Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)

Subject: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Cool Beans
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 02:19 PM

Inspired by the thread, "Musicians you wish you'd seen live."
My nominee is Jerry Jeff Walker, back in 1978. They had to offer us our money back.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Peace
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 02:20 PM

I know JJ. He and most the rest of us have fucked up at one time or other. That was 30 years ago. Let it go.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 04:10 PM

Seeing as how Van Morrison was the lead singer, I doubt Them ever played sober, CB.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 04:58 PM

Gordon Lightfoot: he was unintelligible the night we saw him. Was he drunk? Was he otherwise high? Seemed so to us.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: scouse
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 05:43 PM

Led Alex Campbell to the stage more than once for the second half of his gig and Alex managed to turn on a great performance. Those where the days!!!! I'm sure that there are many who will agree.. many I'm sure have also seen him fall!!!

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 06:53 PM

Sly Stone - sometimes in a different city.

I once saw Hamish Imlach sober. Not good. But I saw him drink two pints of vodka in the interval and he was good in the second half.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Greengal
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 06:59 PM

I don't know if Patti Smith was sober or not, but watching her spend 45 minutes tuning up and checking the sound system was more than enough for me. Left and never heard the rest of the concert, if there indeed was one.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: bobad
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 07:20 PM

Speaking of Van Morrison, I saw him in concert back in 1970 in an old movie theater in Montreal, he was clearly a mite juiced as while strutting across the stage and giving a leg kick on the beat he fell on his butt more than once but popped right back up and continued playing as if nothing had happened. That was one of the best concerts I have ever attended.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 07:59 PM

Chongo, the time he got up on stage at JoJo's and pretended to play the saxophone while swinging upsidedown from a chandelier (holding on with his feet). The whole place went completely ape. Then the lights went out. If you were smart (like me) you were already heading out the door at that point.

The next day he denied even having been there, and he refused to pay the $3800 bill they sent him for damages. He hasn't been back there since.

Chongo is tone deaf by the way, so I doubt he could play the saxophone decently even when sober, but at least he would have the sense not to try it then!

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Gulliver
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 08:27 PM

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, I say, so I can't talk. I've never been totally jarred on stage, but did fall asleep on stage on one occasion, after an all-night session and a long drive through Germany, and walked off a stage into thin air on another. Once I threw a pint of beer over a teenage girl who wouldn't shut up shouting at us to get off so her brother's group (who were on next) could play, then threw the dregs over her mother when she tried to start a fight. My, what fun we had in the good old days! Don

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 09:27 PM

Ramblin' Jack Elliott might be a good musician sober. I wouldn't know. I saw him once drunk. That was enough.

I don't know what was Bob Dylan's problem, but I didn't think it was fair to pay $50 for a 45-minute set of sloppy music. Was he drunk or on drugs? I dunno. His music (or lack therof) sure made it seem like it was one or the other.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 09:38 PM

I second Alex Campbell - he was very happy tho'.
And Hamish Henderson was just about rolling when I saw him but he wasn't trying to give a concert.
In NZ we have Ian Gorman who doesn't seem to do sober any more. Actually, he gets very stroppy, singing objectionable songs and abusing the audience.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: oldhippie
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 09:46 PM

I'd have to nominate the late Jim Ringer.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: iancarterb
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 11:07 PM

Julian Bream. We walked out.
And Lightfoot was probably drunk. He's been sober, however, for decades now, I hope. That public declaration was in the late 70s.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 11:39 PM

Warren Zevon. Concert delayed for two hours because they couldn't find him. When they did find him, he was completely schnockered. You couldn't understand a word of his on-stage banter, but he played and sang flawlessly, so who am I to complain.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: JedMarum
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 12:31 AM

... this is why I find it an advantage being a musician who doesn't drink. I may turn in a bad performance on any given night, but it would be for some other reason!

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Acorn4
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 05:19 AM

I seem to remember Tony Capstick could quaff a few at a gig!

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Stu
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 05:43 AM

Some friends in Ireland recently went to see a well-known flute player who was arseholed by the time he got on stage. Apparently he was brilliant - their comment was how good would he have been had he been sober.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: r.padgett
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 10:15 AM

Tony Capstick was a really smashing bloke

We all have memories of his antics and sadly missed!

I was his minder one year at Cleckheaton ff unforgetable! and Whitby ff one year, when he never did finish the "eyeball joke" anybody know the end? he was sitting on Johnny Booker's knee at the time!

Tony loved people and understood their concerns having worked for Radio Sheffield for many years

Ray

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Azizi
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 10:32 AM

There's something about this thread that bothers me. I know I know. I didn't have to open this thread. And once I read the comments posted here, I could have just stayed in my lurking mode and not made any comments. But I choose to do so, because I choose to do so.

I just hope that folks aren't happy about the fact {or the allegations} that these artists were drunk off of alcohol, or high off of drugs. And I also hope that people aren't promoting the theory that getting high or drunk enhances an artist's ability to perform. I suppose there is something to the viewpoint that being an artist means that you have to have at least one foot in another world sometime [so you can be more in touch with what comes from inspiration]. But it just seems to me that that is too simplistic a viewpoint. Being an artist is also hard work, and lucky breaks, and all sorts of other things. And part of what makes so many performers get into drugs is the difficulties associated with gigging-the travel plus having to always be "on top of one's game"-though I guess my point is that at some point liquor and drugs causes one to be off their game...

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I think it's sad to see anybody, including artists/performers who is messing up their life and their potential because of demon drugs.

Subject: RE: Musicians y' wish y'd seen sober (them)
From: Big Mick
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 07:27 PM

Shane McGowan. Saw him so drunk he pissed his pants, and then fell off the stage. There was nothing humorous or cute about it. It was disgusting and sad. The man is brilliant, but that moment I was furious that he thought so little of his audience as to show up in this shape.

Sly Stone is legendary. Another brilliant songwriter, arranger, and performer. I remember seeing him sing "Stand" once and it sent absolute chills through me. But more times than not, when I have gone to see him, he was late, and high when he finally started.

All the best,

Mick