Private Storm
Smell The Glove
Saw him at Glastonbury, was blown away by his whole act. Seemed like a really nice guy and a proper talented one to boot. That's all that counts.
Does he have to be "for real"?
Does he have to be "for real"?
Is Seasick Steve for real
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bluestreak
HomosexualityIsStalin’sAtomBombtoDestroyAmerica
shurely fauxbo, twisted?
bluestreak
HomosexualityIsStalin’sAtomBombtoDestroyAmerica
Does he have to be "for real"?
The pursuit of hipster realism. It's like hipster irony. It requires not actually being real, but the pretention thereof.
twistedAM
Left Of The Dial
Steve dun unnerstan that there French talk too well.
But if you translated it into Norwegian he would as he's lived there about as long as he has in the states.
ouchmonkey
Singe Gainsbourg
Yeah, that's what i'm getting from the question too. He's an old guy who plays raggedy ass blues type stuff - that's real. he's pretty good too.
used to be involved in recording and producing bands up in the northwest before Nirvana made that whole scene go global - by then he'd left for Norway I think. If you mean does he still sleep in a railroad car, of course he fucking doesn't, he might of some time in his younger days. so what really.
Saw Model T Ford last year, pretty good until he'd drunk half of the whisky.
yeah I saw T Model Ford at End of the Road. It was good but I so wished he hadn't played with that drummer - it robbed the music of a lot of the detail and variety. You couldn't really hear the guitar properly; it pushed the music in a slightly Quo-ish direction. (Not that it sounded anything like Quo of course...) What's nice about seeing Seasick Steve play is it's all really clear – just a voice and a guitar and a stomp.
this thread has made me go off and see what Samuel James is up to. (He's a young american slide-blues hollerer who likes to stomp his foot.) And lo and behold he's just released a second album! www.myspace.com/sugarsmallhouse
Spion
I hear ya
WTF does 'for real' mean anyway?
The archetypal blues singer who is a rail-riding hobo or Mississippi front porch dweller is largely a music company marketing and white enthusiasts' stereotype. The vast majority have been musicians with ambitions who wanted to be commercially successful. Just like most musicians.
The archetypal blues singer who is a rail-riding hobo or Mississippi front porch dweller is largely a music company marketing and white enthusiasts' stereotype. The vast majority have been musicians with ambitions who wanted to be commercially successful. Just like most musicians.
Gerry1time
Did a wee in Dirac's toilet
I once sat opposite him in the BBC reception whilst waiting for a meeting. Thought about saying hello, but he was chatting to his manager so it seemed more interesting just to listen. Lots of stories about his dad (and his alcoholism?), his upbringing and all sorts. Sounded like a properly crazy life he'd had from the 15 minutes or so I'd heard.
So yeah, I'd vote real.
So yeah, I'd vote real.
rikwakefield
Born to be Mild
He's great
dat brown skin
My issues have issues
Only seen the guy once on Jools Holland over a month ago....was mad that I missed Little Jackie. As for the Brits, you guys are so fucking gulible and desperate to show how broad minded you are. Hey maybe it's just me, but he seemed like a nice enough guy, but seriously he aint all that and I doubt he makes a wave in the US, but bless your hearts for supporting him.
dat brown skin
My issues have issues
so, er, remind me exactly who these people are - the superior sexuagenarian slide-guitar country blues acts you're thinking of that are regularly featured on mainstream US TV, and who the US regularly puts in their top 10 albums chart...
Don't get me wrong, I don't think Seasick Steve is the be all and end all. But the fact is his first few albums, and his solo gigs, are MUCH better than anything any of the big name blues acts have managed to dribble out in the last 2 decades.
It's funny how some americans seem to think that a measure of success is whether or not somebody has sold records in america. Amazingly enough, some music listeners couldn't even give a toss whether or not anyone's sold any records anywhere, let alone in the states - they just judge music on whether it's good or not.
Hello, I have never posted on here before...
My ex-girlfriend was on the same label as Seasick (his first album), she got to meet him a few times and they shared the same manager. Pretty much everyone on the inside knows that his stories are complete bollocks, nearly all totally made up. The general consensus around the blues scene is that Steve is one in many, there is a a Steve in every town in the US. Steve just knows how to play the game...
(I don't know how to quote) "But the fact is his first few albums, and his solo gigs, are MUCH better than anything any of the big name blues acts have managed to dribble out in the last 2 decades."
- This isn't true. Try listening to more acts. Try Charlie Par or the Adnostic Mountain Gospel Choir...
My ex-girlfriend was on the same label as Seasick (his first album), she got to meet him a few times and they shared the same manager. Pretty much everyone on the inside knows that his stories are complete bollocks, nearly all totally made up. The general consensus around the blues scene is that Steve is one in many, there is a a Steve in every town in the US. Steve just knows how to play the game...
(I don't know how to quote) "But the fact is his first few albums, and his solo gigs, are MUCH better than anything any of the big name blues acts have managed to dribble out in the last 2 decades."
- This isn't true. Try listening to more acts. Try Charlie Par or the Adnostic Mountain Gospel Choir...
Funky_monks
Neo-Rustic
Who cares whether his stories are made up, most stories that people tell anecdotally contain some exaggeration/bullshit. Why do we always get this worthy shit when it comes to blues/folk particularly? Noone would give a bollocks if a rock star or rapper spouted some spurious bullshit yarn because they do it all the time.
The point is that he has enjoyed far more success than most blues artists of recent years (at least over here anyway), and a lot of this sounds like sour grapes.
You either like his music or you don't. It just so happens that I do (and I found his documentary interesting, made up story or not). I feel that he has more of a handle on the way the way that the blues is played than other white 'bluesmen' who tend to get too polished (see: Martin Simpson, technically amazing, but it just does not feel like the blues when he plays it).
Who cares if 'your dad' plays better guitar than him? 'Your dad 'isn't filling concert halls.
The title of the thread is "Is Seasick Steve For Real".. so I thought I'd try to help.
My own personal two cents on whether he's good or not. I am a blues nerd, it's my favourite style of music and pretty much all I listen to. I thought his first album was quite good but his last two have been total shit. I think his gift for storytelling has played a massive part in his success.
Please try Charlie Parr, The Agnostics, Gemma Ray, or even the now defunct Congregation (I am not promoting here - I have no affiliation with these bands...)
Wilf
Slouching towards Billingham
Not sure at what level you think he's not for real?* I haven't looked into him that much, but I've never heard anyone questioning the broad story of his early life (left home very young, odd jobs, hostels, prison, the odd railroad). Okay, when he's in character I'd guess the accent changes (he is from California if i remember it right!) and there's poetic licence on the stories. However, i think its all based in what is a generally true story.
I'd be interested to hear more about his later life and the recording studios, bands and stuff. Suspect he doesn't bang on about that much because it does slightly erode the picture it gives to an audience. He wouldn't be the first one to do that though. As has been said he seems like a pretty good guy, tells funny stories - and is actually a prety good guitarist.
* edit - that was a genuine question, by the way - not a dig!
You bitch.
(At Ante head)
First post on this these boards not going well! Just trying to share some real insider knowledge!
Because has admitted to people that work for him that it's bollocks!! And his stories change and contradict each other!
I would much prefer to hear about his stories as a sound engineer (which is true) , they would be much more interesting, but like you said they are not "cool" and won't sell records.. I really liked his first album, didn't think anything of the next few, very very bad in my opinion, but I don't blame him for trying to make a few bucks whilst he can
dat brown skin
My issues have issues
Exactly. Their a dime a dozen. We had a homeless guy in the coastal town I lived in, who never got any exposure, he lived in a tent with his chihuahua on the sand dunes and played his guitar where ever he could, usually at a little strip mall near the beach. You want to talk about a real hobo. Bit of a curmudgeon, but was entertained one evening outside his tent in the sand dunes smoking a spliff under the stars and listening to him pick his guitar and tell me stories.
dat brown skin
My issues have issues
Who pissed in your corn flakes? I am not American. I am British.
well it's great that you consider Charlie Parr and Agnostic Mountain Choir to be "big name blues acts"!! I doubt many people would! I doubt they themselves would agree with you either! Big name blues acts like Bonnie Raitt, BB King, the late Stevie Ray Vaughn etc.
I quite like both Charlie Parr and the Agnostics - Parr especially. But to be honest, I don't think either have made anything as raw as Steve's early stuff. I don't think comparing Charlie Parr with Seasick Steve is really comparing like with like anyway - charlie's more of a folk musician.
And I'm not sure that this really means anything at all...
"The general consensus around the blues scene is that Steve is one in many, there is a a Steve in every town in the US. Steve just knows how to play the game..."
...It's a very easy thing for hobbyist blues guitarists to say. It sounds like sour grapes to me. Who are all these people and where are their albums? Some American friends said exactly the same thing to me - they played me some guy from their local folk club as an example of someone "much better than Seasick Steve". Needless to say they weren't. They were complete shit.
It also is kind of missing the point - I know loads of musicians who are very talented and have some great songs. But the fact is they've never made an album and don't really have the drive or ambition to. That's got nothing to do with blues music or Seasick Steve or anything - it's the same the world over.
Like I said, I don't think Steve is anything like the best blues act currently around. I don't even own any of his albums and don't intend to. I could name tons of blues (or close to) acts I prefer: Duke Garwood, Samuel James, Robert Belfour, Cedell Davis, Simon Prager, Bob Log, The Fuji, Pepe Belmonte, Boycott Coca Cola Experience, Smoke Fairies, Hat Fitz & Itchy, Bob Meyer, and Made for Chickens by Robots. (FWIW I really like Congregation too and I'm gutted to hear they might be a thing of the past. Find Imelda May totally boring though.)
Seasick Steve's quite annoying in some ways. But he's much better than the boring stuff that gets touted as being real blues: Robert Cray, Keb'Mo, Chris Thomas King, zzzzzzz
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