| Author |
Topic: Ever go into "survival" mode while playing? |
Jim Lindsey (Louisiana)
From:
Greenwell Springs, Louisiana (deceased)
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 9:38 am |
|
Hi, Everyone ... a steel player friend of mine, Danny Dees (who says he would join the forum, but he doesn't have internet), dropped by my house to say hello and we got to talking about those uncontrolled moments on stage when things just happen that make you go into "survival" mode (those instances where you just have to play it safe and not play what you'd regularly play, or you're just trying to get past the obstacle and survive the song).
Danny got to laughing about the time that I went into survival mode big-time way back in 1989. He happened to be living in northern CA at the time and came out to see us (Whatta Band) at a place called the Ship Ashore Resort in Smith River CA. Danny brought a video camera with a tripod and decided to film the band that night.
I'm sure we all remember the "Great Quake of 1989" that hit San Francisco. Well, tremors and after shocks could be felt clear up into northern CA and Smith River happened to be in that area. We were playing along and the gig going great when, suddenly, we felt a curious "motion" as we started one of our songs (and, of all songs, it would have to be "My Baby Thinks He's A Train").
As I was kicking the song off, Paymela Faye looked over and said "Keep playing" while I was doing the intro. From the start of the song I instantly went into "survival" mode trying to continue to play fast, but at the same time resorting to a lot of short repetitive licks instead of what I normally played on the song.
My guitar was moving in short, small violent motions in an almost circular pattern (as best as I can describe it). Danny's camera, which was on a tripod, caught some of what it was like ... I have the video on YouTube and occasionally, with the heavier tremors, you can see the camera shaking at times and hear the sound warble on the tape as the vibrations went up the legs of the tripod.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9gOALoltko
At one point, you can see Paymela Faye turn around and tell the drummer something ... what she said was "Just keep playing and they'll keep dancing" and, they did! I, for one, had never played in an earthquake, tremors or aftershock situation and it was a bit unsettling. I was amazed at how everyone seemed to be taking all that shaking around in stride. In the video, a guy brings a note up to Paymela Faye and what it said was that San Francisco had just been hit with a major quake.
I guess I made it through the song, but not without my share of missed executions. One second my guitar is shaking terribly, then suddenly it was still as could be (with me still trying to compensate for the shaking around, then as I'd try to settle in and play, it would start shaking again ... wave after wave of these tremors through the whole song).
Danny and I were laughing about all that and he asked if I thought a lot of other players have had to go into survival mode because of something happening. I told him, "I'm sure they have, but why don't we find out?" and decided to start this thread.
So, to answer Danny's question, anybody else ever have a situation that just sent you right into survival mode while playing? Danny's sitting here as I type and he says, "Inquiring minds want to know". LOL
_________________
1986 Mullen D-10 with 8 & 7 (Dual Bill Lawrence 705 pickups each neck)
Two Peavey Nashville 400 Amps (with a Session 500 in reserve) - Yamaha SPX-90 II
Peavey ProFex II - Yamaha R-1000 Digital Reverb - Ross Time Machine Digital Delay - BBE Sonic Maximizer 422A
ProCo RAT R2DU Dual Distortion - Korg DT-1 Pro Tuner (Rack Mounted) - Furman PL-8 Power Bay
Goodrich Match-Bro by Buddy Emmons - BJS Steel Bar (Dunlop Finger Picks / Golden Gate Thumb Picks) |
|
|
 |
Les Anderson
From:
The Great White North
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 11:35 am
|
|
| Only once and it was a long time ago in a place called Fishing Lake, Saskatchewan when the old barn dance building we were playing in caught fire and burned to the ground. We had time to get most our stuff out of the hall but not all of it. |
|
|
|
Charlie Moore
From:
Deville, Louisiana, USA
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 12:06 pm modes
|
|
| Jim,I bet you went in to survival mode MANY times when you were at the Chalet lounge in Alex.when I dropped by looked like the people were in the mood...ha..c ya...Charlie. |
|
|
|
Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 12:16 pm
|
|
| That was some hot pickin, earthquake or not. |
|
|
|
Dick Wood
From:
Springtown Texas, USA
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 12:27 pm
|
|
Good band and nice pickin there Jim.
_________________
Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night. |
|
|
|
Ben Lawson
From:
Brooksville Florida
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 12:30 pm
|
|
We played on a cruise ship during a rough sea situation. It was fun watching the dancers trying to maintain some stability. At least I was sitting down and had something to hang on to.
Janie Fricke was on that cruise also. She did her best to stay composed but she broke out laughing we she found out her next song was "Please Help Me I'm Falling". |
|
|
|
Bent Romnes
From:
London,Ontario, Canada
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 12:45 pm
|
|
Jim that was funny. It looked like you were trying to run ahead of the earthquake, get done before it really started shaking! Awesome hot, fast licks there.
_________________
BenRom Pedal Steel Guitars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/212050572323614/ |
|
|
|
Kenny Martin
From:
Chapin, S.C. USA
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 1:21 pm
|
|
Hey Jim,
That was cool as hell man! 
Great speed picken and i like some of those "One Way Rider" licks you fit in that tune! Rosanne Cash tune right? Played it a many a day!
That's good stuff right there!
"Shake and Bake" and i love it! 
_________________
www.youtube.com/krmsr59 |
|
|
|
Jim Lindsey (Louisiana)
From:
Greenwell Springs, Louisiana (deceased)
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 1:21 pm
|
|
Thanks, guys (for the comments about the band and the picking) ...
Les, even though it was a long time ago, I'm sorry to hear that y'all weren't able to get everything out of the hall before it was burnt. It always makes me sad to hear that someone's equipment or band gear got damaged or destroyed somehow.
Ben, I played a cruise ship once, but it was smooth sailing for us. My sides hurt with laughing over the "Please Help Me I'm Falling" part of your story.
Charlie Moore, you devil you ... ... man, the Chalet Lounge! That place was definitely a survival mode gig and I've tried really hard to forget it.  Do you remember when all the cops in Alexandria ended up out there one night because of that guy that went wild shooting a gun off? People were running outside, screaming and diving behind stuff to dodge bullets and chaos everywhere ... I kept worrying that I'd get back to the stage and find bullet holes in my steel ... oh, yes, I remember the Chalet Lounge very well!
_________________
1986 Mullen D-10 with 8 & 7 (Dual Bill Lawrence 705 pickups each neck)
Two Peavey Nashville 400 Amps (with a Session 500 in reserve) - Yamaha SPX-90 II
Peavey ProFex II - Yamaha R-1000 Digital Reverb - Ross Time Machine Digital Delay - BBE Sonic Maximizer 422A
ProCo RAT R2DU Dual Distortion - Korg DT-1 Pro Tuner (Rack Mounted) - Furman PL-8 Power Bay
Goodrich Match-Bro by Buddy Emmons - BJS Steel Bar (Dunlop Finger Picks / Golden Gate Thumb Picks) |
|
|
|
John De Maille
From:
On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 2:30 pm
|
|
| Back in the early 80's, while playing a rodeo at the Painted Pony, up in Lake Luscerne,NY, I almost comepletely lost it and went into MY survival mode. Our bandstand was in a bucking chute with the gate taken off. We were about 3 chutes down from where the action started. We were playing Orange Blossom Special, when, this 1,800 lb. Brahma bull decided to do a pirouette' right in front of me. I remember seeing his back hooves go sailing past my head and into the gate post next to me. Needless to say, I went totaly into survival mode and shot away from my steel. The band kept playing, though! I recovered, but, his 8 seconds were up and I sat out the next few riders to recover from my near miss. I needed some refreshment to calm my nerves. Nothing else ever happened that was that dramatic or traumatic. |
|
|
|
Kenny Martin
From:
Chapin, S.C. USA
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 7:11 pm
|
|
Hey Jim,
Does a guys runnin in the front door of the club shooting a 45 at another guy that is with his wife count as survival mode?
Happened for real down at the Ponderosa club in Neeses SC! Old Bill Williams club and man we where in the middle of a fast tune! We kept playin for a little but the drummer decided he was going in the back room behind the stage and left!
We waited back there and then Bill came back and said, its cool, start back up!
Don't think i'll ever forget that!
_________________
www.youtube.com/krmsr59 |
|
|
|
Ernest Cawby
From:
Lake City, Florida, USA, R.I.P.
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 7:35 pm hi
|
|
A fight at Bodifords Pool broke out one night in 1946, 15 8 on one side 7 on the other, At a table next to this one a guy started saying some bad words, this on fellow looked over and said, ddon't talk like that there is a lady sitting at our table, the other said if she was a Lady she would not be in a place like this, he stood up and hit the other guy, we started playing faster and faster , a beer botle hit the post right beside me, would you belive I was playing with my shoes off, Don't laugh Donna, I laid my guitar down and headed for thew back opened the window pushed out the screen, and fell out 7 feet below, Roy the lead guitar player fell on top of me, some how I cut one foot in the fall, Roy always said he would stop any fight that started I thoght it mighty funny when he fell on and not stoped, so much for bravery.
The owner and his son came up with a hammer and a gun a nd stoped it. One pace out the front door was the pool, at ground level, I never saw the place in daylight and did not know the ground fell away sharply so the 7 foot fall.
Really this place was always nice and quit, only fight ever in the 3 years we played this gig.
ernie |
|
|
|
Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
|
Posted 4 Jan 2010 8:36 pm
|
|
| Way back in 1969 I was playing in a guitar/organ/drums rock trio on an East coast boat gig once upon a time where the AC power was funky and the organ was a half a step flat. Trouble was - the organ player was also the bass player and he played one of those left hand Fender Rhodes piano bass doo-dads like Ray Manzarek played in the Doors. It was a different technology than an organ so it stayed on normal pitch as did my guitar of course. So you had a drunk organ player trying to play "Born To Be Wild" in F with his right hand and E with his left hand and sing at the same time somewhere in between while the drummer and I tried to make sense out of it all as night fell on the water and the fog rolled in as my guitar steadily went out of tune....Not much you can do at a time like that but drink another beer. |
|
|
|
Jim Lindsey (Louisiana)
From:
Greenwell Springs, Louisiana (deceased)
|
Posted 5 Jan 2010 6:25 am
|
|
Wow, guys, these are some great stories ... keep 'em coming. 
My old steel buddy, Danny, dropped by this morning for coffee and to see how the thread was going and, after reading all the posts so far, he said, quote, "Damn, Jim, all you steel players lead some really exciting lives!", unquote.
Danny really became a good steel player, but, he's never done a gig. He's a player who likes to play only in his living room along with records and such.
_________________
1986 Mullen D-10 with 8 & 7 (Dual Bill Lawrence 705 pickups each neck)
Two Peavey Nashville 400 Amps (with a Session 500 in reserve) - Yamaha SPX-90 II
Peavey ProFex II - Yamaha R-1000 Digital Reverb - Ross Time Machine Digital Delay - BBE Sonic Maximizer 422A
ProCo RAT R2DU Dual Distortion - Korg DT-1 Pro Tuner (Rack Mounted) - Furman PL-8 Power Bay
Goodrich Match-Bro by Buddy Emmons - BJS Steel Bar (Dunlop Finger Picks / Golden Gate Thumb Picks) |
|
|
|
Junior Knight
From:
Eustace Texas..paddle faster..I hear Banjos...
|
Posted 5 Jan 2010 7:20 am
|
|
I just turned 60...I AM in survival mode!!
_________________
2006 Msa S-12 “milly” 8 & 5 1976 Msa D-10 Classic 8 & 6
. Peavey Nashville 1-12 Tommy Huff speaker cabs. Goodrich pedals & matchbro.Steeler Choice seats.. that is all..(for now) lol
www.msapedalsteels.com
texsteelman2@yahoo.com
Jagwire Strings
Facebook/ Junior Knight, Steel Guitar |
|
|
|
