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Drummer on drugs; venting


samson3382

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Last night, drummer starts out first two sets, playing well, but too fast. I noticed him clenching his jaw. Then for the 3rd and 4th set, he's literally passing out in the middle of songs, saying bs in the mic, falling apart. We would start a song, maybe make it few measures an he'd start to drag, then get quieter and quieter until he stopped. We would just keep going, and he'd snap to all of a sudden but be completely lost. Guys in his mid to late 40's, bad health, too much partying his whole life. (If I was in charge I would have paid him, fired him, and sent him home after 3rd set. But why that didn't happen is a different story) it's embarrassing to say the least, and at the same time I can't help but feel bad, or maybe it's pity, for the guy. He is good, when he's "sober", or at least balanced out. But still unacceptable.

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Damn dude, that sucks, sorry to hear it...I've had a few bad experienes of other musos with drugs but none that bad except one, I had a very similar experience except it was with a guitarist and booze instaed of a drummer on drugs...

Long story short by the end of the first set this guy had gotten so {censored}ing wasted that he just started rocking back and forth with his eyes closed half the time, would push the singer out of the way to yell the lyrics, and would just grab a note and bend it and hold it with an anguished look on his face no matter where we were in the song....it was a complete {censored}ing nightmare...

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Quote Originally Posted by samson3382

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I fear we may have no choice but to use him again. IMO, we'd be better off without a drummer than with him in that condition.

 

Are you serious? Have some self respect and respect for your fans. Get a sub, get a drum machine, play acoustic... do NOT play with that idiot again. Ever.
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I figure we're all adults, and if a guy chooses to drink or get high, then so be it.....as long as it doesn't interfere with his ability to perform his duties as a band member. But when it becomes a problem....and when it comes to drugs, it almost always becomes an issue....then the band has a tough choice to make.

What I've always found crazy is that the guy causing the problem almost always denies that there's a problem, even when everyone else tells him there's a problem.

We once had a drummer who loved Xanax. Actually, he loved a number of different substances....but you could always tell when he'd gotten into the Xanax, because every song's tempo would be 10-20% slower than we normally played it. After dealing with it a couple times, we told him the Xanax was affecting his tempos and that everything was dragging....which he flatly denied. He said the tempos were perfect and everything was grooving.....which it probably was, for anyone who was on Xanax.

He refused to acknowledge the problem (even though every other member of the band told him so) and refused to lay off the Xanax.....so he was gone.

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Quote Originally Posted by FitchFY

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Are you serious? Have some self respect and respect for your fans. Get a sub, get a drum machine, play acoustic... do NOT play with that idiot again. Ever.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^this. Guy has issues that are 1--ruining his own life. 2--- ruining your musical pursuits. What more do you need him to do?
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Quote Originally Posted by Potts View Post
It doesn't sound like partying to me. It sounds like pills or heroin...neither of which are good. I wish that dude the best of luck.
Yup. Pills, he even told one of the other guys he took a lorazepam and I know he's been in methadone treatment in the past. The band "leader" feels he has some sort of obligation to this guy. It's probably time for myself, at least, to say it's him or me.
We had weekly outdoor hotel restaurant gig all summer that we did acoustic, without him, without a hitch, ever. That was one of the best gigs I've ever had. Got my chops up to par on the upright.
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If you are a party band, cut him some slack....you wouldn't be the first band that got together to just {censored} around, have some fun and then took it a little too far.

Anymore when I show up to a blues jam, I expect it will be {censored}ed up beyond all repair, I do this because my expectations of musicians now have to be so low as to keep my sanity or I would end up pulling out an Uzi on stage....

I mean at this point, I have to put two drinks into me, just to take that edge off, so I am not so critical of the other {censored} ups I have to play with...

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The dude isn't partying...he's got a substance abuse issue. And before you think I'm a snob or something I'm a regular pot smoker. And really? You'd cut someone slack that was literally nodding off during a gig? What are you in the Doors?


Quote Originally Posted by Sillypeoples View Post
If you are a party band, cut him some slack....you wouldn't be the first band that got together to just {censored} around, have some fun and then took it a little too far.

Anymore when I show up to a blues jam, I expect it will be {censored}ed up beyond all repair, I do this because my expectations of musicians now have to be so low as to keep my sanity or I would end up pulling out an Uzi on stage....

I mean at this point, I have to put two drinks into me, just to take that edge off, so I am not so critical of the other {censored} ups I have to play with...
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Quote Originally Posted by Sillypeoples View Post
If you are a party band, cut him some slack....you wouldn't be the first band that got together to just {censored} around, have some fun and then took it a little too far.

Anymore when I show up to a blues jam, I expect it will be {censored}ed up beyond all repair, I do this because my expectations of musicians now have to be so low as to keep my sanity or I would end up pulling out an Uzi on stage....

I mean at this point, I have to put two drinks into me, just to take that edge off, so I am not so critical of the other {censored} ups I have to play with...
Couldn't disagree more. If the dude needs help, get him out of the rock & roll situation. I'm assuming these guys aren't Motley Crue. I'm usually the last guy to say "fire your bandmate." But in this situation, there has to be zero tolerance, for the sake of everyone involved.
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Quote Originally Posted by n9ne View Post
I honestly didn't realize that nodding off during gigs was such a no-no.

Looks like I'll have to give our audience a very stern talking-to.
nice.

We're not a "party band" so to speak. At the same time we have no rules against getting loaded, but if you can't do your job, then it becomes a problem. It's funny, I'm 30, youngest in the band by at least ten years. Out of four guys I'm probably the second most professional and fourth in experience.
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