Demo,
Interesting take. I'm not at the point where I've even contemplated doing things like and maybe that's a little of what I should be doing. Maybe release myself from the weight of all ways playing everything exactly the same way.
Since I've never played in front of people it's not the same for me, but I do find my mind drifting sometimes when I am playing songs along with a CD, and I'm thinking about the solo coming up or the litter box needs changing or whatever and then I go and miss a chord change.
It may well have to do with the laziness you aluded to, since I find that I sometimes have a hard time staying focused when I play golf, mainly because it's such a long period of time.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
I fall asleep when anyone even remotely suggest doing Plug in baby. Played it in my first 'band' in Apeldoorn, with the second band in Groningen and it became a regular tune when hanging out with some friends. It's just one riff and some powerchords, very little room to change stuff without people going nuts.
Now this thread is right down my alley.
Rock and Roll and beer is just like peanut butter and jelly!
A few years back I was in a real party band. We would start drinking while packing up our gear to head out to the gig. By the time we set up and it was time to play we were all trashed. This was the way we were, and the way people expected us to be. And we drank all night.
And believe it or not, we could really play like this. We were total fools on stage, you never knew what we were going to do. And this would carry over to the crowd. By the end of the night everybody in the place was you-know-what faced.
Clubs loved us. We sold lots of alcohol. No, we sold TONS of alcohol.
We made mistakes, but nobody cared. We would laugh and joke about it.
But as time wore on, it started getting out of control. One night I could not remember the chords to a song. I was plastered. Luckily, somehow I remembered at the last moment and got through the song.
Our singer started to forget lines he had sang a hundred times.
Our drummer actually started getting violent. He got in a fight at one club. They banned us for life. He would throw his sticks at people.
Anyway, it just doesn't work, at least not for long. At first it's all fun and you can handle it. But after awhile it starts to handle you.
I am not in that band anymore. I still drink a little bit, but I try to be aware of it at all times. It can really sneak up on you.
I'll drink a beer just before going on, and maybe another beer for the second or third sets. But that's it.
A little bit is relaxing. A lot of alcohol will just ruin your performance, and perhaps get you arrested driving home (never had that happen..... yet).
Oh well, not trying to preach. But just be careful. This is one of the biggest dangers of being a musician.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Hi,
Alcohol is definitely required when I sing - it's essential that the audience is drunk. Preferably comatose. Doesn't much matter if I have any or not... :wink:
I guess I'm a 'two beers' type too though, although in my case it's more likely to be be couple of glasses of red wine. However, over a week, almost all my playing is done sober, and most evenings too.
I absolutely agree with Wes' post above, as I've seen the same thing happen many times.
I was involved in the music industry in the 70s (not as a player. I was a partner in a graphic design business that did publicity photos and album designs, among other things). I saw a lot of people wreck their talent, their careers, and in some cases their lives, with drugs and alcohol. Fortunately I didn't have much talent to wreck, so my experiments with mind altering substances didn't appear to make much difference... :?
I saw some grim performances by well known artists who had started on the "just a bit to relax me" trail and then couldn't do without it, and kept slowly sliding the dose up a bit. Embarrassing shows with the star playing with dripping nose and back to the audience (Lou Reed and also Eric Clapton spring to mind).
Another time. we were photographing a rehearsal of the Australian version of Tommy, which had the Who drummer Keith Moon in it. I watched him stagger round the stage swigging from a bottle of brandy, and it really wasn't funny. Eventually the bottle slipped from his fingers, rolled off the stage and smashed in the orchestra pit. I remember thinking "I never want to be like that..."
And I still have a picture, taken by my business partner, of Bon Scott of AC/DC unzipping his jeans and displaying his tattoos. He wiped out too.
I guess what I'm saying is that I definitely enjoy having a drink or two and then playing sometimes, but I make sure that it doesn't become just part of the routine.
End of my "Old fart says be careful with drugs and alcohol" rant.. :twisted: :D
I generally have a glass o' red through the week. But that's mainly 'cause I enjoy it with dinner and, like the guitar, helps me relax after a day at the office.
BUT, I usually have to follow that glass up with a coffee before/during my practice else I'm likely to get a little too sleepy to concentrate. :oops:
A beer or two is also nice but just don't drink much at all these days anyway ... got sick of feeling like crap the following morning. :P
From little things big things grow - Paul Kelly
On partying and performance from a professional musician...
http://www.richard-bennett.com/
Its the Brisbane, Australia, 17 March 2005 entry, not too far down.
:D
"Things may get a whole lot worse/ Before suddenly falling apart"
Steely Dan
"Look at me coyote, don't let a little road dust put you off" Knopfler
Ouch!
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
Long days in the sun, and alcohol DON'T mix. End of story there (I've had my fair shares of that! :shock: )
Me?
Couple of beers - no problem
6-pack - no problem (add)...... Hey, I can sing now!!!
12-pack - no problem, and I can still sing!!!
18 beers - Play and sing, just a few BPM slower. :roll:
20+ - Forget what I was doing and how the hell my guitar ended up in my hands. Wander around lost coming back to my guitar only to find out, I forgot what I was trying to play in the first place and instead, work on my improv because I don't know what the hell my fingers were doing in the first place so now would be a good time to let them run free.
Most of the time that works, the only other problem I have is my pickin' hand (after all that) askes me, "WTF! were you just tryin' ta play???!!!"
It's a work in progress.
I don't drink before a performance, I'm never really nervous. But, when I'm with my friends at my apartment and Ive had a few, I almost always whip out the guitar and just jam. No one's playing along, I never really know w hat I'm playing and i think it sounds great and everyone wants to listen. Maybe it's cos they're drunk too.
On a slightly related note, I have noticed that after a beer or 7, my German improves GREATLY.
Our singer started to forget lines he had sang a hundred times.
Back in high school, I'd sung bass in a do-wop band. My voice didn't exactly have the register for lead vocals, ya know?
But playing in a rock band in the 70s, when the lead singer stepped out into the alley between sets... the part of him between the ears didn't come back (he stumbled about, fell over the drum riser, and forgot ALL the lyrics).
I looked at the club owner, and from the look on his face I knew I was probably gonna have trouble paying the rent that was due in a couple days. So I shoved the singer out of the way and made my first pro vocal appearance.
I guess that means I owe my singing abilities to drugs and alcohol :)
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Demo,
Interesting take. I'm not at the point where I've even contemplated doing things like and maybe that's a little of what I should be doing. Maybe release myself from the weight of all ways playing everything exactly the same way.
Since I've never played in front of people it's not the same for me, but I do find my mind drifting sometimes when I am playing songs along with a CD, and I'm thinking about the solo coming up or the litter box needs changing or whatever and then I go and miss a chord change.
It may well have to do with the laziness you aluded to, since I find that I sometimes have a hard time staying focused when I play golf, mainly because it's such a long period of time.
Hey, speaking of golf, which I fooled with as a kid and don't play anymore - there's this movie I REALLY like - "The Legend of Bagger Vance." When I saw it the first time I went "Man, this isn't actually about golf at all" (which is obvious I guess), but what it's about is totally fascinating. It's a little off topic from what I wrote above, and waaaay off topic from this thread (not trying to hijack it friends), but that whole 'in the zone' thing I find really cool, whatever storyline or idea is used to portray it.
And...it's a cool golf type movie on top of that.
What's funny though, is when I reread my original post, I sound like some guy who focuses on all these little teeny tiny details and becomes fascinated (and/or obsessed) with them. Kinda weird, lol!
But yah, I guess I'm like that with certain things. :)
Take care
I did the party band thing back just out of high school. I didnt play guitar at the time, but Jim Beam can make a lead singer say and do lots of crazy and embarrassing :oops: things. I cant imagine trying to play guitar being as drunk as some of us were at the time.
Although, I am not sure how we would have been the band we were and played the music we did without drinking alot. I mean c'mon this was the heavy metal 80's :lol:
Luckily with age comes wisdom, usually, so one or two beers is more than plenty now.
Geoo
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
Interesting thread. I most certainly play better after just a couple of beers. It loosens me up considerably. I've got several friends who play live all the time. All of them drink before playing for the same reasons. One of them, on his birthday last year, got so drunk he could barely walk. Yet, he managed to play just fine. I was actually very impressed, because I thought it was going to be a very ugly evening. 'Course about halfway through their third set he was looking for a place to passout! :D
After I've had about 8 beers, I suddenly become EVH and think I can play anything. :D I recorded myself playing on one of those evenings (thinking I was capturing magic). I promptly deleted that file the next day.
"Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution"
Hi. Drugs booze and music.....
I'm just happy I still have my sanity
and no felony record :)
I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but when
you're a 22lb sledge, do you really have to be?
I find that performing in a bar while drinking, the energy and adrenaline of playing negate alcohol's effect.
The unexamined life is unworth living - Aristotle
