Venting - LS can't handle playing in a bar that serves shots.

[MobileHolmes]

I have sort of mixed feelings here. Personally, I dont' drink much at gigs anymore (Max one beer/cocktail per set, and lately, less than that). Rest of the band is at about the same pace, thankfully.

I don't think you need to go zero tolerance on the singer, but he ought to know, and ought to shape up. Mistakes happen. I'm not even sure he is an alcoholic, if this was a one time thing (some can people get out of hand once or twice without an underlying problem).

But I do think it needs to be addressed. You don't want to routinely compromise the music. You don't want to drive off the audience, or venues. And at some point, a series of bad shows could do that. Especially a bad LS, since that who casual listeners are paying attention to

 

[7615]

We are having a slack chat in parallel to me posting on this thread. So far he seems oblivious...
His first slack post after the gig:
"Hey guys great show last night !
Everyone had a lot a lot of fun
Kudos to you guys for making my job easy !! Y'all sounded great !"

I posted this, to try and solicit more information:
"So, are there any takeaways from the gig on what we can do better? ... and also what went well."

EDIT: He responded to my query... Yeah, he's oblivious....

No one cares - audience bar owner. BUT - I love playing and when someone does that an evening I was looking forward to is turned into a nightmare.

 

[MobileHolmes]

This is a terrible observation. Engaging in shots with family does not make one an alcoholic. A lapse in judgement, certainly. But not anything worthy of a diagnostic like that.

You really shouldn't assign clinical diagnoses to others on an online forum.

Yeah, I hardly drink, average 3-4 drinks a month probably (although have an impressive stash of booze), but had a party where I went overboard last year. I'd made a pitcher of hurricanes for the group, and they are more potent than they taste (when done right, they have a ton of liquor). And then we made some more cocktails, and so on. I'm pretty sure one screw up didn't make me an alcoholic.

 

[BluesWalker]

What bars don't sell shots?

 

[JimmyM]

What bars don't sell shots?

Beer and wine bars.

 

[MobileHolmes]

Beer and wine bars.

I don't know that that's a thing everywhere. I think some states do licencing differently for different types of alcohol, but I don't think I've ever been to a beer/wine only place anywhere I've ever been, except for breweries

 

[lat]

If it only happened once, I'd probably be OK. But since I don't drink, the likelihood is way low of that ever happening. Still, I think it's stupid to harangue this guy and make him out to be some raging alcoholic when in fact he's just a dude who went a little too far one night.

Good perspective on the night. That's why I don't want to make it about him, but about a band policy going forward.

 

[buldog5151bass]

If it only happened once, I'd probably be OK. But since I don't drink, the likelihood is way low of that ever happening. Still, I think it's stupid to harangue this guy and make him out to be some raging alcoholic when in fact he's just a dude who went a little too far one night.

I never said he was a raging alcoholic. But I'm a lawyer. It's a pretty safe bet if I showed up in court or a deposition that drunk, they wouldn't call it "just a dude who went too far".

 

[nomaj]

I'm glad so many people in this thread live perfectly perfect lives and can sit in such judgment of someone they don't know from Adam. You are the most awesome people on earth, and I'm sure none of you ever made a mistake in your lives ever. Congratulations.

+1

This is a bar band were talking about for chrissakes - and bars love it when people order drinks. The singer gets drunk onstage once, and he's bent out of shape. Stuff happens in bar band land.
Sounds like the OP is better off playing the Ned Flanders circuit.

One of my former bands had a guitarist who used to be a lampshade-on-the-head type guy - and a pretty good entertainer. Then he quit drinking and started spouting all these slogans to everyone else in the band and he'd tell us that we should quit, too - we would roll our eyes at his sanctimony.

 

[sears]

That's the spirit

I see what you did there

 

[frankie5string]

My friends and bandmates have a saying about those places:

"If they drink the wine, everyone will be fine. If they drink the beer, their thoughts will be free'er."

I don't know that that's a thing everywhere. I think some states do licencing differently for different types of alcohol, but I don't think I've ever been to a beer/wine only place anywhere I've ever been, except for breweries

 

[frankie5string]

Haha! I know a few older lawyers who will take a good stiff drink (or two, or three) to take the edge off before heading into court. So there's that... ;-)

I never said he was a raging alcoholic. But I'm a lawyer. It's a pretty safe bet if I showed up in court or a deposition that drunk, they wouldn't call it "just a dude who went too far".

 

[bdplaid]

It's a bar, they make money by selling drinks! I'm pretty sure the owners were perfectly happy selling them shot after shot.

I agree, until they start throwing chairs and disturbing other customers. Ask me how I know.

 

[lat]

Has nothing to do with being perfect. What would happen to you if you showed up at a gig so drunk you were incoherent, and people had to pick up a bass to try bass to get the band through the gig? I imagine you would lose the job, and not get any other gigs related to the project. If any of us weekend warriors showed up at work that drunk, we would be out on the streets immediately.

While I don't drink while playing, I know some people do. But falling down, incoherent drunk? There is never an excuse for that.

To be fair, he wasn't falling down, just staggering. And, he wasn't completely incoherent. He just made some incoherent comments on the mic. But your point is still valid, in my books...

 

[J-Mags]

A lot of people think of screwing up due to alcohol as something that happens from time to time, and something they take in stride. There are a lot of people who rarely drink, but when they do, they get that "I'll do anything" look in their eyes, and it's truly scary. It doesn't necessarily mean they'll do it again any time soon. There are people who are pushing the envelope with some frequency. In each case you've gotta decide how much you'll tolerate.

I barely drink, and I don't like to be around drunk people, but it happens. You have to remember that the club isn't necessarily hiring you to play fine, professional music; they're paying you to host a party. What they want to know is how many people are gonna show up, and how many drinks they're buying. Really, if you could bring those people in by exposing your genitals and not get in trouble with the law, that'd probably be ok too.

That doesn't excuse the singer for OP's band. Apparently the singer's expectations of how professional he's gotta be differ from the rest of the band's. It's entirely fair to say what your expectations are, and to expect the singer to either follow them, or to say take it or leave it so you can decide whether to can him.

But I'm not sure where the high-and-mighty tone comes from. We've all been through the ringer with people using drugs and alcohol, and it's traumatic, but I don't see where a single drunken bar gig means the guy is an end-stage alcoholic who can't be dealt with. It sounds to me like he comes from a drinking family and he was joining right in while they were at the gig.

 

[210superair]

I've been known to 'howl at the moon' from time to time, but not on stage. Besides, I have to drive home from gigs, and I have a zero tolerance policy on that. (I'll sleep in my ride before I drive drunk.) Can't say I didn't do it a few times when I was younger though.

My guitar player has had a few episodes, but with a little nudge and a 'come on man...', he's been pretty well behaved since. The one time he really overdid, he told us all "I'd like to tell you it'll never happen again, but I can promise you it won't happen tomorrow..." Lol.

 

[lat]

I don't know that that's a thing everywhere. I think some states do licencing differently for different types of alcohol, but I don't think I've ever been to a beer/wine only place anywhere I've ever been, except for breweries

In the past, we played at a hall where they just served beer and wine. In Alberta, we have a graduated liquor licence scheme where beer / wine licences are easier / cheaper to obtain.

 

[electracoyote]

I see what you did there

I didn't...'til just now.

 

[MobileHolmes]

In the past, we played at a hall where they just served beer and wine. In Alberta, we have a graduated liquor licence scheme where beer / wine licences are easier / cheaper to obtain.

The city I went to school in distinguished between restaurant and bar licenses based on percentage of revenue coming from liquor, but I think you could still sell hard liquor in a restaurant. At any rate, I'm sure there are states/localities in the US that have an arrangement like you describe, I've just never been to one

 

[the yeti]

eventually it'll come down to this- fire hime or get over it.