Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

You HAVE to drink in order to perform in front of people. I've done some replacement gigs recently for missing bass players and the band members I have played with say that they have to drink in order to gig. In my opinion having to drink to do anything is a sure sign of an alcoholic. What's your opinion? Do you HAVE to drink when gigging?

Even when I used to drink I never touched a single beer before playing. Any alcohol consumption makes me a sloppy player. I've seen some guys drink like fish and pull off sets.

My take is if they claim that they have to, then they either don't want to deal with any nerves, or they like the looseness it gives them. If they drink everytime and anytime they play then they could be drinkers and potential alchies.

Drugs, in my opinion, have their place only in a shamanic way, something like alcohol, outside of initially loosening you up, is non-conducive to performing and connecting with the muse.

We have only one rule with alcohol in the band: do whatever you want while on stage, just don't show up to the show already drunk.

Selling alcohol is a part of what you do when you play at a bar; if you don't drink, don't advertise that fact.

I hesitate to label anyone until I know for sure that whatever it is they're doing is counter-productive to the task at hand. If they play well & drink, it isn't a problem.

I've had a drink or two before a show, & one per set. Normally, I drink 4-6 beers a week, all in one night, these days. I wouldn't say that I have a drinking problem.

I have used a shot once in awhile to steady my nerves, or to clear out the phlegm before a show, too.

Of course, there are those that simply shouldn't mess with the stuff, but only you can determine if that's the case, here.

If it's a ritual, chances are that it isn't a big deal.

Are you an alcoholic if.... It interferes with your performance.

Slacker G wrote:Are you an alcoholic if.... It interferes with your performance.

Whether an alcoholic or not, any amount of alcohol will interfere with your performance to some degree.

What you are discribing is insecurity, not alcoholism.
Alcoholism involves your whole life not one part.

Ahhhh liquid courage.

Have to drink?
No
The only reason i know of to "have to drink" is to get drunk.

The bluegrass band I was in passed the jar around 3 times every practice. We didn't get drunk. it was a ritual that bonded us together.

I believe such things are useful.

Does it have to be a jar? Today is 4/20!

Rituals matter.

If the drinking is a ritual, well, I'd suggest they should find a better ritual, still...

I was co-leader of a band years ago. We had an absolute rule: no alcohol for band members during rehearsal or performances.

Then one night...

We were playing a song where there were two guitar solos. One guitarist played one, the other played the other. All night long this guy had been pushing shots of tequila on us, all night long we'd been refusing them, giving them to our fans instead.

There was a tray of shots on the edge of the stage.

The first solo was approaching.

Guitarist #1 was doing the usual set up thing he did a measure or two before this solo (not sure why this one was like that, he didn't usually "set up" for a solo like that). He saw the tray. Walked up, grabbed a shot and drank it the way you do a shot, head back, one swallow.

Then proceeded to rip out a brilliant solo.

Guitarist #2 followed suit.

As we were packing up I said to him, "This is where, as a band leader, I'm supposed to yell at you for breaking one of the cardinal rules of the band. But I can't. It was just such a rock-n-roll thing to do, I just can't bring myself to be angry about it."

This led to the ritual of the entire band starting the last set with a shot every gig. It was a stupid ritual. We could have played just fine without it. But we all had a little more fun because of that stupid ritual. I don't think the alcohol was even a factor, just the ritual.

I'll have a cold beer, maybe two when we practice. But never to gig.
For many people rituals matter.
I've been taught not to depend on such foolishness.
I fought a guy whom always pumped his lead foot before he kicked.
His kicks were easy to defect and step in.
On the third pump I knocked him out.

Your either in the now or your not.

Pretty simple stuff really.

sanshouheil wrote:I'll have a cold beer, maybe two when we practice. But never to gig.
For many people rituals matter.
I've been taught not to depend on such foolishness.
I fought a guy whom always pumped his lead foot before he kicked.
His kicks were easy to defect and step in.
On the third pump I knocked him out.

Your either in the now or your not.

Pretty simple stuff really.

That's just bad habit.
Ritual is a formalized ceremony that includes a series of actions that become both physical as well as mental, the result is a release of energy resulting in the fulfillment of an objective.

Never drank before singing and now I don't drink at all. I'm a total adrenalin junkie. I turn into a different person on stage.

Chaeya