Was having a conversation with a fellow musician who goes to class with me and records with me from time to time, and we where talking about the drastic change in attitude towards drugs in recent years, especially in music. There was a time where in the studio, an artist, band or singer would request a hit, a line or a smoke before recording and that was cool. It was your job to make them happy. Hell if they needed some head, we'd take care of that. And during gigs and live shows, back rooms would be loaded with drugs of every kind. However, we've noticed lately this is drastically changing and that a lot of musicians and bands are becoming Straight Edge and are vehemently against drug use. Some still smoke pot from time to time, but the days of rockstars going on week long cocaine and heroin benders are pretty much behind us.

While this culture remains rampant in Rap, Electronik and Some pop genre's, where you'll have your occasional Amy Winehouse, in rock and various indie genre's it is non existent. Instead of drug parties we have vegan and potluck parties, where after a show people just bring their fav foods and it's like that. When I hear about drug benders happening, it's usually from older artist, like George Michaels, or Boy George.

I know when I started my own band, Drugs was pretty much a zero tolerance policy. Basically if you did it, do it out of practice and away from gigs, but if you miss a practice or gig without formal contact, you're out. No exceptions. Because the hassles of dealing with an irresponsible druggie are too much. Personally I thought it was just me, but it really seems to have caught on in culture. I've partied with a few musicians, and outside of maybe beer and pot, there really isn't anything else.

An interesting addition to all this is that "groupies" are pretty much gone as well.

Pretty much every studio I've worked at, has implemented these zero tolerance policies.

Do what you want before, you get into that booth. Hell Most Metal and hard rock bands are straight edge which is mind boggling.

Don't get me wrong I think this is positive stuff, but such a drastic change, when you compare it to 10 - 20 years ago... And in the indie world, it has no effect on the music.

Music I think is in a better place (indie) then its ever been.

Ha, perhaps drugs are not as glamorous as before, and surely the artists are not so fucked up/addicted as it happened in the 70s or in the 80s, but drugs are still everywhere; many indie/mainstream rock bands use/used them (Arctic Monkeys, Strokes, The Darkness, Green Day), and dance artists use them (GaGa, Ke$ha, Robbie Williams, etc.) and don't get me started with shit-hop...or Amy Whinehouse

JoeTyler said:

Ha, perhaps drugs are not as glamorous as before, and surely the artists are not so fucked up/addicted as it happened in the 70s or in the 80s, but drugs are still everywhere; many indie/mainstream rock bands use/used them (Arctic Monkeys, Strokes, The Darkness, Green Day), and dance artists use them (GaGa, Ke$ha, Robbie Williams, etc.) and don't get me started with shit-hop...or Amy Whinehouse

Well sure in the Dance Subculture is still pretty rampant, but it comes with the territory, they're making "rave" and "party" music, and when you're churning that out on regular basis, you're gonna need something recreational to fill in the gaps.

But it has diminished alot!!!

Even the rock bands you mentioned, though using at, first, are pretty much sober, outside of pot and beer.

I mean 10 years ago, when my dad had his studio, he had to have coke, for his artist. He didn't use himself, but it was just customary to do it.

Now, I'm producing myself, and all we have, is water,

I think weirdest thing I've had to fulfill was getting a pack of drakes coffee cake for someone...

The Times They Are A Changin...

Legal drugs replaced illegal drugs. Every era has its drug of choice.

That whole "Don't do drugs" policy is a front to keep folks out of their back, but 1/2 of them are "users",,,,,maybe not coke or heroin, but its def as execrating if its not controlled(I.E. MJ & Heath Ledger, among others).

Harlepolis said:

Legal drugs replaced illegal drugs. Every era has its drug of choice.

That whole "Don't do drugs" policy is a front to keep folks out of their back, but 1/2 of them are "users",,,,,maybe not coke or heroin, but its def as execrating if its not controlled(I.E. MJ & Heath Ledger, among others).

GOOD POINT!!!!!

Harlepolis said:

Legal drugs replaced illegal drugs. Every era has its drug of choice.

That whole "Don't do drugs" policy is a front to keep folks out of their back, but 1/2 of them are "users",,,,,maybe not coke or heroin, but its def as execrating if its not controlled(I.E. MJ & Heath Ledger, among others).

Yeah now people are getting high on prescription drugs. Some others are trying drugs that people thought had died in the '60s lol

And most others are now just alcoholics.

people are doing just as many drugs as ever, just some people choose not to and they get attention because it is LESS common for musicians to NOT do drugs!

And natural or mild or not, pot and alcohol are drugs

EmbattledWarrior said:

Was having a conversation with a fellow musician who goes to class with me and records with me from time to time, and we where talking about the drastic change in attitude towards drugs in recent years, especially in music. There was a time where in the studio, an artist, band or singer would request a hit, a line or a smoke before recording and that was cool. It was your job to make them happy. Hell if they needed some head, we'd take care of that. And during gigs and live shows, back rooms would be loaded with drugs of every kind. However, we've noticed lately this is drastically changing and that a lot of musicians and bands are becoming Straight Edge and are vehemently against drug use. Some still smoke pot from time to time, but the days of rockstars going on week long cocaine and heroin benders are pretty much behind us.

While this culture remains rampant in Rap, Electronik and Some pop genre's, where you'll have your occasional Amy Winehouse, in rock and various indie genre's it is non existent. Instead of drug parties we have vegan and potluck parties, where after a show people just bring their fav foods and it's like that. When I hear about drug benders happening, it's usually from older artist, like George Michaels, or Boy George.

I know when I started my own band, Drugs was pretty much a zero tolerance policy. Basically if you did it, do it out of practice and away from gigs, but if you miss a practice or gig without formal contact, you're out. No exceptions. Because the hassles of dealing with an irresponsible druggie are too much. Personally I thought it was just me, but it really seems to have caught on in culture. I've partied with a few musicians, and outside of maybe beer and pot, there really isn't anything else.

An interesting addition to all this is that "groupies" are pretty much gone as well.

Pretty much every studio I've worked at, has implemented these zero tolerance policies.

Do what you want before, you get into that booth. Hell Most Metal and hard rock bands are straight edge which is mind boggling.

Don't get me wrong I think this is positive stuff, but such a drastic change, when you compare it to 10 - 20 years ago... And in the indie world, it has no effect on the music.

Music I think is in a better place (indie) then its ever been.

I think anyone high profile has to be more discreet because it's so easy to get a photo up on You Tube or out to TMZ in minutes.

Record labels also used to provide coke as incentive to rock bands (which of course was used as leverage against them when they wanted to renegotiate their contract), and if a musician had a drug problem, they'd keep him locked in his room and bring the dealer to him because they didn't want him disappearing, being late for a show.

It's the people who score pharma drugs that scare me. They justify their addiction with a doctor's note, and score their drugs from people around them, by using their names and having them have "a bad back" or whatever supposedly "ails" them. It's what killed Elvis and MJ... and there are "doctors to the stars" who are a phone call away. Didn't MJ have 30 different aliases to get meds?

Something like energy drinks for the most part have takent the place of coke use.

But pot smoking - I think in 20 years' time, people in general are going to feel differently about it. It's going to stop being a political issue by then, and regulated like alcohol. Some people will be allowed to grow it for personal use, but of course they have to be on a list, the same way a gun owner is on a list. Most venues have no smoking policies. But I think it's still going to be a hidden activity, behind closed doors, and strict age enforcement.

There was also a lot of myth built around drug culture,that have since tried to put "setting the record straight" books out to deflate some of those myths. And a lot of times the drug use came before fame did.

I don't see any reason why it should be "Hidden"

Its just not being done anymore.

All the bands that I'm producing are all straight edge.

and i'm in New York City, producing rock an rnb cats.

Went to L.A. last august, to record for another band, and its worse over there. Because everything is vegan friendly its ridiculous.

I'm saying...

Recreational drugs are becoming a thing of the past...

Prescription drugs....

thats another conversation

EmbattledWarrior said:

I'm saying...

Recreational drugs are becoming a thing of the past...

Prescription drugs....

thats another conversation

Heads+Tail=Same coin

It just happens that prescription drugs are more accessible nowadays and headache free(law wise).

You know good & goddamn well that if LSD, coke, and all of that back alley shit from Columbia or Peru was legalized, some of those vegans would flush their rainbow colored pills in a 1/2 heartbeat.

The sad thing about it all is, BOTH create(and created) a boiling mess,,,,,,,,,,the prescribed ones will always find a loyal customer in middle America, and they're the ones who consume more than anybody else, so you know this shit will be here for keeps.

Well trends go in & out & come back full circle, I think now we're in a phase were drug use is seen as uncool in music & its trendy to be straight edge but before too long it will come back in style i think!

TheScouser said:

Well trends go in & out & come back full circle, I think now we're in a phase were drug use is seen as uncool in music & its trendy to be straight edge but before too long it will come back in style i think!

Truth, I mean there's always been drugs, and always will be.