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Drinking Before Playing?

#81
I personally don't drink to keep the 'edge' on.

I also, think I was only nervous about one gig. Once. It was at the palladium in worcester, with VOD and some other lame radio bands.

The show had sold out, and I was like 16 or 17. I was filling in for a popular local band who's bass player was away with his GF.

I just treated it like any other show, and we had a lot of fun.

The end.
 
#82
I have deliberately learned how to get achieve my musical goals stone sober and never used alcohol as a crutch.

On a paying job, I would never use anything (except sleep and stretching exercises) to enchance my performance.

On a jam session, I might have a few along the way... I prestretch 15 minutes before one stage jam where I hop around a bit. Better than alcohol for truly getting loose.
 
#83
Yeah, I'd have one or two beers on the way to the gig, another beer or two while setting up, a beer during each break, and one on stage with me. Just to keep the anxious edge away. By the third or fourth set, I'd be kicking beer bottles out onto the dance floor (only did it once, though). I don't have to do that anymore. And funny, I don't get that anxious edge anymore while playing. Probably because I finally feel innately confident in what I'm doing.
 
#90
Proper alcohol titration at gigs is very important. As blood alcohol content increases, stage mojo goes up and playing precision goes down. The general intoxication of the crowd must also be taken into account, since they are less likely to notice or care about note precision if they are sloshed as well. For me, three pints within an hour of the downbeat is a good starting point. Having a pitcher on stage helps with fine tuning.
 
#91
At a gig, I'll have a beer during setup, a beer every hour we're playing, and a beer after the teardown. I rarely play more than an hour at a gig, so it's not too bad. And I love beer.

At a practice, nothing stronger than water. I gotta memorize the songs, and I can't do that when I'm drinking.

At a jam, I'll drink as many beers as I can pour into my face. My hands function amazingly well on autopilot, as long as we're not playing anything too crazy. Heck, that was the principle I founded Drunken Jam Night on!
 
#93
When I drank, I'd wait until after the first set. I only drank beer, but after 3 sets and 4-5 beers, my playing would start to suffer. Nobody noticed but me, but it was discouraging.
Now that I don't drink, I see my performance decline in the same way as the evening wears on, possibly due to fatigue, old age or plain everyday musical incompetence.
So, I guess drinking during a gig doesn't matter in my case.
 
#94
I don't drink before performing. A lot of stuff can go wrong (not just musically, but electronically), and you have to be sharp. Some of the band members do, and it doesn't bother me, but I wait until after. There's also the bladder issue as concerns beer when you're performing. I do play jazz on the upright just for fun once a week with some other guys, like right after my day job ends, and I will have a glass of wine to shift gears for that.
 
#96
the human body functions best without toxins.

if youre playing easy stuff, i guess it doesnt matter. i find a way to insert challenging parts into every set, even if only for a couple of seconds. i go sober, because that is me at my best, no exceptions. i even avoided using medical cannab*s whilst in a reggae band, despite the other band members (who were also patients, for the record [so dont ban me]).

people dish out cash to hear you play and to have fun, so i think its only fair and respectful to give it all youve got.

that said, im not crapping on folks who have a free beer before a bar gig or whatever. i cant say i would ever blame a band member for having a drink or two and then making a minor mistake. i make minor mistakes sober.

i have played every show ever with a 0.00 blood alcohol level, but i have been on waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many stimulants in my crazy days. that was pretty bad, too. for me, sober is the way to go. theres plenty of time to party after the gig.
 
#98
I drink before, during and after gigs. Keeps me loose and helps the energy. But 3-4 beers before the first set and 1-2 per hour from there is the upper limit. More than that and I get sloppy. But for me, there is a place between sober and slightly drunk, where I play better. I start drinking an hour or two before the gig until I reach that place, and I try hold myself there until the end of the last set.

Of course it depends on the gig and band. If I'm playing 3-chord punk/rock'n'roll I can get pretty shitfaced without having too much trouble. In my 80's coverband I have to focus more, and thus have to drink less.

I have played gigs falling-over-hitting-the-wrong-strings-yelling-into-the-mic-when-I'm-not-supposed-to-drunk before. It's NOT fun. At all! :p
 
#100
Stumbo said:
But occifer, don't arrest me......don't you know....I drive better after I drink.....
Click to expand...

Your missing one important point. Drinking and driving is illegal, drinking and playing bass isn't. ;) If I could get arrested for drunk bassing, I'd leave the beer in the fridge. And lastly; screwing up basslines because of alcohol is only gonna kill my career, not other people. :p
 

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