"Hi. My name is James and I'm a Luthaholic..." (Hi, James!")
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Double Bass No drinking while performing. Anyone else do this?
- Thread starter Low Key
- Start date
I stopped doing all substances while playing back in the early 80’s when I noticed that I would sometimes forget where the previous beat was (makes it hard to determine where the next beat is!). I do like a nice hot cup of coffee before the first set, though.
Did I fail to mention that I once totaled my ‘68 and my ‘56? No no no I don’t ______ no more. I don’t smoke and I don’t chew……..
Spent a few nights in the hoosegow.
You get the picture.
Spent a few nights in the hoosegow.
You get the picture.
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I often have one drink because 1) it's a perk I enjoy and 2) it relaxes me slightly. (We sometimes refer to that as a "bevel".)
Very seldom any more because 1) my performance will be compromised and 2) I have to drive myself home.
While I enjoy my one drink, I know all too well the devastation that can occur when people let it get out of control. I applaud anyone who abstains or quits to avoid that.
Very seldom any more because 1) my performance will be compromised and 2) I have to drive myself home.
While I enjoy my one drink, I know all too well the devastation that can occur when people let it get out of control. I applaud anyone who abstains or quits to avoid that.
I never drank whiskey until I joined an otherwise all female band. They were into Maker's Mark, Jameson's amd Jack Daniels respectively and they all carried flasks. On our occasional weekend road trips they mixed cocktails in their hotel room after the gig.
They were the only hard drinking females I've ever worked with.
can't say that i do.
i'm not a heavy drinker...more of an "insistent drinker" --- when i want one = i really want one!
when i was younger i slipped over the line now and then, but i can't consume those amounts now that i'm in the geriatric class where "less is more!"
Going on 10 years ago my Gospel band attended a small bluegrass festival in a rural SoCal burg. This was just for fun, no gigs, mostly because we wanted to jam together and with other friends who also wanted to camp out in a bluegrass environment. As it turned out, there were very few camping groups there, and our camping group was the only group that was jamming.
After the last Saturday night stage show at this festival, it was announced from the stage that folks in the audience should stick around for jamming at the campgrounds, so suddenly there were ~300+ -- many already heavily fueled -- people tramping through the weeds to get to our campground. It was like watching Rise of the Zombies coming at you from across the field.
We started up some music to distract and help slow people down, and fortunately for us, there were also a fair number of privateers providing a tasting of their own brands of home made jet fuel waiting for everyone. They provided a significant buffer between us and the oncoming crowd.
That must have been potent stuff, because by about an hour later most everyone who were still there in the crowd were either sleeping in the grass or trying to find the bathrooms. One of our campsite's banjo players tried a "taste" of the peach flavored variety, and by the time he was done with his cup he had collapsed over his banjo. He didn't play anymore that night, and absolutely hated us in the morning when we screamed GOOD MORNING to him.
Not having ever tasted alcohol except literally in mouthwash to gargle with, I had a good time watching all the tasters. But I'm afraid that the behavior changes didn't increase my interest in trying it at all.
After the last Saturday night stage show at this festival, it was announced from the stage that folks in the audience should stick around for jamming at the campgrounds, so suddenly there were ~300+ -- many already heavily fueled -- people tramping through the weeds to get to our campground. It was like watching Rise of the Zombies coming at you from across the field.
We started up some music to distract and help slow people down, and fortunately for us, there were also a fair number of privateers providing a tasting of their own brands of home made jet fuel waiting for everyone. They provided a significant buffer between us and the oncoming crowd.
That must have been potent stuff, because by about an hour later most everyone who were still there in the crowd were either sleeping in the grass or trying to find the bathrooms. One of our campsite's banjo players tried a "taste" of the peach flavored variety, and by the time he was done with his cup he had collapsed over his banjo. He didn't play anymore that night, and absolutely hated us in the morning when we screamed GOOD MORNING to him.
Not having ever tasted alcohol except literally in mouthwash to gargle with, I had a good time watching all the tasters. But I'm afraid that the behavior changes didn't increase my interest in trying it at all.
I played in a "Ramada Inn lounge" band for a few weeks in 1974. The leader/singer was a woman, 34 going on 60; when she was sober she was good. A couple of times she drank enough to obliterate her time keeping, but I was the designated whipping boy. She blamed her creative timing on me. It's no fun playing with drunks.
In general, I enjoy drinking less and less as the years go by. I may have a one or two, especially if I fought traffic or if I bring bad day-job vibes into a gig and want a reset, but never more than 1 before and maybe one in a set-break if it's a long gig.
Quick story that I may have told here before at some point, but I used to play with a trumpet player/band leader who was a daily consumer of herb. We had a fairly brutal 2 day recording session once and at the end of it he said "hey guys, would be up for one more take?" We all kind of looked at him sideways because we were spent and thought we finally had everything, but he wanted to take the opportunity to get into his happy place and then compare the recordings afterwards. We all said "sure" (he's the band-leader), but declined to join him. He came back in a few minutes later with a big smile on his face and we played one of the tracks again. Listening critically to both a few weeks later, there was ZERO difference in his playing. Not better, not worse, couldn't even really tell which was which. But, years later when he broke that habit, he was a lot more reliable to deal with.
Personally, I've never played a gig high, I'm confident that it would be a disaster.
Quick story that I may have told here before at some point, but I used to play with a trumpet player/band leader who was a daily consumer of herb. We had a fairly brutal 2 day recording session once and at the end of it he said "hey guys, would be up for one more take?" We all kind of looked at him sideways because we were spent and thought we finally had everything, but he wanted to take the opportunity to get into his happy place and then compare the recordings afterwards. We all said "sure" (he's the band-leader), but declined to join him. He came back in a few minutes later with a big smile on his face and we played one of the tracks again. Listening critically to both a few weeks later, there was ZERO difference in his playing. Not better, not worse, couldn't even really tell which was which. But, years later when he broke that habit, he was a lot more reliable to deal with.
Personally, I've never played a gig high, I'm confident that it would be a disaster.
Tell them you’re on a Healthy diet, trying to lose weight, and thinking of going vegan. They'll want to change subjects, which will get them off your back.
I'll drink a beer before I play and then 1-2 during the set. The only time in my life I played after drinking too much was back in my 20's on a fairly large stage opening for a pretty well-known band. I actually played fine, but I had to concentrate so hard it was not fun at all.
The only advantage a drunk upright bassist has over a bass guitar player is that he can use his instrument as a leaning post!
I enjoy a couple of glasses of red wine at night after the work is done. But never before or while playing. To me the act of playing the DB is a matter of physical calibration, absolute attention, and fine motor skills. Intoxicants of any kind only hinder me in all of these areas.
Previous experience and recordings tell me that while I might think I sound great while under even the mild influence of these sorts of things, the exact opposite is actually true.
Previous experience and recordings tell me that while I might think I sound great while under even the mild influence of these sorts of things, the exact opposite is actually true.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
I was fortunate enough, when I started my career at age 19, to be in a band with two dyed-in-the-wool alcoholics.
It cured me of thinking that was the right approach to being a musician.
It cured me of thinking that was the right approach to being a musician.
I have found, however, that I can get a bit more adventurous and come up with new ideas if I experiment a bit with the “wacky tobaccy” before a practice session. Only at practice though and I have to record it or I won’t remember what just happened.
I average a drink per set generally, but only if it is appropriate for the gig which often it is not. Sometimes it's literally a part of our compensation, particularly at breweries which we play a good amount. While i can hang with a buzz while performing, there is definitely a line that i do not cross when performing.
