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Topic: Do these artist use Steel on the road. ? |
Jimmy Campbell
From:
Fayette, Alabama.
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Posted 6 Mar 2016 6:11 pm |
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Anyone know if Joe Diffie, Lori Morgan and Mark Chesnutt has steel players in their bands.
They will be at the FMCA motorhome rally in Perry GA this month and wondered if they will have steelers with them. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 6 Mar 2016 6:51 pm
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mark always had slim yamaguchi with him. great!
joe used to and probably lori too, but i don't know if they still do. my guess is no, but i hope i'm wrong. i always hear no one can afford one. |
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Jimmy Campbell
From:
Fayette, Alabama.
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Posted 6 Mar 2016 7:03 pm
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Thanks Chris, maybe they all will have one.
Sure would be nice.  |
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2016 12:19 pm
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I get a laugh when big acts claim they don't have a steel player because of the cost. Right.
Let's see. They're playing multi-thousand seat venues with each fan paying an easy, what, $50 or more per ticket? Now, road players might get $200 per show, so do the math. Out of those thousands of seats, four of 'em might pay for a steel player.
Sure, there are other costs involved but I'm still laughing. |
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David Nugent
From:
Gum Spring, Va.
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Posted 17 Mar 2016 12:37 pm
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| Can't speak for Lori Morgan or Mark Chesnutt, but when we opened for Joe Diffie recently at a local Theatre he appeared with just a keyboard player and a second acoustic guitar (no drums,bass,or steel guitar). Both were excellent musicians however, so the show was still quite enjoyable. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 17 Mar 2016 1:43 pm
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joe is a great singer and nice guy. with super songs.
but the full band with steel is magic. i opened many times for them when jim heffernan played steel with him.
mark's songs are also great country.
i always got a kick out of the name 'slim yamaguchi'. an oriental cowboy. he does a good job covering some piano parts on his steel, as well as normal stuff. |
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Frank Freniere
From:
The First Coast
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Posted 17 Mar 2016 2:29 pm
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| When I saw Lorrie Morgan a few years ago, it was Lucky Motohashi on steel. |
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Kyle Everson
From:
Nashville, Tennessee
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Posted 17 Mar 2016 2:39 pm
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| Diffie's band is great! The last time we ran into them on the road, they did carry a steel player; I'm blanking on his name. Everyone played great (Shane Sutton on electric is worth the price of admission, not to mention the talented Kevin Adams on piano), and Diffie still sings great. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 17 Mar 2016 3:06 pm
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good point. i just heard shane was with joe.
shane is from the historical 'sutton family' in sacramento. they all grew up on stage. |
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David Nugent
From:
Gum Spring, Va.
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Posted 18 Mar 2016 6:47 am
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| Jimmy Heffernan and I worked the same Northeast festival circuit as Bluegrass banjo pickers back in the '80's. His group was named 'Raintree' I believe. I was with 'Kentucky Wind'. |
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Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 18 Mar 2016 1:05 pm
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| Slim Yamagucchi is still playing steel with Mark. I'm pretty sure Joshua Motohashi does some work with Lorrie, although he's a pilot, and Lorrie does a few shows without steel, not sure if Joe carries a steel player, though. |
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Jimmy Campbell
From:
Fayette, Alabama.
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Posted 20 Mar 2016 5:32 am
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No Steel, Bass or drums on the show, just Mark, Lori and Joe and looked like about six guitar pickers. One was Shane that was mentioned above, great picker.
Enjoyed the show except I think the sound crew must have had new speakers and was trying to see how loud they could crank them up before they exploded. 
Looks like when people started to get up and leave or move to the back they would have turned the sound down.
Last edited by Jimmy Campbell on 20 Mar 2016 6:38 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2016 6:57 am
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| Jimmy Campbell wrote: |
No Steel, Bass or drums on the show, just Mark, Lori and Joe and looked like about six guitar pickers. One was Shane that was mentioned above, great picker.
Enjoyed the show except I think the sound crew must have had new speakers and was trying to see how loud they could crank them up before they exploded.
Looks like when people started to get up and leave or move to the back they would have turned the sound down. |
Did they have canned music, drums, etc....? I can't imagine them working without drums and bass, even if it was karokee tracks or something. What a disappointment that must have been. It's the fans fault for continuing to support these people that short change us by using some studio player on their records and then doing shows without a steel player. If it's not important to them, then don't put it on the records in the first place. Same for fiddle. I understand if it's an ocassional song, but these people mentioned made their mark in country music with doing somewhat traditional flavored music and had steel. Do they think they're so good that we just want to hear them sing and don't care about the music.... Not me. I'll stay home.
RC |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 20 Mar 2016 9:01 am
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| Rick Campbell wrote: |
| Jimmy Campbell wrote: |
No Steel, Bass or drums on the show, just Mark, Lori and Joe and looked like about six guitar pickers. One was Shane that was mentioned above, great picker.
Enjoyed the show except I think the sound crew must have had new speakers and was trying to see how loud they could crank them up before they exploded.
Looks like when people started to get up and leave or move to the back they would have turned the sound down. |
Did they have canned music, drums, etc....? I can't imagine them working without drums and bass, even if it was karokee tracks or something. What a disappointment that must have been. It's the fans fault for continuing to support these people that short change us by using some studio player on their records and then doing shows without a steel player. If it's not important to them, then don't put it on the records in the first place. Same for fiddle. I understand if it's an ocassional song, but these people mentioned made their mark in country music with doing somewhat traditional flavored music and had steel. Do they think they're so good that we just want to hear them sing and don't care about the music.... Not me. I'll stay home.
RC |
I kind of agree. These artists are no longer big name stars, and would not be able to play shows for the people that still want to see them. The country music fans now probably have never heard of them, and they are the one's that spend the money on CD's and tickets to shows. They can't afford to do the whole band thing. I would be disappointed, but I would still enjoy the show. A few years ago, I went to see Shelby Lynn. It was just her. I really like the older stuff (country) that she did. But there was none of that played. But the stuff she did made up for the missing songs that I like (and steel guitar), It was an awesome, intimate show.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2016 9:55 am
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Richard,
I see what your saying, and that's make sense, but I wonder if it's a chicken and egg thing. Maybe they would still be big name stars if they maintained the sound that got them there. Ray Price, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, kept the same kind of band all along and were always big draws at concerts. With what musicians get paid, it doesn't seem to be such a cost prohibitive thing to me in the big picture of a concert featuring three major entertainers. I think it's that the management is telling these people that steel and fiddle are not important..... and in agreeing with you, I think they're right. That's why steel guitar is dying in the mainstream music.
I have a coworker that went to see some popular country singer a couple of years ago and I asked her what the steel player looked like and she replied: "I don't know if they had a steel guitar in the band,.... what does it look like?" In other words, it didn't matter to her. She said the music was great and the singer was great, and she had a wonderful time. I guess the public doesn't care.
At the rate it's going, I wonder if country acts will eventually go like most of the gospel acts and sing to karokee tracks at their road shows. It worked for the gospel people. A quartet will walk out all dressed up and sing to tracks with horns, string sections, harmonica, steel, fiddle, etc... and people really enjoy them.... I think just as much, if not more, than a live band. I've noticed sometimes they will have a guitar, keyboard, maybe bass player on the stage. I don't know if they are actually playing anything. They've got it worked up into a production and they can encore, repeat verses, etc....
RC |
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David Spires
From:
Millersport, OH
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Posted 20 Mar 2016 10:29 am
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It's just about $.
$200, $300, $400, $500, $600 a day doesn't sound like much in the scheme of a business, unless you can figure out how to put that $ in your own pocket. In an artist's career, there reaches a time where these types of decisions have to be made.
Most in the audience wouldn't care if David Spires was missing from a Josh Turner show, but they sure would care if Josh was missing.
Until Josh reaches such a point in his career, I will continue to enjoy working along side of Banjo, Acoustic, Electric, Piano, Fiddle, Bass, and Drums. I appreciate that he finds it important to have all of those elements in his live show. There will come a time that he won't be able to afford it too.
I don't think the artists you mentioned "don't care" about steel guitar, but I do think they care about making their house payment.
Sincerely,
David Spires
_________________
2021 MSA Legend XL 10&7; Asher Electro-Hawaiian Junior Lap Steel; '79 OMI Dobro 66 w/ Scheerhorn cone and setup; '64 Hand-wired Re-issue Fender Princeton Reverb |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 20 Mar 2016 12:44 pm
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David, you have a sweet gig.
Rick said:
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| Maybe they would still be big name stars if they maintained the sound that got them there. Ray Price, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, kept the same kind of band all along and were always big draws at concerts. With what musicians get paid, it doesn't seem to be such a cost prohibitive thing to me in the big picture of a concert featuring three major entertainers. |
Ray Price, George Jones, and Loretta wouldn't stand a chance in today's market. Sad but true. Ray (RIP), George (RIP) and Loretta always carried a full band. These singers in the OP will never pack a big hall where they could afford a band. None of those 3 ever made it to concert headliner status.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2016 2:17 pm
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David and Richard, that's good points and I agree with you. Bluegrass bands do the same thing with the fiddle player. When times get tough, that's the first thing to go, and they work four piece with guitar, mandolin, banjo and bass...... but, the Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe would never have thought about not having at least one fiddle player. He had his farm foreclosed on. Looks like road bands could pick up a local steel or fiddle player, but that would mean rehearsing and that cost time and money too. David I admire Josh for keeping it going. I hope he can afford a full band for a long time. BTW: I've heard you with Josh and you really have it together in both playing and tone.
RC |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 6:49 am
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I remebered playing at a club where every other weekend, they had minor level starts, Moe Band, Joe Stampley, Charlie McClain, and they always used our band to back them. We were told then that it was economics (late 70's - early 80's).
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 7:43 am
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| Richard Sinkler wrote: |
| I remebered playing at a club where every other weekend, they had minor level starts, Moe Band, Joe Stampley, Charlie McClain, and they always used our band to back them. We were told then that it was economics (late 70's - early 80's). |
I saw Moe a few months ago. He had a full band with piano. The steel player doubled on fiddle (as I, and Henry Matthews often do). They had a good two hour show worked up with some nice arrangements. It was a sit down theater show, no dancing. They sang, played, told a few jokes, talked about Moe's history in the music business, etc... Different band members sang. It was a very relaxing, quality, professional show. The sound was good. The drums were just right. No one played on top of one another. You could hear the singers and understand every word. It was all country. If Moe can do it, I don't see why others can't too.
RC |
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Don R Brown
From:
Rochester, New York, USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 8:19 am
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| Rick Campbell wrote: |
At the rate it's going, I wonder if country acts will eventually go like most of the gospel acts and sing to karokee tracks at their road shows. It worked for the gospel people. A quartet will walk out all dressed up and sing to tracks with horns, string sections, harmonica, steel, fiddle, etc... and people really enjoy them.... I think just as much, if not more, than a live band. I've noticed sometimes they will have a guitar, keyboard, maybe bass player on the stage. I don't know if they are actually playing anything. They've got it worked up into a production and they can encore, repeat verses, etc....
RC |
Rick, I think one thing which has driven things in that direction is the better technology we have today. Back in my youth (just after the passing of the dinosaurs!  ) the choices were either a DJ playing records, or a live band. Singing to a recording on reel-to-reel tape would not have been as good, and where would you get a reel-to-reel backing track anyway?
Today with uploads, downloads, digital everything, it can be easier - and cheaper - for vocalists to do as you mentioned. No band to pay, no chance of someone hitting an unexpected bad note, and they can practice over and over with the exact same music, timing and everything else.
I'm not saying I prefer it that way, but I can understand why it's being done. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 8:59 am
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Cool Rick. There might be hope for us yet.
Don, I love high technology, but it's killing us, and not just the music business. "Right after the passing of the dinosaurs"? So, you're younger than me. I remember when the dinosaurs first came along. 
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Dale Foreman
From:
Crowley Louisiana, USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 10:20 am Steel Guitar
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Here's what I think.. I think the Steel Guitar and good old country will will make a comeback. I think it's like the fashion industry, it will come back in fashion. With that being said, I'm hoping we can get some of the younger generations to get interested in learning the instrument to fill our voids!
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Rittenberry Prestige(2) |
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Don R Brown
From:
Rochester, New York, USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 1:21 pm
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| Richard Sinkler wrote: |
| "Right after the passing of the dinosaurs"? So, you're younger than me. I remember when the dinosaurs first came along. |
 Richard, I tend to think I'm still a kid - until I tackle some repair or task around the house and my body takes 3 days to forgive me! |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 21 Mar 2016 3:44 pm
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My body never forgives me. We don't even talk to each other any more. 
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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