Playing sober v playing under the influence

[agogobil]

He drinks alone
with nobody else
all by himself
He's b-b-b-b-b-b-bad to the bone


(ok ... sure)

:D

[drumwild]

I played REALLY drunk about 3 years ago.

The band was having some difficulties, but we seemed to be working through them. The bass player showed up to a gig trashed on JD. So I figured I'd start my drinking (I was prepared to start after the show). Besides, it was a crappy hole-in-the-wall venue (The Riverbottom).

I had a flask of Absinthe (Martin Sebor), so I drank half a Heineken, then poured half the flask into the Heineken bottle. Absinthe is really made for sipping, but it didn't stop me. I did this twice.

Remember playing "Sweet Emotion" as the sound check.

Next thing you know, I raise my head from the table. Everybody is gone. My drums are gone. Did I even play?

My g/f drumtech had loaded up the drums. Security helped me out the door. I asked her if we played the show. "Yes, and we video taped it."

Crap.

I couldn't get the nerve to watch it, but eventually I did after curiosity won the battle. It was musically OK.

But there was a problem. We were asked to do an encore and we played "Symptom of the Universe" by Black Sabbath. We had discussed this song in a rehearsal. The #1 guitarist said that he felt playing a metal song as an encore leaves people with the wrong idea of what our sound is about (he was more influenced by Radiohead).

We played the song anyway.

I see a discussion while they're playing. He's telling the #2 guitarist to take the lead. He says he doesn't have anything (I get this story from the #2 guitarist later). So we go through the guitar solo part with no solo.

He quit after that. He said he would if we played that song.

Had I not been totally wasted, we would have not played the song. But based on the video evidence, I was all gung-ho to play the song after it was suggested by the bass player (who quit 2 weeks later).

I guess it could have been worse. After watching it a few more times (and getting past the shock of it all), I noticed things that I felt weren't pulled off exactly right. I mean, it was good enough in my opinion (whcih doesn't matter). But I expect more from myself than that.

As Bermuda said at his clinic last night, those who think they play well when they're wasted are alone in their opinion. The video seemed OK to me, but who knows what others thought of it. The only thing I can say for sure is that I'm way happier with my sober performances.

The end result was that my playing was sub-standard. Even worse, I lost control of my leadership of the project and it all fell apart.

I'm playing a gig for my birthday. Two bands in a row. I might have a beer (as in ONE) between the sets. Nothing else when I'm on the clock.   It's Patron Silver shots after the last note, and not a note before.

[orihood]

I drink, but I have a self-instilled rule. I don't drink while playing. That includes practice sessions and gigs.

What I do afterwards is my business, but I believe practice sessions and gigs are not my time.....they are the "bands"!

I am fortunate to play with seasoned musicians who have also "been there", and none of them drink "on the job".

Any time you play under the "influence", its just that. Think about it.....

[sterghios]

Having lived over a third of my life in the land with the highest binge drinking rate in Europe (if not the world), run my own bar and done a few gigs, I gotta say that a little (<3 pints) can help you relax a bit, but more sends you off to lala land, and by that I dont mean Hollywood. That said, in one occasion I had 8 pints before getting on stage because the manager bought a round, the singer bought a round, the other bands' singer got a round... etc etc. so it can be pretty hard to survive the peer pressure.

That said, I still listen to the tape of that gig, cringe at some missed crashes, but gape at some breaks I know I'll never do again in my life. Still, missed crashes score more than flash breaks so I've decided to stay off the (heavy) boozage.

I'd say "so long as you know what you're doing" but reading a few alcoholism threads makes me want to withhold that statement....

[JayB]

I got to this thread kind of late... but I feel that jamming with a buzz is really refreshing.  Now, a serious practice is no place for it, but if we're just jamming it's fun.  Once we're at a show and we know the songs pretty well, we'll kill a couple beers to "put us in the mood" since we like to be in the same mindsets (or close to it) as our audience so that we can "connect" a little better.  Lately we've been doing a lot of slow, melodic and heavy "drug" music (as labeled by friends and passerbys) but sober as can be.  Think majorly melodic music such as the Moody Blues or Pink Floyd but mixed with newer elements like the Mars Volta.  That's what we've been playing... totally drug-induced sound, yet the only thing we're high on is the music.  Music is definately our drug, not our anti-drug, but actual drug, lol.  

[DWdrmr]

drumwild......I'm glad you're not here with me to hear how loud I'm laughing at your story(I'm not laughing AT you).....that is a true to life story if I ever heard one..especially, the "did we play???"..."yes,and we videotaped it"..the rest is hopefully a lesson to others to realize that this a BUSINESS.....how serious are we,as players?? That's really the bottom line. It's all about having "fun", but, when does the "fun" cut into your "business".....thanks for sharing..

[Tae]

I would advise not drinking at all considering the health risks, but what do I know I'm just a kid. My biological father drank and he also locked food in cabinets while my mother was pregenant with me and wouldn't allow her to eat unless he said she could( hence why she left him). Oh here is a fun fact, 85,000+ people die in the U.S from drinking, not including vehicle accidents caused by drinking or violence caused from drinking. Drinking is alright if you can control yourself. Seeing as a family member is in rehab for drinking and my favorite drummer died from drinking, my openion remains the same.

[paul]

I learned very early in my playing career that alcohol takes away my coordination pretty quickly, so drinking while playing has never been a problem.  I've gotten pretty hammered on a couple of occasions, and always regretted it later.

Subbing in with a lot of different bands I often find myself the only sober guy left at the end of the night, except for the occasional recovering alcoholic, who's usually on a sugar/nicotine high after chain smoking and chugging soft drinks all night.

I don't do soft drinks any more, either, so it's water and maybe a cup of coffee on gigs.  Makes the drive home afterwards a lot safer, too.

Once I get home all bets are off.

[Tony]

Here's a little bit of a fun fact.  Alcohol affects your eye-hand and muscle coordination.  Not an opinion, a fact.  Drumming requires both.  So, you know, take what you want from that.

[Mark Counts]

I have met great players that couldn't play anyother way but drunk.  Not talking about drummers in general but personally, I think that a few beers at practice is fine.  If you are getting paid to play out, it is a job and should be treated as a job.  No real job will let you drink on the job. As far as the drugs go, I don't play music with anyone that is into anything more than pot any more.
If there are other drugs in their life then their priorities are all messed up and you can't count on them anyway.
                                             Nutty

[junglelord]

i think a glass of red wine or one beer thats cool.... :D
maybe a joint... ;D
but thats all.... :-X
just to get relaxed...
not stoned or drunk... :-X
keep the party for later. ;)