I think introverts are especially vulnerable to alcohol addiction. it basically fixes you, turns you into an extrovert for a night. i used to hate, absolutely despise playing live because of stage fright. so had to get extremely drunk beforehand. i never screwed up a gig, but it started happening at practises too. used to pass out hugging my bass. I think once a drinker discovers that they can drink more to make the hangover go away, that's when it really goes downhill, fast. I'm so glad that this generation have chosen not to indulge nearly as much as those that came before. Anyway. i'm 2 years sober now. thanks for sharing your experience
I did a lot of voice training by going to the open jams and definitely used beer as the remedy for the initial stage fright. Problem is that the pattern sticks and then you feel the need to drink all performances even when the stage fright phase is long over. If you go pro, you necessarily become an alcoholic. I unstuck my connection with performance and drinking by doing tons of busking dry. I no longer feel like booze goes with performance.
Yep, I think going for the hair of the dog is what separates drinkers from alcoholics. I sometimes drink a beer or take a shot the next morning to help take a nap, but I have an absolute stop, hard limit at one. But drinking to loosen me up was definitely a crutch and it sucks that the social skills you pick up while drunk don’t extend into when you’re sober Happy for your sobriety though!
Beta blockers... What they do is that they suppress the effects of adrenaline in your soft muscle tissue: in this case it is your heart that needs to be steady so you don't get into that cycle of being nervous, being nervous of being nervous, panicking because you are nervous and finally.. panicking because you are panicking. The side effects non-existing unless you run a marathon under hot lights, they lower your heart rate and have minor effect on temperature regulation, you have to avoid extremes but are just fine on a gig. A LOT of artists use them, they are especially favored in the classical side. And since they have no effect in your brain, you don't lose any edge, are not lulled into being "comfortably numb"... I haven't found them having any effect on my energy on stage.
Unfortunately for me, I turned into a raging alcoholic/addict, so my dreams died fairly quick. I've now been 3 years clean after 40 years old f boozing and drugging, and finally got me a couple of new guitars and gear. I'm actually surpassing my talent now.
When I was young, a recovering addict said to me *_Son. The day you say “I need a drink” is the day you don’t drink. It’s the day you have to face unanaesthetised_*
Thanks for another great video, Mike. I had to face my alcohol use that definitely ramped up from all the weekends playing shows at bars and band practice. I'm 41 and now more than 3 years since my last drink of alcohol. I found I couldn't just "cut back"- it had to be completely cut off or I just took it too far almost every time. It's harder to be comfortable on stage and talking to people for sure without it. But the constant hangovers, forgetting songs while performing, driving home half drunk after shows, fighting with my wife, not being there for my kids... I'm done with that. I do live looping now I could never pull off drunk - I'd fall on my ass trying to hit the pedals!
This is the most informative and concise analysis of most drinker’s’ experience with alcohol. Your account of your first time drinking experience was spot on. You come to associate drinking with having fun and you want to do it again asap. I drank throughout most of my adult life whether during jam sessions or on my off days back when I was in the military. I thought I had earned it and saw it as a way to relax and enjoy your downtime. I haven’t drank in five years but I never did quit. I just kept saying “I’ll have a beer tomorrow.” However since retiring from the army I no longer have gainful employment and thus haven’t felt compelled to drink anymore. Maybe I think that if I drink when I don’t have a career anymore I’ll be a bum? Maybe it’s because money has been tight for so long and frankly there just isn’t anything to celebrate? Either way, I’m sober now and even if my luck changes I won’t go back to drinking. At this point it’s kind of like Eli Manning -I don’t want to break my streak. Whatever the reason my story has got to be the most pathetic “I’m sober now” story!
Nope,not pathetic at all. We all have different circumstances in our lives.People drink or not drink for all kinds of reasons.You are no different or ANY less important.
Hey Mike. I'm a brand new student on your website, trying to learn to play guitar at a stage in life when most people start winding down instead of up. The clock is ticking loudly in my ears, I guess, I don't know. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I appreciate you. You seem like you're a young guy who really has himself together, and brother I'm here to tell you, the booze is a lie. It's a lie that tells itself to those who drink. It whispers in your ear that you're relaxed, and cool, and fun... but that just ain't so. Like I said, you seem to me to really have your life together. You're doing something you love, and earning a living doing it. Who could be more comfortable in his own skin than THAT guy...? You don't need the booze as much as the booze needs you. Who else is going to pay for those gargantuan Jägermeister flags and Super Bowl ads...? I'd wish you luck, but you don't need luck. All that is needed is a decision. I'm looking forward to learning a lot from you, and I'm looking forward even more to watching that next video you mentioned.
For the longest time I had to have a drink to get on stage or even be around crowds at gigs. Moved onto to smoking bud to get rid of the hangover. Ended up on MD. Last year I couldn’t stand watching myself in 3rd person not living up to my potential. Went full clean and my playing never felt better or more confident. I can still have a drink, but never do it before I play.
This has quickly become my favorite guitar channel! Thank you for sharing your story. I was one who, also playing in a country band, would limit myself to a drink before, a drink between sets, and one after end of night, and of course the drink between sets turned into shots when we had a regular group who followed us would buy them for us, and them giving us drinks during the set, which I normally declined or passed off to the keyboard player. But I always kept it sober, while other members would drink all through the set, ok usually…I had a few buzzed sets, and it affected my playing so that toned back. It was when we had to let our bass player go, because his drinking and toking got to affect his performance and attendance to practices. He was lifelong buddies with the other guitar player (we were around 40 at the time), and he had to fire him.. not only lost a band member, but saw a lifelong friendship strained at the same time. It was at that moment, I immediately went to the practice of NEVER drinking when performing, and started treating it more professionally. Ps. And yes, Easyriders magazine also helped me through my adolescent years lol
Thank you for sharing. I'm old and have seen way too many cautionary tales from family and friends. To anyone who doesn't drink, keep avoiding it. You'll get occasional weird looks, but staying sober will save you heartache and pain.
I am very fortunate to have gone through my struggles with substance abuse before I started my current band , and I have to say that my level of control and everything definitely helps but it makes it very hard to find other players to help play in the band because so many people are in denial of their substance abuse.
I just thought I’d add my own experience to your great video. I drank heavily for 20 years during and after working on full-time band even when music became a hobby. My energy and motivation for playing increased so much when I quit drinking last year. Also, I had to humble up to the fact that am getting older and cannot handle the same amount as when so was 20. The guitar looks better on my body playing live because I have no beer gut lol. Also, alcohol causes inflammation which is very bad for your hands synchronization and playing fast. Not only for sloppiness but the amount of stress you are putting on your left or right hands during heavy intense playing during inebriation. Love your channel keep up the great work.
This was a great video, man. I’ve been following you for a couple months now, and enjoying your approach to all the various aspects of being a pro musician, but this video was different. I really appreciate you speaking honestly about your experiences, and I hope that your story will influence your young viewers and the choices that they make. I’ve been performing professionally for some 40+ years now, and I’ve gone up and down with the alcohol onstage many times over the years, including embarrassing myself with over-indulgence on more than one occasion! But I learned from a few tough experiences that to get too f**ked up on the gig is to let my band mates down, not to mention myself. So I’ve gotten my act together and know my own limits. Like yourself, nowadays I mostly use it to take the edge off my performance anxiety (which, even after decades of performing, I still have). The key is to know your own limits, and to not exceed them! For me, it's about 2 shots of whiskey, and then maybe a beer later in the set--any more than that and I get into diminishing returns. Keep up the great work, good sir!
I think like a lot of people, for me, hanging out and jamming was nearly always linked with drinking or sparking up. Starting from teenage years onward. Even when that jamming turned into a band, band practices, gigs, it was always a “good time”. And it was, but it was a tough connection to break apart.
I completely understand where you’re coming from and thanks for your honesty because your admission can get you a lot of criticism. I always associate having a drink with flying and whenever I try to justify that I get labeled an alcoholic. Up to a point I can consume and still have my faculties, having the feeling of relaxation that a moderate amount gives you without it impairing your ability to perform is acceptable in my opinion.
I played in a band called Astradica in Norway, I am a drummer. We played our first gig in a pretty big bar, with literally 5 people watching us. The singer just disappeared 5 minutes before we were going on stage. He had to take a shit, lol. He was very anxious. A few months later we played a place named John Dee, and again the singer went missing shortly before going on stage. Turns out he was drinking himself some courage in his hotel room!
It can be incredibly difficult to detach from certain vices especially in the environments that the music career puts us in. I went a decent amount of years ruining myself with drugs and alcohol. I had to move to another state to get myself away from the people and places I associated with those vices. I've been sober for 6 years now and I'm happy for it, but I still think I would struggle if I was in the same situations I put myself in back then. Thank you for this video it helps to have such a real story instead of an after school special like you referenced in the beginning thank you.
Playing in bars, clubs, ect & in all kinds of styles of music since i was 13yrs old & free drinks always being included in our contracts, definitely contributed to my alcoholism & drug use!! & after many ups & downs, I am happy to say i am clean from all for 10 yrs now! But what a crazy ride it all was & i chose NOT to go "big" & tour because of all the evil temptation on the road & i would have most likely overdosed or something!! Plus i just couldnt miss out on my children growing up!!
I played weddings for 25 years and it was always 2-3 drinks per gig. One after setting up, hangign with band mates in the cocktail hour. Second drink would accompany me on stage for the first set. Third drink- I would play the first break alone (solo guitar) and a bandmate would bring it to me. Three drinks in the first 2.5 hours, with another 3 hours before I'm in the car driving home. I was fine, rarely did I ever feel drunk. Most open bars making them a little weak. Sometimes a bar tender would pour my Tequila on the rocks like it was glass of soda. Those were the times I drank a little too much. Oh, forgot to mention. The 25 years of gigs all included plenty of pot smoking behind the venue or in the parking lot. Good times!
This has quickly become my favorite guitar channel! Thank you for sharing your story. I was one who, also playing in a country band, would limit myself to a drink before, a drink between sets, and one after end of night, and of course the drink between sets turned into shots when we had a regular group who followed us would buy them for us. But I always kept it sober, while other members would drink all through the set. It was when we had to let our bass player go, because his drinking and toking got to affect his performance and attendance to practices. He was lifelong buddies with the other guitar player (we were around 40 at the time), and he had to fire him.. not only lost a band member, but saw a lifelong friendship strained at the same time. It was at that moment, I immediately went to the practice of NEVER drinking when performing, and started treating it more professionally.
Congrats on 864k Subscribers. I'm pretty lucky that I've never had any struggles with alcohol. I've grown up seeing friends and others use it and not having complete control over it and their behaviour from drinking it. I'm proud to say that I've never been drunk, from a very young age the desire to get drunk never had any appeal. A slight phobia of vomiting did have a little to do with this but the majority of my choice was down to just not wanting to be in that state of drunkenness.
Thank you for sharing this. I’ve seen plenty of my friends fall prey to being drunk on stage and ruining a gig. I was once that guy. Our guitarists bday, giant crowd AND one of my hero’s let me borrow his modded head (it sounded amazing) but sadly I ruined the gig that nite. I’ll never forget my best friend Chase (the drummer) screaming at me after the gig “YOU’RE DRUNK!” He was so pissed and so was everyone. From that nite forward, I vowed to never let that happen to me again. Shortly after that I made a new friend and he was a hardcore alcoholic (he got help and is clean and sober now) and living with him was ugly. Now I only have water before the gig, I have 1 beer on stage and sip it when I need a drink and then afterwards I will have a few with friends. Moderation is king!!! Ps. Playin sober is 10x as fun now to me!!
Man hearing this brought back so many memories.. I've been in so many similar situations, drinking/partying before the gig to get my nerves calm, drinking/partying way too much while on stage, during breaks, then trying to drive home afterwards, etc, but luckily never any major disasters. I've been extremely lucky. Lol. It was fun though, but I can't say I recommend it, or that I'd do it all over again. I still like to have a couple drinks to calm my nerves before or while playing, but I have a lot more self control than I did when I was younger & dumber. Remember, "all things in moderation". 👍
I saw a metal band playing at a bar in college. Someone took the lead singer a beer and he chugged it down super fast. Immediately after that, a second person handed him a beer and he chugged it right down. I thought to myself, "that's so metal, that's why I cold never be the lead singer of a metal band." Right as I was thinking that, the singer turned around and blew chunks all over the drummer. It was fuggin' awesome. lol
This was a great video! I was in an original band when I was younger and all the guys in the band would be almost falling over drunk before we would get through the second song. We still played good, but I always had a rule that when I am behind the drums, I would never drink/smoke weed before or during a show or at practice. The music is my natural high 😉. I’ve stuck to that for 41 years now. I would hate the feeling of waking up the next morning and watching a video of how bad we were because of substances. Let the music be your high. I promise it’s better!
The thing I always dislike about headlining.... it takes forever to get on stage...sometimes midnight. And you really have to nurse a beer beforehand. Those gigs I'll show up around nine. But still, that's several hours.
Good vid. A lot of non musicians have no idea how being in a band can sway you. I have been a drummer for bands since i was 15 yo ,and it's been a crazy life. I've seen so much crazy that im jaded.you have to love the life or it will ruin you. Been able to pull myself out of the gutter more than once . It's so much better now that i quit drinking. I have more fun ,and the memories are clear and vivid now. Your stories are hilarious. Good work
I also played drums for another band for less than a year, here in Norway. They were pretty beer happy. But at the last concert we played, they did some stripes of cocaine before going on the stage. That made me want to rage quit, I have never been a drinker or a drug man, I just show up and play and go home. Which is what I did, and shortly after I quit the band. Never been happier.
I agree. But they took the shit just before entering the stage. If they did earlier that night I'd might just leave. I am very happy I left the band (he focking left the band, hello??).
i struggle a lot with anxiety in social settings too. it really takes the fun out of things sometimes because it is kind of exerting to have to battle with it while its happening.
Thats funny how (as a classical french horn player, student in a belgian conservatory), the state of mind before getting on stage is between classical and pop/country/metal... I play metal guitar myself but never did a side show with a band, the only occasion was in my conservatory. We did a jazz with a metal part composition😂. Anyway, in the orchestra, on stage we cant drink at all (even water). Its funny for me to touch the sides of both worlds. Thank for all of your videos I really enjoy it! It always a fun and learning time😊
A band here in NC, damn good band. Every time we saw them the lead guitarist was always glad i was there. The reason why. I was the only person in his life that cared enough to tell him. "You need to stop drinking before it kills you " By the end of every show he was hammered. But never messed up the gig, therefore the band mates never complained about his alcohol abuse. Look through the history of music. Fellow band mates never stop their mate from slowly killing themselves. Joe Elliot from Def Leppard said it best. We never told Steve to stop or to get help, because if we did, we would have to look at our own addiction's. Band members in most cases will eventually stop on their own. Then you have the cases like Steve from Def Leppard. He drank himself to death. My advice to you. Stop now before your 40 and look 60. My niece and nephew's aunt is like that. I look younger than my age. She looks like she is about 20 years older. Stay safe and be careful and stop begore it's too late.
Back in the 90s I was a very heavy drinker but my terrible stage fright prevented me from playing live drunk. I was so paranoid about screwing up, so I would only have a few drinks before a show and then about 10 after we were finished playing. On stage was the only time some of my friends ever saw me sober.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, I had to learn the hard way that drinking shots during breaktime of sets is a disaster. Especially when your the frontman and your running rhythm guitar. I’ve been doing live shows for 2 years now however I have been sober since last November and the shows have improved in drastic ways.
One drink before the gig - that's what I came to in only 3 or 4 shows. I wasn't very good with my instrument and drinking made me play even worse. Everybody was drunk and no one would notice but to me 40 minutes of set thinking "What the hell am I doing?? I always played this part well! What is happening with my fingers?!" was just too much. I wasn't having any fun, so I stopped drinking before the concerts. And then I stopped drinking after them because one time someone stole all equipment from a band who played before us. It was a time when clubs didn't even have guards. I was damn afraid someone would steal my bass and stuff, so I was keeping my eye on everything and everybody :) I could enjoy a beer but nothing too strong.
I'm not a performing musician, but even from my 110% bedroom guitarist perspective, I know gigging would make me crave a drink. And I'm actually sober in my everyday life too. I think there's a few reasons why I'm so temped about the idea. 1. Getting into a band and on a gig would be a huge accomplishment for me, and I would like to celebrate it. I'm never going on a world tour, so make the few prescious gigs a party 2. Because I'm both a poor player and a perfectionist, I actually play better slightly tipsy. My tone and my timing may suffer, but I don't get hung up on my mistakes, which is a much bigger problem for me. I get a bit of that 'best player in the world' vibe when I jam after a couple of beer. So I'm pretty much the opposite of you, and that's a huge trap factor 3. The overall 'alcohol = good time' social norm in western societies. Including all those kool rock stars who played arenas high as a kite 4. Possible stage fright. I'm an ambivert with some decent stage fright management techniques, and I don't think psychological stress would be a career-threatening problem for me, but narcotics are just such a cheap shortcut!
That snare hit, right when he hits, was perfect. I have a traditional beer, when I gig, because it’s usually part of the payment, whether one wants it or not. I only have a second, if I’m doing a three hour show. When I was younger, it was easy to play, and still be precise and fully focused. Sometimes more so. That changed at a certain age, at least when performing actual paid gigs. I don’t smoke before a show, but I’ll have a puff or two during a set break, unless we’re having a problem.
Your stories were great and fun to listen to. I hope you make it to your goal to zero drinks. I'd love to hear the follow up when you make it, and I know you will. Good luck!
Yes did ALL of it , lived through it, it was a blast for a while... quit all now playing in 2 top bands in big clubs and events playing is sharp as hell, being super clean and playing great is its own trip like it's the new high, Rock on Mike from Mpls.
Good video- full of truth.... and yes, it's hard to be playing in a bar full of people drinking and not partake....and yes, it is easy to over indulge.... solution? must be will-power, which can take time to develope. And yes, you have to set rules and try to stick with em.
I've been drunk approximately 4-5 times in my life. Since then, I have a couple beers or a mix drink on occasion. For the Super Bowl I actually had 3 beers, which was kinda a lot for me. Hey, it's great you decided what's important and how you'd handle yourself moving forward. I know some people who can't take that step, so that's good for you. Thanks for sharing. I really enjoy these stories/glances into your life. 👍👍🤟
It's a vicious cycle to get out of. I used to play in a party band where the shots flowed freely. I didn't realize how much it affected my playing until I saw some video playback. That's where all that crazy drinking stopped.
I like these stories. I've been super nervous and sober for the 7 gigs I've played...nice to be the opening metal band and then you can get buzzed and watch the other bands ha ha
Alcohol just causes problems, this career muso no exception. Story: c. 1999 worked 5 days a week about 90 days with a group putting together tight arrangements for a wedding/corporate band. No boose by design during rehearsal, as we were all drinkers. Got great work done, good attitudes to that point. Killer vocal harmonies, great arrangements. One day rehearsing, we got first nice booking, and had a first celebratory drink as a band. Immediately got into a big argument, over stupid shit "Dude you're sposed to sing 3rd. Dude it does that twice there.," Band did well for a couple years, but boose eventually played a prob. Alcohol sucks. Finally learned to stay away from it altogether.
Love hearing someone talk about the fun times with alcohol. Most people have horror stories about becoming an alcoholic instead. Hopefully you don’t catch too much heat for telling it like it actually is rather than scare tactics. Love the channel!
I have had good times and bad times. I have done some shows lit and others stone cold sober and I think the best I got out of myself was when I decided to take a 4 year hiatus and the band tripped out on it but understood. After the 4 year hiatus I only drank a little here and there but had moments when I would let loose but whenever I watched video of those moments I played terrible. So I guess my take away was do the shows as close to sober as you can then enjoy the night after your in your room or back home. Oh and as of right now I haven't had a drink since October so I guess the older you get the less attractive it is at least for me anyway!
I had a similar experience, but thankfully not as deep in. I mixed in a club for a while in university, and it get to be regular to have a 2-3 beers while mixing the shows. A year or so in I realized I wasn't mixing as well by the time the headliner was on. At that point I decided 0 alcohol until work is done.
I have some friends that started a “party” country cover band mostly playing 90s country that played at bars around town. I lived in a different city otherwise I probably would have played with them. One night, I had had a lot to drink but the guitarist motioned for me to get up on stage and play a couple songs. We played Sweet Home Alabama first and I blacked out halfway through the set after the first solo, which I somehow pulled off. Usually if I play while I get drunk I can still play, but if I try to play after getting drunk then it’s like I’ve never picked up a guitar and this was the latter case, so luckily that didn’t happen. Anyway, I came to and the song was over and everyone was cheering saying that I absolutely killed the main solo, so they kept me on for the second song which was Tennessee Whiskey. I butchered it somewhat as I’m pretty sure I was playing in the wrong key, but luckily I think it was just a matter of sounding a little off and only something a musician would really notice Of course, the only thing any friends in the crowd got a video of was the second song, not the first. Oh well, lesson learned
there was the time my band headlined a gig, and while waiting for our turn on stage friends were buying me beers and shots. When we finally hit the stage I came to the realization I was loaded. After stumbling through the first song, I forced myself back into sobriety, and make it through the performance... Definitely compromised. Never again!
Back when i was playing out with my band in the late 70s-80s, I tried to never drink because I just didn't want to make mistakes or forget how songs went etc. I only broke that rule once on a gig where we had two sets. (we usually had only one) After the first set, which went really well, various cutomers in the club started buying me drinks and giving me drugs as a sign of appreciation! lol When I stepped onstage for the second set, I felt like I was floating a foot above the stage and I couldn't feel my body very well. Everything was pretty numb. I remember thinking, "Oh no, I'm too high right now!" But lucky for me, I wasn't completely gone, and I actually played fine. But still, I never repeated that mistake again!
I wound up on the "max one drink per set" rule after hearing a recording of a show. Everyone else was drunk, so they said we were great... but the recording did not lie. 😬 But, you know, there's a reason introverts call the stuff Liquid Courage.
If you're trying to get to where you don't drink before or during shows, I'd suggest coming up with some other pre-performance ritual. It can be anything as long as it's fairly easy to do backstage at any gig. Don't worry if it doesn't even settle your nerves at first. You may have to play a few shows with the new ritual before it starts to calm you, but if you do it before every gig, it will eventually have a calming effect. What I do before any show is I go to the bathroom and splash a bit of water on my face. It doesn't get rid of the pre-show jitters, but it helps me be more okay with it.
I have a decent amount of experience gigging. I usually have a beer before a gig because I think it helps loosen me up a bit on stage and gets me out of my head from worrying too much about mistakes. Alcohol also relaxes your muscles which helps because the adrenaline can cause you to tense up. In longer shows that last 2-3 hours I sometimes have a second one an hour or so into it and sip on it throughout the rest of the gig. To me that amount is a healthy balance since it doesn’t impair me or worsen my playing. Once I get a noticeable buzz on that’s when I start getting sloppy. I also make sure to do some shows without a drop of alcohol to remind myself that I don’t need it.
Very insightful video! I appreciate it greatly cause ive struggled with that in the past as well. Very early I got the association of drinking while playing feels good. When I first started drinking I was very casual, at a point in my practice routine where I would just play songs I would have a single drink. I have light carpal tunnel so I've always had to watch my technique a lot and one day I noticed after a bit of drinking my hands felt good. I was more relaxed and was able to play more up to speed. So once I was playing out more I would sip on a drink or two while playing and it was fine. But after one of my bands was in a real tough spot emotionally we all kinda were sick of each other. (We're all good now, no band but friends) We all had some sort of trauma so we weren't exactly the best with out emotions. And when we decided to call it quits we also decided to play our last scheduled shows. Bad idea in hindsight. Since we all were unhappy we all just got tipsy on stage to kinda cope. So I then started to associate that bad feelings go away after drinking. And that habit leaked into my personal life. I wasn't happy at all for a lot of reasons and I just sorta numbed myself. Eventually I was just tired of feeling the way I did so I quit. Fortunately while I was a bit addicted I didn't have bad withdrawals. Just some sleepiness for a week or so as I adjusted. And that period really effected how I play live now. I'm very introverted, have been my whole life and drinking made that go away, so any insecurities I felt about myself, how I looked and played weren't there. Now they're here all the time and its been this weird mending of how I play live even 6 years later. Fortunately its made me a better player, I'm very aware of how I play things and how much I need to either play light or knowing my moments when to dig in. I play in a tech death band so I need to conserve energy. Sometimes I can get in that zen state and I'm not overly thinking, but about 80% of the time I'm in my head trying to find my place on stage again. I have a love hate relationship with playing in general right now (for some reasons listed above but other reasons as well). So I guess it's been a slow mending of my relationship with playing music in general because alcohol really tainted it for a long time. I'm sure it's mostly in my head and something I'll get over with time. But currently it's a struggle.
Case of beer...or a few shots of whiskey and 15 beers for me playing drums/singing in a Southern band Friday & Saturday nights doing four 45 minute sets. Some shows when we went to Jackson, Mississippi lasted from 9pm until 5am...70-80 beers for the weekend. But we did great.
My bands in my 20’s looked at every like one big party. And it sucked me in and I actually took a break for awhile. Now in my late 30’s every show is a performance. It’s all about hydration, stretching, and making sure I took my nexium pill 😂 Great topic for a video
I'm glad you brought up him not getting injured because he was relaxed and didn't tense up. That is unfortunately the reason many drunk drivers survive a crash over a sober driver. The sober driver will instinctively tense up and the drunk driver is relaxed through it all.
I played in several copy bands and I also found that drinking really helped stage anxiety. People who dont inderstand this here is an example. You get so amped up that your hands sweat, they tighten up and you tend to grip and play with strength rather than finesse. It’s a real problem. I would start the night with a bucket of tequila which was in our house band contract. They had to cover the cost of our drinks and our singer made sure it was top shelf tequila. I would just sip on it between songs and by end of set I would be feeling really good, talking with the audience and getting people going and dancing. I used to grab a girl up onstage so they could dance for the crowd here and there. I wouldn’t have done that completely sober. We would usually start the last set of the night with me playing bass by myself and I would go out into the crowd playing the intro line to Flesh for Fantasy. I’d just walk around to tables and sometimes sit with people just jamming while the rest of the band came in one by one. It’s was a lot of fun but honestly would have never done that completely sober. By that time of night I would be pretty lit. It can easily become a problem because you start to really rely on that and as time progresses you need more and more. Next thing you know you’re basically drunk all weekend🤷♂️
Kudos to you Mike for sharing your story. I wish you success in giving up alcohol like you want. I used to like the feeling of a beer or two before going on stage - like you say, just to calm the nerves. Unfortunately, I think alcohol did effect my ability to play - especially anything over 1.5-2 beers. I've completely given up drinking a few years ago but haven't actually played in a band since then. I think I could manage now but regardless of the feeling, I determined not to drink because I really feel like my life is better without it.
There are various music related channels, and I had to check this one out... Ive never played in a band, but I do play guitar and piano, and I have met a few people who know Aaron Lewis and Shadow's Fall. I drank with people after local shows, and saw some of what your experience was like... Ive been sober for 7 months now, albeit I smoke too much weed, and I dont miss it, cos I could never stop at 3-4... Really good story, and you described the origins of it well. It goes from feeling risky, to the courage to open up, to the difficult maintenance part of it. Sure it was fun to drink in the park, and meet up and go where ever, or go to the bar after dish washing all night, or jam with different friends, or go for our wild rides in the meadows, or experiment with various hard drugs... Once I hit 30, it was no longer fun, and I have watched too much consumption destroy many lives. I got out of dish washing, and went back to fast food, because I wanted away from the alcohol. This job had live acoustic shows TH/FR/SA 6-10, and half of us were lit by 8, but we didnt get done until 11. It was a shitshow in the kitchen, a party in the dining room every night, and I did have the rare occasion to sing, or jam for a bit if I got out of the kitchen on time... Its good to recognize that I want to be sober, not that I have to stop drinking, and avoiding places of drinking has been a good thing for me since last summer... I appreciate the honesty of your story, and it definitely helped me out to listen.
I stopped drinking, but when I did and I played out, I never drank at gigs. I can't hit a lick if I even have just a couple of drinks. Kept me out of trouble.
I played in St Paul and Mpls in the 1980’s lol. Your story about playing with an older band that drank heavy made me laugh. At the time when I was there we played with a local favorite bad named Regime one time at a bar/strip club called “The Pain Reliever”. Regime had a tape out and their big song was titled “ Half in the bag again.” They would place a toilet next to the singer on stage. Yes, we did lots of heavy drinking in practice and then in stage. Good times though. Until it isn’t anymore. Thanks for the trip back in time .
Awesome. Which band? I was in Sanctus and we played with The Regime a lot. They gave us our break into Mirage. I remember Porcelain God had a toilet too. Hehe.
@@TheArtofGuitar our band was called Hammer. We were in the scene about a year and a half. Crazy times though. 16 years sober and living in Illinois. Last gig was 5yrs in a Christian band playing in church. No drinks allowed lol. I think the singer from Hammer formed a band called Psycho Ed. They played for years in the twin cities I’m told. Haven’t thought about all of that for a very long time. Musicians live in a very small world. Funny that we knew some of the same people. Crispy, the bass player at the time from Regime, was friends with the bass player in Hammer. That’s how we got to play with them way back when. Regime’s singer really had a voice. Top of the line screamer. They always had great guitar player as well.
For somebody who doesn't drink (really never. no exceptions. period.), this is an interesting tale. Thanks for sharing this. Fortunately we alll stay very much sober while performing and even afterwards. I've seen other bands, where people get kind of an alcohol budget for the show and then basically make their run to the bar, after the show is done. Doesn't sound too healthy, if you ask me...
I'll allow myself 1 beer before or during the 1st set. Non-alcoholic beers & water for the rest. Discipline isn't easy but I always thank myself for it later.
What I like about this vid you did is that it didn't dive directly into "oh this is an addiction and it's terrible." No, it's a "habit" that got inconvenient, and so you changed and moderated. Do people get addicted to things? Absolutely. Is every problem habit an addiction? No, it isn't.
Even in the throes of alcoholism I never drank while performing as I had to drive. My band mates however made up for what I didn’t drink. The second guitar player often passed out prior to the last set. I waiting until home and sat on porch in the wee hours drinking whiskey until I passed out after dawn. After a few heart attacks put the bottle and cigs down forever. It was worth the withdrawl and couldn’t be happier after 9 years! Due to lack of interest to bands in bars in our area I have stopped wasting my time gigging. Life is great!
I am a recovering alcoholic and I could tell you some hectic stories of the stage and drinking. I'm glad I can experience it sober now. Although the stages are much smaller they are more enjoyable 😉
I've always been the same- no drinking before or during my work. The rare times I do have a drink is a few songs into the last set or between tear down & load out.
Believe it or not, I'm one of those very rare guitar players who drinks ZERO alcohol. When I was a teenager playing, I fell into that "You're a musician so you need to party" trap. One day, I looked into the mirror and what was looking back was NOT who or what I wanted to be. It was hard breaking away from it. You find out who your TRUE friends are during the process also. I'm 60 now and I think I have been drunk 4 times since I was 20. None of them playing. If people push you into it then, stay clear from them. They don't have YOUR best interest at hand. I commend you on the fight!
Great video! I had a college experience where I thought I played the show of my life…then I watched the video. Since then, I don’t drink more than one or two, and usually it’s zero.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I think introverts are especially vulnerable to alcohol addiction. it basically fixes you, turns you into an extrovert for a night. i used to hate, absolutely despise playing live because of stage fright. so had to get extremely drunk beforehand. i never screwed up a gig, but it started happening at practises too. used to pass out hugging my bass. I think once a drinker discovers that they can drink more to make the hangover go away, that's when it really goes downhill, fast. I'm so glad that this generation have chosen not to indulge nearly as much as those that came before.
Anyway. i'm 2 years sober now. thanks for sharing your experience
Great point! And keep going!!
I did a lot of voice training by going to the open jams and definitely used beer as the remedy for the initial stage fright. Problem is that the pattern sticks and then you feel the need to drink all performances even when the stage fright phase is long over. If you go pro, you necessarily become an alcoholic. I unstuck my connection with performance and drinking by doing tons of busking dry. I no longer feel like booze goes with performance.
Yep, I think going for the hair of the dog is what separates drinkers from alcoholics. I sometimes drink a beer or take a shot the next morning to help take a nap, but I have an absolute stop, hard limit at one. But drinking to loosen me up was definitely a crutch and it sucks that the social skills you pick up while drunk don’t extend into when you’re sober
Happy for your sobriety though!
Yup! When you start drinking the hangovers away that's the beginning of the end. Been there man, I've only drank a couple of times in 5 years
Beta blockers... What they do is that they suppress the effects of adrenaline in your soft muscle tissue: in this case it is your heart that needs to be steady so you don't get into that cycle of being nervous, being nervous of being nervous, panicking because you are nervous and finally.. panicking because you are panicking. The side effects non-existing unless you run a marathon under hot lights, they lower your heart rate and have minor effect on temperature regulation, you have to avoid extremes but are just fine on a gig. A LOT of artists use them, they are especially favored in the classical side. And since they have no effect in your brain, you don't lose any edge, are not lulled into being "comfortably numb"... I haven't found them having any effect on my energy on stage.
I played in a country band (tobogan)for almost a decade. Every bar paid our tab as part of the pay agreement. That's about all I can remember.
At least you weren’t like the Blues Brothers! Lol! Drinking your pay’ lol!
Open bars are absolutely the Devil!
All my band got was the booze.
😂😂😂
Same, it was always part of the contract 🎼🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Unfortunately for me, I turned into a raging alcoholic/addict, so my dreams died fairly quick. I've now been 3 years clean after 40 years old f boozing and drugging, and finally got me a couple of new guitars and gear. I'm actually surpassing my talent now.
Keep it up!
Awesome! Is that your Lester in the thumbnail? Very nice.
When I was young, a recovering addict said to me
*_Son. The day you say “I need a drink” is the day you don’t drink. It’s the day you have to face unanaesthetised_*
Thanks for another great video, Mike. I had to face my alcohol use that definitely ramped up from all the weekends playing shows at bars and band practice. I'm 41 and now more than 3 years since my last drink of alcohol. I found I couldn't just "cut back"- it had to be completely cut off or I just took it too far almost every time. It's harder to be comfortable on stage and talking to people for sure without it. But the constant hangovers, forgetting songs while performing, driving home half drunk after shows, fighting with my wife, not being there for my kids... I'm done with that. I do live looping now I could never pull off drunk - I'd fall on my ass trying to hit the pedals!
Congratulations on your three years! ❤
"Did he really wanna kick the guys ass? No. Was the guy even Canadian? I don't think so." My favorite quote!🤣
This is the most informative and concise analysis of most drinker’s’ experience with alcohol. Your account of your first time drinking experience was spot on. You come to associate drinking with having fun and you want to do it again asap. I drank throughout most of my adult life whether during jam sessions or on my off days back when I was in the military. I thought I had earned it and saw it as a way to relax and enjoy your downtime. I haven’t drank in five years but I never did quit. I just kept saying “I’ll have a beer tomorrow.” However since retiring from the army I no longer have gainful employment and thus haven’t felt compelled to drink anymore. Maybe I think that if I drink when I don’t have a career anymore I’ll be a bum? Maybe it’s because money has been tight for so long and frankly there just isn’t anything to celebrate? Either way, I’m sober now and even if my luck changes I won’t go back to drinking. At this point it’s kind of like Eli Manning -I don’t want to break my streak. Whatever the reason my story has got to be the most pathetic “I’m sober now” story!
Any sober story is not pathetic. Congratulations! ❤
@@invisibleme5 thank you so much for your kind words! God bless you!
Think better of yourself. Your doing good.
Nope,not pathetic at all. We all have different circumstances in our lives.People drink or not drink for all kinds of reasons.You are no different or ANY less important.
Hey Mike. I'm a brand new student on your website, trying to learn to play guitar at a stage in life when most people start winding down instead of up. The clock is ticking loudly in my ears, I guess, I don't know. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I appreciate you. You seem like you're a young guy who really has himself together, and brother I'm here to tell you, the booze is a lie. It's a lie that tells itself to those who drink. It whispers in your ear that you're relaxed, and cool, and fun... but that just ain't so. Like I said, you seem to me to really have your life together. You're doing something you love, and earning a living doing it. Who could be more comfortable in his own skin than THAT guy...? You don't need the booze as much as the booze needs you. Who else is going to pay for those gargantuan Jägermeister flags and Super Bowl ads...? I'd wish you luck, but you don't need luck. All that is needed is a decision. I'm looking forward to learning a lot from you, and I'm looking forward even more to watching that next video you mentioned.
Thanks for the awesome comment. Much appreciated.
Incredible you played with The Replacements . Your a legend
For the longest time I had to have a drink to get on stage or even be around crowds at gigs. Moved onto to smoking bud to get rid of the hangover. Ended up on MD. Last year I couldn’t stand watching myself in 3rd person not living up to my potential. Went full clean and my playing never felt better or more confident. I can still have a drink, but never do it before I play.
What's md
@@grunge6909I've been wondering this too. I really hope they come back.
@@grunge6909I suspect he's referring to MDMA aka ecstasy.
@@grunge6909 Mountain Dew? :)
Mad Dog?
Man, the more you tell stories, the more I realize just how similar our music journey has been.
This has quickly become my favorite guitar channel!
Thank you for sharing your story.
I was one who, also playing in a country band, would limit myself to a drink before, a drink between sets, and one after end of night, and of course the drink between sets turned into shots when we had a regular group who followed us would buy them for us, and them giving us drinks during the set, which I normally declined or passed off to the keyboard player. But I always kept it sober, while other members would drink all through the set, ok usually…I had a few buzzed sets, and it affected my playing so that toned back. It was when we had to let our bass player go, because his drinking and toking got to affect his performance and attendance to practices. He was lifelong buddies with the other guitar player (we were around 40 at the time), and he had to fire him.. not only lost a band member, but saw a lifelong friendship strained at the same time.
It was at that moment, I immediately went to the practice of NEVER drinking when performing, and started treating it more professionally.
Ps. And yes, Easyriders magazine also helped me through my adolescent years lol
Thank you for sharing. I'm old and have seen way too many cautionary tales from family and friends.
To anyone who doesn't drink, keep avoiding it. You'll get occasional weird looks, but staying sober will save you heartache and pain.
I am very fortunate to have gone through my struggles with substance abuse before I started my current band , and I have to say that my level of control and everything definitely helps but it makes it very hard to find other players to help play in the band because so many people are in denial of their substance abuse.
I just thought I’d add my own experience to your great video. I drank heavily for 20 years during and after working on full-time band even when music became a hobby. My energy and motivation for playing increased so much when I quit drinking last year. Also, I had to humble up to the fact that am getting older and cannot handle the same amount as when so was 20. The guitar looks better on my body playing live because I have no beer gut lol. Also, alcohol causes inflammation which is very bad for your hands synchronization and playing fast. Not only for sloppiness but the amount of stress you are putting on your left or right hands during heavy intense playing during inebriation. Love your channel keep up the great work.
Telling your story took courage and honesty. Wish you all the best.
This was a great video, man. I’ve been following you for a couple months now, and enjoying your approach to all the various aspects of being a pro musician, but this video was different. I really appreciate you speaking honestly about your experiences, and I hope that your story will influence your young viewers and the choices that they make.
I’ve been performing professionally for some 40+ years now, and I’ve gone up and down with the alcohol onstage many times over the years, including embarrassing myself with over-indulgence on more than one occasion! But I learned from a few tough experiences that to get too f**ked up on the gig is to let my band mates down, not to mention myself. So I’ve gotten my act together and know my own limits. Like yourself, nowadays I mostly use it to take the edge off my performance anxiety (which, even after decades of performing, I still have). The key is to know your own limits, and to not exceed them! For me, it's about 2 shots of whiskey, and then maybe a beer later in the set--any more than that and I get into diminishing returns.
Keep up the great work, good sir!
What a refreshingly honest take. Well done sir. Good luck to all on thier journey and god bless.
I think like a lot of people, for me, hanging out and jamming was nearly always linked with drinking or sparking up. Starting from teenage years onward. Even when that jamming turned into a band, band practices, gigs, it was always a “good time”. And it was, but it was a tough connection to break apart.
Hey Mike, just want to let you I'm super grateful for the stories you share with us. You're a legend man!
I completely understand where you’re coming from and thanks for your honesty because your admission can get you a lot of criticism. I always associate having a drink with flying and whenever I try to justify that I get labeled an alcoholic. Up to a point I can consume and still have my faculties, having the feeling of relaxation that a moderate amount gives you without it impairing your ability to perform is acceptable in my opinion.
I just woke up from a similar night so thank ya for sharing Mike!
I played in a band called Astradica in Norway, I am a drummer. We played our first gig in a pretty big bar, with literally 5 people watching us. The singer just disappeared 5 minutes before we were going on stage. He had to take a shit, lol. He was very anxious. A few months later we played a place named John Dee, and again the singer went missing shortly before going on stage. Turns out he was drinking himself some courage in his hotel room!
You mean Carlsberg? Lol. Jarlsberg is cheese.
@@Rastard12345It's somehow funnier with cheese.
It can be incredibly difficult to detach from certain vices especially in the environments that the music career puts us in. I went a decent amount of years ruining myself with drugs and alcohol. I had to move to another state to get myself away from the people and places I associated with those vices. I've been sober for 6 years now and I'm happy for it, but I still think I would struggle if I was in the same situations I put myself in back then. Thank you for this video it helps to have such a real story instead of an after school special like you referenced in the beginning thank you.
Playing in bars, clubs, ect & in all kinds of styles of music since i was 13yrs old & free drinks always being included in our contracts, definitely contributed to my alcoholism & drug use!! & after many ups & downs, I am happy to say i am clean from all for 10 yrs now! But what a crazy ride it all was & i chose NOT to go "big" & tour because of all the evil temptation on the road & i would have most likely overdosed or something!! Plus i just couldnt miss out on my children growing up!!
I played weddings for 25 years and it was always 2-3 drinks per gig. One after setting up, hangign with band mates in the cocktail hour. Second drink would accompany me on stage for the first set. Third drink- I would play the first break alone (solo guitar) and a bandmate would bring it to me. Three drinks in the first 2.5 hours, with another 3 hours before I'm in the car driving home. I was fine, rarely did I ever feel drunk. Most open bars making them a little weak. Sometimes a bar tender would pour my Tequila on the rocks like it was glass of soda. Those were the times I drank a little too much. Oh, forgot to mention. The 25 years of gigs all included plenty of pot smoking behind the venue or in the parking lot. Good times!
This has quickly become my favorite guitar channel!
Thank you for sharing your story.
I was one who, also playing in a country band, would limit myself to a drink before, a drink between sets, and one after end of night, and of course the drink between sets turned into shots when we had a regular group who followed us would buy them for us. But I always kept it sober, while other members would drink all through the set. It was when we had to let our bass player go, because his drinking and toking got to affect his performance and attendance to practices. He was lifelong buddies with the other guitar player (we were around 40 at the time), and he had to fire him.. not only lost a band member, but saw a lifelong friendship strained at the same time.
It was at that moment, I immediately went to the practice of NEVER drinking when performing, and started treating it more professionally.
Congrats on 864k Subscribers.
I'm pretty lucky that I've never had any struggles with alcohol. I've grown up seeing friends and others use it and not having complete control over it and their behaviour from drinking it.
I'm proud to say that I've never been drunk, from a very young age the desire to get drunk never had any appeal. A slight phobia of vomiting did have a little to do with this but the majority of my choice was down to just not wanting to be in that state of drunkenness.
Thank you for sharing this. I’ve seen plenty of my friends fall prey to being drunk on stage and ruining a gig. I was once that guy. Our guitarists bday, giant crowd AND one of my hero’s let me borrow his modded head (it sounded amazing) but sadly I ruined the gig that nite. I’ll never forget my best friend Chase (the drummer) screaming at me after the gig “YOU’RE DRUNK!” He was so pissed and so was everyone. From that nite forward, I vowed to never let that happen to me again. Shortly after that I made a new friend and he was a hardcore alcoholic (he got help and is clean and sober now) and living with him was ugly.
Now I only have water before the gig, I have 1 beer on stage and sip it when I need a drink and then afterwards I will have a few with friends. Moderation is king!!!
Ps. Playin sober is 10x as fun now to me!!
Man hearing this brought back so many memories.. I've been in so many similar situations, drinking/partying before the gig to get my nerves calm, drinking/partying way too much while on stage, during breaks, then trying to drive home afterwards, etc, but luckily never any major disasters. I've been extremely lucky. Lol. It was fun though, but I can't say I recommend it, or that I'd do it all over again. I still like to have a couple drinks to calm my nerves before or while playing, but I have a lot more self control than I did when I was younger & dumber. Remember, "all things in moderation". 👍
Love the authenticity of this.
Approaching 16 months sober myself. Best decision I’ve ever made for the long run and my playing on stage has really benefited from it
I saw a metal band playing at a bar in college. Someone took the lead singer a beer and he chugged it down super fast. Immediately after that, a second person handed him a beer and he chugged it right down. I thought to myself, "that's so metal, that's why I cold never be the lead singer of a metal band." Right as I was thinking that, the singer turned around and blew chunks all over the drummer. It was fuggin' awesome. lol
This was a great video! I was in an original band when I was younger and all the guys in the band would be almost falling over drunk before we would get through the second song. We still played good, but I always had a rule that when I am behind the drums, I would never drink/smoke weed before or during a show or at practice. The music is my natural high 😉. I’ve stuck to that for 41 years now. I would hate the feeling of waking up the next morning and watching a video of how bad we were because of substances. Let the music be your high. I promise it’s better!
Your story is highly relatable to a lot of people. Well done.
The thing I always dislike about headlining.... it takes forever to get on stage...sometimes midnight. And you really have to nurse a beer beforehand. Those gigs I'll show up around nine. But still, that's several hours.
Good vid. A lot of non musicians have no idea how being in a band can sway you. I have been a drummer for bands since i was 15 yo ,and it's been a crazy life. I've seen so much crazy that im jaded.you have to love the life or it will ruin you. Been able to pull myself out of the gutter more than once . It's so much better now that i quit drinking. I have more fun ,and the memories are clear and vivid now. Your stories are hilarious. Good work
I also played drums for another band for less than a year, here in Norway. They were pretty beer happy. But at the last concert we played, they did some stripes of cocaine before going on the stage. That made me want to rage quit, I have never been a drinker or a drug man, I just show up and play and go home. Which is what I did, and shortly after I quit the band. Never been happier.
I have no idea if that was ironic or not, but thanks!
I agree. But they took the shit just before entering the stage. If they did earlier that night I'd might just leave. I am very happy I left the band (he focking left the band, hello??).
i struggle a lot with anxiety in social settings too. it really takes the fun out of things sometimes because it is kind of exerting to have to battle with it while its happening.
Thats funny how (as a classical french horn player, student in a belgian conservatory), the state of mind before getting on stage is between classical and pop/country/metal... I play metal guitar myself but never did a side show with a band, the only occasion was in my conservatory. We did a jazz with a metal part composition😂. Anyway, in the orchestra, on stage we cant drink at all (even water). Its funny for me to touch the sides of both worlds. Thank for all of your videos I really enjoy it! It always a fun and learning time😊
A band here in NC, damn good band.
Every time we saw them the lead guitarist was always glad i was there.
The reason why.
I was the only person in his life that cared enough to tell him.
"You need to stop drinking before it kills you "
By the end of every show he was hammered. But never messed up the gig, therefore the band mates never complained about his alcohol abuse.
Look through the history of music.
Fellow band mates never stop their mate from slowly killing themselves.
Joe Elliot from Def Leppard said it best.
We never told Steve to stop or to get help, because if we did, we would have to look at our own addiction's.
Band members in most cases will eventually stop on their own. Then you have the cases like Steve from Def Leppard. He drank himself to death.
My advice to you.
Stop now before your 40 and look 60.
My niece and nephew's aunt is like that.
I look younger than my age. She looks like she is about 20 years older.
Stay safe and be careful and stop begore it's too late.
Back in the 90s I was a very heavy drinker but my terrible stage fright prevented me from playing live drunk. I was so paranoid about screwing up, so I would only have a few drinks before a show and then about 10 after we were finished playing. On stage was the only time some of my friends ever saw me sober.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, I had to learn the hard way that drinking shots during breaktime of sets is a disaster. Especially when your the frontman and your running rhythm guitar.
I’ve been doing live shows for 2 years now however I have been sober since last November and the shows have improved in drastic ways.
Thanks for the reminder! I need to renew my Easyrider subscription.
One drink before the gig - that's what I came to in only 3 or 4 shows. I wasn't very good with my instrument and drinking made me play even worse. Everybody was drunk and no one would notice but to me 40 minutes of set thinking "What the hell am I doing?? I always played this part well! What is happening with my fingers?!" was just too much. I wasn't having any fun, so I stopped drinking before the concerts. And then I stopped drinking after them because one time someone stole all equipment from a band who played before us. It was a time when clubs didn't even have guards. I was damn afraid someone would steal my bass and stuff, so I was keeping my eye on everything and everybody :) I could enjoy a beer but nothing too strong.
1 before, maybe 1 during. Sports drinks are awesome on stage, you lose a lot of stuff when sweating and blood sugar needs to stay between margins.
I'm not a performing musician, but even from my 110% bedroom guitarist perspective, I know gigging would make me crave a drink. And I'm actually sober in my everyday life too. I think there's a few reasons why I'm so temped about the idea.
1. Getting into a band and on a gig would be a huge accomplishment for me, and I would like to celebrate it. I'm never going on a world tour, so make the few prescious gigs a party
2. Because I'm both a poor player and a perfectionist, I actually play better slightly tipsy. My tone and my timing may suffer, but I don't get hung up on my mistakes, which is a much bigger problem for me. I get a bit of that 'best player in the world' vibe when I jam after a couple of beer. So I'm pretty much the opposite of you, and that's a huge trap factor
3. The overall 'alcohol = good time' social norm in western societies. Including all those kool rock stars who played arenas high as a kite
4. Possible stage fright. I'm an ambivert with some decent stage fright management techniques, and I don't think psychological stress would be a career-threatening problem for me, but narcotics are just such a cheap shortcut!
That snare hit, right when he hits, was perfect.
I have a traditional beer, when I gig, because it’s usually part of the payment, whether one wants it or not.
I only have a second, if I’m doing a three hour show.
When I was younger, it was easy to play, and still be precise and fully focused. Sometimes more so.
That changed at a certain age, at least when performing actual paid gigs. I don’t smoke before a show, but I’ll have a puff or two during a set break, unless we’re having a problem.
Your stories were great and fun to listen to. I hope you make it to your goal to zero drinks. I'd love to hear the follow up when you make it, and I know you will. Good luck!
Great video, Mike! You're as good at telling stories as you are at guitar.
Yes did ALL of it , lived through it, it was a blast for a while... quit all now playing in 2 top bands in big clubs and events playing is sharp as hell, being super clean and playing great is its own trip like it's the new high, Rock on Mike from Mpls.
It's hard to convince young people of anything. But if they're lucky enough to safely get through learning the hard way, they get it.
Thanks for sharing. It took a long time to get to the point of playing out and understanding moderation. I still slip, glad it's not just me.
You are a great raconteur, I could listen to you talk about anything
Good video- full of truth.... and yes, it's hard to be playing in a bar full of people drinking and not partake....and yes, it is easy to over indulge.... solution? must be will-power, which can take time to develope. And yes, you have to set rules and try to stick with em.
I've been drunk approximately 4-5 times in my life. Since then, I have a couple beers or a mix drink on occasion.
For the Super Bowl I actually had 3 beers, which was kinda a lot for me.
Hey, it's great you decided what's important and how you'd handle yourself moving forward. I know some people who can't take that step, so that's good for you.
Thanks for sharing. I really enjoy these stories/glances into your life. 👍👍🤟
I've seen a few videos with Hatfield, right before he goes stage smoking a big cigar. It's amazing that he still gets nerves after all these years
It's a vicious cycle to get out of. I used to play in a party band where the shots flowed freely. I didn't realize how much it affected my playing until I saw some video playback. That's where all that crazy drinking stopped.
I like these stories. I've been super nervous and sober for the 7 gigs I've played...nice to be the opening metal band and then you can get buzzed and watch the other bands ha ha
Thanks for sharing, it’s important to talk about this
At 7:50, Minna-soda?! Classic, Mike. Great video! Thank you for sharing the skeletons with us!
Alcohol just causes problems, this career muso no exception. Story: c. 1999 worked 5 days a week about 90 days with a group putting together tight arrangements for a wedding/corporate band. No boose by design during rehearsal, as we were all drinkers. Got great work done, good attitudes to that point. Killer vocal harmonies, great arrangements. One day rehearsing, we got first nice booking, and had a first celebratory drink as a band. Immediately got into a big argument, over stupid shit "Dude you're sposed to sing 3rd. Dude it does that twice there.," Band did well for a couple years, but boose eventually played a prob. Alcohol sucks. Finally learned to stay away from it altogether.
Love hearing someone talk about the fun times with alcohol. Most people have horror stories about becoming an alcoholic instead. Hopefully you don’t catch too much heat for telling it like it actually is rather than scare tactics. Love the channel!
I have had good times and bad times. I have done some shows lit and others stone cold sober and I think the best I got out of myself was when I decided to take a 4 year hiatus and the band tripped out on it but understood. After the 4 year hiatus I only drank a little here and there but had moments when I would let loose but whenever I watched video of those moments I played terrible. So I guess my take away was do the shows as close to sober as you can then enjoy the night after your in your room or back home. Oh and as of right now I haven't had a drink since October so I guess the older you get the less attractive it is at least for me anyway!
Thanks Mike!
I had a similar experience, but thankfully not as deep in. I mixed in a club for a while in university, and it get to be regular to have a 2-3 beers while mixing the shows.
A year or so in I realized I wasn't mixing as well by the time the headliner was on. At that point I decided 0 alcohol until work is done.
I appreciate your story and I salute your courage for telling it so honestly. I'm also an introvert so I rarely comment. Thank you.
I have some friends that started a “party” country cover band mostly playing 90s country that played at bars around town. I lived in a different city otherwise I probably would have played with them. One night, I had had a lot to drink but the guitarist motioned for me to get up on stage and play a couple songs. We played Sweet Home Alabama first and I blacked out halfway through the set after the first solo, which I somehow pulled off. Usually if I play while I get drunk I can still play, but if I try to play after getting drunk then it’s like I’ve never picked up a guitar and this was the latter case, so luckily that didn’t happen. Anyway, I came to and the song was over and everyone was cheering saying that I absolutely killed the main solo, so they kept me on for the second song which was Tennessee Whiskey. I butchered it somewhat as I’m pretty sure I was playing in the wrong key, but luckily I think it was just a matter of sounding a little off and only something a musician would really notice
Of course, the only thing any friends in the crowd got a video of was the second song, not the first. Oh well, lesson learned
there was the time my band headlined a gig, and while waiting for our turn on stage friends were buying me beers and shots. When we finally hit the stage I came to the realization I was loaded. After stumbling through the first song, I forced myself back into sobriety, and make it through the performance... Definitely compromised. Never again!
Back when i was playing out with my band in the late 70s-80s, I tried to never drink because I just didn't want to make mistakes or forget how songs went etc. I only broke that rule once on a gig where we had two sets. (we usually had only one) After the first set, which went really well, various cutomers in the club started buying me drinks and giving me drugs as a sign of appreciation! lol When I stepped onstage for the second set, I felt like I was floating a foot above the stage and I couldn't feel my body very well. Everything was pretty numb. I remember thinking, "Oh no, I'm too high right now!" But lucky for me, I wasn't completely gone, and I actually played fine. But still, I never repeated that mistake again!
I wound up on the "max one drink per set" rule after hearing a recording of a show. Everyone else was drunk, so they said we were great... but the recording did not lie. 😬 But, you know, there's a reason introverts call the stuff Liquid Courage.
Good on you for sharing this ! I'm sure this will help other musicians.
Thanks for sharing!
If you're trying to get to where you don't drink before or during shows, I'd suggest coming up with some other pre-performance ritual. It can be anything as long as it's fairly easy to do backstage at any gig. Don't worry if it doesn't even settle your nerves at first. You may have to play a few shows with the new ritual before it starts to calm you, but if you do it before every gig, it will eventually have a calming effect. What I do before any show is I go to the bathroom and splash a bit of water on my face. It doesn't get rid of the pre-show jitters, but it helps me be more okay with it.
I have a decent amount of experience gigging. I usually have a beer before a gig because I think it helps loosen me up a bit on stage and gets me out of my head from worrying too much about mistakes. Alcohol also relaxes your muscles which helps because the adrenaline can cause you to tense up. In longer shows that last 2-3 hours I sometimes have a second one an hour or so into it and sip on it throughout the rest of the gig. To me that amount is a healthy balance since it doesn’t impair me or worsen my playing. Once I get a noticeable buzz on that’s when I start getting sloppy. I also make sure to do some shows without a drop of alcohol to remind myself that I don’t need it.
Very insightful video! I appreciate it greatly cause ive struggled with that in the past as well. Very early I got the association of drinking while playing feels good. When I first started drinking I was very casual, at a point in my practice routine where I would just play songs I would have a single drink. I have light carpal tunnel so I've always had to watch my technique a lot and one day I noticed after a bit of drinking my hands felt good. I was more relaxed and was able to play more up to speed. So once I was playing out more I would sip on a drink or two while playing and it was fine.
But after one of my bands was in a real tough spot emotionally we all kinda were sick of each other. (We're all good now, no band but friends) We all had some sort of trauma so we weren't exactly the best with out emotions. And when we decided to call it quits we also decided to play our last scheduled shows. Bad idea in hindsight. Since we all were unhappy we all just got tipsy on stage to kinda cope. So I then started to associate that bad feelings go away after drinking. And that habit leaked into my personal life. I wasn't happy at all for a lot of reasons and I just sorta numbed myself. Eventually I was just tired of feeling the way I did so I quit. Fortunately while I was a bit addicted I didn't have bad withdrawals. Just some sleepiness for a week or so as I adjusted.
And that period really effected how I play live now. I'm very introverted, have been my whole life and drinking made that go away, so any insecurities I felt about myself, how I looked and played weren't there. Now they're here all the time and its been this weird mending of how I play live even 6 years later. Fortunately its made me a better player, I'm very aware of how I play things and how much I need to either play light or knowing my moments when to dig in. I play in a tech death band so I need to conserve energy. Sometimes I can get in that zen state and I'm not overly thinking, but about 80% of the time I'm in my head trying to find my place on stage again. I have a love hate relationship with playing in general right now (for some reasons listed above but other reasons as well). So I guess it's been a slow mending of my relationship with playing music in general because alcohol really tainted it for a long time. I'm sure it's mostly in my head and something I'll get over with time. But currently it's a struggle.
Case of beer...or a few shots of whiskey and 15 beers for me playing drums/singing in a Southern band Friday & Saturday nights doing four 45 minute sets. Some shows when we went to Jackson, Mississippi lasted from 9pm until 5am...70-80 beers for the weekend. But we did great.
My bands in my 20’s looked at every like one big party. And it sucked me in and I actually took a break for awhile. Now in my late 30’s every show is a performance. It’s all about hydration, stretching, and making sure I took my nexium pill 😂 Great topic for a video
I never realized “half in the bag” had anything to do with drinking. I only ever thought of it as a series by Red Letter Media, lol.
Haha I thought that same thing!! 😂
I'm glad you brought up him not getting injured because he was relaxed and didn't tense up. That is unfortunately the reason many drunk drivers survive a crash over a sober driver. The sober driver will instinctively tense up and the drunk driver is relaxed through it all.
Wise musicians will hear this message and learn from it.
I played in several copy bands and I also found that drinking really helped stage anxiety. People who dont inderstand this here is an example. You get so amped up that your hands sweat, they tighten up and you tend to grip and play with strength rather than finesse. It’s a real problem. I would start the night with a bucket of tequila which was in our house band contract. They had to cover the cost of our drinks and our singer made sure it was top shelf tequila. I would just sip on it between songs and by end of set I would be feeling really good, talking with the audience and getting people going and dancing. I used to grab a girl up onstage so they could dance for the crowd here and there. I wouldn’t have done that completely sober. We would usually start the last set of the night with me playing bass by myself and I would go out into the crowd playing the intro line to Flesh for Fantasy. I’d just walk around to tables and sometimes sit with people just jamming while the rest of the band came in one by one. It’s was a lot of fun but honestly would have never done that completely sober. By that time of night I would be pretty lit. It can easily become a problem because you start to really rely on that and as time progresses you need more and more. Next thing you know you’re basically drunk all weekend🤷♂️
I like how the drummer just keeps going even when the guitar player falls over. A true Pro that guy.
Kudos to you Mike for sharing your story. I wish you success in giving up alcohol like you want. I used to like the feeling of a beer or two before going on stage - like you say, just to calm the nerves.
Unfortunately, I think alcohol did effect my ability to play - especially anything over 1.5-2 beers. I've completely given up drinking a few years ago but haven't actually played in a band since then. I think I could manage now but regardless of the feeling, I determined not to drink because I really feel like my life is better without it.
Honest and vulnerable. Thank you.
Shit man! The more we played the better we drank. It's the Saturday night gig that was harder because we'd be hung over. Ugh!
love your stuff bro !! keep it up !!!
Was the "quite legendary band" you mentioned The Replacements?
There are various music related channels, and I had to check this one out... Ive never played in a band, but I do play guitar and piano, and I have met a few people who know Aaron Lewis and Shadow's Fall. I drank with people after local shows, and saw some of what your experience was like... Ive been sober for 7 months now, albeit I smoke too much weed, and I dont miss it, cos I could never stop at 3-4... Really good story, and you described the origins of it well. It goes from feeling risky, to the courage to open up, to the difficult maintenance part of it. Sure it was fun to drink in the park, and meet up and go where ever, or go to the bar after dish washing all night, or jam with different friends, or go for our wild rides in the meadows, or experiment with various hard drugs... Once I hit 30, it was no longer fun, and I have watched too much consumption destroy many lives. I got out of dish washing, and went back to fast food, because I wanted away from the alcohol. This job had live acoustic shows TH/FR/SA 6-10, and half of us were lit by 8, but we didnt get done until 11. It was a shitshow in the kitchen, a party in the dining room every night, and I did have the rare occasion to sing, or jam for a bit if I got out of the kitchen on time... Its good to recognize that I want to be sober, not that I have to stop drinking, and avoiding places of drinking has been a good thing for me since last summer... I appreciate the honesty of your story, and it definitely helped me out to listen.
I stopped drinking, but when I did and I played out, I never drank at gigs. I can't hit a lick if I even have just a couple of drinks. Kept me out of trouble.
I played in St Paul and Mpls in the 1980’s lol. Your story about playing with an older band that drank heavy made me laugh. At the time when I was there we played with a local favorite bad named Regime one time at a bar/strip club called “The Pain Reliever”. Regime had a tape out and their big song was titled “ Half in the bag again.” They would place a toilet next to the singer on stage. Yes, we did lots of heavy drinking in practice and then in stage. Good times though. Until it isn’t anymore. Thanks for the trip back in time .
Awesome. Which band? I was in Sanctus and we played with The Regime a lot. They gave us our break into Mirage. I remember Porcelain God had a toilet too. Hehe.
@@TheArtofGuitar our band was called Hammer. We were in the scene about a year and a half. Crazy times though. 16 years sober and living in Illinois. Last gig was 5yrs in a Christian band playing in church. No drinks allowed lol. I think the singer from Hammer formed a band called Psycho Ed. They played for years in the twin cities I’m told. Haven’t thought about all of that for a very long time. Musicians live in a very small world. Funny that we knew some of the same people. Crispy, the bass player at the time from Regime, was friends with the bass player in Hammer. That’s how we got to play with them way back when. Regime’s singer really had a voice. Top of the line screamer. They always had great guitar player as well.
I too use the one drink per set rule. Thankfully I’ve managed to stick to that rule and keep a level playing buzz.
For somebody who doesn't drink (really never. no exceptions. period.), this is an interesting tale. Thanks for sharing this.
Fortunately we alll stay very much sober while performing and even afterwards. I've seen other bands, where people get kind of an alcohol budget for the show and then basically make their run to the bar, after the show is done. Doesn't sound too healthy, if you ask me...
I'll allow myself 1 beer before or during the 1st set. Non-alcoholic beers & water for the rest. Discipline isn't easy but I always thank myself for it later.
Great post, I appreciate you sharing. I agree how quickly it turns into a trap/bad habit.
oh my god I didn't expect to see the Filthy's video here! Crazy seeing a piece of my scene on your channel!
Without having strong opinions about alcohol, I do think there is something exciting and reinventing about musicians who get sober. 🤘
What I like about this vid you did is that it didn't dive directly into "oh this is an addiction and it's terrible." No, it's a "habit" that got inconvenient, and so you changed and moderated. Do people get addicted to things? Absolutely. Is every problem habit an addiction? No, it isn't.
Even in the throes of alcoholism I never drank while performing as I had to drive. My band mates however made up for what I didn’t drink. The second guitar player often passed out prior to the last set. I waiting until home and sat on porch in the wee hours drinking whiskey until I passed out after dawn. After a few heart attacks put the bottle and cigs down forever. It was worth the withdrawl and couldn’t be happier after 9 years! Due to lack of interest to bands in bars in our area I have stopped wasting my time gigging. Life is great!
I am a recovering alcoholic and I could tell you some hectic stories of the stage and drinking. I'm glad I can experience it sober now. Although the stages are much smaller they are more enjoyable 😉
I've always been the same- no drinking before or during my work. The rare times I do have a drink is a few songs into the last set or between tear down & load out.
Believe it or not, I'm one of those very rare guitar players who drinks ZERO alcohol. When I was a teenager playing, I fell into that "You're a musician so you need to party" trap. One day, I looked into the mirror and what was looking back was NOT who or what I wanted to be. It was hard breaking away from it. You find out who your TRUE friends are during the process also. I'm 60 now and I think I have been drunk 4 times since I was 20. None of them playing. If people push you into it then, stay clear from them. They don't have YOUR best interest at hand. I commend you on the fight!
Great video! I had a college experience where I thought I played the show of my life…then I watched the video. Since then, I don’t drink more than one or two, and usually it’s zero.