420 at practice - at what point do you tell somebody?

[SquierJazz72]

Try having 3 out of 4 members addicted to prescription painkillers. Now that is a situation where NOT having their drugs affects their playability.

I think there's a slight difference between dependency and actual addiction there. And I speak from experience. I mentioned a bit in the showmanship thread that I have a severely painful, chronic spinal condition. For which I take said prescription painkillers. I am not addicted in the sense that I get a high, or jones for them. But, my body is dependent, to the extent that, without them, I can barely stand sometimes, let alone play on my feet.

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by ChrisB2

Yeah, sorry Matt. I was worried you might take that post as directed at you. Funny, why you would think that, it's not like I quoted you or anything!

The only part of that post that was directed at you was the answer to your question. Nothing else.

No, I didn't mean that you had done any of that. Actually no one did. I just need to stop replying to threads when I'm drunk. Which is most of the time.

In case you can't tell, I'm actually jealous. I used to really enjoy toking up (YEARS ago) until the legality issue and being a father caused a little conflict....

All good! While I can't speak for anyone but myself, I dont have a problem with people who dont smoke. Im respectful, and if being around the stuff is bothersome to someone, I'll be sure not to partake in their presence. Now, if someone has an issue working with me because I smoke thats fine too, though Id prefer to be judged on my ability to play, which is not afffected by a little herb. Im not one to ripped when Im working, but a little to take the edge off certainly helps me keep focus. Being in California, where there is little consequence for possession the legality aspect of it is kind of a lame excuse, but I can see how in other areas that are not so 420 friendly it can be a big deal, which is why I asked if people would still have a problem if it were legal at the Federal level.

[ChrisB2]

Cool. Yes, like I said, my only problem is the legality issue. I just really don't want to have to explain to my kids why I got ticketed for possession just for riding around with a guy that had it on him. And, yes, I have been found "guilty by association" before...

A good buddy of mine who I used to smoke with a lot and I were joking around about moving to Colorado since the recent change in the law there. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I know for a fact that two of the guys in my current band use and it really doesn't bother me.

Now, that being said doesn't mean that I would start using marijuana if it were legal here. I also used to smoke cigarettes, gave them up for health reasons and now I couldn't care less for them . It's really just not something that I'm interested in getting into anymore...

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by ChrisB2

I also used to smoke cigarettes, gave them up for health reasons and now I couldn't care less for them . It's really just not something that I'm interested in getting into anymore...

Congrats, I gave up cigarettes back in September, myself.

[TRichardsbass]

Hawk bone the press would lead you to believe all those great ands were great because of the drugs. A lot of propaganda. Even then they knew it would be deemed "cooler" to say you used drugs to create. They may have used but not as much as it was made out to be. And you can listen to many albums and pick out which were recorded sober and which ones weren't.

Taking a hit or two wont hurt you, yes it's like having a shot or beer to start. Helps loosen you up, but it is more psychological then physical. And there by and large is no problem with that, even with me. But don't drop it on me during rehearsal and don't bring it to a gig or studio. And if you can't do that then it is a problem.

Yeah weed wont kill you. But it is the gateway for too many to count. And if you can't write or perform without it then you need to see a professional.

While the Beatles may have dropped acid, they didn't write the songs while they were doing it. They wrote songs about the trip, not while on it.

Either way my experience in this biz has been start sober make great music, start taking things to "enhance" that creativity start to make bad music, go to the treatment center and get clean, make one of the greatest albums of your career. Aerosmith anyone?

[bolophonic]

Originally Posted by TRichardsbass

@Hawkbone you and others always cite the exceptions like Neil Young and not the majority like Vedder.

I don't care what people do in the privacy of their own homes. I do care what you do in my band. My experience has been overwhelmingly drugs are not the creative enhancer everyone tries to convince themselves it is. For every Neil Young there are a hundred Sid Vicious. I cant tell you how many times in the past 35 years someone in the biz tried to get me to put a needle in my arm because it "really sends you to an amazingly creative place." I am alive. Like I have said before I have had the "pleasure" of waking up to a lovely girls cold body after she did her last dose of creative juice.

Everyone seems to forget the greats were great and at their best way before they found substances to "enhance" their creative ability. Dont believe me? Just look at Jaco, the "God" of bassists.

People generalize also that because someone is anti-drug they have never tried or sampled which is wrong. Like I said in my opinion it has no place in a band setting. Want to smoke at rehearsal or at a gig? Be a solo artist. You just wont be in my band. And for the record, one beer before hitting the stage and nothing but water or cola until I am done playing. Then I drink till my DD tells me its time to go.

Either you are conflating marijuana with drugs like heroin for dramatic flair or you are lying, because nobody injects weed with a needle. Even in my most depraved party days, nobody ever offered me a needle full of anything. Also: if you drink alcohol, your whole anti-drug shtick is a sham.

[Hawkbone]

Dude, read some of the memoirs! Most of those guys did piles of drugs all the time! All day every day, rehearsing, recording, gigging, whatever.

Aerosmith?? That's your example for being better sober? All their best tunes were recorded back in the days of haze - their new stuff is pretty lame IMO. Granted, that may be more due to aging than sobering, who knows. Chris Cornell is a good example though - he's much better sober, though I'm not sure weed was his poison - I think it was mostly booze.

Lol, anyway, I think you and I could argue this forever and not change each others mind.

[ChrisB2]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Congrats, I gave up cigarettes back in September, myself.

That's cool! Just be ready for a potentially long haul... for me, it was a full two years before the cravings totally went away... almost 20 years ago now... but good luck!

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by ChrisB2

That's cool! Just be ready for a potentially long haul... for me, it was a full two years before the cravings totally went away... almost 20 years ago now... but good luck!

Ive got a bit of a leg up in that I was never much of a regular smoker, mostly when I was drinking kind of thing.
I stopped once for 2 years, smoked maybe 5 butts during that time, and eventually started again when I started hanging out with smokers.
I have no desire to smoke anymore, well not cigarettes. I just need to make sure I dont pick up the habit again and I should be good.

[Bert Slide]

Inspiration is not the only reason so many artists of all stripes have been involved with drugs and alcohol. For many it's the relief from the pressure of laying it all out there night after night that leads to self medication and dependency problems.

[boristhespider9]

Originally Posted by Bert Slide

Inspiration is not the only reason so many artists of all stripes have been involved with drugs and alcohol. For many it's the relief from the pressure of laying it all out there night after night that leads to self medication and dependency problems.

That may be true, but it's also very weak.

[Big Brother]

Originally Posted by TRichardsbass

I cant tell you how many times in the past 35 years someone in the biz tried to get me to put a needle in my arm because it "really sends you to an amazingly creative place." I am alive. Like I have said before I have had the "pleasure" of waking up to a lovely girls cold body after she did her last dose of creative juice.

You are proof that not everyone needs marijuana or drugs to find an imaginative, creative place.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by Bert Slide

Inspiration is not the only reason so many artists of all stripes have been involved with drugs and alcohol. For many it's the relief from the pressure of laying it all out there night after night that leads to self medication and dependency problems.

I've been told it's more about the horrific boredom between shows. I believe it.

[LiquidMidnight]

This thread got me thinking about this Beaver Felton instructional video I have. At the end, he kind of gives this public service announcement about how you shouldn't do crack. I know I shouldn't laugh about it, but I just find it kind of funny that Beaver gets all "...and knowing is half the battle" at the end of the video. And I find it kind of weird that crack is the drug he chose to talk about. I'm not a dependency counselor, but I do know that the crack epidemic was primarily problematic in poor ghetto communities; that doesn't seem like the rock musician demographic that a Beaver Felton video would be targeting. It would seem that cocaine and H would be bigger problems in that particular music scene. But from the way he talked, it sounded like he knew a lot of players who ruined their lives with the drug, so cool on Beaver for taken that moment to talk about it.

[Caeros]

Having played in hardcore bands for the past several years, I have a lot of friends who are straight edge and don't partake of any substances. Half of my own band (including myself) likes to toke up. Music takes all kinds. Some people feel really uncomfortable in the presence of intoxicants; a band of tokers or drinkers (or people into more serious drugs) would obviously not be for that person. I'm not going to stand in judgment of someone because of their favorite extracurriculars (or lack thereof). We like to smoke a bowl at practice while we're writing, it doesn't mean we take our music or existing as a band any less seriously than our friends who don't partake.