The Affluence of Incohol

[Deep Thought]

Following on from the C*cks-ups thread, most of the time I have to drive and remain stone cold sober when gigging. On the rare occasions where I've been able to get away with having a few, I'm sure I play better-less cock-ups and the fingers move more easily. I don't believe this is just the booze making me [i]think [/i] I'm playing better. No doubt there is a limit after which it all goes to Hell in a handcart, but I've found a pint or two certainly greases the wheels as it were. Are you a strict teetotal player or does a drink or two improve your playing?

Edited August 14, 2007 by Deep Thought

[jwbassman]

'a' pint to loosen up is always a good idea - but there is a limit at which point no matter how well you think you're playing, you're not

[mr pablo]

I find that the more i drink the worse i play generaly but its not always the case. There have been a few gigs when me and the guitarist in my old band had a few to many and played out of our skins , there have been more than a few however where i've been a bit of a shambles at times due to too many beers

[Hit&Run]

The quality of my playing is inversely proportional to how much I've quaffed.
Me and the singer/guitarist normally make our drummer drive us everywhere, so I've had plenty of attempts at playing semi-wasted. Always the same outcome.

Now I don't normally like more than 2 or 3 pints before going onstage. I leave the big-time drinking 'til after we've finished our set. I've even been known to order pints of shandy if there's a long time between us landing up and actually taking the stage.

[Sean]

I'm strictly on the squash, these days. With such a big band and people usually paying good dollar to see us I can't afford any clunkers. Mind you, if I'm not driving, not working the following day and there's no rush to get back after we've finished the set I tend to take advantage of the facilities at a venue. Sadly, the stars don't align themselves that way very often!

[Machines]

I'll stick to the one pint to relax me a bit, any more and I just lose my edge and screw up alot.

[ARGH]

Ive been TOTALLY faced at gigs and played brilliantly,I have the film to prove it...other times its total trash.

I just shut up and let the fingers move about.

Now I dont drink,use drugs.....anything,I just cant,and I find Im a better player fullstop.

[Golchen]

Hmmmnnn ........ I don't gig and I'm teetotal ...................







Dills leaves quietly by the back door.

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='Machines' post='45590' date='Aug 15 2007, 07:53 AM']I'll stick to the one pint to relax me a bit, any more and I just lose my edge and screw up alot.[/quote]
+1

[stewblack]

[quote name='ARGH' post='45592' date='Aug 15 2007, 08:12 AM']Now I dont drink,use drugs.....anything,I just cant,and I find Im a better player fullstop.[/quote]

+1 for that. Haven't touched a drop or smoked or taken anything at all now for 18 months and every aspect of my life has improved - that certainly includes playing. Not only can I remember gigs but I play to an unbelievably higher level, play in three different bands 'cos I can now remember three sets easily and most importantly don't let myself or my bandmates down with shoddy drunken mistakes.
and yes, I used to think I was sooo good on three bottles of wine per gig.

[lowhand_mike]

doesn't amtter wether i'm straight or smashed i'm still sh*te
i think i have a very low self confidence and as such a few bevies to make the crowd (one man and his dog) less in focus does wonders for the confidences. i dont really have an edge to loose so thatsh ok.
but in general i don't take any drink on stage and jusht have em lined up in time for the finish.
but with the no smoking ban i'll probably drink less as i like to have a fag with me beer so it'll make a cheaper night.

i'll stop rambling.

[niceguyhomer]

Two before and one at half-time for me. On some of the local gigs - if it's the right time of the month, I get the missus to drop me off and pick me up after and then I'll have 5 or 6 but TBH, it doesn't seem to have much effect on me or my playing cos it's over the course of 5 or 6 hours.

[Hamster]

I have to concentrate too much when I play, so it's a one drink before and one drink at half-time limit for me

Hamster

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I don't think I play any better after a drink, but I probably care less about any flubs in my playing.

[G-bitch]

Don't drink at all - does nothing to improve any situation unless a less than attractive woman is involved and then it eases the guilt.

[ARGH]

[quote name='stewblack' post='45615' date='Aug 15 2007, 09:35 AM']+1 for that. Haven't touched a drop or smoked or taken anything at all now for 18 months and every aspect of my life has improved - that certainly includes playing. Not only can I remember gigs but I play to an unbelievably higher level, play in three different bands 'cos I can now remember three sets easily and most importantly don't let myself or my bandmates down with shoddy drunken mistakes.
and yes, I used to think I was sooo good on three bottles of wine per gig.[/quote]

YOU dont know how much of a hassle it is for other musicians to get over the fact that I "DONT DRINK OR TAKE DRUGS".

[Kiwi]

I'll have a pint of bitter before a gig sometimes just to loosen up a little, but that's about it.

I've learned that late nights+ alcohol = wasted day after.

But that's great in some respects because I can really push the boat out on some nights if I don't drink. For example, I went out last night to see Prince, came back at 5am, didn't touch alcohol the whole night, got about 5 hours interrupted sleep (it was a day off) before getting up feeling pretty sharp and I attended a very successful job interview this afternoon.

If I'd been drinking the previous night, I'd have looked like death warmed up and been more or less incoherent.

[barneythedog]

One is the limit.

More than that and my playing suffers at an exponential rate.

[Vasquez Rich]

I can't play and speak at the same time... I have to use so much brain to control my fingers I daren't have more than one pint before a gig... played sh*t-faced once (only once) and never never ever again!!!

Richard

[stewblack]

[quote name='ARGH' post='46052' date='Aug 15 2007, 08:37 PM']YOU dont know how much of a hassle it is for other musicians to get over the fact that I "DONT DRINK OR TAKE DRUGS".[/quote]
Sadly it goes with the territory. One of the many things I've learned from people who've been down this road before me is it's none of my business what other people think of me.
Mate of mine was off to a gig the other night and said he wanted to stay sober but was damned if he'd go up to the bar and order a pint of lemonade.
It simply doesn't seem to occur that you don't have to go to the bar at all. It isn't compulsory.

[s_u_y_*]

After the debacle of me playing after drinking 6.5 pints of Guinness in quick succession, I now have a self-imposed 1 pint limit (stretched to 1.5 if I'm feeling extra special). Didn't reach the full 7 as the frontman took it away from me!

Edited August 16, 2007 by s_u_y_*

[guyl]

My fingers go before my brain.

So when boozing - I know I'm playing rubbish, but can't do anything about it!

[SiOfBass]

one pint or a few bottles and all is peachy. far less self concious- though thats improved since we became an all bloke band purely 'cos we were all kinda trying to score with her. could have been arkward....

as for the boozing, smoking ... etc'ing i dont know if it affected my playing 'cos the one time i was royally monged out and bassing everyone else was monged too- so they would have been equally hyped over teletubbies with the sound off, but it seemed pretty good

but now its just drinking

[WalMan]

I stay off because I hate the feeling of not being in control on a gig, anyway I am always driving.

Got pulled up one night (well early morning actually) a few years back while taking the vocalist home & having had a pint of shandy at the start of the evening. The dear WPC's kept me waiting at the side of the road for 3/4 hour waiting for a breath kit to be delivered before giving up & sending me on my way. Mind I suppose it would have been the same if I had been on lemonade all night.

Even the gig 1/2 a mile from my front door I end up driving the gear down, setting up & then going home to collect the missus - who does the drinking for me

The band all like a drink but we all have to drive and it does sound a bit sad when the landlord/lady offers us a drink at the end of the evening and the round goes "Coke, mineral water, diet Coke, OJ & two more mineral water please"

[TheRev]

[quote name='stewblack' post='45615' date='Aug 15 2007, 09:35 AM']+1 for that. Haven't touched a drop or smoked or taken anything at all now for 18 months[/quote]

Don't you own a pub?? A teetotal publican is a bit like being an aethist vicar......


I've been playing a lot of local, acoustic type gigs lately (i.e. I can walk to the venue with just my EUB over my shoulder) so I've been able to fully investigate the 'playing pissed vs playing sober' issue.

I'm definitley more relaxed and more daring (our set has a fair bit of improvisation) if I've had a few pints beforehand. I think I had four pints (of fairly weak ale - Stella is out of the question!) before going onstage on Wednesday night and although I felt a bit squiffy, we had a real buzz going and didn't make any more mistakes than we usually would. The real difference for me is that I didn't worry about the odd fluffed note and just got into playing the song - which is in turn picked up by the audience so everyone has a good time!
When I play gigs I have to drive to and don't drink, I tend to have more pre gig nerves, worry more about mistakes (mine and other band members') and worry a bit more about whether the audience are getting into the music or not.

Beer is God's way of telling us he loves us and wants us to be happy.