Drunk Guitar player

[mward69]

Please don't remind me, I get sick when I hear that song start, between that and sweet home 'bama...but hey..the chics dig it and thats why started playing was for the chics right...?
** umm hello, is this mic on? testies, 1,2, um, 3

[jive1]

I'm wondering how old you guys are, because I think that does have an impact on the situation.

If you guys are young, and just learning the joys and pitfalls of drinking then I'd chalk this up as a lesson. Tell the guitar player that he obviously can't handle that much liquor and if he gets drunk like that again, then he's out.

If you guys are in your late 20s and older, then it's a problem. Can the guy, leave the band, whatever. A grown man passing out on a public stage is a problem no matter how you slice it. Regardless of the guitard's talent, his problems will inevitable affect you and your band. The guy doesn't need to be in a band, he needs to seek help.

But it sounds like there is more to the story than a drunk guitarist. Maybe the fact that the singer is hard to work with, that's why he's stuck getting guys like this on guitar. Guitarists are a dime a dozen, and if a passed out lush is the best he can muster up, then he better look deep within himself and wonder why "it's so hard to find good players".

Anyway, I'd bug out and work on something else.

Good luck

[Nate74]

While I'm all for life lessons and second chances, you also need to think what will this do to your future playing in your area/circle. The music scene (even here in LA) isn't as big as some might think and that sort of reputation can follow everybody in the band, not just the culprit.

I played in a band for almost 4 years with a guy who had the reputation of getting pretty drunk/stoned at shows. On occasion that led to pretty ugly confrontations with band members, club owners, booking agents, etc. I left the band last November, and am now in a new situation. I approached two club owners that I dealt with in the last band about gigs for the new band.

Both brought up the horror stories of days gone by. In both cases, I spent more time apologizing and explaining the sins of the past than selling the new band, even though I had never been the cause of any of the problems...

[punkbassistfc]

Seriosuly dude, the easist thing to do is find a new guitarist. Start your search

[BellBottomBlues]

I used to play for the JWB aka the Johnny Walker Jam band. OUr thing was to get piss drunk at shows after consuming an entire bottle per person per set

[mward69]

yeah this isn't the 1st issue with drinking, we are in our mid 30's and this has been going on some time now. I plan on leaving soon anyway, told the singer/leader after the end of June I was done. They are a good cover band, and stay booked every weekend, but I look at it as a girlfriend......she might be pretty as hell, but she's a real bitch, my old band that I am re-joining is just average, but we have SOOOOOO much fun, and get along great, no ego, no bad drinking problems, we all hang out together, and we all have Day jobs...lol