SEASICK STEVE

'Steve Wold', more commonly known as 'Seasick Steve', is an American bluesman. He plays guitars (mostly personalised), and sings. When asked about his nickname, Steve said: "because it's just true: I always get seasick."^[1]

Contents

History

Personalised Instruments

Discography

References

External links

History

When Steve was four years old, his parents split up. An old man from Mississippi, who used to play with Tommy Johnson, taught him to play guitar at age 8. He left home at 13, and spent many years living on the streets in the States. He used to travel long distances by hopping freights as a hobo.^[2]
Before becoming a professional musician, recording engineer and producer, he had dozens of jobs, including being a carnie, cowboy and a migrant worker.
After moving to Norway, Seasick Steve came out with a first album entitled Cheap and was recorded with a Swedish rhythm section The Level Devils. His debut solo album "Dog House Music" was released by Bronzerat with the official album launch party on Sunday 26 November 2006, at Corsica Studios, London.
Steve made his first UK television appearance on Jools Holland's 'Annual Hootenanny' BBC TV show (Broadcast on New Year's Eve 2006) where he stunned the audience with a live rendition of "Dog House Boogie" on the 'Three-Stringed Trance Wonder' and 'The Mississipi Drum Machine' (see below). After that performance his popularity suddenly boomed, like Steve explained in an interview: "I can't believe it, all of the sudden I'm like the cat's miaow!"^[1]
He has been well received in the U.K, being championed by DJs Charlie Gillett and Andy Kershaw. In 2006 and 2007 he was invited to a number of large U.K. festivals and festivals around Europe.
Seasick Steve gets asked a lot about his past performances with famous blues musicians, his reply is always: "Well that don't much matter. I ain't trying to be on some dusty shelf in the blues section under S. I don't even think of myself as no blues person, more like a song and dance kinda fella. Just like letting the people who come and see me figure it out and such".

Personalised Instruments

As well as an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar, Seasick Steve owns (and plays) a few obscure and personalised instruments such as these:

★ The Three Stringed Trance Wonder

★
★ This is a normal guitar, but with only three strings. It has an old Harmony pickup added (with duct tape) and is played tuned to G, G and B using an E string in the A position, a D in the G position and a G in the B position. At his gigs, he often tells the story that he bought it for $75 in this condition in Como, Mississippi from a man named Sherman, who later told him he only paid $25 for it the day before. Steve vowed never to add another string, and that he would tour the world telling his story of how Sherman ripped him off.^[4] All in good fun as Sherman is a good buddy. A lot of the time he also adds (while picking up or putting away the guitar) that it is the "...biggest piece of shit in the world, I swear".

★ The One Stringed Diddley Bow

★
★ This is a one stringed string instrument played with a slide (He uses a old screwdriver for this purpose). It consists of a 2 foot long 2x4, with a semi-loose guitar string nailed to it at both ends. It was made especially for him by James 'Super Chikan' Johnson.

★ The 'MDM', The Mississippi Drum Machine.

★
★ A small wooden box that is stamped to provide percussion. It is decorated with a Mississippi licence plate, and a small piece of carpet.

Discography

★ Seasick Steve and the Level Devils: ''Cheap'' (2004)

★ Seasick Steve: ''Dog House Music'' (2006)

★ Seasick Steve: ''It's All Good'' (EP) featuring "It's All Good", "Last Po' Man (Remix)", "Thunderbird" and "The Jungle" (all previously unreleased). (2007)

References

1. Op de Beeck, p.158
2.
3. Op de Beeck, p.158
4. Op de Beeck, p.159

External links

★ Official site

★ BBC gig review of Seasick Steve

★ Seasick Steve playing Doghouse Boogie on Jools Holland's show

★ Interview done at Pukkelpop 2007

★ 2006 Interview