To Drink, or not to drink ....

ScreamingDave

.... that is the question

We all know that alcohol and drug use/abuse are rife in the music industry, to the point where it's often considered to be a vital part of it and we've all heard of big name musicians who claim not to be able to play if they're not high, stoned or pissed as a fart.  Certainly, swigging beer, or even something stronger, while on stage is part of the swagger that goes with rock 'n' roll, right?

So, where does everyone stand on this?  Do people have a few beers when gigging, or stay off it completely?

I used to be in a band where the mantra was, "If you can't play it pissed, you can't play it."  Stupid, really, and I don't subscribe to that view, plus I do know that the times when I've really f@cked up have been when I've had a few - not even particularly pissed, but it's been enough to affect my playing.  Once I actually forgot how to play a song that we'd been playing for years!

So what I do now, is when I get to the gig I will have one beer in a dark bottle, then I refill the bottle with tap water and swig that when we're onstage.  I get a drink and it maintains that rock 'n' roll swagger!

So, where does everyone else stand?

mudslide73

I'm really good at getting pissed but I'm not good enough to play if I've had a drink . I'll have one before, tops. We did it once for our other guitarist's wife's birthday and the results were not good. I know that @Danny1969 is a dab hand at it though. 

ElectricXII

I usually have a pint of Guinness during our first set, and switch to non-alcoholic drinks for the rest of the night. I can play well enough after a couple of pints, but I'm more concerned about losing my license or killing a pedestrian than playing badly.

Sporky

It's not rock and roll if you don't throw up on the drum kit. 

Supportact

I like to have a couple of drinks at the gig if I can. I'm more keen on having one or two post gig though, for some reason. That said these days I'm often driving myself to the gig and/or setting up and operating the PA, in which case I'll generally not drink or maybe have a half. 

digitalkettle

As ever: slightly less than two!

stickyfiddle

I like to have 1.5 (M&W spot on...) before a gig.

But I think that's much less about the alcohol as it is the ritual of the whole process:
- load in, quick hi & intro to organiser & soundguy (if they exist!)
- setup
- sound check
- socialise with band including a drink or 2 
- play good gig 

Gassage

So- I don't really drink but I smoke a joint every night before bed.

I will seek soft drinks and water over and above alcohol- as I don't really like the taste of booze.

However;

1. Weed removes my already random sense of pitch- I can't tune a guitar by ear when stoned for all the tea in China. So it's a no-no.
2. On the flip side, a pint before playing (1- Guinness normally) just removes a bit of tension from me, so it's a ritual now.

springhead

Usually one pint after setting up and while we’re waiting to play and a second pint on stage. 

DannyP

ScreamingDave said:

Certainly, swigging beer, or even something stronger, while on stage is part of the swagger that goes with rock 'n' roll, right?

No way! I'm over 10 yrs clean and sober, and I find no end of inspiration from sober musicians. Nile Rodgers, Johnny Marr, Slash & Duff, Bowie, etc etc etc etc etc.

digitalkettle

I play a couple of places with their own brews and there's often a couple of drinks on a tab for us: so one while setting up, one for take home...rude not to  

LionAquaLooper

No I don't feel the need for it.  I like to have a drink after a gig as a sort of celebration and to join in the festivities.  But before a gig I'm just raring to go up on stage and I'm just focused on prepping + making final mental checks about song arrangements , gear, scoping out potential issues with in house equipment etc.  I literally don't have time to sit down and have a drink anyway!    

Danny1969

I think how much you drink before or onstage is really a factor of how much alcohol you tend to consume when you aren't gig'ing. If you regularly go out on 10 pint sessions then you aren't going to be much affected by a couple of beers onstage. If you only have the occasional beer then 2 pints might tip you beyond your best playing. 

I do have a reputation for being a big drinker onstage and that's fair as I do tend to drink more when gig'ing than most people. It combines 2 of my hobbies, drinking beer and playing music. It's very enjoyable. 

You need to know your limits though and you need to know what you are doing. Drink a predictable steady drink. Carling is a good gig'ing beer as it's quite weak, around 3.8 % and hits you slowly and very predictably. I tend to drink more Carling now rather the endless Stella's I used to consume. Probably the worse thing you can drink is wine, as that can tip a person over with just one small glass too many. Spirits are equally tricky .. too small an amount of liquid compared to the alcohol content. 

You also gotta factor in experience. If you have been doing this for 40 years and know all the notes you are playing and how they fit with the underlying chords then you are far less likely to make a mistake than if you are just relying on remembering where to put your fingers. If you really know the mechanics of music then you might forget a phrase but you will stay in time and in key ...  and that's far more professional. 

4string

Strange coincidence @OilCityPickups and myself have just been discussing this over our morning coffee. I think in the past we have both 'had a beer' before stage time, or in Ash's case, taken a pint and chaser on stage (chaser goes down just before the encore).  Now, and with the new band (watch this space!) we are going to be alcohol free until we are finished for the night. Also, you want to avoid old man bladder issues mid set…

CaseOfAce

I'll generally have a pint before the gig to relax. It's not a problem and If I'm not driving it's not a big deal to have a couple but anymore then that then I'll start to notice playing wise.
I'm fine playing with people who like a drink - but if it starts to mess with the performance that could get old very fast.
I've been lucky that that's never happened.

ScreamingDave

Sporky said:

It's not rock and roll if you don't throw up on the drum kit. 

I've just run this past our drummer, and he disagrees, for some reason ....

menamestom

Max 2 pints, around the 4% mark.  

Trying to drink less generally so that's not always the case, but some gigs sort you out a free couple of drinks and it seems a bit of a waste to have a soda and lime in that instance.

I'm usually driving so would probably have a beer before the first set and at the break.  Then there's a few hours before getting in the car. 

StefB

I haven't had any alcohol since NYE 2023 (see Dry January thread) and while it doesn't bother me at pub gigs (ironically), or in a new band I've joined where I have to really concentrate, my main band primarily does weddings & functions, which means a lot of waiting around and dead time before and in-between sets.

On the one hand those gigs pay very good money so it is only right and proper that all band members be as professional as possible to justify their £200+ each but, on the other hand, it's been very noticeable to me since being dry how excrutiangly long and boring some nights can be without a beer.

Arriving at a gig at 5pm to set up, and not leaving until after 1am in some cases, makes for a painfully long evening without a couple of jars as a loosener.

Keefy

Not.

I don’t drink a lot (mainly wine with a meal) and I’ve never been into beer as a ‘thing’. I can feel my playing becoming less accurate after a single pint, plus I’m usually driving, so I almost* always stick to soft drinks and tea or coffee.

I’ve had no involvement in other recreational substances save for sharing a very weak spliff with my wannabe-hippy Mum and a group of her friends in 1978.


*Occasional exception - shandy when it’s really hot.

chrisj1602

Depends on the gig for me…I know when to be sensible, but I’ve played a few local pubs where we know the landlord/lady quite well and people have passed us pints while we’re playing and I’ve probably drank as much as the customers!

Lestratcaster

Usually just 1 drink before I play, sometimes none at all depending on how the night is running (late arrivals, setting up quick and things to sort etc). The past few gigs I've done I've not had a single drink the whole night, and I can cope with it. I'm not a massive drinker anyway and I'll know when to stop. I certainly don't need it to loosen up or make me play better.