drummer on shrooms

[GLEN18INCHSPICA]

Band rehearsals should not be considered "work" we "play" our instruments not "work" them. I wouldn't want to play in some of the bands with a few of the more judgemental posters here, sounds like they would suck the fun out of any band. Substance abuse is not funny especially when talking about addictive drugs of which the OP wasn't about, you can abuse cheeseburgers & kill yourself. Stress from being too uptight will eventually age & kill you. I'm not condoning driving while tripping, sounds like the drummer didn't intend to do that & had time to get to the practice space before they kicked in.

 

[chaosMK]

One of my favorite things to do is ingest a relatively light dose of shrooms while setting up. The timing usually works out perfectly.

 

[klejst]

Great story. I have been in a few bands where drugs were involved, it never really seemed to help things out. What always annoyed me was showing up on time, but having to wait while the other guys got their drugs out of the way before practicing. They claimed it helped with creativity, all I think it really did was the reverse effect of constant "I cannot think of anything to play," messing up, and excess stresses caused by being paranoid and needing the fix. I try not to let it bother me, but if it does become a problem them I address it and weigh and look at my options. It comes with rock-n-roll, however I find the fellow sober and drug free musicians just as capable if not more capable.

 

[MatticusMania]

One of my favorite things to do is ingest a relatively light dose of shrooms while setting up. The timing usually works out perfectly.

Really? I wouldnt do shrooms and play a gig, myself. Id lose myself so bad, Id probably drone on one note while everyone looks at me like "Matt, quit ****ing up the song" (same feeling I had the other night, only if I were on shrooms I KNOW I would have ****ed things up). I took them once and proceeded to jam with a friend, since our equipment was set up. We turned a 6minute song into a half hour epic, and somehow we stayed in time (with each other, not to any time signature).

 

[tZer]

Maybe some of us just are more demanding of our professional peers? I refuse to settle for amateur foolishness is all. It's just not a game for me. I have too much time/passion/love/equipment invested at this stage. Its not about being uptight, or 'anti drug/alcohol' at all. It's pretty unfair to accuse those of us that defend professionalism in our field of being judgemental or superior in any way. Obviously these are adult choices.

As somebody stated earlier, rehearsal/gigs are actually WORK, unless its just a hobby for you, and of course that's fine. It's recreation then, not a vocation for you. That's perfectly fine. There certainly is a time and a place for libations or other indulgences if your constitution is such that you can enjoy them on that level. I have no desire to take that away from anybody. That's just plain silly.

I think those of us who strive for professionalism and growth in our field just have higher expectations. Its got nothing to do with sanctimony or morality at all. You wouldn't consider turning up to your day job all messed up, or at least I wouldn't. This is because I respect my colleagues, and collectively I wan't to achieve my best every day personally and with my team. Since we all know playing music isn't about turning a dime, these other things REALLY matter. Time is just too short in this life IMHO.

I do enjoy the defensive nature of those heralding these behaviours though. Makes an entertaining read. It's always the same ol' song and dance, and always will be. Seen that all that before, and no desire to go back to personally working in those situations I suppose.

Peace y'all.

^^ squared

And yes, I still know that we're all just supposed to look at the funny stuff.

 

[groooooove]

i once had a very similar and equally hilarious story.

i was in a band with two dudes who did a lot of tripping. it wasent a very serious gig, rehearsals were hang sessions really, and we played great so it was all cool. drummer took a pretty large amount of shrooms before we got going. we were doing our regular thing, rehearsing tunes we all know very well. there was a spot we came to where everything speeds up. guitarist and i kept trying to make it happen. we're screaming at him SPEED UP! to witch, with a terrified look on his face and sound in his voice, he screams back "IM TRYING TO"

it was pretty damn funny. he said he thought something bad would happen if he sped up but he simultaneously knew he was supposed to. by the height of his trip he mentioned thinking his drum sticks were just like magic wands. i left after that, it was getting late.

man, great times.

 

[MatticusMania]

we're screaming at him SPEED UP! to witch, with a terrified look on his face and sound in his voice, he screams back "IM TRYING TO"

I can visualise this in my head so well.

 

[Biggbass]

The money they get.... how do they dispense to the public??

Awh crap... we have gone political.

No, it's not political at all. It's just how the system works. Counties use that collected revenue to supplement deficiencies in the county budget, in a variety of applications; for instance, funding driver responsibility courses, supplementing the costs of maintaining inner county roads, road shoulders, mowing, etc.
Here's just one example of how dependent the counties have become on that revenue source; Two years ago the State of Texas passed a law decriminalizing the possession of marijuana in small amounts leaving it to the discretion of the officer at the scene as to whether to issue a citation, make an arrest, etc if the situation involves that substance. There's more to it but that's the basics of it. Once that law made the news and hit the headlines, the DA of Kaufman County, Texas issued a public statement saying that in his county, despite the new State law, anyone found to have any quantity in their possession would be arrested, charged with possession, and they would pursue conviction. He made it clear in his statement that despite the new law, and whether or not the county won the case their goal was to continue collecting those funds thru the plea bargains and associated fines because the county needed the revenue.

It's the world we live in now. Cameras everywhere and law enforcement assuming that if you are behind the wheel during the hours of 12am and 4am then you're either under the influence or up to no good, therefore they are looking for any reason to pull you over. Not because they enjoy busting stoners, but because there's big money in it. Your choice, as a driver, is to either play the game smart or play the game stupidly, in which case, the law of averages will eventually catch up with you.

 

[otherclef]

No, it's not political at all. It's just how the system works. Counties use that collected revenue to supplement deficiencies in the county budget, in a variety of applications; for instance, funding driver responsibility courses, supplementing the costs of maintaining inner county roads, road shoulders, mowing, etc.
Here's just one example of how dependent the counties have become on that revenue source; Two years ago the State of Texas passed a law decriminalizing the possession of marijuana in small amounts leaving it to the discretion of the officer at the scene as to whether to issue a citation, make an arrest, etc if the situation involves that substance. There's more to it but that's the basics of it. Once that law made the news and hit the headlines, the DA of Kaufman County, Texas issued a public statement saying that in his county, despite the new State law, anyone found to have any quantity in their possession would be arrested, charged with possession, and they would pursue conviction. He made it clear in his statement that despite the new law, and whether or not the county won the case their goal was to continue collecting those funds thru the plea bargains and associated fines because the county needed the revenue.

It's the world we live in now. Cameras everywhere and law enforcement assuming that if you are behind the wheel during the hours of 12am and 4am then you're either under the influence or up to no good, therefore they are looking for any reason to pull you over. Not because they enjoy busting stoners, but because there's big money in it.

So then how is my " the lord gets your wife first" comment out of context?? That's the system they lived in!!! A handful of men telling the rest how to live.

 

[sixerguy3]

@ groooooove, that is hilarious! "I'm trying to!" I would pay to see that with the look of trepidation. Fearful of what happens if the tempo increases. That's great.

 

[BassBrass]

Actually, heroin addiction itself causes cardiovascular disease, damage to the respiratory system, and damage to the nervous system.
The way I always look at it is that the artistic greatness is achieved despite the drugs and booze, and I imagine what the person could've accomplished with a clear head, a body that didn't cause the person perpetual pain and discomfort, and a normal lifespan.

Thank you sir, That was a well reasoned reply! It made me do some research. It seems that there is room for both opinions and the debate is ongoing especially in GB. I found this Make heroin legal | Politics | The Guardian
We all have different brain chemistry and some people are born high (in a sense) and stay high without any drugs from outside. Others find that something happens when they partake that allows their brains to be more random (which translates to creative in a highly regimented personality). This has been proven in recent brain imaging studies using hallucinogens. Aldus Huxley in "Heaven & Hell", his book about the effects of mescaline, was exactly correct: the brain's main function is keeping OUT information that is not necessary for survival. Some drugs like opiates are so close to the brain's own chemical systems that they fit into receptors we already have.
I'd say that a diet high in trans fats and sugar causes more physical damage than opiates. Many prescribed drugs that people must take to live (like coumidin the blood thinner) are far more toxic than any opiate. Forgetting to eat and getting knifed in a bad deal are not the direct effects of opiates, they are secondary effects from society. All of CP's health problems can be related directly to his alcohol consumption. Now That is pure poison.

 

[hip63]

What the heck... Might as well chip at the easy ones...

I'd rather have a sober driver who is paying attention to what they are doing around me on the road. Everything else is just varying degrees of bad.

I agree, I'm just pointing out the cell phones are just as bad if not worse.

I haven't had anyone nearly kill me on the highway that looked like they had smoked something, they all had cellphones to their ear.

The longest cellphone conversation I have when driving is, "I'll call you back later"

hip63

 

[Biggbass]

So then how is my " the lord gets your wife first" comment out of context?? That's the system they lived in!!! A handful of men telling the rest how to live.

At first I think I saw your our comment as more about standing up to authority. But, on second thought, I do see the correlation in that statement between standing up to authority and breaking the law in general. Driving influenced is breaking the law, and at the same time standing up to the authority that made those laws. All in all, it's a 'stick it to the man' thing.

 

[lowfreq33]

You know, one of the perks of playing music for a living is that nobody has a fit if you feel like having a beer at work. Of course it's not a good idea to start pounding shots at soundcheck when you have a show to do, but if I wanted to work in a stuffy repressive atmosphere I'd get an office job.

And isn't this whole thing supposed to be fun? I've been in bands with tee-totalers before, and they just suck the fun right out of the room. Getting all pious if someone has a couple of drinks, or a hit off a joint. As though there's no middle ground between stone cold sober and falling down drunk. Then I look around and notice "Hey, would you look at that? We're in a bar! You know, if there was ever a place where it's ok to have a beer, this would be it!"

 

[Marley's Ghost]

^^ Not always true. There are a few casinos around here where the band is not allowed to drink. Period. Weddings and Corporate affairs are often the same.

 

[lowfreq33]

^^ Not always true. There are a few casinos around here where the band is not allowed to drink. Period. Weddings and Corporate affairs are often the same.

Sure, and that's par for the course for those type of gigs. But in those cases it's the establishment that makes the rule, not some self-appointed band mom.

 

[oniman7]

And some of us are too uptight - but that is all relative.

For those of us who know, the story in a vacuum and disconnected from any other critical thinking, has some humorous stuff in it. It also has stuff that will haunt the OP if the he is unfortunate enough to have his drummer suddenly killed because of his pursuit of a "rock 'n roll lifestyle".

To look back on a thread like this AFTER something like that would be pretty hard. I think about all the stories I told and laughed about back in the day that fill me with regret today. I don't want anyone to have to go through that and if being uptight and bringing down a thread like this makes any difference at all, it's worth being Buzz Killington.

I am not judging the choice to play with drugs. I am haunted by my own past and hearing a story that sounds like it came from my own life's script. Sorry for the buzz kill... If you value your friend and your band, you'll all take steps to ensure this sort of thing doesn't happen again. Laugh about it and be happy that it worked out for the best. Then think seriously about it and make sure it always works out for the best.

I agree with Boring McBuzzKill, actually.
I think we could all be a bit more friendly about it, but he has a very good point and I think it's a combination of ignorance and arrogance to ignore that warning.

I also think there's more to it than just a warning, it's a funny story posted in the humor section, and that's an equally valid side.

If we could only make the two mesh.

 

[Gazman]

The OP's drummer should be made to read this entire thread, as a warning...and as punishment.

 

[drummer5359]

I lost two of my best friends (one of whom was my drummer) when I was 20 (they were only 19). How we partied back then pretty much fits to a T what was described in the opening post - been there, done that, literally - which is why I know the drummer - we were just like him. Close-calls with the law included, driving around smoking with booze and shrooms on us. We thought we were invincible right up to the point Jay and Chrissie died in a horrible car accident - on my birthday, no less. We thought the same things about sex drugs and rock 'n roll. It's really amazing how easy it is for young minds to ignore reality and indulge in fantasy.

It's all good fun right up until it isn't. Call me a buzz-kill if you must. Believe me when I tell you I am not against partying at all - and yes, the fact that the OP's story has a happy ending does make it a little easier to laugh at the shenanagins of a pie-eyed drummer trying to negotiate his kit while the heads are apparently moving out of arms' reach - all very surreal/Fear and Loathing/Lizard King - I get it.

I also know that there isn't a day that goes by (going on 25 years now) that I don't miss my friends who chose to hop in a car while buzzing their brains out only to discover how unforgiving the physics of a 70 mph crash into an overpass abutment can be. Every year on my birthday I wake up hearing my mom telling me, "Tony... Jay and Chrissie were in an accident early this morning..."

You can laugh today because nothing happened. Jay and I laughed many, many times together about exactly the same stuff. I hope you can laugh for a long, long time to come. The day you can't because last night something did happen (and I hope that day NEVER comes for anyone), you'll see a post like this and my bet is that you will have a very hard time seeing the humor in it - and you'll also have a hard time NOT seeing or ignoring the down side. I also know that if you post in that thread, you will also try to share the wisdom you hopefully gained from your life lesson - and you will probably be accused of being uptight and a buzz-kill.

You want to share a story about intoxication, close-calls with the law and driving - be prepared for a few people to say stuff like this - and don't get all miffed just because everyone doesn't automatically think it's as funny as you do - or knows why it's not.

Rock and party on, my friends - safely!

^ Great post.

I've been there there, done that and was lucky enough to wake up to reality. I lost friends and family over the years who were not so lucky.

It would be funnier if he had a ride.

 

[tZer]

I agree with Boring McBuzzKill, actually.
I think we could all be a bit more friendly about it, but he has a very good point and I think it's a combination of ignorance and arrogance to ignore that warning.

I also think there's more to it than just a warning, it's a funny story posted in the humor section, and that's an equally valid side.

If we could only make the two mesh.

Believe me, I wanted to find the story funny. It's too bad that there are so many parts of it that I, in good conscience cannot.

Just because it's in a humor section doesn't mean it gets a pass on genuinely humorless parts - especially when it's true. Telling a good joke means not including things that people should have to ignore in order to get it.

There are many ways to re-tell that story and dodge the obvious red flags. Next time you want to relate a "Cheech and Chong-esque" funny story, think about the things in it that are clearly going to pull focus and edit.

Your friend being a passenger riding with a sober driver, that would have worked nicely - both for the joke - and in reality.

BTW - all this "there are worse things" rhetoric... wow... how thick in the skull to you have to be to think that line of "logic" has value?