A band by its nature is a dysfunctional co-dependent kind of
affair. First off, most people in bands are trying to avoid
the regular job humdrum of life, so many of them are free spirits.
And maybe it's the sound of those free spirits meshing that is
the sound that works. So the creative end of a band and the
responsible business end of a band might be in total conflict
anyway.
It's a delicate balance keeping a band together
especially through tough times. When you look at young bands that
are really packing them into the clubs, it's usually a band that
has managed to take their high school friends right along and into
the excitement of being able to go to a club when they turn of age.
They're partying right with their friends and the partying is part
of the draw.
And the club owners, what they want is a band whose fans drink. They don't want
folk or reggae water drinkers, they want those blues and hard rocking
beer swilling hard drinking fans. So the partying and the alcohol and
drugs is not necessarily bad from a draw standpoint. Those bands that
can create the party atmosphere can really make some money.
And one of the perks of being in a band is there is going to be free
alcohol and there are going to be people giving you free drugs. It's
like an alcoholic getting a job as a night janitor at a bar, the
potential for abuse is certainly there.
I had always been a moderate. I guess I had intended to partake more than
I ever did but had gotten fairly responsible in my role as bandleader.
So as our own drug and alcohol problems got worse, I usually took the
typical codependent stance, "Just make the show." "Stay reasonably
sober till after the show."
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