Drinking & Drumming....

[Felix Neumann]

....It doesn´t work

I totally failed to play a decent doublebass groove yesterday in the Band rehearsal. After 2 Beers all worked well, but after 4,5 NOTHING worked anymore. Damn!

What is your experience with making music and drinking?

 

[xFkx]

2 beers is my optimum performance level live

the nerves go down, but the skills don't

3+ beers in and i'm starting to have problems with tricky guitar parts, so that's too much for me

 

[Felix Neumann]

Yeah man, I hear you. Guitar wise I already knew my borders. But for drums I had to learn it yet. Remarkable moment for me yesterday

 

[Perishh]

My best gig I ever played was with about 4 Jim & Cokes in me. Whether or not the audience thought the same is unclear.

 

[Felix Neumann]

^Drums?

 

[Gustavo_Loureiro]

Neither beer nor weed for my drumming! But whisky goes fine

 

[Felix Neumann]

Neither beer nor weed for my drumming! But whisky goes fine

Really? Hmm so you think it´s a beer problem and not a general alcohol thingy?

Do you mix it with coke?

 

[TheWinterSnow]

2 beers, or two drinks, I generally prefer Rosckstar and Jager. More than that, and I won't be capable of playing. Berr tends to not give the best buzz for playing, slows you down too much, the hard stuff just makes you feel good and takes away the nerves.

 

[M.Lehto]

Not drumming, but sometimes when making acoustic music I compose and record at the same time and I do have few songs, that I can't remember composing or recording. And for one album we had to re-record all the vocals later again as I was skipping lyrics, because my eyes didn't work that well anymore

 

[Felix Neumann]

2 beers, or two drinks, I generally prefer Rosckstar and Jager. More than that, and I won't be capable of playing. Berr tends to not give the best buzz for playing, slows you down too much, the hard stuff just makes you feel good and takes away the nerves.

Okay that sounds good. Any other tips to improve the performance/power? Glucose or some shit? Energy drinks? Okay..some people could say, "don´t drink motherfucker!!" But I´m playing in a rock´n roll band so this is eliminated

 

[joelplagues]

Guitar- I usually try stay away from it. I get nervous about my playing and start thinking about whether I am going to screw up or whether I am screwing up and just don't notice.

Same if I have a show to mix. did one last year after downing 4 Jack Daniel's and coke, stepped up to the console and started to worry. similar process as guitar, "what happens if I screw up?", "Is this fader actually doing anything or is it just me?", so on and so on...

 

[Fragle]

guitar...depends on the music. with my tech death band i rarely drink more than 2 beers before the show, if any.
with other stuff....everything's fine up to 5. beyond that things go downhill FAST, haha.

but the thing is, as a guitar player you can get away with much more sloppiness than as a drummer. if you hit a bum note chances are people won't even notice it. but if the drummer fucks up the whole band might get into trouble. everyone will be like fuck, i'm early/late, and will try to compensate even though everythings perfectly fine.

still, playing TOO drunk is no fun. there's a certain point where things run smooth and you're really getting into it. past that point, you'll be struggling your way through the show, and that certainly doesn't make you enjoy it more ^^

 

[Mago]

At a gig we organized by ourselfs with 2 other bands I had to stand on the entrance to check and sell tickets, and I did the hour before we played.
Since we played last pretty much everyone was allready there so I didn't have much to do and I was a bit bored so I had a few beers.
After extensive headbanging I had a bit of a problem to not fall over at the beginning of the gig
Have to say tho that I usually don't eat before gigs, even if I'm not really nervous anymore.
So the 3 beers felt like 6.
Was fun, but one more and I would have been in serious trouble

 

[Felix Neumann]

Yeah haha Cool postings. I think it´s super important to find the personal border. Alcohol helps a lot to get into that mood for doing a performance with attitude...at least for me. For guitar it wasn´t really that necessary to drink, cause I were concentrated as fuck. But as a drummer it´s different, it´s more kind of sports (depends on the style) where power and attitude is so important.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

Okay that sounds good. Any other tips to improve the performance/power? Glucose or some shit? Energy drinks? Okay..some people could say, "don´t drink motherfucker!!" But I´m playing in a rock´n roll band so this is eliminated

Energy drinks help keep focus, so that you aren't so dopey and as long as you don't drink too much you can keep the buzz and still be able to play.

And yes, if you are in a rock/metal band and you haven't been drinking, then you are doing it wrong.

 

[Scott C.]

Man I honestly feel myself slowing down a bit even after one beer. no alcohol for me before the show(maybe one during the set) best thing I've found for me is have two redbulls on stage,(don't drink any during the day) slam the first one just before we start. drink the other one as you go. If I'm feeling rough from the night before might slam both. for me for some reason redbull opens up my sinuses and I can breathe better ... not sure why but none of the other energy drinks seems to do it. between that and the adrenaline from the show I feel great and on top of everything. haha

but if you overdo energy drinks that's as bad as beer for me too I get too shaky to play certain parts up to par. lol

 

[FIXXXER]

What is your experience with making music and drinking?

i recorded a complete experimental-noise-psychedelic album this way!

 

[El_Gato]

IME, you *think* that you're playing like a master, then you play back when sober and listen to that drumming non-sense.

No alcohol for me before, don't need it to play and I also forget my lyrics when singing.

 

[Erratic]

Overrated, do coke.

kidding.

 

[John_C]

I'm best with nothing, but 1 or 2 drinks is fine. If it's easy material then it can help loosen things up a little which is nice