Do drugs make you a better player?

[Raslee]

This image sums up my 1990’s time…..hoping we get to the gig! 

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

On 10/09/2024 at 10:50, TimR said:

Surely it depends how much you've taken and whether you're a slave to that particular drug.

 

1 pint of beer can calm the performance nerves, make you less inhibited so you move around the stage a bit more.

 

3 pints will certainly make me move around the stage a bit more, but not in a good way.

 

Confession time from me : years ago in a blues band I was playing in , I had the misfortune of finishing my job early . ( 2pm) 

Instead of going home to south London from soho and then back in the evening to a Great Portland Street , I had a few jars with a friend until the evening . This was a mistake . I was my usual lively self on stage . 
 

Unfortunately , I stood on one of the guitarists foot pedals causing unnecessary distortion at the wrong moment . 
Talking to a few of the crowd ( well about 40 or so, mainly friends ) while playing was frowned upon. If Di Enid from girlschool and Steve Harris can do it then why not me I thought . 
 

It was our 2nd gig .  At our next rehearsal , my behaviour was discussed . 😬 They basically wanted me to be a stiff cardboard cutout , which I couldn't be . Then a few new songs were suggested : Down man blues/ Blues in my head/ lightning blues. I asked about some red , and realised I'd better quit . No hard feelings though , although the frontman we had ( who I knew ) looked like Rolf Harris and was just las arrogant . Plus he became a thieving alkie .  So, lesson learnt ..

[miles'tone]

Playing made me a better druggie. 

[MrDaveTheBass]

The important thing to remember is to make sure that everyone in the band is taking the same "refreshment". I vaguely remember a totally disastrous gig back in the 90s where speed, weed, mushrooms and alcohol had been imbibed by different players. It was a complete train wreck!

[PaulThePlug]

 

40 minutes ago, MrDaveTheBass said:

back in the 90s where speed, weed, mushrooms and alcohol...

#MyKindOfFriday...

[Grooverjr]

3 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

 

#MyKindOfFriday...

Was that the name of the band? 😆

[Jo.gwillim]

Never more than a pint when I'm gigging. Any more and the notes don't leave my head but they definitely don't come out in the right time or order.  The only exception was at a party,  4 in the morning, totally pie eyed, playing the guitar accompanying someone singing John Martyn. I knew and everyone in the room knew I was brilliant. Sober the next day everyone was saying "play some more Jo" but I never played like that again, sober or drunk.

[Rosie C]

On 13/09/2024 at 12:55, chris_b said:

 

I guess without the Statins, and Beta Blockers some of us might be in trouble. . . .

 

I was thinking the same about ibuprofen... 

 

[SumOne]

 

'The world exists as you perceive it.
It is not what you see, it is how you see it.
It is not what you hear, but how you hear it.
It is not what you feel, but how you feel it.' 

 

Rumi

 

 

..... The perceptions of audiences might well be different to drug induced perceptions of the bass player that perceives themselves as a playing genius though! 

[meterman]

On 13/09/2024 at 23:38, PaulThePlug said:

 

#MyKindOfFriday...

Throw acid, ecstasy and smack into the mix and it sounds exactly like my old band 😂

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/2771606-The-Prescriptions-Psychedelicatessen

 

We’re all almost tee-total boring middle aged gits these days although some of us do have a penchant for hot milky drinks. And we eat biscuits. Not sure if those are classed as performance enhancing, though? 

[JellyKnees]

 

[Zostevaner]

I think it’s more about how they mess with your perception. You might feel like you’re nailing it, but whether that’s actually true is a whole different story.

[Doctor J]

The recordings never lie.

[chris_b]

If you look at the great music created in the last 60 years, a lot of it was created under the influence of one thing or another.

 

Back in the day, I've seen and experienced music being played at various stages of influence and most of it was very good.

 

Drugs are not always a problem. How some people can't deal with them is always a problem.

 

 

 

[Cliff Edge]

On 16/09/2024 at 09:44, Rosie C said:

 

I was thinking the same about ibuprofen... 

 

According to my surgeon the drugs I’m taking are keeping me alive. 

[12stringbassist]

I remember a gig in Darwen (23.6.94).  The drummer and I went outside between sets and we shared a spliff. He said he'd rolled 'a masterblaster'. We got shouted to come back inside and start the second set and my legs wouldn't work. I was hanging onto this church wall for dear life. I think i was straightened out enough to resume battle after about another ten minutes. That was pretty funny with hindsight, though not at the time.

 

So my short answer is, no I don't find drugs that useful.

[WalMan]

Mine do. Well the handful of tablets daily and fortnightly injections 😁

[rwillett]

It turns out that a significant chunk of Basschat is held together by various tablets, potions and prescribed medicine. I do feel I'm getting my value out of the NHS after putting so much into it over the last few decades

 

It also appears that many have had a somewhat 'exciting' past, which maybe that's why we are all "held together by various tablets, potions and prescribed medicine".

 

Glad to see I'm not alone here.

 

Thanks

Rob

[paul_5]

And duct tape, lots and lots of duct tape!

[rwillett]

Forgot the duct tape. Thanks for that. 

[SteveXFR]

I've seen Ministry (American industrial metal band) several times over the years and singer Al Jorgensen has always been a great performer and was a heroin addict for most of his career but the last couple times I saw them, he'd kicked the heroin and was on weed and performing better than ever. He seemed more energetic than before despite being really old. According to the man himself, he just got bored of heroin and just stopped one day and started smoking weed instead. 

Personally, I've always avoided drugs because I lost a couple mates to addiction and ultimately death. Ibuprofen is my only drug of choice due to many old injuries. 

 

 

 

[steantval]

Wouldn’t know and never had the inclination to find out. 👎

[msb]

It was never an issue for me , but I saw too many friends deal with it. 

[SteveXFR]

The only think that I am curious about is mushrooms. Relatively safe, non addictive and can have some mental health benefits. They could be interesting for creativity

[MrDaveTheBass]

2 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

The only think that I am curious about is mushrooms. Relatively safe, non addictive and can have some mental health benefits. They could be interesting for creativity

My eldest daughter, a very straight and respectable history teacher was appalled to find out that she was conceived whilst my wife and I were on mushrooms! 🙃 Our only defence was that it was the 90s, and pre-internet, so there wasn't much else to do! 😉 Even now, every October I get tempted to go out mushrooming, but so far I haven't succumbed. Maybe when I've retired and have less places to go and things to do...