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It also depends on what sort of music you are making.
Technical death metal requires a different level of physicality to 4 chord singer/songwriter stuff.
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
Are you saying today's artists don't smoke weed anymore while recording or playing a gig?
Another time, drummer turned up shit faced and played the same drum beat for ever single song. Didn't even pause between songs... We adapted but it wasn't a great gig.
We used to have a core set list of songs we could play in any state. Knew them so well we couldn't fuck them up without supreme effort..
When regularly gigging I'd have one drink before so I could be a bit silly on stage and another drink during the gig. Never any more, often less as I was the only person who could drive...
One thing I've learnt... Drummers are a liability..
In my own studio smoking was banned but people could and often did get right on it at 10am in the morning .... .I remember a really cool American blues guy necking about 5 stella's before he got in the live room and had another 5 or 6 while he was in there. Most bands enjoyed a beer while mixing, as did I. There were quite a few control room parties too ... good times
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
But what I would class as "working professional" musicians- people in function bands, session players for established artists etc- they don't get to do any of that. After the gig, sure, but not during.
What happened?
Music got more complex, more people are doing it, music has more of an industry around it, more competition.
As to 'they did fine'- sure, but a load of people OD'ed or suicided too.
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
No one ever ODed or threw their life away by being addicted to weed.
Surely no one has actually believed that for decades.
You brought up weed.
This thread started in a discussion about alcohol.
I only made the point that working pro musicians can't be high or drunk on stage.
My personal opinion is weed is less harmful, certainly less than alcohol.
I don't think it improves creativity though, certainly not the habitual use of it.
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
I mean, with wedding bands I wouldn't be surprised if they were less likely to smoke weed than other musicians purely because the type of person who would want to set up a small business booking weddings to cover the classic hits (and usually are older people) are just the type who are less likely to smoke weed whereas the type of person who does smoke weed is more likely to want to be an original artist where they can express their creativity.
Wedding bands are hardly the pinnacle of music though, very far from it. I don't know why you think that no top level session players smoke weed. Why is it you think that? How would it make sense that named artists can smoke weed and still play very well but if they're a hired session player they wouldn't be able to?
And why do you think that weed doesn't improve creativity? Is that based on you smoking it and not feeling your creativity was enhanced? So many of the greatest musicians of all time have expressed that they do believe it does.
Do you think more great albums were made by people who were completely sober at the time than were made by people who were smoking weed or on other drugs at the time?
I didn't say no top session players smoke weed, I said that doing so on stage will get you fired.
Loads of musicians use substances and drink, like the rest of society.
It happens after the gig, in almost all cases.
But being a professional musician now is not like being a professional musician in the 60's and 70's.
Very few musicians now can get away with being drunk or stoned whilst performing.
I know this because I've worked in the industry since the early 90's and I've seen how things have changed.
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
If you don't want to say that's understandable but do you not think what you see happening is a very tiny sample size compared to all professional musicians in the world?
You probably wouldn't know whether most people you played alongside were stoned or not anyway, most people who smoke regularly don't act like a film character who's meant to be stoned, they just look and act normal.
It's not like I'm saying that there are tons of musicians secretly playing stoned despite none admitting it - tons of musicians admit it openly! That's why I'm so puzzled you're claiming this, it's not a secret.
What about the creativity enhancing aspect - why do you not believe it enhances creativity when sooooo many people - including some all-time greats - feel that it does?
Have you smoked weed to any decent level? I suppose it can affect different people differently but I can't imagine anyone smoking it and not immediately understanding the enhanced creativity thing.
Just to clarify - I'm not saying weed enhances the performance ability (just the creative) but I am saying that it doesn't detract from it and certainly not to the point where the person is no longer able to play properly. I don't agree that it's more difficult to play music now either unless you're referring to some niche genres that focus on virtuosity.