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Topic: playing steel guitar in bars and hotel lounges read on... |
jeff reynolds
From:
Jackson, Ms.
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Posted 3 Jan 2008 3:18 pm |
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I recently got a gig at one of the Premier hotels. I took my steel in and played some ike I always do if there is enough room. It was my first gig in there I got it due to some other person cancelling or what ever... the mgr. I dealt with is no longer there....sound familiar ??? Now I just got off the phone with another buddy of mine who has the gig wrapped up and we were talking about getting me back in with my guys....and my buddy said when he was talking to the new mgr. the new guy says He doesnt want any steel guitars in here.... DAMM !!!! Him.
I just want to know if other steel/guitar players find that they have to Force The steel in on gigs. |
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Don Brown, Sr.
From:
New Jersey
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Posted 3 Jan 2008 3:46 pm
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| Can't say I ever had to force myself on anyone, or any place.. |
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Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2008 3:48 pm
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| why on earth would anyne NOT want a steel guitar in the room? |
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Terry Kinnear
From:
Erie ,Pennsylvania
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Posted 3 Jan 2008 4:23 pm
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cancell my stay at that hotel.it couldnt be a premire hotel. Hey , Jeff , I'll hold the manager, and you knock , some sense ,into him. he probably, plays a banjo. I need a beer. Tk
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Terry Kinnear [ steel wondering] |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2008 4:41 pm
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Just tell him it's a telecaster on steroids,Might work,DYKBC.
_________________
Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2008 5:40 pm
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This is not so far fetched. There are rooms here in Atlanta where the managers want no drums, no electric bass, no vocals, no electric guitars, no this no that.
Managers or food and beverage directors or what ever you want to call them go to meetings with their bosses and they sit around these tables and talk and all sorts of policy is made, some good and some absolutely stupid and then they run with that. Just because the room manager does not want a steel guitar does not mean you did not do a good job. Something about the steel does not line up with what was decided in a business meeting at some time.
You need to try to find out exactly what the manager based his decision on before you totally slam him. I got fired from a great gig 35 years ago because the room manager thought my hair was too long and since the emphasis the corporate suits decided in the business meeting was to cater to businessmen staying at the hotel then surely a kid with long hair playing guitar would not portray the image they wanted. They told me I could play there if I went and got a haircut, so I told them to bite me. I came back to that same hotel to play a private party a few weeks later that did not fall under the rules of the management of the hotel and the manager who fired me comes up and apologizes for HAVING to follow company regulations decided in some meeting. I never take sides with management, but I always try to understand their policies and whims.
Let us know what you find out.
Probably had to do with the vol. level of the steel or how it looked on the bandstand. Always remember that to management, the plants they use for decoration in the room are more important than how the band sets up. |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2008 5:54 pm
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good topic.. In the 80's right up in the "enlightened" Northeast .. NJ to be specific.. I got a call to sit in witha band at Great Adventure. Now its a Six Flags park... I had played there before. for an entire season actually..
I get there and they would not even let me in the park because I had a friggin beard... Wouldn't even let me talk to the band that hired me.. Practically threw me out at gunpoint, because I wore a beard...
So the band went on a man short I guess, without even being told why,or even that I had showed up.. what a bunch of as---les... bob |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 3 Jan 2008 7:19 pm
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| In the 80's right up in the "enlightened" Northeast .. NJ to be specific.. |
The "enlightened" northeast? Oh, would that simply choosing the proper geographic location would lead to "enlightenment" - sure would make life a lot simpler, eh? 
I've seen all kinds of stupid rules about this and that - hair length (both long and short), beard, no beard, drums, no drums, electric instruments, no electric instruments, jeans, no jeans, holes in jeans, no holes in jeans, suit, no suit, card-carrying this or that, or any one of a number of traits that have absolutely nothing to do with the issue at hand - music, job competence, whatever. Dogma knows no bounds.
About the silliest I remember was being told not to show up for a politico "benefit" gig (read - they weren't gonna pay us, and I didn't agree with the politics) because one of my bandmates joked to the promoters about me recently playing gig with one of my country singer buddies at a strip club. The strip club gig was on the girls' night off - a few of them showed up to listen, and one even came up an sang with us - clothed of course. Seems that the folkies putting on the benefit just couldn't handle the concept that someone who would play country music in a strip club - even on the girls' night off - could possibly be "appropriate" for their "pure" folkie benefit. My band later told me they worked it out, and I could come. I asked why I should even consider driving to a no-pay gig to promote people I didn't support who insulted me to boot - you gotta be kidding, have fun.  |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2008 7:42 pm
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In reference to Jeff's intial post, you will always lose more gigs because of someone's personal
preferences, justified or not, than to incompetence.
Several years ago, our band took a regular midweek gig at an upscale hotel lounge. After a few weeks, we were having big crowds, selling lots of drinks and it was the hottest spot in town on Wednesday night. A new food and beverage manager comes in and decides he doesn't want any country music in his lounge and we're cancelled on the afternoon of our gig.
Music is always like a frog on a lily pad, when the one you're on sinks, you have to jump to a new one. |
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Jody Sanders
From:
Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 3 Jan 2008 8:43 pm
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| The band I am with hired me because there were places they wanted to play that required a steel player. Jody. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 2:14 am
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I just got a call to hook up with 4 piece group that plays the area regularly, all of the hot spots. They want to add a Steel and another Guitar ( 1 player ) to bring the bands dimension UP a level.
Like the guy told me, "We want the Alan Jackson songs and the George Strait songs etc...to SOUND like Alan Jackson and George Strait songs.
works for me... |
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William Fraser
From:
New York, USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 3:13 am NO STEEL !
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I may be off the mark here , but, the steel takes up a little more room , & can get a little messy looking,without some effort. I have had a few players in my bands who insist on keeping thier cases at thier feet , or cymbal cases next to them, it helps if you can keep your work space neat, It seems like every picture I see these days somebody has a bottle of water in view or is dressed inappropriatly for the occasion. I like to show my guys photos taken of us on the bandstand,a dress code helps,as does loading up cases & unused band equipment, I have been asked to leave more than one time due to long hair or a beard, that is getting better.I also have a small rig for tiny places. Dinner music used to be a trio at the most or a very good jazz guitarist,playing background music, a decent steeler will make the folks want to dance,which can be a no-no,especially if the club mgr. is looking to crank out dinners,or lacks a caberet license.  Bill
_________________
Billy Lee ,Pro-II,, Session 400,Session 500 , Supro , National, SpeedDemons,& too many Archtops & Stratotones.Lots of vintage parts for Kay ! etc. |
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Billy Carr
From:
Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 3:22 am no PSG!
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| Hey Jeff, maybe we need to book a steel show there. We've got a bunch of steel pickers in ole Mississippi! |
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Bill McRoberts
From:
Janesville, Wisconsin USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 7:05 am
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Hmmm....Hotel/Lounge manager. Think about it......one step up from managing a fast food resaurant.
I nomitate Jody Sanders as a candidate for President! Bill |
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Dan Burnham
From:
Greenfield, Tennessee
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 7:25 am Try Being In Bluegrass Country
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Jeff,
Let me tell you how bad it is here in Tullahoma. Bluegrass throughout the community, rock in the bars and some country in other bars. I moved up here last Feb. thought I'd sit in with some of the local groups at different locations where they have jams.
I was told, "Your Kind is not Welcome " Now in my  I asked the guy why I couldn't sit in, he said I used an amp and they didn't believe in amps.
Ok, I said, what do you think that microphone your singer is using is hooked to? Oh, that is different. So, I don't even have fighting chance not that it's worth fighting over. So, I'm starting my Nursing Home Tour, where they are glad to hear anything,
Dan
_________________
BMI S12 Zane Beck's Tuning
www.danburnham.com |
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Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 7:33 am
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| Quote: |
I get there and they would not even let me in the park because I had a friggin beard... Wouldn't even let me talk to the band that hired me.. Practically threw me out at gunpoint, because I wore a beard...
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that is the funniest thing I have heard in a long long time!
"beat it Beardo! we dont want your kind in here!"
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Roger Edgington
From:
San Antonio, Texas USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 7:38 am
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That's kinda like the time Bob Wills went to the Grand old Opery with a drummer. They didn't use drums then and they didn't want the drummer to be seen and so he had to play behind the curtain.
To play at Pearls in Fort Worth you have to have a steel and fiddle. I love Texas. |
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Bob Cox
From:
Buckeye State
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 8:29 am
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Now I know why you moved to texas .But then again
they got a great player.How you doin Roger?Might be gone up to see Luke and the guys this coming week. |
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Fred Glave
From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 9:59 am
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| It's likely that the manager wouldn't know a steel guitar from a flugelhorn. Or possibly, being 2nd hand info, maybe the band wants a bigger cut of the dough. Maybe the word "steel" scared him. |
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Roger Edgington
From:
San Antonio, Texas USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 10:26 am
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| Bob Cox-If you see my good friend Luke please tell him and the boys "Hi" for me. I really enjoyed working with him. You must be going to the Bainbridge Jamboree. |
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Mitch Adelman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 11:08 am
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| I play bars regularly and I have seen people come in, take a look around the stage, see the steel and immediately leave (like I would do if I walked in on a rap "band"). I guess its a prejudice that steel means twangy country music (which I like) to some rockers and they immediately don't want to hear it, don't even give it a chance and head out to some classic rock only club. I just say bye bye to myself as they walk out and don't take it personally. Sometimes the manager would come over and ask for more rock.We say "you get what you get" and we both realize that he or she shouldn't have hired us for their club. Then he says bye bye.No hard feelings.To each his own. Such is the biz! |
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Antolina
From:
Dunkirk NY
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Posted 4 Jan 2008 2:59 pm
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| Clyde Mattocks wrote: |
| we were having big crowds, selling lots of drinks and it was the hottest spot in town on Wednesday night. A new food and beverage manager comes in and decides he doesn't want any country music in his lounge and we're cancelled |
Go figure
_________________
The only thing better than doing what you love is having someone that loves you enough to let you do it.
Sho~Bud 6139 3+3
Marrs 3+4
RC Antolina |
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Dave Van Allen
From:
Doylestown, PA , US , Earth
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Posted 6 Jan 2008 6:03 am
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| Maybe he thought they said "steal". |
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Antolina
From:
Dunkirk NY
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Posted 6 Jan 2008 6:11 am
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Food and Beverage managers are a breed apart. With all due respect to the good ones, most have an alcohol problem and ALL of them lead with their egos. A winning combination usually is disregarded in favor of their own personal tastes.
Probably why the turnover is so great  .
_________________
The only thing better than doing what you love is having someone that loves you enough to let you do it.
Sho~Bud 6139 3+3
Marrs 3+4
RC Antolina |
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Tony Farr
From:
Madison, Tennessee, USA (deceased)
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Posted 6 Jan 2008 6:38 am
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Dan,,,, about music around Tullahoma, Winchester, Manchester, I have worked several places there. Everything would been just fine until about the middle of the third set nd some redneck bunch n the back of the room would start demending rocknroll. we'd start playing and that wouldn't be good enough either. One of my bass players quit playing and told them, hey can you play any music at at all  , no answer. That shut them up and we continued and finished out the night, with no more problems, the bass player was 6'4" 325 lbs.  |
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