I have a gig in a few days and it will be my first time as a bassplayer being completely sober. Usually i have a few beers to loosen up but i've been at this long enough where i don't feel i need to calm my nerves anymore. I'm kind of trying this as an experiment.
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Drinking Before Playing?
- Thread starter Haysoochreesto
- Start date
I stay away from alcohol at all cost, but will main-line Heroin to take the edge off. During set break it's only moon dust for me
Nope. Don't drink booze before, during, and usually not after. Been there, done that. By experience, I know it doesn't enhance my performance, which is to say I'm not so great that I can play fantastically on autopilot, let alone fantastically anyway, but.... I really don't want to let my bandmates down by being anything less than my best, even though *they* don't turn down the chance to imbibe a bit before we play. 
I do drink lots of water, though, 'cause I sweat like a ---. As far as the nerves go, I lost my stagefright years ago. I figure if I/we know our stuff, why worry? The crowd will either like us or not. If I do my best, well, there you go. Its nothing personal, right?
At practices, we might have a beer or two, but since we get the chance to correct mistakes without an audience, I can go there.
Besides, trying to drive home while hammered, or even slightly buzzed, is a good way to lose more than my license to drive.
I'm just saying it doesn't work for me. YMMV
I do drink lots of water, though, 'cause I sweat like a ---. As far as the nerves go, I lost my stagefright years ago. I figure if I/we know our stuff, why worry? The crowd will either like us or not. If I do my best, well, there you go. Its nothing personal, right?At practices, we might have a beer or two, but since we get the chance to correct mistakes without an audience, I can go there.
Besides, trying to drive home while hammered, or even slightly buzzed, is a good way to lose more than my license to drive.
I'm just saying it doesn't work for me. YMMV
In my experience, playing gigs 4-5 nights a week generally gets you access to lots and lots of alcohol. I've sounded ok, great* and terrible in all versions of sobriety and drunkenness. I also have 20-25 extra lbs to show for those all those non-sober evenings!
* = great relative to my abilities.
* = great relative to my abilities.
Bottom line: Only you know how your body will react to various chemical agents. Gig often enough through time, and you develop standards, even downright PnP's about substance use/abuse in relation to your gigs.
As for me, I'll do one drink/set. I'm 6'2" 220 lbs, and will sweat a lot of it out anyway. I do love greenery, but not before or during gigs, only after, and only in the privacy of home, once I have gotten there. It is fun to create/noodle/practice by myself with greenery, but not with others, since it might affect my meter. YMMV; this is just my own personal wisdom and self-management strategy that has been developed over 28 years of playing bass, and over 40 years of being a musician.
As for me, I'll do one drink/set. I'm 6'2" 220 lbs, and will sweat a lot of it out anyway. I do love greenery, but not before or during gigs, only after, and only in the privacy of home, once I have gotten there. It is fun to create/noodle/practice by myself with greenery, but not with others, since it might affect my meter. YMMV; this is just my own personal wisdom and self-management strategy that has been developed over 28 years of playing bass, and over 40 years of being a musician.
- Jun 25, 2007
- 4,531
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- Disclosures
- Artist:TC Electronic RH450 bass system (original test-pilot)
After for sure!!!....If you give a s@@t about the gig....keep it to 1 or 2 a break....If the gig sucks...ALL NITE LONG!!!!
I've been at this for 30 years, and drink a little less each year.
Now I start with a shot of whiskey right before we start, then beer the rest of the night.
1 per set + 1 per break = 5.
(Usually free, BTW)
Then I eat a sandwich and drink several bottles of water while tearing down and loading the trailer--I highly recommend this. Donut sticks are a good option if you like sweet stuff.
By the time I drive home, I'm well under the legal limit.
My size, metabolism, and experience with alcohol means I never give a substandard performance.
Now I start with a shot of whiskey right before we start, then beer the rest of the night.
1 per set + 1 per break = 5.
(Usually free, BTW)
Then I eat a sandwich and drink several bottles of water while tearing down and loading the trailer--I highly recommend this. Donut sticks are a good option if you like sweet stuff.
By the time I drive home, I'm well under the legal limit.
My size, metabolism, and experience with alcohol means I never give a substandard performance.
- Jun 25, 2007
- 4,531
- 135
- 63
- Disclosures
- Artist:TC Electronic RH450 bass system (original test-pilot)
I'll usually do threeish before hitting the stage, then one during the set. It's not an issue of stage fright, I just think it honestly does help my preformance. It loosens me up enough to play on autopilot and trust that my fingers know what to do, whereas fully sober I tend to overthink things. Thats not to say I get sloppy, I've been playing and drinking long enough that 3 beers = a nice mild buzz. After the set, however, it's time to take full advantage of whatever alcohol the venue provides for the band.
Way back in high school, we always drank (Drinking age was 18 and we made sure beer was available) a little to get loose, and then drank some during breaks. Not a ton, but some.
Now, as I sing lots of lead and some of the songs we sing go way up the register, I need to stick with water/Sprite at least until those songs are played. Ever try to sing "Black Cloud" after a few beers? No way to get the high notes, at least not for us older folks. So, for voice's sake, I am trying to avoid liquor/beer/wine until late in the show, or after the show.
Of course, if you start drinking and have just a bit too much, then your playing crumbles and it takes some time to sober up and to get your groove back, so it can be risky. Ask me how I know....
If I am playing in church on Sunday morning, I try to play sober....
Now, as I sing lots of lead and some of the songs we sing go way up the register, I need to stick with water/Sprite at least until those songs are played. Ever try to sing "Black Cloud" after a few beers? No way to get the high notes, at least not for us older folks. So, for voice's sake, I am trying to avoid liquor/beer/wine until late in the show, or after the show.
Of course, if you start drinking and have just a bit too much, then your playing crumbles and it takes some time to sober up and to get your groove back, so it can be risky. Ask me how I know....
If I am playing in church on Sunday morning, I try to play sober....
So there I was, standing at the packed bar,
all set up, soundchecked, ready to go on in some few minutes.
The managers knew I was coming to get coffee just before we went on stage and had it ready at hand. I ordered coffee and a salt shaker.
The guy standing next to me watched (in horror) as I put about 35mg. of salt into the coffee. "Man," he said, "I have NEVER seen anybody DO that! How can you drink it like that?"
On the other side, another much older fellow who knew I was in the band said, "I have seen people put salt in their beer,
but never in their coffee. What does it taste like? Is it good? Do you like it like that?"
I sipped, grimaced, half-smiled, and said, "It tastes like *crap*." I shuddered as I swallowed the salted coffee.
The first guy asked, "Well, if it tastes like *crap*, then why do it?"
I winked at the older fellow, "When I drink it like this, I don't have to *pee* in the middle of a song."
"That makes sense," the older fellow said, returning the wink.
I turned and went to the stage. I considered it part of my performance.
~
all set up, soundchecked, ready to go on in some few minutes.
The managers knew I was coming to get coffee just before we went on stage and had it ready at hand. I ordered coffee and a salt shaker.
The guy standing next to me watched (in horror) as I put about 35mg. of salt into the coffee. "Man," he said, "I have NEVER seen anybody DO that! How can you drink it like that?"
On the other side, another much older fellow who knew I was in the band said, "I have seen people put salt in their beer,
but never in their coffee. What does it taste like? Is it good? Do you like it like that?"
I sipped, grimaced, half-smiled, and said, "It tastes like *crap*." I shuddered as I swallowed the salted coffee.
The first guy asked, "Well, if it tastes like *crap*, then why do it?"
I winked at the older fellow, "When I drink it like this, I don't have to *pee* in the middle of a song."
"That makes sense," the older fellow said, returning the wink.
I turned and went to the stage. I considered it part of my performance.
~
I just do the studio thing these days, and sometimes the clients almost 'require' you to have a beer with them when we're hanging on the couches getting prepped, which is a cool scene. Personally, I limit it to one beer in these circumstances, regardless of what the artist is imbibing. I've seen some smashed singer/songwriters do phenomenal jobs, but generally in these cases, the song was over before it ever started - such a shame.
Overall, though, the expectation is that it's a business deal, and that I need to be as sharp as possible. I wouldn't show up to a job interview or to drive an 18-wheeler with beer on my breath, and I wouldn't introduce myself to a new paying client the same way either.
Please don't misunderstand - I'm not anti- anything, and the club scene is different and quite happily so - know your limits and have a great time! I'm 6'3" 240lbs (191 cm 17 stone) and perspire heavily when onstage, so I always had a pitcher of water nearby every set. Hard alcohol dehydrates me, which is a double-whammy when you're already sweating hard! Pardon me while I faint....
Overall, though, the expectation is that it's a business deal, and that I need to be as sharp as possible. I wouldn't show up to a job interview or to drive an 18-wheeler with beer on my breath, and I wouldn't introduce myself to a new paying client the same way either.
Please don't misunderstand - I'm not anti- anything, and the club scene is different and quite happily so - know your limits and have a great time! I'm 6'3" 240lbs (191 cm 17 stone) and perspire heavily when onstage, so I always had a pitcher of water nearby every set. Hard alcohol dehydrates me, which is a double-whammy when you're already sweating hard! Pardon me while I faint....
I have never played fully sober 
, that being said i get wicked bad stage fright and nerves get the better of me (liquid courage ftw 
) , to this day i don't know what it is, so a couple of beers and recreational "chillin" 
and I'm mellowed and ready to jam, however it has backfired once @ a bar out of town i face planted 
after the bartender kept buying me shots and having them delivered to me on stage, but all in all a pitcher and some pizza before a show is a good time lolz.
, that being said i get wicked bad stage fright and nerves get the better of me (liquid courage ftw ) , to this day i don't know what it is, so a couple of beers and recreational "chillin" and I'm mellowed and ready to jam, however it has backfired once @ a bar out of town i face planted after the bartender kept buying me shots and having them delivered to me on stage, but all in all a pitcher and some pizza before a show is a good time lolz.Alcohol makes EVERYONE stupid. How stupid you want to be is up to you. Just quit a band cuz the other guys drank to much. Not according to them (just ask em). But being the only sober one in the band I can say drinking did not enhance their playing. I have lots of stories but the bottom line is ALCOHOL MAKES EVERYONE STUPID. Been there done that.
The ignorance is strong with this one. All things in moderation my friend. There is a HUGE difference between having a couple drinks and getting drunk. Getting drunk and playing is not something I care to do, having a couple beers before a show? Come on now.
