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Pre-Gig Buzz

#122
OK, so this question is the equivalent of the directions on a pack of Black Cat firecrackers:
"light fuse, place on ground, get away" ;)
How many people who have answered in the affirmative about playing whilst buzzed play Music full time for a living?
Just curious....
 
#123
Roy Vogt said:
OK, so this question is the equivalent of the directions on a pack of Black Cat firecrackers:
"light fuse, place on ground, get away" ;)
How many people who have answered in the affirmative about playing whilst buzzed play Music full time for a living?
Just curious....
Click to expand...

There are probably a bunch. Every full time musician knows at least one. And when the subject comes up, almost invariably the story off with, "I used to work with this guy...."
 
#128
Roy Vogt said:
How many people who have answered in the affirmative about playing whilst buzzed play Music full time for a living?
Just curious....
Click to expand...

I'd like to re-frame this question a bit. How many famous musicians have performed while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs?

Let's see...

All of The Beatles
Jimi Hendrix and probably the entire Experience
Everyone in the Rolling Stones
All of The Beach Boys
Most of Led Zeppelin
Bob Marley and all the Wailers
All of Nirvana
All of The Doors
Ray Charles
Johnny Cash

...and that's just for starters. The list is FAR too long to print here. Not saying it's right or wrong, but it's reality.
 
#130
debassr said:
I'd like to re-frame this question a bit. How many famous musicians have performed while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs?

Let's see...

All of The Beatles
Jimi Hendrix and probably the entire Experience
Everyone in the Rolling Stones
All of The Beach Boys
Most of Led Zeppelin
Bob Marley and all the Wailers
All of Nirvana
All of The Doors
Ray Charles
Johnny Cash

...and that's just for starters. The list is FAR too long to print here. Not saying it's right or wrong, but it's reality.
Click to expand...
Beatles no casualties
Stones-Brian Jones, RIP drug related drowning
Beach Boys-Brian Wilson, nervous breakdown, Dennis Wilson alcohol related drowning
Led Zeppelin-John Bonham-alcohol poisoning
Jimi Hendrix-accidental choking while on sleeping pills
Kirk Cobain-do I hafta go into this? Just read about his last year alive.... So sad and so talented
Jim Morrison-heart attack at 28 (this was just revealed this year to have actually been a drug overdose)
How about:
Janis Joplin-heroin overdose
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan-The Dead drug overdose
Charlie Parker-drug casualty
Chet Baker-drug casualty
Al "Blind Owl" Wilson-Canned Heat-drug overdose
Sid Vicious-heroin overdose
These are reality too...
FYI, Johnny Cash cleaned up his act for the majority of the 60s and 70s and stayed mostly clean (with some struggles) until he died.
Ray Charles went through Rehab when it wasn't trendy or fun for heroin.

BTW, Hendrix's money was totally stolen from him by unscrupulous managers while they kept him loaded. I've got this on authority of Billy Cox.
Man, whatever, obviously you love your herb and more power to you. I was just curious. Personally, I'm going to steer clear of the Amy Winehouse school of career development myself....
 
#132
debassr said:
No need to get personal. I'll shut up if you can name one person in history that has died from a marijuana overdose.
Click to expand...
Point taken, sorry about that-although there's a couple of people that I know of who died of throat and lung cancer for whom that was a lifestyle choice. Miss you both, Hiram Bullock and George Harrison....
 
#134
#135
To each their own. But what I don't get are all the holier than thou types who despite ALL evidence to the contrary, think it's impossible to play if you've got a buzz going. It's just silly.

I get 3 or 4 in me and then I'll have one between each set and I will oblige one shot. That's about 8-9 beers over the course of 4-5 hours. All that is is relaxing and having fun.
 
#136
Haysoochreesto said:
To each their own. But what I don't get are all the holier than thou types who despite ALL evidence to the contrary, think it's impossible to play if you've got a buzz going. It's just silly.

I get 3 or 4 in me and then I'll have one between each set and I will oblige one shot. That's about 8-9 beers over the course of 4-5 hours. All that is is relaxing and having fun.
Click to expand...

Indeed, to each their own. I've tried it both ways and come to a decision that chemicals aren't a good choice for me. Everyone is in a different space. I've worked with some major Rock Stars who functioned to a relatively high degree loaded and others who eventually imploded and crashed and burned because of it. I don't mean to come off as holier than thou at all-just going from my 35+ years as a professional bassist in Dallas, Miami, and Nashville. If it's fun it's fun and that's cool. It stopped being fun for me and I examined what I was doing and made a purely personal choice.
 
#137
Roy Vogt said:
It stopped being fun for me and I examined what I was doing and made a purely personal choice.
Click to expand...

It never stopped being fun for me, it stopped being fun paying a bar tab every night. I hate draft beer even if it's free. Even at 1 crown and coke a night it was racking up $200 a month. If I was going for the buzz, it would have been a grand.
 
#138
I just had to quit a band that was on it's way up because the leader was a pothead. Now I don't mind if someone gets a buzz on if it doesn't affect their work or whatever but this guy burns up a bowl about every hour to hour and a half from late morning to early morning. Consequently, he doesn't take care of business and business is what keeps a band working and making money to pay the bills. Also, no fun to tour with someone that is constantly rolling down the window to burn one or having to wait at each rest stop while he finds a place to self medicate. Not to mention the problems that could come from a bust. Did it affect his playing? Yes and no. He plays great high but if he can't get any weed watch out. He gets whacked out and "hears things". Had to hospitalize him once because of this and fly in another player to do his job at extra expense to the band. I know that this is an extreme example but it has been my experience in 20 plus years as a working musician that those who get loaded on the job just don't do the job as well as they think. Now I'm not preaching about reefer madness or anything God knows I've indulged enough myself through the years and I've been known to have a glass or two of wine but not on the job. Being able to play music for a living is a priveledge IMHO and should be taken seriously.
 
#139
We used to play a joint called Homegrown here, once every couple months. I would always have a beer or two, usually something full-flavored like Dogfishhead or a Sam Seasonal. The place has tons of micobreweries, and that is where I would get into trouble. In the last set I'd usually get a deuce of Unearthly by Southerly Tier. I don't know if you've had this stuff, but it's 11%. As they say.. "never again."
 

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