Alcohol is the strangest of drugs..

[annikk.exe]

Powerful and deadly. Makes me want to shout all the time, and listen to loud music.

Maybe I should write a trip report... hah... that would be funny.



Anyway yus. I am taking a break from another certain drug which I've been toking on the for last 3 months solid (hence the reason for taking a break). So I figured since the usual avenue of Getting Out Of My Tree is currently closed, I would have a beer.

Now before you all laugh at me for consciously feeling the effect of a single beer, let me stress that I do not drink a lot. Hardly ever, in fact... and I don't think I've touched a single drop in over a fortnight. When I do, it's usually red wine, and almost always in small quantities. Alcohol just isn't my thing really, although I am glad of it this evening.

How do you guys feel about alcohol? And in particular, how do you feel about it vs other drugs such as nicotine, caffeine, cannabis, and whatever else you happen to have chosen to take into your body?


-Annikk

[Monobeat]

Alcohol is great in certain social situations, in moderation. It's not very good for working on music. Cannabis has been a long time friend, until New Years. I cut it out after a long struggle with trying to work on music "not stoned". It never worked well. I've decided I need to find my new weed-free musical flow and my creativity in the short term has died, although I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel...

Caffeine is excellent for working on music. Coca tea is also excellent for music. The coffee substitue Yerba Mate is another one that soars with excellence in the creative department....

[synthfiend]

hooch is a big favourite of mine, it does seem to unlock some more creativity, but like Monobeat I have given it the boot.
I have heard a good coffee does also help.
Have'nt had much luck with drinking and creating music, just seems to make me crank everything up too loud.....

[suzzymackenzie]

I find that more than a tiny bit of booze tends to lead to bum notes and timing errors that are, oddly, not apparent at the time . OK for jamming or exploring in the privacy of one's own studio, not good for recording or performing ...

[glug, glug]

[iand]

Alcohol....Hmmm, liquid courage. Not always best for making music or even living... It will kill you in heavy withdrawls. But in this shithole country I live in you don't have many anti-sobriety substitutes.
Let's remember that drugs have always been the main influence in music. Especially electronic music. Otherwise it's probably ego or pussy that brings about people to find interest in making music. Hense DJ's being so popular... Whatever your preference of drugs.. It's usually better than sobriety. Anyways if you find another interest in it your probably talented. Personally psychedelics have been my fancy.

[annikk.exe]

Tonight is the end of the self-imposed dry period. In about 5 hours from now I will be totally baked, and most likely killing zombies with friends :>


-Annikk

[teethofgold]

I think drugs like reefer/acid/shrooms are good for music *listening*... but I found that I am more productive when making music sober. I find it more rewarding to make a bunch of music.. then later on get stoned and listen to it.

that being said... I don't smoke any more... though I have the urge to listen to the tracks I've made over the past few years while high! maybe someday...

alcohol on the other hand is completely counterproductive to making music in any way (in my opinion)... as drunk=sloppy and numb.

spacemen 3... a completely drugged out (every drug including smack) psychedelic rock band from the 80s inevitably broke up because of alcohol use by one of the main members. apparently the drugs posed no problems to the music making... but the drinking did!

[Monobeat]

There is some real magic when it comes to a drum set and a spliff. You lose yourself and become more fluid. It somehow helps with coordination...

BTW... Here's my new jammy jam!! This was started before I stopped smoking weed. I'll post my newest new one that I started after New Years soon. It's been a very interesting change over...

Here is the link to the link::

http://infekted.org/virus/showthread.php?t=30422

[Alakhai]

hmm a good question...

I'm always sober when I'm writing or playing music, but sometimes when I get stuck I find a solution only after some glasses of vodka (or scotch whisky...but its stronger taste prevents me from drinking a lot) and usually the day after I only have to fix some detail. Of course I can't do anything when completely drunk, but being "a little drunkish" sometimes helps.
In everyday life I like beer, and Radler (lemonade+beer, a german recipe) but I can drink it without problems.
I'm not a smoker, only when I get angry at work and I need to calm down I have a cigarette.
caffeine is good it keeps me alive and awake when I have long days (stuff like daytime work, 200km of driving, setting up the stage, soundcheck, live gig, pack my gear, 200km more of driving...and next morning, work again!) but I have to say Italian coffee is so good I can drink it for sheer pleasure!

nothing else for me, no heavy drugs or whatever. I follow the philosophy explained by His Keyboardish Majesty Jens Johansson

drugs — mind-damaging substances. Oh yes, those constant companions, mainly of the touring musician. I'm including alcohol here, conceptually they're all he same, because they interfere in a negative and often expensive way with your brain, the very organ you're supposed to think with. This of course makes some of the problems in here worse, such as the economy and stress, and also causes additional problems, such as with personal relationships inside and outside of the band, with your health, etc. (Many musos that complain about the hardships of life on the road are also the same ones staying up late drinking and partying like idiots every night, but ironically, last I saw there was nobody forcing alcohol down their gullets with a gun pointed to their head.) Anyway, as I've stated elsewhere here, in my experience, if you really have to take any, the only drugs worth the expense when you weigh in price, health and possible loss of cognitive ability are:

• beer, and
• coffee.

Sticking to these two will make you happier in the long run and as they're legal in most countries you can carry them across borders without any problems. You can also obtain them cheaply in the open market everywhere, in case you run out. What a deal!

[Doc Jones]

ahh, alcohol. Many a strange rambling I have posted on this forum after having consumed one too many pints.