Music and drugs? Creativity?

[Andrew Blakk]

Ok, then I don't mean beer, wine etc.

I started a topic on one of the guitar forums I hang on. Mererly a question how people think of the relation between drugs and creativity. And all hell broke loose. (a bit exagerated perhaps. A very vivid discussion is more like it)
Uhm, for my part I have not a single clue about any of this but a lot of my favorite records and artists have been under influence.

So what are your thoughts about that?

[mortlock]

alcohol is useless for the creativity process for me..although it does help with pre show nerves. weed is a good source of inspiration for me, although it doesn't always work, in that sometimes what I thought was killer while stoned was maybe just not so great after the buzz wears off. but sometimes it is killer. id say I got about a 50/50 success rate. coke never got me to any real creative level, but it was fun to play on for the energy level..i did free jazz jam once while tripping my balls off on shrooms..that was interesting. I was really into the jam, and listening back to the recording, it wasn't half bad. I don't know if it really sparked any creativity as I seemed to play what I would have anyways but it was fun. I may have ventured down different paths to some degree but id have to do it more than the one time I did it to really see if it was taking me somewhere I never went before.. 

[liquidsmoke]

I highly recommend psychedelic drugs even for people who aren't musicians or artists. They certainly can have a positive effect on the creative process although as mortlock said, after the buzz wears off what you created might not seem so great. Or it might seem even better.

I also highly recommend alcohol.

[Lumpy]

I think smoking weed can put you into a receptive state, where creativity can flow through you. But I don't think people have to use drugs to get there. And weed doesn't work automatically. But it can get you over some inhibitions or whatever. In my opinion.

[Danny G]

Weed:

http://dannyg.bandcamp.com

[neighbor664]

I don't need drugs or alcohol to make music. Music IS the fucking drug!
Drugs and alcohol are how I cope with all the time I have to spend not making music.

[black]

I like the way the music feels and the energy flows between bandmates while practicing on grass. It's a regular part of our practice regime. It is after all StonerRock. Beers and occasionally shots during practice. Sometimes high for performances. We usually say we will but get caught up in the excitement of getting on stage and playing to remember to fire one up. I'll sometimes knock back a shot before hitting the boards and sip on a beer during the set. Mainly to wet my whistle but hoping that it will make me look cool and Rock-N-Roll. My bandmates have an enormous love and capacity for booze and for the most part pace themselves before a set. After the set? All bets are off. Me? Not so much. A few years back I had a shot and a beer and then got carried away by folks buying me drinks and I ended up playing kind of drunk for the first time. I didn't dig it and it was one of the very few life lessons I think I actually learned from. I've also eschewed getting wired before performing because, well..I don't need some shit up my nose to make me look stupid and start playing way too fast. I do that enough sober.

[RacerX]

For me, a mushroom trip at least once a year keeps the juices flowing.

Weed & playing go pretty much hand in hand for me, as well.

Too much alcohol = my playing suffers.

[Mr. Foxen]

I've not been in a band with someone who doesn't drink and/or take drugs, but I'd like to try it. Kicked out a guitarist for getting too drunk to play on paid for studio time, but the most productive contributing bandmates have been drinkers. Pretty much got a no drinking before playing rule currently because stuff falls apart pretty fast if someone is drunk and a cue is missed or whatever. Generally being drunk when playing shows when something goes wrong and you have to get back in step without ruining the flow.

Been having issues with drummer taking loads of drugs and having paranoid freak outs, sometimes in the form of running screaming into the night (and one time the day) after gigs.

Basically drugs are fine, keep them separate to the music. People that did great music and loads of drugs, probably did those things not at the same time.

[frobbert]

They're totally useless for making music as far as I'm concerned

[justJon]

I haven't tripped in far too long. It always helped me to see things in different ways. Never tried to play while tripping, though...

Alcohol, in moderation, helps to loosen any inhibitions I have about playing too loud/fast/differently, so it definitely helps.

When I'm high (Stoned on weed!) I completely forget how to perform fine motor skills, like playing, driving, walking, etc.

My $.02.

[agent of change]

Alcohol makes my muscles burn and get tired way too quick, especially when playing live (me=drummer). If I drink, it's after a set.

Weed is great, more for just jamming in the practice space. Live, it makes me more trembly and tired, and depending on how stoned I am, losing certainty of where we are in the song and what change is coming up.

Overall, I prefer to let the live ritual of music be the main intoxicant.

Curious to play on psychedelics, especially ecstasy, but will probably do it in the practice space first before attempting live. I imagine it makes what you're doing seem way more intense and heavy than it is for those witnessing. Kinda like weed but less.

I think (hypothesis) that those guys who were taking acid and playing live (Hendrix, Santana) were channeling a wild new energy that these days is much more commonplace, and no longer as stimulating and exciting for the viewer.

[black]

In other words, that legal stuff from Sandoz was infinitely better than any crap anyone could get a hold of these days.

[johnny problem]

Drunk playing is too damn hard.  I can play guitar stoned, but lose focus and tend to wander.  Psychedelics are pretty fun, but everyone else in the band needs to be on them.  Studio settings I recommend being stone cold sober, get in and out as quick as possible for guitar/bass/drum parts. Vocals can sometimes be better when drunk.

[Corey Y]

I used to drink and I used to smoke weed in phases, never really both a lot at the same time, but I never liked doing either and playing music. It always made me very inside my head and difficult to really be in the moment in the real world, so I was never very good at being drunk or high and playing music. There were a couple exceptions here or there at shows, but they were never anywhere near my best or favorite shows at all. Now I don't smoke at all and I rarely drink and pretty much never get drunk. Mind altering substances were always either a low key or friendly social thing, didn't mix that well with music or creativity for me. I guess my creativity has always been very much about focusing and being purely in the moment ("the zone" and all that) and substances have always been more about not really being in the moment and being distracted and kind of untethered.

[Pissy]

I don't get high, and never touched anything more adventurous than weed, but whenever I tried weed I hated it, wanted it to end and could function or make sense of my surroundings.

I wouldn't bother trying to play music in that state. Drinking and even a little drunk, yes. Try not to get out of hand before a show. Lots of practice playing our songs drunk, that's for sure. Being creative, while drunk? Not so much.

[agent of change]

Thinking more on this, I do appreciate a caffeine burst prior to playing our set. Last show, I grabbed a Pepsi with ice from the bar and that was just right. The time I drank some of my guitarist's Monster, too much and we (I) played everything real fast.

[Danny G]

I've wound up sloppy drunk onstage a handful of times. Yeah fun at the time but I'm sure I sounded terrible.

The one show I've played under the influence of mushrooms was crazy. Started off as one for the rubbish bin and ended as one for the record books. Mainly due to a fun group of people wandering in end of set.

[eyeprod]

I ate a mushroom at my last gig, but I only like it for staying mellow and in the "listening and feeling" zone. Had one small beer. I'll probably eat another shroom at my next gig. I've got a large bag full of powerful ones that I picked last fall, so they're always available and one is a nice mellow trip that just puts you in a good headspace. Not frying, just smiling and "getting it". In this new band we have tripped mildly once during practice for the same reason. Not to be more creative, but to maximize the awareness of the moment since we're making completely improvised music and working off of each other in a big way. I tripped once or twice at gigs in previous bands I've had. I don't find it necessary, just enjoyable, at certain times. We always smoke weed if we have it, and often beer or booze, but I've personally cut back on alcohol considerably. I drink tea or coffee now more than booze when playing.

[black]

I've wound up sloppy drunk onstage a handful of times. Yeah fun at the time but I'm sure I sounded terrible...

Were these usually times when on tour? I know you tour a lot.
It's easy for me when I've been trapped in a van for the better part of the day to not realize how wazzed out I am. What would be a "normal" amount of consumption can tilt the scales quickly to the wrong end of the spectrum.

[RacerX]

To clarify, I probably wouldn't try playing out on 'shrooms, but taking them once a year keeps the ideas coming.

[Danny G]

No, these were usually home gigs under not normal circumstances.

Playing a Mother Truckers happy hour (lots of drinks provided to us/me) then playing Antones with ETB (lots more drinks provided). I was drunk when I arrived at second show.

Playing with a cover band downtown. 4 rounds of shots provided during first 3 songs of a 3 hour set.

Loading out I hurt my back/abdomen/soaz muscle, took a good 7-8 months to fully recover. Wow.

I keep it to a minimum drink-wise if i can help it when playing.

At my birthday show a few years back, my old band Ironclad reunited for a show. Eric Tessmer was in attendance and kept a steady stream of shots arriving to me onstage, fucker

After two I did the courtesy sip and placed it aside. And was still too drunk to play a few tunes with Adrian and the Sickness after that.

[Baltar]

Every year, booze gets more and more lame, and weed looks more appealing. Less trips to the toilet to return the beer I rented.

[Cursed71]

Weed is always inspiring, but only in 2 stages of songwriting.  The early stage: where one has time on their hands to woodshed ideas, and come up with riffs.  The only time being wasted is your own, and you're having fun. And, the listening stage: after you've had a clear head and worked out the kinks with your band.  Listening back while stoned will tell you if the magic worked.  In my personal experience anyways.

[Jor el]

BALTAR !