Rules/understandings on drinking, etc at practice.

[nonoman]

I feel like a douche giving our bass player shit for drinking at practice, specially since we burn a couple of joints, but he's usually impaired for the last hour and doesn't remember anything he learns past this point. Any of you douches have any methods for dealing with this kind of crap you'd care to share?

[justinhedrick]

we told our bass player to cool out. if he didn't he was out. that simple. the rest of us don't drink/do drugs at practice. he listened and practice is a lot easier now.

[mortlock]

pretty much it..just talk to him/tell him whats to be expected of everybody in the band..

[mortlock]

throw some guide lines out there..rules and regs..
you need it to survive as a band..its good business practice..and thats what a true functioning band is. a business..

[LogicalFrank]

There must be some kind of epidemic of alcoholism going on as we get one of these threads about every two weeks it seems. I blame the economy. I will also say what I always say which is it is much better to be the guy who is drunk than the guy yelling at the drunk--and I stand by that. However I will add one caveat which is that on the odd occasion you are sober and everyone else is drunk, you will still get blamed for other people's drunk fuckups. That is really annoying but you can deal w/ it by drinking so there you go.

[Baltar]

Just make a 1-2 drink max.

[rayinreverse]

well does he have to get completely hammered?
however, if the dudes in my band were going to get stoned, and then bitch about me getting drunk, I'd tell them to go fuck themselves in the face.

[mawso]

i've never really understood this phenomenon cos there's no TIME to get wasted when my band practices.  we set up, then we start playing.  sometimes one of us will have a beer resting on a cab, but seriously you can take a sip from it and then it's time to play some more.  we might take a couple minutes break in the middle, just to chill and have a chat, or go get some food.  but it really is just a couple of minutes.

we've all gotta drive home anyway.  i'm all in favour of partying but i wouldn't stay in a band with anyone who'd risk a DUI - if you're prepared to lose your licence and leave no way to get yourself and your gear to shows then there's no point having you in the band.

[justinhedrick]

the bass player in our band doesn't drive. so it usually falls on me to get him to practices/shows. and haul his gear around. come to think of it, he never even buys me a polar pop . . . hmm

[neighbor664]

Most rehearsal/practice issues come down to one simple thing...RESPECT!!!
Respect for your band mates time, property and contributions.
Getting trashed at rehearsal=no respect=there's the door.

[spookstrickland]

Ground rules right of the bat is all you can do.  Once the horse is out of the barn it's hard to get him back in again.

[VOLVO)))]

If you can play impaired, and remember shit, it's different. I don't care how fucked you are, long as you can perform. If it's an alcoholic problem, if I see it hurting you in other facets of your life, and the band, I'll confront you about it. If you're a cock, I send you packin'.

some people don't want to be helped.

[eyeprod]

^^ I agree. I've played in bands where practice is really serious, and you're not always working with friends. Keyword is, work. Now in my current band when we practice songs it's also been a general practice for one or all of us to get trashed on booze, weed, etc. We're friends. We'll play until we're done, or hungry, or need more booze. The keyword there is, fun. It's usually a grind to get material down anyway, so I've learned (or am trying) not to expect much for a few weeks AT LEAST. I play live at least a little drunk, and there is no rule about intoxication for our trio. If someone wants to get hammered, they are free to do it, but the respect is obviously there. None of us would flake out on a gig obligation due to drunken stupidity. I guess we know our limits, and it would feel weird to make rules about it.

[EddieMullet]

Bring enough/make sure there is enough for everyone.

Make sure every one pitches in a fair and/or equal amount if you need more.

If all the money that can be scraped together is not that much don't bitch about having to drink Blatz.

Don't bogart the joint.

Go outside to puke.

Own up to your farts.

[mortlock]

^^ I agree. I've played in bands where practice is really serious, and you're not always working with friends. Keyword is, work. Now in my current band when we practice songs it's also been a general practice for one or all of us to get trashed on booze, weed, etc. We're friends. We'll play until we're done, or hungry, or need more booze. The keyword there is, fun. It's usually a grind to get material down anyway, so I've learned (or am trying) not to expect much for a few weeks AT LEAST. I play live at least a little drunk, and there is no rule about intoxication for our trio. If someone wants to get hammered, they are free to do it, but the respect is obviously there. None of us would flake out on a gig obligation due to drunken stupidity. I guess we know our limits, and it would feel weird to make rules about it.

the rules are for those who dont know their limits..

[nonoman]

Thanks for the perspective everybody, he's cut back somewhat after he realized we were hiding his beer when he went to piss. Like Ray said, I feel like a hypocrite giving him shit for drinking when I get stoned, but he's in on the smoking too, lol.

At the end of the day we're friends, though, and the horse is out of the barn and its not much fun being the guy yelling at the drunk and he is functioning and he owns the practice space, so I'm gonna do my best not to get irked about it.

@EddieMullet, those rules need to be carved in stone somewhere...

[mortlock]

he owns the practice space..well i guess that changes everything, doesnt it..