just to much needs to happen, but if I keep it up I may get back to where I was 50 years ago these brain damage and strokes make things much worse, Herbey I know where you are in coming nack it is a long road. It takes me a bit to warm up, by the end of a gig things start coming together, i should start for the end and work forward.

ernie

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

Not me. Our bass player called in sick with the flu and somehow it was arranged for us to use a bass player from another band - a blues band that was playing an earlier set in the same club. We were unfamiliar with this guy but were assured that with good charts he could get us thru our 45 min set of Americana country rock. He showed up and promptly informed us he "don't do charts" and so was totally winging it and tried to make every song into a walking blues shuffle - including one tune in 3/4. Well we have a lot of quirky arrangements and it's all original material so there was just a cacophonous atonal fishing expedition coming out of the bass amp all night and the audience was streaming out the doors before the 3rd tune was put to rest.We would have sounded much better with a leaf blower or chain saw providing the bottom end of our musical presentation. But hey - nights like that are what make a good night good.

Bill McRoberts · From: Janesville, Wisconsin USA

I played at the Northeast Iowa Steel Guitar Show in Waterloo, Iowa on Sunday.

I did alright but, I think I could have could have done better. I had one of the best back-up bands a steel player could ask for behind me. I had some of the best pedal steel players from the upper midwest in front of me, watching one of the only non-pedal features in the line up, plus the audience.

I am always comfortable playing my weekly club gigs and festivals. I will practice 'til my bar turns blue. But at a steel guitar show (or steel jam) with a room full of fellow steel players, I get the shakes and miss half of the licks that a diligently practiced for weeks. Aaarrrgggh!! It was "steel" fun though. Oh Well

Bill

Terry Wood · From: Lebanon, MO

Michael Johnstone, I been on a few of them leaf blowin'/chainsaw massacres myself. Winking

Actually last Saturay evening, I was invited to go play a Gospel Music singing pickin' party and it was a blast. We had only two guitarists, who played the right volume and had enough sense to not just blow all the time. There was a fair bass player a drummer. There was a pianist who hardly played and were several really good singers to boot. I really appreciated the lady pianist, she started to play and said the piano (an accoustic classic) was about a million miles out of tune, so we got to do basically most of the fills and lead work. She sang hominy and played the tamborine. She was really sounded good adding those on songs.

About 100 people showed up from all over Southwest, MO and North Arkansas. It was really cool because the evangelist and the host church pastor let everyone have there spot light. I even got away with singing a couple of original Gospel songs I wrote. Wished I would have known how much fun this would have been years ago.

Of course I have played in church situations that didn't go fair weather at all. You felt like a bastard child on your steel, or the prodical son, because they didn't like, want or understand the steel. Sad too, because the steel really sounds great on hymns and the newer praise and worship tunes.

The steel guitar is fun, but things can distract and go array. Last weekend gets a B+ grade from this teacher.

May GOD bless!

Terry Wood

Larry Scott · From: Virginia, USA

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Bo Legg · Posted 26 Feb 2008 5:32 pm

No b0b this is a southern thing.

Bill McRoberts · From: Janesville, Wisconsin USA

I think there is a song in that quote.

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