Alcohol and playing

Keefy

I’ve never drunk much on gigs because I’m almost always driving. Last summer I played a beer/blues festival where we got food and drink tokens as part of the deal, plus I got a lift. I chose a pint of the weakest beer (which turned out to be a very pleasant summer ale) and regretted it as soon as I got on stage as it really took the edge off my concentration.

I’ve been losing weight too so I generally go for diet cola now.

saltyseadog

Joe Walsh believed the smoker he drank the player he got. Seriously though I can see where a drink can help to steady the nerves of a nervous type but I cannot recall any of the big names from the past saying that the played better when they were drunk or doped, although a case can be made for the Grateful Dead who were apparently on a continuous acid trip for years in the 60's and 70's.

prlgmnr

saltyseadog said:

Joe Walsh believed the smoker he drank the player he got.

Maybe a couple fewer before posting.

ICBM

prlgmnr said:

saltyseadog said:

Joe Walsh believed the smoker he drank the player he got.

Maybe a couple fewer before posting.

prlgmnr

I didn't realise they had autocorrect back then.

saltyseadog

I just changed the tense to make it personal to Joe for goodness sake. It seems some of you could with a drink to lighten up.

Blueingreen

When younger I used to drink and play quite a bit.  Not being silly with it (well maybe I did go slightly over the score once or twice, can't really remember) but I'd quite often be feeling a little merry by the end of the gig.

Style of music was a factor.  I was in a Blues Brothers style soul band for a while (Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, bit of James Brown etc).  The guitar parts on that stuff are very simple,  not many chords, no intricate solos to memorise, and we were gigging often enough that I could almost play the stuff in my sleep.  It was in the post punk period and there was a lot of inverted snobbery about cover bands being too polished. Plenty of energy and a little rough around the edges was cool. Plus it was good time music often for a pretty pissed up crowd, and an ability to enter into the spirit of things after 3 or 4 drinks mattered more than the odd bit of sloppy playing.

Nowadays I nurse one bottle of beer, maybe another if there's a second set.  I rarely finish them. I'm much more self-critical if I make a mistake. The music's more demanding and I no longer trust myself to get away with more than two bottles tops.  Something gained but also maybe something lost.

prlgmnr

It's my lack of historical knowledge at fault here, not your post.

gringopig

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Danny1969

Playing from muscle memory is generally OK when playing pissed, but thinking on your feet is definitely impaired. If I'm playing with bands I don't normally play with ...  different songs from normal  ... different keys etc I ease off the beer. I don't drink a lot playing in the KB band, the music is too complex 

Many bands on tour though are playing the exact same set night after night for months and they can generally do that pissed up, coked up etc 

notanon

In the interest of balance, anybody familiar with the Ballmer peak?

https://observer.com/2012/04/bottoms-up-the-ballmer-peak-is-real-study-says/

prlgmnr

no but I've been in trouble for letting people have a peek at m'balls

JerkMoans

prlgmnr said:

no but I've been in trouble for letting people have a peek at m'balls

We've all been there

Danny1969

notanon said:

In the interest of balance, anybody familiar with the Ballmer peak?

https://observer.com/2012/04/bottoms-up-the-ballmer-peak-is-real-study-says/

Yeah and there has been various other tests over the years. At school we were shown a video about the effects of drinking after consuming alcohol. The subjects were put in a driving sim and their reaction times were measured with probes. Although the idea was to show their reaction time slowed with alcohol it did show on the graphs that their reaction time was slightly quicker after 1 drink then it was on none. From then on everything went down hill with reaction times being ridiculously slow after 5 or 6 drinks. 
 

notanon

Danny1969 said:

notanon said:

In the interest of balance, anybody familiar with the Ballmer peak?

https://observer.com/2012/04/bottoms-up-the-ballmer-peak-is-real-study-says/

Yeah and there has been various other tests over the years. At school we were shown a video about the effects of drinking after consuming alcohol. The subjects were put in a driving sim and their reaction times were measured with probes. Although the idea was to show their reaction time slowed with alcohol it did show on the graphs that their reaction time was slightly quicker after 1 drink then it was on none. From then on everything went down hill with reaction times being ridiculously slow after 5 or 6 drinks. 
 

I so so wish that spike was wider :-(

skullfunkerry

Danny1969 said:

notanon said:

In the interest of balance, anybody familiar with the Ballmer peak?

https://observer.com/2012/04/bottoms-up-the-ballmer-peak-is-real-study-says/

Yeah and there has been various other tests over the years. At school we were shown a video about the effects of drinking after consuming alcohol. The subjects were put in a driving sim and their reaction times were measured with probes. Although the idea was to show their reaction time slowed with alcohol it did show on the graphs that their reaction time was slightly quicker after 1 drink then it was on none. From then on everything went down hill with reaction times being ridiculously slow after 5 or 6 drinks. 
 

I saw something like that and as well as reaction times improving they also became less afraid to really stamp on the brakes, so stopping distances were reduced too

imalrightjack

I definitely play looser with a drink. But I think that’s down to Dutch courage. And I’m not saying better. 

I think learning to be actually confident in your own skin and be yourself is hugely important but, obviously, no so easy. If you do cultivate this ability, you will do what you can do, not just a version of you which is letting go and being more relaxed but quite likely less accurate.

Try smoking weed (CBD only, UK-legal stuff, of course) instead, that’s a whole other discussion! For jazz or something very improvised, I’d say it’s a good thing, up until a point!

artiebear

I'm currently working through the 4th major studio hardware /software glitch in the course of two weeks ahead of a deadline 3 days away, While I would advocate a professional approach to dealing with alcohol while working, right now I am very grateful for the large glass of red I have just been handed ( I will probably be equally grateful for the next one the way this session is going   )

gringopig

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thegummy

gringopig said:

imalrightjack said:

I definitely play looser with a drink. But I think that’s down to Dutch courage. And I’m not saying better. 

I think learning to be actually confident in your own skin and be yourself is hugely important but, obviously, no so easy. If you do cultivate this ability, you will do what you can do, not just a version of you which is letting go and being more relaxed but quite likely less accurate.

Try smoking weed (CBD only, UK-legal stuff, of course) instead, that’s a whole other discussion! For jazz or something very improvised, I’d say it’s a good thing, up until a point!

Smoke weed and you are immediately in a late night Bob Dylan rehearsal for 'Self Portrait'. No joke. Stick to CBD as it does absolutely nothing except empty your wallet.

Don't know that Dylan reference but when you look at all the classic songs and albums made while the artist was smoking weed, there's no serious argument that it will restrict one's ability to make music.