Joe Kidd: Getting drunk at gigs is fun, really?
Ah yes, getting drunk at gigs is always fun. I’ve been there all these years and still do when the occasion calls for it, but there’s a difference between being “slightly drunk” and being “dead drunk”.
I’m essentially a shy, introverted creature, as I’m sure many of us are, and yes you can deny it all you want but you know who you are. And one of the things which helped me to get out from that shell is to be “slightly tipsy”, and a couple of beers always helped. It takes away the jitters, opens up the elusive “i’m having fun and i don’t care” door and kicks away the terrible “stage-fright” curse (which after all these years I’ve never been able to shed but am still trying).
But being “dead drunk” is something totally different. That’s the point when things can go totally outta control. At anytime, it can go off way too far and you’re susceptible to making stupid mistakes which you may live to regret. As the cliché goes, “It’s all fun and games until somebody loses an eye.” Or as the Americans would say it , “It’s All Fun and Games Until Somebody Gets Sued!”
Anyway, being “dead drunk” is no fun. I’ve been there and it’s not cool. It’s stupid and it’s pathetic. You would be a dribbling barf-bag, unable to stand-up and hold a conversation, let alone hold a chord or sing to save your life. And if you’re an asshole, your true nature will come out from that shell and start being an asshole that you are; and the results can be quite dangerous, or at least pretty embarrassing once you woke up from the stupor.
Trust me, spending a few hours with your head inside the toilet bowl or inside a bucket swimming in your own puke is no fun. Shitting your pants, pissing and puking at the same time is no fun. Crawling on all fours to your room from a taxi cab’s door, puking all the way there, is no fun. And to the extreme; pulling a knife on your friends or kicking somebody hard in the pit is totally uncool.
But there’s more to that than meet the eye. You then have to apologise to your poor friends who had to take care of you when you’re out of it; apologise to your band members for fucking up a full set which they all really want to play; apologise to your friends for making a fool out of yourself invading the stage and disrupting the show. And what about the kids who paid hard-earned money to see you play? Furthermore, waking up with a jackhammer pounding in your head is no fun. Not knowing what did you do last night is worse.
In short, being “dead drunk” and not in control of your bowels and your actions is not punk. It’s just plain pitiful, selfish and ugly. If you must get yourself totally out of it, please do it somewhere where you are not ruining it for everybody else. If you wanna have your liver all shot out to hell just like The Pogues’ Shane McGowan, go right ahead, or if you really wanna be Sidney “Stupor” Vicious and get zonked out at every opportune, go right ahead, but don’t drag everyone else down with you lah.
When I drink, I try to keep it within where my limits are, know when to stop and know when to say “thanks, but no thanks”. Most importantly, if I can’t hold my drink, I won’t drink. And my simple personal rule; stay away from all sort of liquors, it creeps up on you without you knowing it. One minute you are having a good laugh, the next minute you’ll be fighting to stay coherent, face down in the dirt or abusing the very friends who would do anything to take care of you. And that’s pretty fucked up.
As I said it, most of the time the kids drink to get out from their own shell. To be able to talk and open up without being hindered by “shyness” and for band members who dread going up on stage – some would even need to take a dump first! – it’s an elixir of sorts. It gives you the confidence to jump about and be silly. It’s a license to behave badly.
So it all goes down to the lack of self-confidence or worse, inferiority complex, where you need to hide behind some intoxicants or be fuelled by drugs or drinks to have fun, or to say something in public, and that is very, very sad. As I’ve admitted up there, I too have this disease, but I would try my best not to get too fucked up. It’s a responsibility I take, out of respect for myself and also all who would be at the gigs.
Another thing, some people said that only drunken gigs are good and fun as everyone would be out of it and having a great party. Well, that would only be true when people don’t go overboard with the drinks and in control of their senses. It would only be good if people have the sense to keep it amiable and keep it from going overboard.
The trouble is when people started fighting, being abusive and senselessly violent. It won’t be fun any longer, it would be a jockhead macho bullshit scene and you don’t want to be there. I would rather be at home and read a book.
I’ve been to hundreds of gigs, most of the time sober, yet I had a lotta fun when the ingredients are right, so the drinks factor is quite a myth. For me, the ingredients for a good gig is very simple (no drinks needed); a good, energetic and passionate band, a good soundsystem that would hit my chest with ferocity and a good bunch of supportive people in the audience who know how to have fun and are not arseholes trying to proof to the world that they have bigger dicks than everybody else.
And yes, I agree, a drink or two would help in breaking the personal barriers we all have erected either subconsciously or not BUT, and I say this with absolutely no malice nor offence to all my good friends who like more than a tipple or three, minum-minum jugak tapi berpada-pada la beb!
36 Comments, Comment or Ping
amir nanda
what’s even worse to me is getting drunk because of looking cool and because of peer pressure. hmm.
Jul 26th, 2005
aizumi
dahlah mahal…memudaratkan diri plak tu..baik beli stuff diy hehehe lagi baik
Jul 26th, 2005
sany ADALAH alger
alcohol is one thing and yet another is drug(ganja/cannabis/syabu and the like..)..it just the same scenarios when people enjoying themselves in an overdoze of those thingy
Jul 26th, 2005
dogbert
The problem is not on the drink, it is on the people. Alcoholic drinks has been known as a must in festives around the world in non-Islamic communities. It is a must. It would be a shameful thing for the host of an event if the patrons are not served any intoxicating elixir, be it beer, tuak, XO, VSOP, martell etc etc. Not many fights happen in this happy festives that i’ve heard.
But the problem is the basards who are rednecks in nature. Cannot hold their drink, after drink wanna fight like one big taikor, playing with knife etc.
It is what you make of the thing. Use knife to cut or to kill. Use fire to arson or to cook.
Jul 26th, 2005
aizumi
aku nak kongsi cerita,kes ni berlaku masa aku hadiri gig punk rock flu 14 may hari tu kalau tak silap kat paul place…masa tu crowd dah start pogo giler babilah,tapi aku ada seorg mamat ni memang kurang hajar gilerlah fuck off shit!! dia dahlah masa tu minum arak,tak kisahlahkan tapi ada ke patut dia renjis air dan ludah air arak yg dia minum tu kat crowd yg sedang berpogo!! takde perasaan respek langsung pada org yg tak minum,dia ingat dah baguslah tu buat mcm tu,aku mmg hangin betul masa tu dahlah baju aku kena gak air arak yg dia minum tu,mmg fucklah mamat tu…ingat dtg dgn geng dia booleh buat mcm party bapak dia agaknya,gig utkk semua orglah beb………kesimpulannya,kita kena respek org yg tak minum,kata artikel diatas “minum2 juga tapi berpada-padalah beb” cool statement……..
Jul 26th, 2005
alak
yeah joe, your certainly rite about this one. being tipsy while having a good laugh is great. but when it gets over the limit, it turns the bitterness in one, with millions of complaints about things which are pissed off inside.Its certainly dark and unfun anymore then.its not fun waking up in the morning knowing that you made an arse out of yourself.
Jul 27th, 2005
word is: 'berpada-pada??"
sapa suroh pegi gig, pegi la clubbin’ yg ‘drinks with manners”…
huhhuhuh, gurau je.. memang tak patut buat camtu… aku lagi rela
tadah ’spicky jacket’ org stage diving dari kena cam kau…
kalau kena arak sama2 ok la, ni main ludah2…
‘berpada-pada’ tapi kalau drunk punk? gimana sih..?
p/s: ingat tu alak…
“berpada-pada…” hahahahahahaha!
‘liquer chap gajah won’t die, it’s still life & fuckin’ kickin’…”
Jul 27th, 2005
joe gLok
huhuh…ur rite joe…kengkadang diorang yang minum nie menyusahkan…nyusahkan thp dewe coz bende pnh jadik kat aku, my housemate…hangin thp dewe sampai x ingat aku…dah le mabuk,kene tlng angkat pastue, sok nak g klas kene kejut… hindari le bende camni… x bagus..beli makanan lagi bagus…peaceout..
Jul 27th, 2005
mat yie kot?
macam mana nak duduk atas stage dan have fun kalau audien tercegat, diam terlopong macam tengok theatre. Yelah tengok jugak kan tapi best lagi kalau audien tak pilih bulu. Audien tak best- antara punca ketakbest-san pergi gig skarang nih.
No wonder la kalau bantai fun sorang-sorang! Tak gitu Alak?
Jul 27th, 2005
kamal
Mamat mancho memang macam tu.orang lain mabuk boleh control apa?ni Buat kecoh laa budak gemuk karim tu.dah menganggu.duduk umah laa..woi.bosan tengok gelagat mamat tu waktu atas pentas.ganggu org.pukimak sekali lagi buat KARIM!!
Jul 27th, 2005
Syed Tan
The last time I played drunk out of my mind, we ended in a fight with the audience and my guitar ended up headstock first in the screen of a Space Invaders machine (you can imagine how long ago that was).
Jul 27th, 2005
xriziex
isk..bende tu haram…baik beli air lain jer..
Jul 27th, 2005
nami
beli air tebu betul tak??lagi best dan nikmatnya………..
Jul 27th, 2005
zam
this article made me thinking…people should aware of this “minum-minum jugak tapi berpada-pada la beb! “
Jul 28th, 2005
malor
“minum-minum jugak, akhirat karang pandai-pandai la menjawab” kata ayah pin
Jul 28th, 2005
COMPAQ234
KORANG SEME TUNGGULAH KEMUNCULAN AKU KAT GIG YG AKAN DATANG….KAT PAULS PLACE..
AKU AKAN PAYUNG KORANG SEME NGAN ARAK YG BEST BEST…SAPE YG MABUK KELING AKU AKAN SUMBAT DALAM TEKO RAKSAKSA AKU TU…THE TRUE AYAH PIN-
Jul 28th, 2005
ayah pin punk
oi!! minum arak ingat bagus ke!!! berdosa besar tau,insaflah korg,punk2 juga…takan nak jadi punk kena minum arak sokmo??takanlah kot,insaflah,kembali ke jalan yg benar…banyak kesan tua esok kat korg,dahlah sakit masuk neraka lagi …insaflah -ayah pin Punk sokmo
Jul 28th, 2005
sufin
fuck oof you fuckers
Jul 28th, 2005
ayah pin punk
korg yg dah berumur tu insaflah.berpijak dibumi yg nyata
Jul 28th, 2005
aimi
cepat tangkap!!! ayah pin tu,tangkap cepat,
Jul 28th, 2005
eric cartmen
mabuk mabuk jugak.. jgn kacau org lain dah la… jgn jadi macam karim and the gang.. menunjuk kebodohan diri sendiri
Jul 28th, 2005
express-rakyat
rilek ler…brader…apa mau bising2? kalau bengang buatlah lagu ke, cerita pendek ke, lukisan ke…baru ada hasil…macam gua…minum tak minum pun steady je…
Jul 29th, 2005
zaxxtypeface
Kapitalis ni hebat la, dari penggunaan alat komunikasi sampai la kat air minuman penyemarak hiburan. Habis diorang susun strategi kasik bebudak punk pun rasa PERLU untuk consume. TOTALLY UNCOOL!
Sebelum pergi gig, aku tanam kepercayaan akan potensi dunia Hc/Punk. Then bila sampai kat gig, persepsi aku berubah bila nengok sorang-sorang kawan aku bergelimpangan kecundang dek pengaruh air setan (haha!). Camni threat? Pi jalannnn daaaa!!! Mungkin, Hc/Punk bukanlah lagi tempat yang sesuai untuk melarikan diri daripada anasir-anasir halus hasutan kapitalis. Pergi gig dah macam pergi clubbing. Tak jauh beza. Seriously!
“Burn every liquor stores, replace ‘em with playgrounds!”
Jul 29th, 2005
zaxxtypeface
*The lies beneath in there is just fun, hedonistic, plain entertainment, legal crime & big business.
Aug 1st, 2005
zerox as fuck
nice article, agree with most part of it.
sometimes i dont know which is more annoying, a pack of hardcore drunx or a crew of overzealous sxe kids.
hahaha
oh well
‘punk as fuck, fucked as you’
Aug 2nd, 2005
zaxxtypeface
I would rather be an ‘overzealous sxe kid’ than being an over-apathy ‘whatever’ kid. Enough said!
May i laugh?
Hahahaha.
Aug 3rd, 2005
xnizangx
mase gig DoDo ni aku pun kene baling tin arak dgn KARIM tu…respek ah org lain skit oih…!
Aug 3rd, 2005
zaxxtypeface
Kalau aku la yang kena baling dengan tin arak, dah lama pecah sebelah mata budak tu. Haha.
Aug 3rd, 2005
the doctor
so what’s the difference between drinking alchohol and drinking some air tebu with a little ubat bubuh in it?this is all about maturity and being able to handle yerself…i read one of the comments posted by one of the readers where he told a story about a drunk who sprayed alchohol tainted spit on everyone-if that shit happened over here he woulda got his ass kicked …but i guess whatever pacifist impulses overtook the people who got sprayed..what is it with folks who won’t drink because according to them it’s haram but will instead consume every drug on the face of the planet ie,ganja,cough medicine,etc?i thought the whole point meant was anything that alters your conciousness-i guess this includes coffee and cigarettes then …but there is an interesting paradox contained inside the interpretation of quranic verses-the salafi will interpret the quran in the most literal sense possible with the benefit of ahli tafsirs-the word ‘khamr’ mentioned in the quran refers to spirits distilled from grapes-am i to conclude from this that spirirts distilled from rice,hops or whatever else is acceptable?the mind boggles-people should think for themselves on this matter and not let it reach the point where people have to think for them
Sep 27th, 2005
reese
cool article!
Jul 5th, 2006
naz
sedihnya…nak have fun kena minum “sikit”…fyi…you are cool just the way god created you…kalau tak takkanlah member hang respect you
Jan 1st, 2007
mohd JAYzuan
kena ice la, baru cool. ha ha.
Jan 3rd, 2007
matkie
aku sokong kenyataan zaxxtypeface tue..gi gig mcm gi clubbing dh..most of us (giggers) benci gile ngn bdk2 clubbing neh..but, ask urself n cermin2 diri dulu..am i rite??plis..im really upset when seeing our brothers drunked time gig 1st anniversary laundry bar mlm jumaat lepas..dh la mlm jumaat..haih..seriously dude, make our local scene clean from those mother**** thang…no need those thang to enjoy d show..peace..
******* capitalism!!!
Apr 21st, 2007
envy
this article makes me wonder that we just as same as them if we keep consume their things. get your fact straight! clean fun is much better than anything!
Jun 19th, 2007
edy tuley temuley
ahahahaxxxx. drunk just to brake the ice? I’m an introverted person also,but the thing that can help me ‘b’cakap’ with a stranger is maybe music,anything.dont let the shyness take away our soul,man.C’mon.Drink alcohol is a sin.Well,one away or another,when the time comes,we”ll know.huhu.Cheerz Joe.
Nov 1st, 2007
afiq
cough en is better i think :)
Nov 17th, 2007
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