I would have to agree that is loosens you up for sure. Maybe its a good thing, but for me.....just one. But as Gene mentioned, after a gig I'm the guy wearing the lampshade on my head.

cheers,
kev

That's a fine product of Grand Rapids, Michigan right there. Just a short jaunt north from Bell's Brewery.

I'll throw one down before I gig occasionally. The second comes after I'm done. When I'm at home, I lay off entirely if I'm going to be having a night of music making.

Actually ... I just don't drink at home very often at all.

Here's to lampshades Kev!

Gigging for many, many years on drums, playing new or older material, I always found one beer while warming up and continued through the first set, just took a bit of the edge off. I would have one more in the second set, and then water. I found if we were playing the standard setlist, no new additions, and it was a bar/tavern/pub gig, that was fine. If we did a concert hall venue, it was strictly water. I figure the patrons at a bar are deeper than I usually, and most often the music was secondary; but the audience at a music venue is a different story. They come to listen, and I did not want to throw a lot of clams on the table!
With my last band we developed a love affair with our mentor,Ray Posado (aka reposado tequila shots!). It became tradition to do a shot before we gigged! No beer on those nights lol, but damn, we had fun, we were tight, and relaxed! Best band for me evah!

Founders......
The new soylent green....



cheers,
kev

No, alcohol disturbs all my abilities and skills including performing music. I'm pretty sure about that from trial and error research during periods as a full time working touring musician.

But speaking about toxics, I once noticed that just a tiny little nicotine can make you play better, at least that's how it worked for me long ago when I was not so comfy with interpreting emotions through playing instrument - but today I don't think it would make me play better.

And even before that, when I was a total beginner on the guitar at 16 year's age, a cup of coffee made me play better. Again, that doesn't make any difference today.

One thing that totally makes musicality leave my system is migraine, so when I have an attack I don't even try to work on musical ideas. I was once hit by an attack when on stage with a band and almost fainted while keeping on playing not having any clue if my notes were in or out of context. I just executed each note from intellectual understanding to keep the show running in my temporarily lame way

Nice, made me laugh! Agreed unless I have the ghost anxiety blood flow trip going on. Then I can drink a lot and not feel it except feel dizzy. 10 string is fine with wine, NS is fine with beer. Thats my thing haha. I need the 'other calming agent more

I can second the nicotine. Never smoked a cigarette in my life but I vape pretty high-nicotine juice in my E-cig pretty much every day. It really gives you that laser sharp focus, without any real crazy psychoactive effects of weed. Never gotten drunk before so I'm not sure how that would work for me, but I'm not a huge fan of alcohol to begin with. I imagine a glass of wine or a beer might be useful though just to ease of some stress and clear your head to release those creative juices.

Speaking of weed, I lit up about 2 weeks ago and played the Stick for 2 hours or so, but it felt like 10. It was absolutely one of the most fantastic musical experiences I've ever had. I did find I continuously drifted more towards the center 6 strings the deeper I was in the high. Personally I also find strange time signatures, and changes in time signature significantly easier the higher I am. Still though I smoke very irregularly, but when I do is often when I create or at least polish up some of my best tunes.

back in the day the the band i was in "the illiterate diplomats" munched on a bag of mushrooms during the course of a 3-set evening. since we recorded EVERYTHING back then (Nakamichi cassette, 2 SM-57s) we were able to review our performance. tight arrangements, bizarre improvisations. come to think of it, not too different than any other night. the audience loved us. (of course, THEY were drunk...)