live shows: drinking amount, pre-show routine ?

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peaveyT60

peaveyT60

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just curious. this past saturday i drank a bit too much. our very first song has a pretty decent solo in it, and without any warm up i goofed a couple of notes. :aww: hard to resist though; the bud light girls were handing us beers, bartenders handing us beers, and i couldn't be rude and say no. :D anyway, there's an amount i can drink and still perform (i mean be able to ad-lib) but after 4 beers, i loose concentration and just go with rehearsed, comfortable licks. drinking ruins my concentration and coordination, but also loosens up my inhibitions... such a fine line. :cry: where do you guys stand?

also, i have no pre-show routine. i just usually shoot the blah with buds and walk up and go at it. i feel like this is hurting me by not warming up ahead of time to dust off the cobwebs/anxiety. i really think that if i spent more time warming/loosening up, i wouldn't need as much alcohol. :confused:


thoughs?
 
lol! Here it Texas it's a race to see which band gets more trashed on show night. lol! Actually, either the guys that I play with are full blown acholics, or we have a pretty high tollerance on the drinking while still being able to bring the pain scale. At 34 though, my liver doesn't cope the next morning like it did when I was 21. lol!

As far as warming up. I always dissappear about 30 minutes before our set time to start warming my hands up and running any patterns that I feel may give me issues during the night.
 
3-4 hits of smoke, and Panteras Fucking Hostile as loud as I can get it. :D
 
Actually, as much as I party when I'm not playing gigs, I stay completely sober until after the show. It makes me play MUCH better. It helps me remember the words. It keeps my voice smooth and range-worthy. etc.

Liquor can really take my performing ability down the toilet. :doh:
 
SFW":3an7vatp said:
lol! Here it Texas it's a race to see which band gets more trashed on show night. lol! Actually, either the guys that I play with are full blown acholics, or we have a pretty high tollerance on the drinking while still being able to bring the pain scale. At 34 though, my liver doesn't cope the next morning like it did when I was 21. lol!

As far as warming up. I always dissappear about 30 minutes before our set time to start warming my hands up and running any patterns that I feel may give me issues during the night.
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aw man, tell me about it. hangovers galore these days. yeah, the last time i really pushed the limit, and by pushed the limit, i mean body-slammed the limit, put the sleeper hold on it, then went over to my bag and set a big python on it, i went to play this one solo and couldn't feel my hands. my brain was trying the best it could to tell my hands to work, but my hands were having none of it.


yeah, i need a warm-up session.
 
guitarslinger":q4b4tjd1 said:
Liquor can really take my performing ability down the toilet. :doh:
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yeah, i don't mess with it anymore before a show. still, beer has been getting me lately.
 
My basic routine goes like this:

Get to the rehearsal space with our other guitarist, and start freaking out that the other members are late. Rush to throw all the gear into the 2 cars, along with all of us....all while chain smoking.

Get to the venue, and load in, praying that the show is back-lined. Get a beer, have a smoke.

Break out the gear and get our rigs set up. Go set up the merch. Have a smoke.

Tune all instruments, go over the rigs one final time before doors open. Go grab a beer, a light dinner....and a smoke. When we get back, someone mans the merch booth.

About 20min before we go on, start warming up my voice and hands, stretching out, change my clothes and make sure we have bottles of water ready to go. Get ready to throw gear on stage if the show isn't back-lined. Get all the members in one spot.

Showtime.

Immediately get us and our gear off the stage. No stopping to catch your breath, run, run, run.

One everything is off, go bum a smoke, sit for a bit, then go pack up the gear. I'll change my clothes again when everything's packed up. Our singer goes to the merch booth.

Load gear into the vehicles, then go grab some beers and enjoy (hopefully) the other bands, bum some more smokes. Grab the merch when we're leaving

Load gear back into our rehearsal space.

Finally get home, and tell myself I have to quit smoking. :lol: :LOL:


All in all, I only have a couple of beers, or one or 2 well drinks during the night, unless it's a long-ass day. No more then 3 beers before showtime, none within 30 minutes of being on stage. Drinking WHILE on stage depends on the mood and kind of show. After we get off stage, we can all relax and have a beer AFTER the gear is packed and stowed away. Business first, fun afterward.
 
There really is a fine line but unless Im hammering booze and completely ganked, pre show adrenaline burns it all of pretty quickly. 2-4 big beers or 2-3 stiff drinks are mandatory and I enjoy them, it really does take the edge off and loosen me up.

as for a pre show routine, I dont really have one. When Im done setting my amp up, I run through all of the patches and run a few scales and whatnot and if its cold out, I do it for a little longer because the cold really stiffens me up.
 
carlygtr56":3ppchvj4 said:
Not to condone drinking or drug use, but our moto was to rehearse high, as to be better prepared to perform stoned. Pot and drink before. Coke at half-time. :lol: :LOL:
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I've heard of rehearsing at faster tempos to make sure everyone's tight at the regular tempos....but never that mode of though :lol: :LOL:
 
Love listening to music stoned, hate playing stoned, it never felt right. Playing on blow made my hands sweat prodigiously and made me want to play at a gazillion miles an hour all the time... I didnt do it...
 
A few beers is nice, I'm fine...six drinks and I can't improvise as well.
I tried coke, I was grinding my teeth and was way too hyper/spastic.
Can't play at all on pot, just want to sit and look at the moon or something.
 
i feel my improv really improves with a few drinks, its like i get fearless with my phrasing and take more risks and things end up sounding much more interesting. but too many drinks and i suck. and yeah no weed for me while playing out, i used to smoke while recording and i feel i could really hone in on things, but i dont smoke at all now. and actually i cant really drink either with these new pills im on..
 
Since I am a lightweight, I usually have about a half a beer before we go on. I finish it during the 1st set. I will have 1 more the rest of the night. Since I don't drink my regularly that is plenty to get me loose, but not really feeling it.

Our drummer did give up smoking for a while. He sings alot of our songs, and I noticed his voice really improved. He is back on the wagon now :(
 
I go to a couple open mics during the week and we basically drink and smoke ( ;) ) all night long. At first I was bloody awful, but after a month of playing while intoxicated I improved to a point where no one can tell (not even the wife), and this is me playing acoustic guitar and singing solo. With my rock band I like to stay pretty straight. Maybe a few beers or shots to get loose, but I'll save the other stuff for the afterparty. I don't warm-up my hands at all, but I always do a vocal warm-up.
 
i never ever practice before...all i do is tune up....to me its like when you havent played in awhile..then your palying feels fresh...and new..

then 20 minutes before we strart i take a valium,,usually a 10,...then about 5 minutes before we start i have a shot of southern comfort on the rocks...and then drink beer the rest of the night.

oh yes..and i chew juicy fruit gum while playing too...i find it really helps my timing and rhythum...

i also like to play an easy song first...something soulfull...

heres something that i learned from a guitarist quite awhile ago...concentrate on breathing...i wasnt even awear that i kept holding my breath while playing!!!...ha!

i thought i was the only one who had abunch of preset rituals!!
 
I used to have a bit of a problem with boozing b4 the show. One particular occasion I was out of my f'ing mind on Arrogant Bastard and some other things. It was business as usual until the last note of the last song. Basically I overextended on some acrobatics tripped over a cord and did the Nestea-plunge with my SG off the stage. After which I proceeded to drink even more, took of my shirt and told the bartender and some of the others present that night to go fuck themselves. I tackled a guy over a chair and was eventually confronted by security and the owner who in turn were each told to fuck themselves. I am so lucky I had a friggin mob of friends to pull me out of that mess. I ended up breaking my friend's car door that night as well.

These days business as usual is maybe a puff and a beer b4 and save the debauchery for after.
 
Karaoke....now there's something I'm great at when I'm hammered.
 
I always have a few beers prior to playing a show.

Never, and I repeat never could play coherently when I'm stoned. For some reason I can play drunk no problem... well up to a point. One beer too many and the entire shebang goes downhill, quick!
 
We really don't have a pre-show routine, although I may start doing some warm-up exercises because at our last show, my hands felt a little stiff for the first few songs.

As far as drinking goes, always 2 Guinness and a shot of whiskey or tequila before we go on. I always take a beer with me on stage and have a beer or two between sets. When the shows over, the real drinking begins :D
 
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