Do you drink at gigs?
MegaSwing
Never fought, never argued, never couldn't play.
I haven't in while, because I find I enjoy the music and the audience
interaction better when I don't. And I can still be as silly as I
want. The following day is usually a little easier to face, as well.
Maybe it's part of leaving behind the trappings of youth.
Besides, booze is expensive and not one of life's
essentials...anymore. YMMV.
Edward G.
Baltimore, MD
Tim
No.
Actually I can't say I don't drink at all, because I have a shot of
brandy at New Years and that's it.
Brian Running
> I used to, a lot. Didn't think it mattered, plus I liked the sauce.
> Never fought, never argued, never couldn't play.
No. I'll have one beer between last song and load-out.
klaw
i'll usually have a shot of jack in the largest glass of coke the
place has - usually a small pitcher. i'll grab one on the break and
nurse it thru the set. sometimes a shot of scotch in a large glass of
water. just enough to take the edge off.
JoeSpareBedroom
news:858023e0-fced-4963...@g31g2000vbr.googlegroups.com...
Used to, a little bit, but we have one guy in our band who's medicated for
bipolar disorder, and although he swore the booze didn't interact with his
meds, we saw him fall apart when he drank. Our drummer also got out of
control after a couple of beers. So we sorta decided that if two guys
couldn't drink, nobody should.
Sometime before that decision was made, other reasons for not drinking
presented themselves.
We played a venue where we barely had enough time to set up, there was
trouble with somebody's cables, and a couple of other things which kept
everyone busy until the moment we began playing. Nobody had time to venture
over to the bar. At the end of the first set, three of the guys began
chattering about why the band seemed tighter than usual and nobody's volume
was getting stupid. Light bulbs lit up over their heads and they decided it
was the fact that nobody was drinking. I wasn't about to argue with the
theory. Works for me.
Until February of this year, we had a trumpet player who used to go through
a 6-pack at practice and scribble swastikas on the counter next to where he
stood. "I'm just havin' fun" is how he explained it. He got agitated when I
mentioned that we'd be playing a certain club where "Them kinda people" were
patrons. Our guitarist's daughter married a black guy, but didn't need to
kill the trumpeter because we canned him a few days later. This was right
around when someone in this group theorized that I was hard to work with.
In December of last year, we fired the trumpeter's sax buddy because by the
end of the first set, he'd have a half dozen empty bottles and a couple of
shot glasses at his feet and his alternate sax on the floor in a puddle of
booze. He always had an enabler in the audience bringing him drinks. Two
audience members told us the guy's eyes seemed to be looking in two
different directions and he sometimes drooled. He played excellent solos,
but the trumpeter had to literally tap him on the ankle with his foot to
remind him that it was almost his turn to play. He didn't last long.
So that's the story of booze in my band.
fourstring
"MegaSwing" <Mega...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:858023e0-fced-4963...@g31g2000vbr.googlegroups.com...
Never....fruit juice is my tipple.
I might get busted for speeding on the way
home but not drunk in charge, that's game over.
I don't much like the effect of alcohol anyway
so no big deal.
I've also seen a lot of my contemporaries self-
destruct on the sauce...playing like shit, passing
out on stage, losing their driving license etc.
I used to dread gigs with a free bar as half the band
would be pie-eyed after the interval.
No thanks.
-C-
John (NJ)
The most I have is one beer per set, though typically I'll have just
one or two, sometimes none. At midnight I always switch to soda.
Monkey Pi
1 possibly 2 before
Water during
After depends on what my friends are doing.
Monkey Pi
--
_ _
|o| o , o_,' o_, |o|
|O| <%'. _`'_ === <\_ |O|
(0) / | (_)`-' | / | (0)
p-----MonkeyMonkeyMonkey-----q
BW
This is not meant to be preachy - really. Just my observations and
feelings. I drink; a glass or two of wine with dinner, a beer or two
on a summer afternoon, maybe a beer at a gig, early on in the evening,
etc. But I've spent a lot of years in bars and seen a lot. The effect
of too much booze ("too much", and the lack of judgement that allows
that in a person) is one of the most destructive and disturbing things
I ever witness. People become total assholes. Some outgrow it, but if
you still get to that point after you're an "adult", you've got a
serious problem, as do the people around you. Here's a quick story. I
have two friends who are guitarists, one a really great player (we'll
call him "A", the other, "B"). B is a reformed alcoholic. Hasn't had a
drink in 20+ years. Great guy; smart, observant. He attended a gig I
did with A to hear him play, and we all hung out quite a bit between
sets. Later, B told me that he recognized in A all the traits that
made B give up drinking. A went to his car to sneak more booze than he
wanted us to see him drinking, always returned with a bottle of water
in his hand, as if it would mask the smell (it didn't). A would pour
out his soul to total strangers he'd meet on the gig, talk about his
problems (never the booze problem) to people he'd met for the first
time one minute earlier, lied about everything constantly, would talk
to people one inch from their faces (not a loud setting, so it was
simply "in your face"), etc., etc. OK, maybe an extreme example, but
maybe not. A is my friend, and I can't stand seeing what he's doing to
himself (he's in his fifties, by the way).
We can also talk about driving drunk. A young woman in my town lost
both legs when she was plowed into by a schmuck who was then arrested
for his SEVENTH DWI conviction. I know, that's a problem with the
justice system, but nevertheless, that woman is without legs for the
rest of her life. I think one of the problems lies in the fact that
wherever there's an almighty buck to be made, ethics and judgement
flee out the window. Booze and tobacco are marketed to all age groups,
etc. On a local level, I have a neighbor who serves booze to his
teenage kids and their friends at parties, and then the kids drive
away and hit mailboxes (only mailboxes, so far). Every member of that
family (total of 6), save the mother (I think) has been in jail.
OK, maybe too long, too much. Sorry - my apologies, but I obviously
feel strongly about the issue.
How do you feel about rehearsing?
MegaSwing
wrote:
> "MegaSwing" <MegaSw...@comcast.net> wrote in message
>
> news:858023e0-fced-4963...@g31g2000vbr.googlegroups.com...
>
> >I used to, a lot. Didn't think it mattered, plus I liked the sauce.
> > Never fought, never argued, never couldn't play.
>
I've seen booze make bands totally dysfunctional.
My favorite (?) is the blues band in which both guitarists had
entirely different drinking problems:
One would get slurring, stumbling drunk on a beer-and-a-half. One
gulp, and he was already in trouble.
The other would drink Busch beer 24/7, and always had a carton of cans
under his arm.
They were both remarkable players, but neither of them had an ounce of
ambition.
It was my first experience with alcohol as a band killer.
The shame of it was both of those guys were good enough to ride it to
the top.
Instead, they just trashed everybody else's hopes, to match their own.
Edward G.
Baltimore, MD
Mike
2 beers early in the evening followed by lots of water.
Mike
Monkey Pi
In college, I worked behind a bar where drinking wasn't allowed on duty.
For a completely sober person, watching the same room of people get
trashed over the course of night after night after night....
Just really saddening.
MegaSwing
> How do you feel about rehearsing?
Drinking and rehearsing? The same rules that apply to gigging should
apply to rehearsing. In fact, I believe research shows that
duplicating the state of mind you have when you learn something helps
with recollection when it comes time to use the information.
I've had too many at a few rehearsals, but since I've never been a
boistrous, belligerent, or clumsy drunk, and I could play my parts,
they passed without incident. There is no question that in those
circumstances I was enjoying the boozing more than I was enjoying the
music, which totally compromises the music. But I remembered it at
the gig. q;-b
I hope this doesn't come off as overly soapboxy; I only want to
discuss an ongoing non-spiritual epiphany I've been experiencing.
Recreational substance abuse (legality is a smokescreen--alcohol is
the destructive equal of them all) may make you sound more interesting
to yourself, but it never made anyone better at anything useful,
certainly not playing music. Not completely losing your handle on
things is about the best you can hope for, and that's a pretty meager
aspiration if you ask me. As long as you are not delusional about
what stuff does and does not do for you, you can proceed with honest
expectations. The first casualty is always your judgment
I want to be more engaged when I play. I find that I am more able to
do that without drinking.
My weak and susceptible brain cells are all dead now; it's time to
give the survivors a break.
I don't judge anyone who drinks. It is a firmly-entrenched human
behavior. It's important to know when it makes sense to do it, when
it actually helps a situation. I no longer care to glorify in its
excesses. Increasingly, I'm opting out, and feeling better overall.
Boy, have I been itching to play lately.
Edward G.
Baltimore, MD
J Stevens
"MegaSwing" <Mega...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:858023e0-fced-4963...@g31g2000vbr.googlegroups.com...
Yeah I drink...big whoop...wanna fight about it!!??!! :-)
Actually, I rarely even have a beer while playing. Not because I'm worried
about getting drunk, it's because I sing a lot and it's difficult to do that
while burping.
If I switch to the harder stuff, it dries out my vocal chords and I lose
most of my range after 1 set.
After a gig, I may have one or two if I'm not driving. But I usually ended
up pounding down a bunch of water or a gatorade so I don't get dehydrated.
Then I somehow end up being the designated driver for the band!
Jay S
The BorgMan
fdff92...@g31g2000vbr.googlegroups.com:
Usually a beer a set, and my wife (our drummer) usuually drinks about 1/3
of it. Sometimes none. Never more.
--
Aaron
Gregory Rochford
beer, so I took a quart fruit jar and drank a quart during the first act
and another during the second. (Which apparently isn't that much reading
some of the other replies)
Didn't drink at all in the prog rock band, as I could barely play the
stuff sober.
Now a days hardly at all, mostly because that money is coming out of my
pocket. And cops are on the lookout for drunk drivers. And hangovers
are getting worse for smaller amounts imbibed. And nobody else in the
band drinks.
The one time drinking affected my playing was when we had to wait for a
hockey game to finish on the big screen, and I drank 2-3 rum and cokes
that were 90% rum. Almost passed out when we started to play the first
song. And the last gig with a band where the singer announces to the
crowd: "I've never heard this guy make a mistake no matter how drunk he
is, so everybody buy him a shot, and let's see how he does". I made it
to the end standing up anyway.
best
gr
suds mcduff
> I used to, a lot. Didn't think it mattered, plus I liked the sauce.
> Never fought, never argued, never couldn't play.
----I like to have a few beers......
>
> I haven't in while, because I find I enjoy the music and the audience
> interaction better when I don't. And I can still be as silly as I
> want. The following day is usually a little easier to face, as well.
>
> Maybe it's part of leaving behind the trappings of youth.
>
> Besides, booze is expensive
----Not when it's part of the contract....or someone in the crowd's
buying....
MegaSwing
> MegaSwing wrote:
> > I used to, a lot. Didn't think it mattered, plus I liked the sauce.
> > Never fought, never argued, never couldn't play.
>
> ----I like to have a few beers......
>
>
>
> > interaction better when I don't. And I can still be as silly as I
> > want. The following day is usually a little easier to face, as well.
>
> > Maybe it's part of leaving behind the trappings of youth.
>
> > Besides, booze is expensive
>
> ----Not when it's part of the contract....or someone in the crowd's
> buying....
I totally get it. All saloons discount the band's alcohol. If you
draw a big enough crowd and don't go way overboard, some clubs will
comp the band's bar tab. At weddings and socials, as long as you show
no obvious signs of drunkedness (i.e. you can still play and be
social), you can always have a drink going. Then there's the fun guy
who insists on buying shots for the band. If all else fails, take a
flask...or two. I've enjoyed every angle of subsidized drinking at
gigs.
All I meant is that for something that is purely a luxury, the costs
have begun to outweigh the benefits. YMMV.
Edward G.
Baltimore, MD
Derek Tearne
Not a lot - alcohol is not known for improving concentration, timing or
manual dexterity.
If a gig is in a bar I might drink a small amount of beer or wine -
usually starting in the first break - but that's only really because I'm
weak and prone to temptation - if a gig is not in a bar I certainly
wouldn't take alcohol with me (although I do have a hip flask of whiskey
in my gig tin in case of emergencies - and I've used it something like
twice in 10 years - and then only a sip - and only once before the end
of the gig...).
Post gig I'll have a drink - although often by the time I've packed up
the bar is shut! And there's also the driving home issue.
--- derek
--
Derek Tearne - de...@url.co.nz
Vitamin S - improvisation from Aotearoa/New Zealand
http://www.vitamin-s.co.nz/
Les Cargill
DUI laws pretty much make it a thing of the past. Then again, I
probably won't gig again, either.
--
Les Cargill
bassman2
I'd have thought that you don't drink while at work anyway...
MegaSwing
In a perfect world, that would be a good reason never to do it.
Edward G.
Baltimore, MD
Pt
> Besides, booze is expensive and not one of life's
> essentials...anymore. YMMV.
>
> Edward G.
> Baltimore, MD
Booze was a life essential for me for several years.
I never played sober but I never did anything sober.
These days I look at it like playing on stage is a job.
I get paid to do my job to the best of my ability and nobody should
drink on the job.
Playing in bar bands seems to be the one exception where employees can
drink.
It can become a serious problem.
Pt
Oci-One Kanubi
OK, there's one I've never understood. What is "the edge", and why do
you need it to come off? Sorry, nothing personal; I understand about
addiction (though, fortunately, I'ne never been addicted to anything
but cigarettes and coffee), but if yer not addicted, and yer out of
yer 20s (the age of experimentation), I just can't see why do it.
Sure, I did my share of getting shit-faced in my yoot, but before I
reached 30 I came to the conclusion that alcohol (all drugs, in fact)
was just a dam' expensive way to reduce my already-limited mental
capacity. I mean, I'm no genius, so why would I want to spend good
hard-earned money to become even less smart, even for just a short
while (and there is a lot of evidence that alcohol does long-term
damage to the grey matter)?
Took me another 15 years to give up another drug, nicotine, and I'm
still addicted to caffeine (if I go too long without a hit I get a
towering headache and a full-body feeling of malaise).
Mike
> On Nov 12, 9:04 am, klaw <mcour...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Nov 12, 8:35 am, MegaSwing <MegaSw...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > > I used to, a lot. Didn't think it mattered, plus I liked the sauce.
> > > Never fought, never argued, never couldn't play.
>
> > > I haven't in while, because I find I enjoy the music and the audience
> > > interaction better when I don't. And I can still be as silly as I
> > > want. The following day is usually a little easier to face, as well.
>
> > > Maybe it's part of leaving behind the trappings of youth.
>
> > > Besides, booze is expensive and not one of life's
> > > essentials...anymore. YMMV.
>
> > > Edward G.
> > > Baltimore, MD
>
> > i'll usually have a shot of jack in the largest glass of coke the
> > place has - usually a small pitcher. i'll grab one on the break and
> > nurse it thru the set. sometimes a shot of scotch in a large glass of
> > water. just enough to take the edge off.
>
> OK, there's one I've never understood. What is "the edge", and why do
> you need it to come off?
In this context, "the edge" generally refers to nervousness or a
feeling of uneasiness.
Mike
Sporty
"MegaSwing" <Mega...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:858023e0-fced-4963...@g31g2000vbr.googlegroups.com...
Just beer and not in excess.
Jim Carr
> Just beer and not in excess.
What do you mean by "just" beer? To me alcohol is alcohol. I will on
occasion have one drink before the gig if it's on a Friday because I'm
sometimes a bit stressed from the work week. Beyond that, I don't drink
at gigs. Oh, it's usually "just" Crown and water. :-)
--
Write a wise saying and your name will live forever.
- Anonymous
MegaSwing
>
> - Show quoted text -
The edge is what keeps you from feeling relaxed and confident about
the impending performance. Trouble is knocking it off too well keeps
you from executing at the highest levels of your ability. Not that
anyone really notices, unless you keel over or freak out.
Edward G.
Baltimore, MD
Jim Carr
> The edge is what keeps you from feeling relaxed and confident about
> the impending performance. Trouble is knocking it off too well keeps
> you from executing at the highest levels of your ability. Not that
> anyone really notices, unless you keel over or freak out.
LOL!
One singer I worked with was what I consider a fantastic front man. He
had a good voice and outstanding stage presence. He wasn't a pro, but he
had plenty of experience including in front of some large (few thousand
people) crowds. Still, he got very nervous before every gig, even if it
was a shitty gig with hardly anybody there. He felt he needed a drink or
two to take off that edge, which you aptly describe.
Even then, he still seemed jittery right before going on stage. I
quickly learned not to worry about it because as soon as we started, he
was on fire. The mic was out of the stand in seconds and he was moving
around, interacting with the audience. He just flipped a switch. I don't
know if the alcohol helped him or if it was all in his head, but it
never hurt him.
Meanwhile, I can't play for shit if I've had a few drinks. I lose my
manual dexterity quite quickly, so I'm careful to limit my intake if I
have any at all.
Other guys I've played with just used the "edge" as an excuse. Their
playing went downhill. Did the audience notice it in their playing?
Sometimes, I think they did. We certainly did. It's annoying to rehearse
to become really tight and then have someone play too loose at the gig.
JoeSpareBedroom
news:Y_jLm.250$tz6...@newsfe02.iad...
Even if the notes they play are OK, the volume still ends up going through
the roof in many cases because of the buzz.
MegaSwing
wrote:
> "Jim Carr" <newsgro...@azwebpages.com> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
I NEVER run up my volume once it is established. That's such a rookie
mistake, as well as guitar player foolishness. Experience has shown
me what an appropriate volume is wherever I am. It is what it is, and
it is never pegged.
Edward G.
Baltimore, MD
Scott Dickson
> I used to, a lot. Didn't think it mattered, plus I liked the sauce.
> Never fought, never argued, never couldn't play.
>
> I haven't in while, because I find I enjoy the music and the audience
> interaction better when I don't. And I can still be as silly as I
> want. The following day is usually a little easier to face, as well.
>
> Maybe it's part of leaving behind the trappings of youth.
>
> Besides, booze is expensive and not one of life's
> essentials...anymore. YMMV.
>
> Edward G.
> Baltimore, MD
No, just smoke a fatty before the Gig. No booze needed.
Les Cargill
But alcohol acts as a stimulant in small doses. Which might work
to fight performance anxiety, too.
--
Les Cargill
MegaSwing
>
> But alcohol acts as a stimulant in small doses. Which might work
> to fight performance anxiety, too.
>
> --
I don't know if I can drink that little.
Edward G.
Baltimore, MD
suds mcduff
----Yeah, I noticed it's much easier to play when stage volume is
low.....then again, every once in a while, I like to feel that low,
freight train rumble.....
suds mcduff
> Not a lot - alcohol is not known for improving concentration, timing or
> manual dexterity.
>
> If a gig is in a bar I might drink a small amount of beer or wine -
> usually starting in the first break - but that's only really because I'm
> weak and prone to temptation - if a gig is not in a bar I certainly
> wouldn't take alcohol with me (although I do have a hip flask of whiskey
> in my gig tin in case of emergencies - and I've used it something like
> twice in 10 years - and then only a sip - and only once before the end
> of the gig...).
>
> Post gig I'll have a drink - although often by the time I've packed up
> the bar is shut! And there's also the driving home issue.
----That's probably the worst time to have a drink, if you're not
playing Jazz hours....My intake is usually 2 shots of Cuervo (one before
set one, one before set two) a stage beer and break beer, roughly two an
hour ( I weigh about 230lbs)...drinking club soda for sets three and
four....remember, we're not playing Mingus or Monk here.....
suds mcduff
> I used to, a lot. Didn't think it mattered, plus I liked the sauce.
> Never fought, never argued, never couldn't play.
>
> I haven't in while, because I find I enjoy the music and the audience
> interaction better when I don't. And I can still be as silly as I
> want. The following day is usually a little easier to face, as well.
>
> Maybe it's part of leaving behind the trappings of youth.
>
> Besides, booze is expensive and not one of life's
> essentials...anymore. YMMV.
>
> Edward G.
> Baltimore, MD
Depending on the band drink tabs, my intake is usually 2 shots of Cuervo
suds mcduff
---I don't know about him, but I still don't see gigs as *work*...
suds mcduff
> Sporty wrote:
>
>> Just beer and not in excess.
>
> What do you mean by "just" beer? To me alcohol is alcohol. I will on
> occasion have one drink before the gig if it's on a Friday because I'm
> sometimes a bit stressed from the work week. Beyond that, I don't drink
> at gigs. Oh, it's usually "just" Crown and water. :-)
>
>
*just* a shot....
suds mcduff
-----Ah, I envy you....I never could play while stoned...
Mike Fleming
(Derek Tearne) writes:
> Not a lot - alcohol is not known for improving concentration, timing or
> manual dexterity.
Ditto. I do like to have a bit of alcohol when gigging, so if playing
somewhere where there isn't a bar I'll bring a couple of cans of beer.
Typically I'll get a pint before going on, and drink a total of two or
three pints through the evening. I used to drink more many years ago,
and it affected my playing badly although I didn't realise that.
--
Mike Fleming
suds mcduff
> done that in the past. Doesn't affect my playing at all. Now
> drinking...I have two drinks and I'm out of my mind.
---I don't know why, but I tend to get "lost" in the music when I'm
high...I rarely smoke anymore, low tolerance may be an issue...
Monkey Pi
the same bill tolerable
Monkey Pi
--
_ _
|o| o , o_,' o_, |o|
|O| <%'. _`'_ === <\_ |O|
(0) / | (_)`-' | / | (0)
p-----MonkeyMonkeyMonkey-----q
The Sicker Vicar
> One thing alcohol does do rather well is make the other bands playing on
> the same bill tolerable
>
What's with this association between taking the mic out of the stand
and being a good frontman?
That always says "cheesy Diamond Dave wannabe" to me. Why not do a few
roundhouse kicks and a teddy while you're at it?
klaw
maybe this will help:
The Buffalo Theory as told by Cliff Clavin: No one can explain this as
well as Cliff Clavin, on Cheers. One afternoon at Cheers, Cliff Clavin
was explaining the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm. and here's how it
went:
"Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move
as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the
slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This
natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general
speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular
killing of the weakest members.
"In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the
slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills
brain cells. But naturally it attacks the slowest and weakest brain
cells first.
In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain
cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's
why you always feel smarter after a few beers."
klaw
i don't have an addictive personality, but i still enjoy a little
booze buzz. i also enjoy the taste of well made adult beverages.
the "edge" doesn't mean anything too specific for me. i don't have
any type of stage fright or nerves any more. i feel very relaxed once
i know everything is working and my bass is in tune. just a figure of
speech for gettin in the groove. what works for me may not work for
you.
i had an incident several years ago when i over sipped and couldn't
play a right note to save my sister. i said never again for real
after that. it was very shocking and embarrassing.
klaw
i could play with the grateful dead while stoned...
Oci-One Kanubi
Thanks, Mike. I've heard the term "take the edge off" in so many more
mundane contexts that I didn't think of that, but it makes sense.
I don't often suffer stage fright; never on a typical gig except,
occasionally, until I get through the first four bars or so of the
first tune. But I can get nervous or apprehensive in an audition or
"showcase" situation -- a situation where I feel I will be judged by a
jury who may or may not be my peers; a situation where I feel pressure
to be not just good, but perfect.
MegaSwing
>
> i could play with the grateful dead while stoned...
And no one would remember a thing. q;-b
Edward G.
Baltimore, MD
Les Cargill
Ever hear of "Dr. Rockzo"?
http://video.adultswim.com/metalocalypse/rock-roll-clown.html
--
Les Cargill
Sporty
"Scott Dickson" <slamm...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:8e7620bb-0bdb-4f9a...@z41g2000yqz.googlegroups.com...
(8^0)> White Widow
klaw
> On Nov 16, 11:21 am, klaw <mcour...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > i could play with the grateful dead while stoned...
>
> And no one would remember a thing. q;-b
>
except that it was far out