Writing "Under the Influence"

[Atticus]

OK so we touched upon it in the song structure thread, but I feel it deserves a thread all of its own. Please chip in your experiences...

- Do drugs/alcohol and metal mix? (What a stupid question )
- Does it contribute positively to the writing process?
- Lyrics/music do both benefit/suffer in the same way?
- What do YOU use?
- Any interesting stories/cool stuff we should know about?

For me personally, my lyrics vastly improve with a bit of "mental lubrication" from grape or grain.
As I try and write complicated music this suffers a little as it doesn't take many beers to disconnect my fingers from my brain.

That last bit rhymes and I'm not even drunk!

 

[Stormbringer]

jamming on drugs & alcohol rocks

 

[swallowyoursoul]

marijuana and metal mix great, at least for me. I get my best licks when I'm baked. But also I find staying away from both of them for about a week, guitar/pot, also makes me write really sik riffs. It's almost as if I'm trying to out do myself, which is a good thing. Last but not least the best Muse is "just thinking outside the box"

 

[Spinal Remains]

Some of the best music ever written was probably written while stoned..
Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath..
Just try and convince me that "Electric Funeral" wasn't written while on acid. C'mon, try me...

 

[Stormbringer]

actually, it was only cocaine for them

 

[~UlvedaL~]

Hendrix did acid!!!

Well, I like to unleash my creativity with use of weed too.. It really helps going deeper into one specific thing..
Also a "dark meditation" can help if its evil music you want, and to dig down in your subconsciousness...

 

[AjDeath]

I drink too much but I never write while intoxicated, what I do is what keeps me sane, I let frustration, hate, anger,pain, sorrow, and anyother emotion I have felt build up, and when it seems I'm about to burst I write, every time I get great results I write great shit if I may say so myself noone has heard our band yet but I think soon you will, we get great responses where we are and people are starting to take notice. I write From the gut, I take it straight from the source and bash the shit out, I don't hold back and I believe that is the key to writing truly great music, unorthodox maybe, dangerous, Yes, but I don't take my anger out on anyone, just my guitar

 

[JayKeeley]

Hendrix used to put acid tabs in his shoes and under his bandana. As you know, acid can seep into your system through sweat

That's why he was always tripping more and more as the show went on.

 

[Krenshaw_Leon]

Originally posted by Stormbringer
actually, it was only cocaine for them

These guys had more drugs than just coke.

I agree completely with SpinalRemains and swallowyoursoul.
You want your music to be an outlet, so feed off of your anger, pian, etc. A little weed in the system helps to break down some mental blockage. Then again, to much inebriation can cause the disconnection from you brain and creativity to your fingers.

I like smoking for writing, drinking for playing. Drinking is for playing the song after its been written and all you have to do is play whats been rehearsed. Smoking is for trying to come up with that one riff. Get backed and play one riff over and over again, but every time you do it, play it a little differently. The time flies by and before you know it, you turned one riff into about 17 or 20 and can even write other songs from those riffs.

 

[Stormbringer]

cocaine is also... erm... made of leaves...

*backsslowlyoutofthethread*

 

[Krenshaw_Leon]

Originally posted by Stormbringer
cocaine is also... erm... made of leaves...

*backsslowlyoutofthethread*

you got a point, but nevertheless they did more drugs than just coke

 

[Scorpions]

for me the drugs really improve my imaginations

 

[Brand]

Never really needed drugs to find my muse. Cheaters.

 

[The Wanderer]

nothing we've ever done has been written while intoxicated. we cant eve play our stuff drunk. we dont drink or nothing when we play.

 

[Stormbringer]

well our drummer needs always a few beers. he aint drunk after that (he's quite a heavy drinker) but it really improves his stamina, he can play longer harder according to himself and i have to agree on that with him.

i usually dont drink during rehearsals more than one or two beers as i'm (clichee alert) the bassist with the car...

 

[AARRGGHHH]

i have a video with them saying they used to smoke great big pipes of week before doing gigs. it wasnt just cocain

 

[Stormbringer]

how the hell do you smoke a week?

 

[Krenshaw_Leon]

haha

 

[Extortae]

Alcohol makes me want to play guitar sometimes, but I end up sounding like I've never played a guitar before when I do, and weed makes me come up with NO riffs. Anything else, and I flat out don't feel like playing guitar.

 

[JesterRace]

It all depends on the mood your in when you use something. The concept of having a different trip of high every time is true for the most part. Sometimes when I'm really baked I can just wail on my guitar for a long time and come up with some cool shit because it clears up a lot of the mental blockage, which I believe someone said earlier. You are more relaxed and able to concentrate on the guitar, while any other distractions in the outside world don't quite seem to get through Yet on the same note, that mental blockage also prevents you from truly writing from your heart. Because you couldn't really give a shit what's going on when your really baked. Really, try really hard to be really angry or sad when your stoned out of your mind
Alcohol... well.. as long as you keep drinking, and it feels cool for a while, but then you either get sick, and you can't keep going, or you start to come down, so you get tired and don't want to play. Not good for concerts Although I know that Eddie Van Halen used to be SMASHED throughout his concerts until he gave it up, now he smokes like 800 packs a day. Being an alcoholic, he just kept drinking and never got sick, so he was just basically somewhat "normal" although he had consumed so many drinks. Really not a good idea
Acid? never tried tripping, I would probably lose my mind, so don't ask me about this one

BTW, sweet leaf.. come on, why would he be singing about Cocaine leaves cocaine only originates as a plant, which many drugs do come from. You don't buy cocaine buds
Even alcohol... fermented grapes.