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Sober musicians playing bar gigs...

#21
i love to have a few drinks with friends.. i also like getting a bit drunk... but i wont drink before we play because i cant allow myself to mess up due to alcohol.. i owe it to my other band members, the crowd, the gig venues and myself to put 110% into the gig..

after we have played though and if im not driving the van then i will have a few drinks.. just to relax and chill with my band mates..
 
#22
I don't drink alcohol anyway, so I stick with the soda and water routine. One of the first things our group discussed was drinking on the job (and if you're getting paid its a job). None of us like the drunk musician on stage routine. For me it's easy not to drink, because I never have. The rest of my group wants to look professional so they stick with the one beer or less per set rule (45 minute sets). It's something the band needs to discuss.
I do have to admit it kills me when the lead guitar player can take a sip of whatever he's drinking at the time during a song.....cause the bass player never gets to stop playing and I've gotta wait till the end of the song.
If you can't restrain yourself from drinking during a gig, it's time to get help. I know several reformed drinkers who still play bar gigs-cup of coffee is their best friend. However, once gig is over, they pack up and go to stay out of temptation :).
 
#25
I don't have a problem with the alcohol in the bars; I can avoid or limit my intake of the stuff. However, many bars are smoky, and I can't hold my breath for a three-hour gig. I go home stinky and my eyes burn.

Of course, I if played really hard, I'd be stinky anyway. Just a different stink.
 
#29
I don't think anybody on this thread read the original post. He was asking if any SOBER muscians (meaning recovering alcoholics) cared to share their experiences playing bar gigs and how they deal with it.

This thread wasnt' meant to be about when or what Heavy/Moderate/Light or non-drinkers drink at a gig.

The OP mentioned that this was a personal question and it may be on people might not want to discuss - but I just wanted to point that out.
 
#30
I used to drink to get "into it" (the music that is), but for the last year or so, I decided I'm done. If the crowd is out dancing around, I'm automatically into it, and moving around too, having a good time. If the crowd is dead, I don't groove as much, but still have a good time.

I think in order to do good business, and keep a good relationship with the bar (and keep out of trouble), drinking should be non-existent or minimal.

It also helps to have understanding band-mates, or band-mates who think like you.

Besides - If you're in the band, everybody else in the bar already assumes you're drinking and having a good time anyway.
 
#31
I've been sober for a coupla years. The last time I was playing bar gigs regularly was in a band where the singer was getting drunk because she thought it was her "duty" to knock back a few with the patrons between sets. :rolleyes: Funny, she was always after us to get "more professional" with quick segues between songs, but around the 3rd set she'd always start changing up the setlist on us.

The current band hasn't had any gigs yet, but it's refreshing to see that the guitar player doesn't drink at all during rehearsal. The drummer has a beer or two, the keyboard player drinks several beers, and the singer tokes. It doesn't seem to affect them much.

As for myself I just drink Coke, 7Up, or bottled water at the gig. Every bar has soda. I make a point of telling the bartenders I don't drink, in case someone wants to buy a round for the band. I stay active in AA too.
 
#32
I usually have a beer a set. Lately I've started making them 12 oz bottles rather than bigass drafts.

I played with a guitar player a long time ago that was a recovering alcoholic. I never even suspected he had an alcohol problem. The guy always drank coffee on a gig. Until one day..................

He's fine now. He's got his stuff together again, but playing in bars was a real detriment to his sobriety.
 
#33
Guiseppe said:
I realize this is a personal topic, but I've known a few friends over the years that were good players but aren't comfortable playing bars/clubs. Personally, I have some alcoholism in my own family, and admit from time to time I've thought about the wisdom of spending a considerable amount of time in bars - for you (that are comfortable addressing this topic) that are sober, do you find it a risk? Any "tricks" that you use to avoid temptation?
Click to expand...

A very good question. I haven't indulged in a good many years, and don't intend to ever return to it. So alcohol is no temptation to me personally. I'm just not interested in it.

For me, the much more salient issue is that I simply don't care for the typical bar environment. Moreover, I think the type of material I've been developing is likely to go right over the head of the typical barfly. So it's simply not a good fit.

There are a lot of alternative venues that are potentially available for gigging - if one is creative and resourceful. (As creative types, surely we can look outside the box once in awhile. Right?)

I'm looking at other types of venues...

MM
 
#35
+1 to the club soda with lime! I've found that if you don't want people to hassle you for not drinking (which always seems to happen to me), get the bartender to put it in a small glass, then stick a stirrer straw in it. No one will ever know the difference.

Me and my old band used to knock 'em back before, during & after the gig, but now I might have a beer before I go on and maybe one after. Plus, it's hard to sing when I drink booze, since it does indeed dehydrate.




arjosy said:
I never drink at gigs. I always have a pint of club soda with lime at gigs. I'll go through 5 or 6 of these a gig night. Keeps me hydrated and I find I feel more rested the next day even if I didn't get a full night sleep. And I never have to worry about DUI and such. Once I got into the club soda habit, I found I didn't miss the other stuff. And I don't miss feeling like crap the next day.

I gotta figure that if gigging in a bar leads to excessive drinking, you probably have a problem that needs attention whether you're gigging or not.
Click to expand...
 
#37
One of my singers favorite tricks is to get an empty beer bottle, wash it out and keep filling it with water. That way the crowd thinks he is drinking, he can continue to do cheers and waterfalls with the crowd and he doesn't have to worry about being dehydrated or getting drunk. Most bars you play at will appreciate a band that can keep their heads about them and yet encourage the customers to drink more.
Personally its a different story for me. I've tried to quit drinking several times but I find it pretty much impossible to do so when I'm in a bar three nights a week. Being sober and hanging out in a bar is the ultimate oxymoron. Its damn near impossible unless you have a iron-clad will.
 
#38
depends what bar were playing but the main thing is if i'm the dezzy driver for the band for the night and also if our band is providing the backing line or not
if were providing all the gear or if i'm mr taxi for the night i dont drink at all shifting heavy amps when your drunk is no fun and drink driving is for idiots
if however i'm not driving or i'm only supplying the bass amp i'll have about two or three redbulls and vodka but sometimes i wont drink at all depending on the mood of the band after the gig however i hit every bottle and shot i can untill i'm lying under a table seeing dead family members and having outer body experiences but hey i'm young :D
 
#39
I like to drink, but I refuse to drink at bars when I play there, and I refuse to play with musicians who get high on anything before they get on stage. It makes them personally insufferable and (at least for me) impossible to connect with on a musical level.

I WILL NOT play a 2nd gig where the drummer's been drinking or smoking weed before showtime. That experience produces a 100% failure rate.
 

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