Does anyone use caffeine pills on gigs?

[pfschim]

a double espresso from time to time, but never caffeine pills. I tried the caffeine pills a few times way back in my college days cramming for finals and such, and found they were pretty harsh. I would not want to gig using them myself.

 

[D.A.R.K.]

Casey Jones, you better watch your speed.

 

[arbiterusa]

The pills make me puke.

I get pumped enough by playing anyhow. No need for extra.

 

[JMarkD]

Many years ago, while working a day job and going to gigs right from work I used No-Doz from time to time. I hated it. Made me jittery and irritable. A good cup of coffee will suffice now with plenty of water.

 

[40Hz]

I’m an unapologetic coffee drinker.

But for an energy boost when you’re tired, good old fashioned orange juice works a lot better and lasts a lot longer. It’s not nicknamed ‘liquid sunshine’ for nothing.

I tried a caffeine pill once (and only once) when my old band was on the road and it was my turn to take the 2:00 AM post gig driving duties. All the caffeine pill did was leave me unpleasantly jittery for about an hour. And it totally cratered my stomach. YMMV.

 

[Obese Chess]

I do not. I did, however, used to preworkout before playing shows. Same concept.

 

[GregC]

Maybe it's because I don't play out a lot, but I still get excited enough for gigs in my late 50s that I don't need any caffeine. (Probably a good thing since I don't drink coffee, and those pills would probably make me feel lousy.) Granted, I don't normally go to bed that early. 11 pm is more common for me.

 

[TheLowDown33]

If we are talking about legal substances that will keep you awake...best I've found is Bronkaid. That stuff will make you feel like sleep (and to some extent eating) is optional. It's mostly ephedrine, which is a known stimulant. One side effect is you're able to breathe extremely well too!

 

[dpaul]

I empathize with your situation. Thankfully, the adrenaline is usually enough for me, as it usually takes about an hour after I get home for me to finally unwind.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Whatever you do, try it out at home once before you do it at a gig.

 

[skygzr]

Whatever you do, try it out at home once before you do it at a gig.

I was thinking this myself. Best advice.

 

[Standalone]

Avoid it. The discomfort of the occasional “too tired” feeling in an emergency is better than the jittery discomfort of stimulant pills.

Plan ahead and have your coffee.

 

[selowitch]

I find that before a gig, having a small meal (not a large one) about an hour beforehand provides me with the needed energy. Stimulants don’t really seem to be necessary.

 

[roccobass]

Pfft, amateur…
View attachment 4441654

Pfft…here’s the old school Jolt….
Yes, I played a few places that sold this in the bar in the 80s. Guaranteed to get a real wire going on. Starting making my skin crawl so bad it had to end.

 

[T Bassman]

Hard no

 

[Surely_Bassy]

Before you go the caffeine pill route, I’d recommend checking out this PSA:

 

[TheSeagoats]

Red Bull is always my emergency go to, other than that I avoid caffeine whenever possible.

 

[MegaSwing]

Red Bull is standard in the rider.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Usually I bring a thermos of coffee with me to gigs...I am really not a night owl (often in bed by eight pm even on non-work nights) and wake up early so I often struggle with energy and alertness levels on gigs that start at nine pm. The coffee helps me stay alert, awake and sharp.

Last night however I was pressed for time and didn't get a chance to fill my thermos up before leaving the house and figured since we were playing at a place that served food, id be able to get coffee there. Wrong..they had no coffee and only had cold brew which I can't stand.

The lack of coffee made for some difficulties but I pulled through.

Was thinking caffeine pills would be a good thing to keep in my gig bag and came across these on amazon.

Anyone keep these or something similar on hand at gigs?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U0DL5O2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2KQDT560BIUI6&psc=1

No. Gig time I’m way too amped to need stimulants. Now, the drive to or from the gig is another story.

 

[DirtDog]

Can’t do caffeine after 12 noon. Gig or not. But I’m a night owl anyways. I usually get a second wind at 9:00PM and can go for hours….

Great for gigs, not so good when I have a meeting first thing in the am.