Which One Would You Choose?

Gene H. Brown · Post by **Gene H. Brown** » 19 Dec 2006 6:09 pm

Being a musician for almost 48 years, I've had the pleasure of playing several different Venues in Country Music on Pedal Steel Guitar. To me, there are six in particular that I've played a few times, some, more than others.
There's Radio Shows, TV Shows, Recording Studio, Live Auditorium Shows, Honky Tonks/Beer Joints and Outdoor Rodeos/Shows and to some of you who hold Religion close to your heart, there is a Seventh one, Playing at Church functions.

Out of all these Venues, which ONE would you choose to do as an EVERYDAY LIVING that you really enjoy and that gives you inspiration to feel good about and play the best you can play?

I'm only speaking for myself, but as I said before, I've played all these Venues and as far as I am concerned, the Recording Studio is my favorite because of the creativity involved and I don't, for some reason, feel the pressure and stress in the Studio that I feel in front of a live audience. I'll have to say that Beer Joints and Honky Tonks are my least favorite of all because of the crap you have to take from drunks leaning on you and being rude and breathing in your face, but live auditorium and outdoor rodeo shows do get the adrenenline going for me most of the time.

But I thought it would be kind of interesting to see what some of you other pickers have to say about this, as I know there are many of you who have played all these Venues too.

Thanks
Gene

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If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 19 Dec 2006 7:00 pm

Gene:I would have agree with you that I am more at home in the studio,I don't care for doing live concerts much these days..probably because where I live we have really bad sound people,and it's like bashing my head against a wall.I play weekends with a wonderful Country band that does a lot of Classic Country,and just enough of the new stuff to please the clientele.there is also a big corral type fence around the stage that I though was to keep the drunks away from the band, I was informed last weekend that it was to keep me from getting to the drunks..go figure.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 19 Dec 2006 7:23 pm

In the last 50 years I have played in about every venue I guess there is,even though I DONT drink,never have,never will,I LOVEEEEE honky tonks,Give me an old smokey,dark,Honky-tonk,with about 200 rednecks raising hell and having fun ,over a concert hall anytime.

Mike Wheeler · Post by **Mike Wheeler** » 19 Dec 2006 7:27 pm

Although I played all of those venues also, I enjoyed the stage productions the most...I guess that would be auditoriums? We had company of dancers, comedians, around 15 various musicians (7 in our main band), singers, etc....and all country based. It was a hoot and a half!

Second to that, I'd say studio work was a whole lot of fun. Loved to drive the engineers crazy by making odd sounds while tracking, or playing practical jokes on them. Like fast forwarding the tape to the end while they were on a coffee/restroom break. They'd get all excited to start the next track, hit the button and flap, flap, flap. They would about shoot us!! But would have a good laugh later on. What memories!

Gene H. Brown · Post by **Gene H. Brown** » 19 Dec 2006 8:22 pm

Hey Stu,
I played Alaska a few times in my career, 1962 and 1964 at the Frontier Bar in Ketchikan, what a place, sawdust floor and wooden sidewalks on the street, pretty rough place. I also played Fairbanks in the Seventies at a place that burned down called the Airport Inn and I played Anchorage in 1984 at the Pines Club with a group called Family Tradition, so I've seen a little bit of Alaskan Hospitality, so they say

Gene

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If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 19 Dec 2006 9:15 pm

Church.

I have a great church job in a band that is very appreciated by the members and the church leadership. Our compensation is in line with what pro musicians should make. It is a hard gig to do with a lot of music to read every week, but I find it challenging and rewarding at the same time.

The recording studio has lost a lot of its' luster to me after having done thousands of local sessions over the last 30 years. So many little pro tools places and such awful sounds. I have had enough of it.

No more radio and TV shows around here and the honky tonk thing is too bad on your health.

Still lots of wedding and private parties to do.

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 19 Dec 2006 9:38 pm

I gotta say one of my most interesting gigs with Tammy was at the Hilton in Vegas back in the '80's. We were the main act surrounded by the nude girl dance show... all those "less than scantily clad" gals running around for two straight weeks...

"Thanks for the memories..."

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Mikey D...

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 19 Dec 2006 10:01 pm

While enjoying the studio creativity,
I do get off more feeding off an
appreciative audience.

Preferably not drunk,
but loose enough to be spontanious.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 19 Dec 2006 10:17 pm

Gene..I moved here in 1984,I still haven't made it to Ketchikan,but I played for a while at the Pines club..we called it something else using most of the same letters.The guy who owned it was a complete jerk,I couldn't believe what he put musicians thru...Oh Yeah his name Russ Pace,he probably had it when you were here.he has a Real Estate Office across from a giant Costco now.Did you get to play with Paul Harper in Fairbanks?What a great guy he was.Gene who was in family Tradition,I've heard of that band.[This message was edited by Stu Schulman on 19 December 2006 at 10:18 PM.]

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 19 Dec 2006 10:44 pm

Give me a good 300-seater bar with a big stage, great P.A. & tech, dressing room adjacent to the stage with bathroom/ beer on ice , and I'm happy. I find concert hall setups too spread out and sterile, outside gigs are too iffy weather-wise, the studio drains my energy for some reason......and I don't attend church. Radio and T.V. usually encompass a concert hall show in these parts, and this is good because of the extra pay.[This message was edited by Chris LeDrew on 19 December 2006 at 10:45 PM.]

Gerald Pierce · Post by **Gerald Pierce** » 19 Dec 2006 11:06 pm

VFW halls!
GP

Robert Thomas · Post by **Robert Thomas** » 20 Dec 2006 3:10 am

Hi Stu,
I played at the Wagon Wheel for about a year and a half. It was located on the Palmer Strip or Highway. I also played at a bar in Palmer. Board sidewalks and very primitive. This took place during 1953 and 1954. Oh how things must have changed by now. I was stationed at Fort Richardson during the Korean war.

Ernest Cawby · Post by **Ernest Cawby** » 20 Dec 2006 5:42 am

i PLAYED tROMBONE IN CHURCH FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. we had 50 pieces, I heard a CD they made a while back they sounded like the Marine Bamd they have become so good.
The gig we play in Quitman is for senior citisens, no drinking no somkeing, they come up afterwards and hug your neck and tell you what a good time they had, gives them somewhere to go and have fun, ti me this is very rewarding and worth the effort. Also the players have been playing for years, no paper just wing it. A lot of the songs we play, some one comes in and we may never have heard or played that song before, now that is fun.
Been going to Quitman now for the last 3 years.

ernie

Ernie Pollock · Post by **Ernie Pollock** » 20 Dec 2006 5:46 am

Gene, thats a tough one, I played most of those places, but I think the two places where I have played & the people truly enjoyed it would be church [no pay for that] and nursing homes [no pay here either], so if it all depends on $$$ I would go with shows & outdoor events.

Ernie Pollock

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Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 20 Dec 2006 6:38 am

I played a minimum of six nights a week from '63 through '85 in the Los Angeles/Orange county area of southern Calif. I did some sessions, some road work, concerts, etc. but my favorite thing was playing those old smoke filled bars night after night. I met a lot of good people both on and off the bandstand. I'll admit that I was kind of a "Dog" in those days and really liked the fact that the girls really liked the "boys in the band" and I took that to my advantage on numerous occasions. I made a good living and raised my kids playing music and wouldn't change a thing. I feel sorry for the younger players who don't have the venues to play like us old "pharts" did. There was always a gig and if that fell through, there was another one to go to. No one, it seems, was ever out of work. I was almost 46 years old before I had a "real" job and I'm glad I had all that fun while I was young enough to enjoy it. The bad part is that a lot of my old friends are dead now and stayed in music too long so that they couldn't do anything else to make a good living. I was lucky enough to have a brother-in-law who was the Police Chief where I live now and made it possible for me to get a good (easy) City job from which I'm now retired. I'm enjoying music a lot now and playing 2 to 4 nights a week with local bands and enjoying life a lot now. But, I still miss those joints!....JH in Va.

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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Ken Thompson · Post by **Ken Thompson** » 20 Dec 2006 9:11 am

I have felt the most inspiration and true satisfaction by playing Christian Country music in churches however there are very few opportunities and venues. My second choice is the outdoor/one night type shows.

Gene H. Brown · Post by **Gene H. Brown** » 20 Dec 2006 3:12 pm

Thanks for the replies fellows.
Stu, yes I knew Russ pace, or Puss Face as we called him and yes he was a complete jerk for sure. When I started there and went to meet him, I stuck my hand out to shake hands and he didn't even put his hand out and said and I quote "I hate F%^&*(in Steel Guitar and the only reason I hired you was because I couldn't find a Guitar Player"
I knew right then and there it was going to be a tough gig and he cheated me out of $400.00 before I left also.
The band "Family Tradition" was a the house band there along with "The Pace Setters", I was band leader of Family Tradition and Nancy Lee was the Band Leader of the Pace Setters, I worked ther for about a year and couldn't take Russ Pace anymore and quit and actually quit music for ten years after that because I was so depressed and didn't care if I played again or not after dealing with those people, it was a nightmare to say the least.
Gene

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If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 20 Dec 2006 3:52 pm

I wouldn't want to have to play music full time for a living, no matter what venue. When I was a full time musician, I didn't enjoy playing music nearly as much as I do now. It was like WORK.

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David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 20 Dec 2006 3:54 pm

Honky Tonks, dance halls, and rock clubs. That's where the fun is for me. Of course I really enjoyed the biker-tatoo show, where there was a topless beauty contest on stage right in front of us.

James Quackenbush · Post by **James Quackenbush** » 20 Dec 2006 4:16 pm

I still enjoy the raunchy , smokey, rock em out bars ....People really enjoy themselves, and appreciate what you're playing, and everybody's partying !!.....There are always those moment's when the band is playing so well together on stage, and you pull off one of those leads that make you and your band members say " how did I do that " ???...
The music just flows and you amaze yourself ....It's like you're another player you sound so good !!...

....Jim

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 20 Dec 2006 7:25 pm

Gene:Yep They still call him Puss Face.I went with a friend of mine to Russ's house to pick up some equipment once,and his wife answered the door with a couple of Ferrets...I guess them weasels all live together.I'll take a pic of his Real estate Bizz and send it..Stu

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 20 Dec 2006 7:38 pm

Definately honky tonks.

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 20 Dec 2006 8:53 pm

Anyplace that appreciates the music the band is playing, with me on steel of course.