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Drugs!
- Thread starter DeathrockDudr
- Start date
I agree with you completely.
I wouldn't mind if they were clever about it, and didn't get busted/screw up - but unfortunately, in my experience, they haven't been clever about it.
Honestly, if I were in a band with a guy or guys who were responsible about it, I probably wouldn't mind. Sadly though, there seems to be dearth of responsible drug users in my neck of the woods.
If you ever swing by these parts though, bring some green and we'll have a little jam. It would be awesome to jam with a guy who knows how to partake without overindulging!
In literal terms, I see your point. But the implied smugness is what bothers me. Saying someones behavior is not ok is one thing, telling them to be more like you is another thing entirely. You can have a moral objection to something without the desire to tell others they are wrong, which incidentally was the sort of smugness I got for using the evil M word.
First let me say that when its time to party, I party hard; have for decades. I truly wish pot was legal so I wouldn't have to worry about getting tripped up in a random drug screen.
I think its my choice to do what I want to my body. But; it isn't legal.
All the arguments about how harmless it is; how it's only been illegal for a short time in the grand scheme of human existence, how it's just a plant, how the big corporate bullies are the only reason it's illegal, blah, blah, blah... doesn't change the fact that it's against the law, regardless of what you or anyone else thinks.
Try one of those "compelling" arguments in court, or with a prospective employer after you fail a drug screen and see how that works out for you.
To those champions of the above rationalizations (all of which I agree with, BTW) I say; "Put down your bong and get off your duff, stoner! Do something about it, join NORML, write your representatives, run for office, SHOW SOME INITIATIVE."
In all honesty, I'm baffled that it's still a crime; my generation is running things now, and I didn't know anyone in high school or college who didn't smoke dope. Even the dorks and the jocks got high, where did these politicians come from?
As far as playing inebriated; well, the average person is conscious about 115 hrs a week. In my case, only about 10 or so hrs a week is spent playing in a busy week, my other responsibilities eat up about 40-45 hrs leaving me an average 8-9 hrs a day to get baked, eat Starbursts, and watch cartoons.
I suppose it boils down to how seriously you take your music. As much fun as playing with a buzz is, I like to think about playing for money as just as important as any job, and as such deserving of a professional attitude. I look at it as having the discipline to stay sober while I play, and while Im not anywhere near enough of a hypocrite to dog anyone for their choice of intoxicant, I truthfully I expect my band mates to have that same respect for what we do.
Also, in my experience this is a truism, and I have hours of gig recordings that bear it out;
It's sort of the same concept as driving wasted. While I think that it's loads of fun and really believe that I am particularly good at it, the risks of bodily (myself and others) harm and/or legal/fiscal devastation far outweigh any recreational or entertainment benefits.
I think its my choice to do what I want to my body. But; it isn't legal.
All the arguments about how harmless it is; how it's only been illegal for a short time in the grand scheme of human existence, how it's just a plant, how the big corporate bullies are the only reason it's illegal, blah, blah, blah... doesn't change the fact that it's against the law, regardless of what you or anyone else thinks.
Try one of those "compelling" arguments in court, or with a prospective employer after you fail a drug screen and see how that works out for you.
To those champions of the above rationalizations (all of which I agree with, BTW) I say; "Put down your bong and get off your duff, stoner! Do something about it, join NORML, write your representatives, run for office, SHOW SOME INITIATIVE."
In all honesty, I'm baffled that it's still a crime; my generation is running things now, and I didn't know anyone in high school or college who didn't smoke dope. Even the dorks and the jocks got high, where did these politicians come from?
As far as playing inebriated; well, the average person is conscious about 115 hrs a week. In my case, only about 10 or so hrs a week is spent playing in a busy week, my other responsibilities eat up about 40-45 hrs leaving me an average 8-9 hrs a day to get baked, eat Starbursts, and watch cartoons.
I suppose it boils down to how seriously you take your music. As much fun as playing with a buzz is, I like to think about playing for money as just as important as any job, and as such deserving of a professional attitude. I look at it as having the discipline to stay sober while I play, and while Im not anywhere near enough of a hypocrite to dog anyone for their choice of intoxicant, I truthfully I expect my band mates to have that same respect for what we do.
Also, in my experience this is a truism, and I have hours of gig recordings that bear it out;
Its also been my experience that overall, alcohol makes for the sloppiest sets.
It's sort of the same concept as driving wasted. While I think that it's loads of fun and really believe that I am particularly good at it, the risks of bodily (myself and others) harm and/or legal/fiscal devastation far outweigh any recreational or entertainment benefits.
I could spout anti drug propaganda just as easily as you are spouting pro drug propaganda. fact of the matter is the truth lies somewhere in the middle
That is the funniest sh!t I've read in quite sometime. It makes me want to start using.
What about peyote buttons, psilocybin mushrooms, or if you are feeling brave, jimson weed? I think jimson weed is classified as a poison, but I'm pretty sure the other two are classified as "drugs".
My band has slight "rules", but it keeps us in line for a gig. That's what is most important, right? How you perform at the gig?
1. We drink a lot of beer at our (3-4 hour) practices. Like around 6 beers a piece average, usually high-life, usually light. This enables us to build a tolerance for gigs. I really recommend this. That way, when you go to a gig, you can eat some food, (like half a chicken sandwich, some fries) and have 3 GOOD beers starting around an hour or two before you hit the stage and have a perfect buzz. Plus no one is smashed at this point, just feeling really good. Try to keep it under 3 though, okay, maybe 4, before you get up there. Anything after that, or like Whiskey shots, and you're playing with fire...I don't recommend that. Save the hard booze, especially shots, for after the set.
2. We do smoke bud sometimes, however, only during writing session rehearsals, or only if we've already ran our set once through totally sober (excluding our beer drinking, duh). Then maybe spark a doobie and run through the entire set again. Listen to how great it sounds after you're all warmed up! It feels great! But no smoking immediately when you arrive to practice, running a rehearsal blazed from the beginning is a horrible idea.
3. As far as playing shows and tokin up, I never blaze the entire day before a gig. Toking at practice is WAY different than toking before shows IMO. It just puts me in an off mood and I get lazier on stage, which is important for my band, because we want to be entertaining. Even if I smoked some bud 4-8 hours before we hit the stage, I still won't be the same PERFORMER as I'd be had I just been running on my 3 beers and a mild dinner, okay maybe 4 beers, before the set (see my rule #1). But that's just me. I will mess up small parts, and just feel generally cloudy headed, more tired if I smoke before a gig. (That's not to say I've never smoked up and played a live show, back when I was in my early 20's in a jam-band, we'd practically smoke onstage...well, we'd blaze to the point of getting on stage seconds after exhaling a massive hit outside in the alley or someone's car. I don't really remember how those shows went, it's all kinda hazy, and that band isn't together anymore).
As far as deciding if your band is cool enough to follow my band's "rules", I guess you'll have to wait and see. No point in creating problems that aren't there yet. Everyone is different, I suppose.
1. We drink a lot of beer at our (3-4 hour) practices. Like around 6 beers a piece average, usually high-life, usually light. This enables us to build a tolerance for gigs. I really recommend this. That way, when you go to a gig, you can eat some food, (like half a chicken sandwich, some fries) and have 3 GOOD beers starting around an hour or two before you hit the stage and have a perfect buzz. Plus no one is smashed at this point, just feeling really good. Try to keep it under 3 though, okay, maybe 4, before you get up there. Anything after that, or like Whiskey shots, and you're playing with fire...I don't recommend that. Save the hard booze, especially shots, for after the set.
2. We do smoke bud sometimes, however, only during writing session rehearsals, or only if we've already ran our set once through totally sober (excluding our beer drinking, duh). Then maybe spark a doobie and run through the entire set again. Listen to how great it sounds after you're all warmed up! It feels great! But no smoking immediately when you arrive to practice, running a rehearsal blazed from the beginning is a horrible idea.
3. As far as playing shows and tokin up, I never blaze the entire day before a gig. Toking at practice is WAY different than toking before shows IMO. It just puts me in an off mood and I get lazier on stage, which is important for my band, because we want to be entertaining. Even if I smoked some bud 4-8 hours before we hit the stage, I still won't be the same PERFORMER as I'd be had I just been running on my 3 beers and a mild dinner, okay maybe 4 beers, before the set (see my rule #1). But that's just me. I will mess up small parts, and just feel generally cloudy headed, more tired if I smoke before a gig. (That's not to say I've never smoked up and played a live show, back when I was in my early 20's in a jam-band, we'd practically smoke onstage...well, we'd blaze to the point of getting on stage seconds after exhaling a massive hit outside in the alley or someone's car. I don't really remember how those shows went, it's all kinda hazy, and that band isn't together anymore).
As far as deciding if your band is cool enough to follow my band's "rules", I guess you'll have to wait and see. No point in creating problems that aren't there yet. Everyone is different, I suppose.
I've figured out that you just have to let people do what they want, you're not their dad. Be happy they show up on a regular basis and if they don't you let them go because of that not because the are high and give you a blank stare and giggle.
I suppose we're a rare bunch of guys, indeed.
Let me tell you though, we get stuff DONE in my band. We've played almost all of the major bars/venues in Chicago, some multiple times with a good draw, gone down to SXSW for showcases, and are about to record our first full length album this winter. Did I mention we have no management or representation? We're 100% DIY.
We take our music seriously, but we also work 9-5 jobs to pay for our band finances. So we have to let loose at practice once in a while. If you can't have any fun after you TCOB, then what's the point?
That involves not touching the funny weeds until business is taken care of for the evening whether it's running the set, or playing a gig, like I mentioned previously.
As far as booze goes, if gentlemen can't have a few drinks and keep their heads on straight, then I suppose they wouldn't be a part of our scene...some would argue most music scenes in general.
Got a lot more responses then I thought I would...anywho for the guy who asked we play stuff... got a metal/rock guitarist, blues guitarist, acoustic/reggae drummer, and me the deathrock and punk and goth. We are very diverse music shows that but mostly indie rock, hard rock, a Lil punk and a smidgen goth. But I'm fine with it along as they can play and not get us kicked I'm fine but I'd rather be safe and not sorry.
Yup
Yup
Personally I would not recommend the Mexican stuff if you want to enhance your playing. Buy American people!
Yeah...
I mean - there are reams of evidence for the efficacy of amphetamines improving productivity for example.
There certainly is an argument to be made for creativity being, if not enhanced, at least altered (hey, we're talking aesthetics here) in potentially positive ways.
I’m convinced that our prehistoric forebears enjoyed intoxicants and that other creatures in the animal kingdom do the same. Not as addicts, but for the occasional buzz….
As a quite young guy who has kicked a substance addiction problem. It took me a while, but I realised I was a semi-functional addict. When I stopped with the coke and methamphetamines, a few months later I decided to stop smoking cannabis as well. Now I've noticed a marked improvement in my mental health since I gave up the coke/methamphetamines, but I noticed a massive improvement in my productivity and motivation when I stopped smoking weed. I realised that, for me, weed makes boredom acceptable. I don't feel the need to push myself further when I'm blazed.
Of course this is a personal thing. While none of the rest of the people in my band do hard drugs, and definitely not the way I did, they all toke a little, usually a spliff or two after we get off stage. I don't have a problem with this. I like to have a few beers, neither get in the way of our performance.
If I had've had to put up with some of the s**t the other guys put up with, with me, I wouldn't have been nearly as understanding as they were.
Of course this is a personal thing. While none of the rest of the people in my band do hard drugs, and definitely not the way I did, they all toke a little, usually a spliff or two after we get off stage. I don't have a problem with this. I like to have a few beers, neither get in the way of our performance.
If I had've had to put up with some of the s**t the other guys put up with, with me, I wouldn't have been nearly as understanding as they were.
