Playing Sober

[TimR]

[quote name='4000' post='1250331' date='May 30 2011, 02:35 PM']Surely it's ultimately up to the individual? I thought the point was to play music because you enjoy it (stagefright aside ). Of course if you're a pro sideman or some sort of function band then different rules apply, but otherwise who cares if you're sober or not? If you're crap the audience will likely vote with their feet. Of course at most pub gigs the audience is at least twice as drunk as the band so how will they tell? [/quote]

It's more of a question of respect to your band mates. It gets tiring really quickly when the band are spending evenings practicing for the band to sound tight and one of the members chucks all that hard work away by drinking so much that his performance and that of the rest of the band suffers.

There's obviously a level of drinking that is acceptable to most people and a level that isn't. The problem is that some people are unable to have "Just one".

I've been in a band where they had to carry the drummer out to the van and pack down his kit for him after every gig. (I didn't stick around for many gigs )

Edited May 30, 2011 by TimR

[4000]

[quote name='TimR' post='1250693' date='May 30 2011, 07:43 PM']It's more of a question of respect to your band mates. It gets tiring really quickly when the band are spending evenings practicing for the band to sound tight and one of the members chucks all that hard work away by drinking so much that his performance and that of the rest of the band suffers.

There's obviously a level of drinking that is acceptable to most people and a level that isn't. The problem is that some people are unable to have "Just one".

I've been in a band where they had to carry the drummer out to the van and pack down his kit for him after every gig. (I didn't stick around for many gigs )[/quote]

In 30 years I've only ever played with one person who got so drunk his performance suffered, and then only on one occasion. The reason he got so drunk was we were playing last at a relatively big gig and he was [i]extremely[/i] nervous. And yet in every band I've been in most of the band have had a couple of drinks throughout the evening.

Personally I find if I don't have at least one drink (and yes I've tried it without many times) I'm so nervous that I just start making loads of mistakes. It then becomes a vicious circle. So [i]my[/i] playing suffers when I'm sober.

[Dropzone]

I actually treat our gigs as a paid night out with mates. The punters get in to see us for free and we don't get paid anywhere near as much as we deserve.

Have a couple before going on rock out like a monster have a few more after. The band are all in their late 30s or 40s and still try and rock out like teenagers so we need it to oil the wheels.

Do try and not have too much but that can be difficult once you are on it but am mostly successful ;-)

[ShergoldSnickers]

Don't drink anything other than straight fruit juice or water. When I played in bands that had a fixed set with numbers all meticulously worked out, I'd be far more nervous than I am now – playing in an improvising band that doesn't have the first idea of what we are going to do until we get up there. Seems like it should be the other way round but it isn't.

Edited May 31, 2011 by ShergoldSnickers

[Low End Bee]

I only started gigging again about 3 years ago.
When I was doing it first time around it was cheap speed a couple of Morrocan Woodbines and 4 or 5 pints plus a chaser or two. No wonder I never got anywhere.
Now it's soda water and lime (the biker in the pub drink I call it) with a single pint post gig normally. I've only done one gig slightly squiffy during my born again gigging career. It was awful and I played a stinker. Never again. I sometimes have one pre gig but I'm not fussed these days.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Dropzone' post='1251347' date='May 31 2011, 12:35 PM']I actually treat our gigs as a paid night out with mates. The punters get in to see us for free and we don't get paid anywhere near as much as we deserve.[/quote]

If you are treating it as a paid night out then you are probably getting as much as,or more than you deserve.

[Linus27]

If I am driving then soft drink before, pint of Guinness on stage which usually only gets half drunk, soft drink after.

If I am not driving then its a pint of Guinness before, pint of Guinness during which usually only gets half finished, multiple pints of Guinness after and then home at some point for a nice Irish whisky to wind down.

[4000]

[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' post='1251377' date='May 31 2011, 12:54 PM']Don't drink anything other than straight fruit juice or water. When I played in bands that had a fixed set with numbers all meticulously worked out, I'd be far more nervous than I am now – playing in an improvising band that doesn't have the first idea of what we are going to do until we get up there. Seems like it should be the other way round but it isn't. [/quote]

Makes complete sense to me.

[tauzero]

I'm another one who's finished up doing the PA. Mind you, it is my PA...

I generally get a pint after I've got far enough through setting up that it's downhill all the way from there, and that lasts me until the inter-set break, get another and that lasts me the second set and breakdown. I used to drink more and it did my playing no good at all (not that I thought that, of course).

Part of my 50th birthday was spent playing at the Dudley Beer Festival. Mrs Zero drove there and back so I could drink. As it happened, I didn't drink much before or during the set, then afterwards we loaded up the cars and didn't really want to hang around drinking when we had all the gear sat outside in the car park, so I only managed two pints after all. Bah.

[Bilbo]

Never been drunk or stoned, let alone played in that state, so cannot contribute to this debate.

Bye.

[ZMech]

[quote name='Bilbo in the God I love Jazz! thread' post='1233253' date='May 16 2011, 04:35 PM']I find myself repeatedly drawn to freer forms of jazz but I almost always leave disappointed and confused. Must try harder [/quote]
[quote name='Bilbo' post='1251647' date='May 31 2011, 03:39 PM']Never been drunk or stoned, let alone played in that state, so cannot contribute to this debate.

Bye.[/quote]
Anyone else see a connection?

[4000]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1251647' date='May 31 2011, 03:39 PM']Never been drunk or stoned, let alone played in that state, so cannot contribute to this debate.

Bye.[/quote]

[LemonCello]

Interesting thread this. Having played 'cello semi-professionally for longer than I care to remember, I did come across a good few pro orchestral players and in particular soloists who need several large Vodkas before going on stage.

I think there are two reasons for this. Nerves being one. I knew a singer who used to go on stage bursting for a pee because it gave her something else to worry about other than her performance! Funny thing stage fright.

The other reason is simply to 'get through it'. A lot of professional players become jaded with the whole thing after a while, playing every weekend, leaving the family to go abroad, having to play yet another piece of music (well) that you really dislike!

Personally, I made the mistake once of having two pints of lager in the interval and as soon as I sat down for the (45 min) second half I began to sweat I wanted a pee so much! I've never done that since!

Each to his own I reckon!

LC

[paul h]

I drink and play. I'm ok with it.

That's at cheap pub gigs of course. As the money goes up my alcohol intake goes down. If you want me to play sober you have to pay me for it!

[Low End Bee]

On a tangent.
I've realised our best performances at gigs are the ones when we've all had the hump about something beforehand.
Irritating promoter, annoying other band on the bill, etc.

I must find a way to slightly p*ss us all off before gigs now.

[tauzero]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='1253556' date='Jun 2 2011, 09:34 AM']I must find a way to slightly p*ss us all off before gigs now.[/quote]
Take a portable DVD player with you and watch a recording of Jeremy Kyle.

[cheddatom]

When the Premature Ejaculators were gigging, it was a must to be drunk before playing - kind of like a band rule.

[MacDaddy]

From videos I've seen of my performances with booze and without booze, there has been no difference.

[seashell]

Well I haven't played me bass in public yet, but years of acting and dancing experience has taught me that drinking before a performance would actually make me *more* nervous. I feel I need to be really alert in order to remember lines/moves etc. And also get a true feel for how it's going down with the audience.
On the rare occasions I've had the misfortune to act opposite someone who's had a few, they seemed to think it was hilarious to keep adding lame ad libs, and thought that the audience was laughing in delight and not derision!

I've tried *practising* the bass after a few vinos and it did nothing for my manual dexterity I can tell you.

So I'd definitely join the sober majority in this.

[ben604]

I play and sing significantly better when I've had a few vodkas. I'm incredibly nervous when I'm playing so I tend to stand on the spot and look pretty awkward. Imagine Nate Mendel, but with less movement.

Couple of doubles in me before hand and one on stage during? I feel like a rockstar! I enjoy it more, the band enjoy it more and the crowd feed off that. We're just as professional, sound just as good and play more 'together' if that makes sense.

[fatboyslimfast]

I'm teemostly, so any alcohol (past a single cider shandy) has a noticeably negative effect on me.

Not that I'm likely to be playing in public for a [i]little[/i] while yet!

Edited June 2, 2011 by fatboyslimfast

[Bass Awkward]

I had an interesting experience doing a T.V. gig in my late teens to early twenties.

At the time I desperately loved the idea of being able to drink at my 'work' and I got absolutely hammered. I still recall watching the gig back on a monitor, and thinking [i]'who are these w***ers?'[/i]

Just at that point, I started to sober up and realised why I recognised the bassist from somewhere.

Never again.


Of course, there is something to be said for improvising and composing in odd and affected states - I just wouldn't inflict that live on an audience.

[Donnyboy]

Back in the day we used to rampage about in vans & the singer - who's a lightweight drinker & not bothered - would drive . I loved that boys in the band having a drink , rocking & generally having a blast.
Now - many years later ( including a 10 year break) it's pretty much different - the band stay miles apart & so we are mostly driving - soda water & lime/water all round!!

If I'm honest i miss having a drink - it adds to the boys night out feel but does mean that I fall over less. A couple of times we've had a few drinks - don't think it added much to the performance but it made the drummer a bit looser & prone to improvisation Also it became a bit of a tradition for me & the drummer to have to have a break for a pee & another pint & listen to the singer do an impromptu(?) solo number.

As an aside, the drummer used to select someone in the audience - hand them some cash & signal them when more drinks were required - only for him though! Bastard!!