From list@sevush.com Mon Jun 21 12:40:09 2004
Subject:OT: Am I the only sober musician?

I think it's a decent OT, since most of us encounter this on various levels.

I'm usually pretty unworried about what someone does to their body, and at
gigs, I myself enjoy getting a nice buzz towards the front/middle of the
sets. Both driving and tearing down are jobs best done sober, so I switch to
club soda in the middle of the sets.

Aside from someone being totally off at a gig, or not showing up, I don't
worry about the cause. And if they're an a**hole, I don't think being sober
makes much of a difference - just easier to spot when they're drunk/stoned.

The place I get annoyed with imbibing is at practice. I want to spend as
little time as possible doing it wrong, and substances make that process
drag out for sooooo long, I have no patience.

> I hate to jump off on a tangent in this group but I just have to
> relieve this stress .... I'm just wondering if drinking and drugs
> are as bad everywhere else in comparison to Mobile, AL. I hire the
> best musicians I can get (they also play with Hank Jr. and the
> likes) and still they sneak off and snort and comsume shot after
> shot of tequilla or whatever there is to shoot.
>
> There are not many musicians that I can say are "really good" here
> in Mobile, but the ones that are all have this issue. I may drink a
> beer or two through the course of a 4-5 hour show but thats it and
> when I'm stone sober in the last set and the others are 5-6 shots
> and 4-5 beers down plus a snort or two to boost them .... they sound
> like CRAP .... but they dont think they do.
>
> I feel kinda stuck in this situation because I dont have a choice of
> many musicians... even the ones that are "fair" in talent still
> party like that if not worse. My question is it this bad
> everywhere? .... I'm a bluesy singer/songwriter/piano/B3 guy so the
> environment I play in kinda caters to this ... I guess .... but
> there has to be better. Whats the opinion out there?
>
> Thanks For Any Response,
> Bo Roberts
> www.BoRobertsMusic.com