alcohol in the studio

[rwc]

The artist, producer, engineer, tech, studio staff, record label people, or general posse. Do discuss the usefulness and downsides of it in the hands of any one of, or all of, these people; possibly at different states of completing a demo, EP, or full length record.

I'll give my opinion later.

[cgarges]

In my own opinion:

Artist- As long as the artist doesn't become beligerant or destructive, they can drink whatever they want. I can't be held accountable for whatever they do artistically at that point, but they make those decisions at their own discretion.

"Posse"- If the artist wants a bunch of people around getting in the way and shit, that's up to them, as long as they understand that I can't be held accountable for the time it takes to work around said posse.

Anyone getting paid by the artist- I find it unprofessional for people in those positions to drink on the job. A social drink may be kind of okay if the situation is appropriate, but for the most part, drinking while on the clock has a host of potential problems associated with it.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[Chris_Avakian]

mixed reviews... ive had bands come in, put back a 12 pack, and the session was shit, then again, i remember a sessions lasting 2 days, start to finish non stop where we sucked down between the band, myself, and their posse 5 30 packs and a bottle of aderol, and it came out great... just gotta know your clients, and make sure nobody spills anything.

ABOLUTELY NO SUGGERY, FRILLY SHIT. i know too many people who have lost alot of great gear due to crown, and coke, or screwdrivers. keep it safe, just like driving.

[RodC]

We discourage them from drinking, but basicly have the same stance as cgarges.

ABOLUTELY NO SUGGERY, FRILLY SHIT. i know too many people who have lost alot of great gear due to crown, and coke, or screwdrivers. keep it safe, just like driving.

We have 2 studio rules:
Drinks must go in the floor.
No Pissing in the Driveway.

New rules will be added as needed.

[RefD]

*pisses on the floor after drinking in the driveway*

[Jay Reynolds]

Anyone getting paid by the artist- I find it unprofessional for people in those positions to drink on the job. A social drink may be kind of okay if the situation is appropriate, but for the most part, drinking while on the clock has a host of potential problems associated with it.

+1
But I can imagine something thinking, "Well, its OK for me to have a couple when I'm working on my own stuff/freebies/whatever." And it may be fine, but realize that alcohol does affect your hearing. No one likes that sonic walk of shame after waking up next to the "questionable hookup" that are the tracks you recorded after half a bottle of Mezcal.

[newfuturevintage]

We have 2 studio rules:
Drinks must go in the floor.
No Pissing in the Driveway.

You've changed, RodC. I used to think you were cool. Now I know better


my take is pretty much the same as cgarges and RodC, with the following addenda: folks, your posse is not welcome at all, sober or otherwise. If someone's not contributing tracks or production input, get out.

So far, I've not had a problem with alcohol in the studio (sounds like denial, I know, sure, I can quit anytime!)...I've even gotten some better vocal takes by plying self-conscious singers with a little. But I've recorded very few sessions where the participants got piss-drunk. Those that I have have been free sessions with friends, where the purpose was drinking and recording, in that order.

[roscoenyc]

One of the great things about the no control room recording setup is there isn't really room for extra people. I've never seen extra people do anything positive for a recording session. As far as drinking goes... Most of my work is done in the day. We have a bar for drinking and it is outside of the studio.


You don't go to a baseball game and sit down right behind 2nd base do you?

[MoreSpaceEcho]

it's not like i track records here every day but i honestly can't even remember the last time ANYBODY was drinking. nobody even smokes weed...the last time people were smoking was a free improv thing over a year ago.

do i just record really clean living bands? i haven't had a drink all year either, now that i think of it.

plying a hesitant singer with a shot of bourbon is usually a good idea.

[RodC]

We have 2 studio rules:
Drinks must go in the floor.
No Pissing in the Driveway.

You've changed, RodC. I used to think you were cool. Now I know better

Someone has to lay down the law!

[jmiller]

I fancy myself to be a relatively enthusiastic and informed drinker, a lover of finer libations and such. I have a collection of Belgian beer glasses, a cabinet full of pastis, scotch, grappa and wine, and enjoy the twin pleasures of Brandy and Sitting Down. I've been known to bring my glasses to parties so I can actually enjoy my drink, even if I do get weird looks.

However, I have found that generally speaking, the following formula almost always applies:


Shit to Get Done + Alcohol= FAIL.


From an engineering perspective, it screws with your hearing. From an industrial perspective, a drink or two, even of something light, might spark a few minutes of creativity but once your body starts to metabolize the sugars you really start to lose your focus- even if you don't feel buzzed. You get less patient, you get less driven, etc.

There's always exceptions. Maybe after a long day you take a dinner break and your client offers you a glass of their wine or a bottle of beer. Maybe you accept. But, drinking on the job, if you are in fact on the job, is very unprofessional. I do agree with Chris Garges above that if you're a hired engineer it's not really your place to tell your paying client not to drink. Maybe if they get crazy and your safety/livelihood is affected by their drunken behavior you kick them out but otherwise, it's their call. But you ought to stay straight while they're paying you.

Obviously there's nothing wrong with getting together and having a few beers and playing around and everyone's different. But if you're on the clock or trying to get something done it's usually best to save the bottle for unwinding after the session is over.

[leftofthedial]

Alcohol, the cause of and solution to most of life's problems"

- Homer ...

[MoreSpaceEcho]

the twin pleasures of Brandy and Sitting Down.

[trodden]

it's not like i track records here every day but i honestly can't even remember the last time ANYBODY was drinking. nobody even smokes weed...the last time people were smoking was a free improv thing over a year ago.

do i just record really clean living bands? i haven't had a drink all year either, now that i think of it.

plying a hesitant singer with a shot of bourbon is usually a good idea.

damn dude, come hang out at my place, you can help me take out the recycling every 4 hours. I have bands that spend the first 2 hours sitting on the couch smoking hella weed before they're "ready".

You don't mind getting paid in booze/drugs right?

[newfuturevintage]

I have bands that spend the first 2 hours sitting on the couch smoking hella weed before they're "ready".

Had a band come in for basic tracking. Hadn't brought a single instrument in. First words out of the singer's mouth, "hey, where can I plug in our vaporizer?"

it was a very slow session.