General Music Chat

To this day I don't understand some of the vitriole of people "fighting" online. I don't believe in cyberspace bullying, let alone bullying in person. It's hard for me to get all worked up over an internet "feud." I had a "violent" argument one time with somebody on Craig's List. He said he was going to "beat the crap out of me" IN PERSON. I gave him my name and address and also told him some of the gigs we were going to play so he could come out any time he felt manly enough. I have no idea if he ever did show up or not.

You have prolly read enough of my posts to know I can at times, be superbly amiable with pretty much everyone... . But, For some reason ...and I don't really know why..but when another poster gets vulgar with me...or launches a verbal attack... especially where none was necessary, ...and if they come off to me as a bully...I come out swinging...

I've been tossed out of (actually banned from ) a few bars for the same reason... And you know...Its not that I look for it. I guess I hate bullies so much, that I feel compelled to destroy them.

On the flip side... I am just as quick to warm up to folks when they express friendliness... I prefer that any day over the alternatives... So my question of the day: Why must so many people insist on being ass-holes...??? Why??? I ask... Why?

Back to the post, I dont think saying doing drugs is good in music, not to say most of us at one time havent done a few things, but I think my most productive times in music have been sober.

If you dont believe me get real fughed up and record yourself, and listen back later sober, I think most of us are much more profecient sober than messed up, not to say some great music hasnt come from being screwed up, but when it came time to play the music and record it, I imagine most of the greats were more sober than all of the legends seem to suggest.

Heck just listen to live recordings of the great bands when they were thier most screwed up and listen to ones after they sobered up, there is a huge difference.

Lets face it, if you are in music to make money, then its serious business, or it is just business, you dont go to work fughed up, you wont hold onto your job. So if you are serious music is business, its not the party everyone wants to think it is.

Now if you are just making noise in your garage thats a whole other thing, who gives a damn how messed up you are? Noone, also how many on here have gotten rid of band members thru the years, because of substance issues? Ive gone thru many, and dont hold any bad feelings for it, if a drummer cant finish the night or is inconsistent in his drumming, or any member for that matter, you guve them a few chances if they dont tighten it up you get rid of them, you have to surround yourself with folks that you can depend on.

Now Im not against guys haveing a few beers or a smoke here and there, as long as it doesnt affect thier ability to put on a show, or make it thru a song.

If you are involved musically with someone with a real problem, I dont think you will get anywhere and if you do by chance they more than likely wont be able to go the distance with you.

Just my 2 cents

Paper I think people get way to emotionally invested into forums, I know I have on occasions, if someone gets me to the point that I want to beat the sh*t out of them then I just need to back away from it all together.

I think its easy for people to put up these personaes online that are totally different than in real life.

I raced dirt bikes for years and wrote these blogs on my son and my racing experiences. Im from TN and there was this guy that raced, who was my age from LA who would always comment and say some real negative things about me on these blogs I wrote.

So it just happened that there was a race in his area at a track my son and I wanted to ride on, so we went down there, not to confront him, but just too ride, at the time a lot of people all over read my blogs.

So we get setup with out camper at this race track and some other friends came over and said, Hey John you know that guy that is always bashing you on the mx sites, and I said yea. They were laughing well he is sitting right over there with his son. So I went over and started talking to him, didnt tell him who I was, just looking at his bike and saying it looked real nice. He looks over at my trailer and there is my bike with the number 123 on it, my profile name on all the web sites was JW 123. So he askes my name and I tell him, finally he says are you the guy that writes all those blogs on your travels, I said yea thats me.

He kinda draws up, now he had said all kinds of crazy things about me and my son on the internet, how he would bash me in the mouth, beat me on the track. I was just cool with him, my son raced his son and whipped his ass on the track, and i had one of those good weekends for me where I whipped his ass in our class.

After that he was my buddy, in fact he would make comments that I came down to LA just to beat him on the track, which I did, not that i was that great of a rider, it was more that he was a real slow racer.

So what i found was that most people on the net, who come across as bullys and stuff, arent all they are cracked up to be in real life, he didnt say anything negative to my face, but neither did I.

Also, I think many of us at times are just frustrated with our lives in general and that tends to come across when responding to someone who goes negative on us.

For me its kinda entertaining to see altercations online, kinda like reality tv shows.

Anyway Im rambling, and its just my perceptions of these types of things, which I have been involved with many many times over the last 10-12 years, Ive grown thick skin and really dont give a sh*t what anyone says about me online anymore, and dont get offended when someone attacks me, cause I know they may just be having a hard time in life and need a scapegoat to thrash on, I can take it, and it doesnt affect me in my real life.

Peace all, and Rock ON!

Paper I think people get way to emotionally invested into forums, I know I have on occasions, if someone gets me to the point that I want to beat the sh*t out of them then I just need to back away from it all together.

I think its easy for people to put up these personaes online that are totally different than in real life.

I raced dirt bikes for years and wrote these blogs on my son and my racing experiences. Im from TN and there was this guy that raced, who was my age from LA who would always comment and say some real negative things about me on these blogs I wrote.

So it just happened that there was a race in his area at a track my son and I wanted to ride on, so we went down there, not to confront him, but just too ride, at the time a lot of people all over read my blogs.

So we get setup with out camper at this race track and some other friends came over and said, Hey John you know that guy that is always bashing you on the mx sites, and I said yea. They were laughing well he is sitting right over there with his son. So I went over and started talking to him, didnt tell him who I was, just looking at his bike and saying it looked real nice. He looks over at my trailer and there is my bike with the number 123 on it, my profile name on all the web sites was JW 123. So he askes my name and I tell him, finally he says are you the guy that writes all those blogs on your travels, I said yea thats me.

He kinda draws up, now he had said all kinds of crazy things about me and my son on the internet, how he would bash me in the mouth, beat me on the track. I was just cool with him, my son raced his son and whipped his ass on the track, and i had one of those good weekends for me where I whipped his ass in our class.

After that he was my buddy, in fact he would make comments that I came down to LA just to beat him on the track, which I did, not that i was that great of a rider, it was more that he was a real slow racer.

So what i found was that most people on the net, who come across as bullys and stuff, arent all they are cracked up to be in real life, he didnt say anything negative to my face, but neither did I.

Also, I think many of us at times are just frustrated with our lives in general and that tends to come across when responding to someone who goes negative on us.

For me its kinda entertaining to see altercations online, kinda like reality tv shows.

Anyway Im rambling, and its just my perceptions of these types of things, which I have been involved with many many times over the last 10-12 years, Ive grown thick skin and really dont give a sh*t what anyone says about me online anymore, and dont get offended when someone attacks me, cause I know they may just be having a hard time in life and need a scapegoat to thrash on, I can take it, and it doesnt affect me in my real life.

Peace all, and Rock ON!

Good Insight JW! and its cool how you handled that situation when you met up with the guy.

I am in real life, an emotional person... LOL! For the most part, what folks read from me on the blogs , is generally pretty close to what I am in real life...Yep...I over analyze stuff, very talkative, I have a great sense of humor, generous to a fault and a flash temper on certain issues... (I like to refer to my flash temper as "Quick reaction to bullshit ") ha ha! What I find really amazing and interesting...is how much people bring to the table when they read others' postings. You are are right about the part where an offensive post might have been the product of a bad day for somebody. So true, in fact, that when some people have a bad day and then read another person's opinion, they can turn it into a personal attack, even where the other guy didn't mean for it to be one. In real life, I used to have that problem.... not really "listening" to what others were saying and I was always on the offensive (as a measure of defensive) . I have come a long way since then... The part about bullies is there... I often root for the underdog in those situations... I think bullying has become a national problem... LOL! Translated, folks are in a lot of pain... and they aggress onto others... I wish to God i had more patience...In the end Bullies need to be shown more love and kindness... and not more violence or resistance against their existence. You know..This gives me an idea for my next CD! "Bullies"

I always wanted to trip out while jamming but those days are long gone ...
Now its a few beers and a few bong rips.
Practically a requirement playing Grateful Dead stuff.
Which leads to this well traveled G.D. joke
What did the Deadhead say when the drugs wore off ?
" Man - this music blows ! "

In my younger days, it was bong-city, day and night...Hell There is one summer as a teenager which I completely draw a blank on. Ultimately, I didn't like how it made me perceive things,.,, So I quit it altogether... Found out shortly thereafter that it impaired my learning ability for a couple of years(couldn't focus or concentrate on anything.). When I was growing up, my parents couldn't tell me why smoking dope wasn't particularly good for me.. (They didn't have any clue about it). But my kid... has parents who can definitely back up the claims about the ills... I reminded my son one time... "If you smoke that stuff, you'll turn into your father!... " That was all it took! LOL!

Some people think they have to "loosen up" with drugs and/or alcohol to play better. Some people think drugs enhances their creativity in music. Drugs makes people play WORSE. It adversely affects timing. I simply do not tolerate being in a band with a drunk or drug addict. It always leads to nothing musically for me.

Performance... no way.
Creating... I can see it's place. Especially if you work alone. In moderation of course...

Perhaps it depends more on how much of what. One toke over the line truly effects your playing. Perhaps not so much frees you from your inhibitions. and is more relaxing. Louis Armstrong and a good many greats were stoned much of the time according to "hear say". But granted, how much can you rely on Hear say?

I always had the jitters whenever we first started playing. After a wee bit I lost the self conscious feelings I always had during the early part of the first set. I was always concerned that the folks listening might not like how I interpreted a song. Just a good old inferiority complex.

Too much of anything is distracting. But I always found that girlfriends and wives caused more trouble in performances than a couple of beers or an occasional toke in any band in which I was a member.

I always wanted to trip out while jamming but those days are long gone ...
Now its a few beers and a few bong rips.
Practically a requirement playing Grateful Dead stuff.
Which leads to this well traveled G.D. joke
What did the Deadhead say when the drugs wore off ?
" Man - this music blows ! "

Poor Jerry...He was the only guy who could flip us off and still make us believe he was flashing a really wide peace sign...

I always wanted to trip out while jamming but those days are long gone ...
Now its a few beers and a few bong rips.
Practically a requirement playing Grateful Dead stuff.
Which leads to this well traveled G.D. joke
What did the Deadhead say when the drugs wore off ?
" Man - this music blows ! "

Poor Jerry...He was the only guy who could flip us off and still make us believe he was flashing a really wide peace sign...

He was enigmatic no doubt

I certainly don't condone drug usage, especially while playing


Yet I haven't liked Aerosmith since they quit being stoned all the time. Their last great album was "Draw The Line". I'm sure their live shows are much better though. Saw them 4 times in the late 70s/early 80s and they sounded bad at all of them.

Picked up a good tip from S Tyler though. When you're voice is crap, just point at the monitor and look towards the back of the room so the sound man will get the blame.

Music and drugs are subjective in that it depends on what music you are playing/creating.

Do you want to be on heroin and try to perform a Paganini Caprice? Probably not. How about getting stoned before improvising on a Raga? Perhaps.

Altered States of Consciousness including drug induced trance has gone hand in hand with spiritual/ritual music since the Sumerians and Assyrians. This type of music promotes trance induction and is only part of the ceremony.

Drug induced trance dissociates your cognitive self from your subconscious self which can yield epiphanies of spectacular creativeness.

Some drugs work better than others.

"See I think drugs have done some good things for us. If you don't think drugs have done good things for us then do me a favor. Go home tonight and take all of your records,tapes and all your CD's and burn them. Because, you know all those musicians who made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years? Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreal f**k high on drugs, man. " .... Bill Hicks

lol...

That said, getting hammered and trying to play doesn't work for most people. Then of course there's the health effects of overindulgence.

Drug induced trance dissociates your cognitive self from your subconscious self which can yield epiphanies of spectacular creativeness.

.

....or it can yield a big pool of slobber on the floor!