Olivier wrote:
2 years ago, before one of the first gigs with my son on drums, the kid told me «Olivier, you don't need that pre-gig beer to dissolve your stage fright. Just put your balls on the table and play.»
You have a good kid there.
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| Alcohol and playing https://www.stickist.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=9625 |
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| Author: | kevin-c [ Mon May 18, 2015 8:21 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alcohol and playing |
Sheesh....that Founders looks heavy. You could forgo food for 3 days after one of those. Great replies gents.....thx for piping in. cheers, kev |
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| Author: | AndyJPro [ Mon May 18, 2015 8:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alcohol and playing |
Here's the study I mentioned earlier. Cool stuff! The acute effects of alcohol on auditory thresholds |
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| Author: | nashorn [ Mon May 18, 2015 10:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alcohol and playing |
One beer is OK for me, but not more. I hate that feeling when I notice that I can't play as well as I can when sober. |
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| Author: | Captain Strings [ Mon May 18, 2015 11:04 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alcohol and playing |
I spent many decades playing 6-7 nights a week in taverns and have some experience in this matter. As mentioned - if the band and the players in it are crackerjack tight and that's usually the case in that kind of intense giggage. You've played the stuff night after night year after year and know it inside out. It's called musical headroom - but it can breed boredom and take the magic out of things in a certain way. If the music is that well practiced tho, then a few drinks over a 5 hour gig is just gonna loosen things up. And then there's nerves. I'm the type of cat who is normally pretty fired up and banging on all 12 cylinders so I'm always looking to calm down. There's nothing worse for me than 3rd set Friday night, being watched by my peers, playing a solo and finding myself getting too far inside it, thinking too much, editing my creativity and second guessing my note selection etc. My heart starts pounding - This note or that note? This note or that note? and when the moment comes you get geeked up and clam out. If I can employ a moderate amount of hootch to shave off a thin layer of consciousness I am able to just sit back and watch myself play. It makes things magic again. You're still editing your playing but it's taking place at a much deeper autonomous level. It's a fine line though and it doesn't work for everybody especially if you're not on top of your game. Drugs can be different. Or so I've heard...... |
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| Author: | Olivier [ Tue May 19, 2015 12:36 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alcohol and playing |
Four years ago, when I began my friday night residential gig at the irish pub, I would drink one beer before going on and 2 beers during the set (1.5 hour). I quickly noticed that these 2 beers were nogooders and replaced them with a tall glass of water (no ice, thanks, very bad for the voice). 2 years ago, before one of the first gigs with my son on drums, the kid told me «Olivier, you don't need that pre-gig beer to dissolve your stage fright. Just put your balls on the table and play.» That's how you learn a lesson and drop pre-gig drinking. |
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| Author: | Robstafarian [ Tue May 19, 2015 12:54 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alcohol and playing |
Olivier wrote: 2 years ago, before one of the first gigs with my son on drums, the kid told me «Olivier, you don't need that pre-gig beer to dissolve your stage fright. Just put your balls on the table and play.» You have a good kid there.
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| Author: | greg [ Tue May 19, 2015 3:28 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alcohol and playing |
kevin-c wrote: Sheesh....that Founders looks heavy. You could forgo food for 3 days after one of those. Great replies gents.....thx for piping in. cheers, kev |
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| Author: | Wicher [ Tue May 19, 2015 4:51 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alcohol and playing |
I just sound like that naturally, without the aid of alcohol  Cheers, Simon |
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| Author: | 88persuader [ Tue May 19, 2015 5:00 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alcohol and playing |
greg wrote: If it's a club gig, I'll have a beer before the first set, but that's usually it. A concert setting, just water, tea or coffee. A Stick Night? all bets are off!! I tried to just have one beer at the recent Connecticut Stick Night but the crowd kept buying me drinks after the tunes they liked. Founders Nitro Oatmeal Stout to be exact:  http://foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/nit ... eal-stout/ how could I refuse? I love stout, that looks good!!! |
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| Author: | 88persuader [ Tue May 19, 2015 5:15 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alcohol and playing |
Captain Strings wrote: I spent many decades playing 6-7 nights a week in taverns and have some experience in this matter. As mentioned - if the band and the players in it are crackerjack tight and that's usually the case in that kind of intense giggage. You've played the stuff night after night year after year and know it inside out. It's called musical headroom - but it can breed boredom and take the magic out of things in a certain way. If the music is that well practiced tho, then a few drinks over a 5 hour gig is just gonna loosen things up. And then there's nerves. I'm the type of cat who is normally pretty fired up and banging on all 12 cylinders so I'm always looking to calm down. There's nothing worse for me than 3rd set Friday night, being watched by my peers, playing a solo and finding myself getting too far inside it, thinking too much, editing my creativity and second guessing my note selection etc. My heart starts pounding - This note or that note? This note or that note? and when the moment comes you get geeked up and clam out. If I can employ a moderate amount of hootch to shave off a thin layer of consciousness I am able to just sit back and watch myself play. It makes things magic again. You're still editing your playing but it's taking place at a much deeper autonomous level. It's a fine line though and it doesn't work for everybody especially if you're not on top of your game. Drugs can be different. Or so I've heard...... Interesting you mention musical headroom, that's a unique way of looking at it. I still gig regularly as a bass player/keyboard player and unfortunately find myself in that situation. I can play the tunes tight and polished as can be but I'm so practiced I can do it in my sleep so I'm bored much of the time and have to put in effort to be entertaining and not just stand there looking bored. And this boredom and desire for excitement, for me leads to heavy drinking. And this realization is why I force myself to no longer have more than a Guinness or two during the night. I found myself on the road to becoming an alcoholic or a driving accident statistic. On Stick, it's a different ball game because I'm FAR from being a polished player, it's always a challenge for me to play so boredom is not an issue. Also at this point in time I seldom play for anyone, I don't really have enough polished material yet to pull off a night. I've only done a few tunes at open mic nights. BUT my long range goal is to retire from bar gigs in the next few years (when I retire my day job) and do coffee houses as a solo Stickist. And even then, I think a few Guinness will be my limit. |
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