Writing a magazine feature at the moment about drugs in music and on music scenes. I wondered if anyone had any comments about this sort of area. It's all very vague at this stage but I've always been quite surprised, when thinking about it, how readily available drugs are even on a local level, how many people take them so nonchalantly, and whether it's anything to do with the glamorisation of Doherty et al in press such as the NME.
Well....drugs in music has been around for a long time and every now and then the media decide that its time to make ANOTHER big deal about it....likes its never happened before. I think particualry regarding people in music taking drugs,people in the arts have been saying for a long time that drugs help to open up their minds to being more creative with what theyre doing and I suppose if you have as much money as people like Pete and Amy its easy to fall into that life style.
ugh I make no sense,sorry!
There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you.
But there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
I aint no abacus but you can count on me.
i know olivia wrote an article about drugs & music very very recently too.
i was/am surprised at the level of drugtaking of most "normal" people. but i don't think that's because of pete dohertys or amy winehouses or whatever.
i think just your regular friends have much more of an influence on you in that respect. but i do think that there are some genres of music that may "encourage" drug use more than others. but i guess it's all quite hard to get into without going into "stereotyping mode."
Olivia kindly sent me her piece this afternoon. I'm just about to sit down and read it, though her take is more media orientated than I intend mine to be. I'm talking really base-level stuff. As in, if I go to a gig on Saturday, I will have no trouble scoring drugs off any number of people in the club equally ****ed off their tits. Hang out with another group of friends, I'd be a laughing stock. See what I mean?
I think what I'm trying to get at here though, isn't quite the same as her. Her article is very much "This is music. Why drugs?" Mine, on the other hand, is "These are drugs. Why music?"
If it's come out all strange, I apologise. I rarely show people what I've written, but never mind! Also..it's been sent off to the Guardian and Drowned In Sound..but as expected neither are interested! Oh well lol :
In the 60s the majority of the music created was done under the influence of drugs, and it would seem the same can be said for a number of today's musicians. However, back in the 60s this was much more acceptable and the majority of the music made then is today seen as legendary, or a masterpiece. Can that be said for some of the musicians that have put out music now whilst under the influence?
For example, if a band in the 60s were ridiculously high on LSD- they would still play and nobody would bat an eyelid. Often a good number of the audience would have slipped a couple of tabs, before going to the gig. Nowadays if Amy Winehouse is drunk on stage she is absolutely slaughtered by the press and public, she's the meat and the press is the lions. Yet it seems the general public enjoys the notoriety she has gained, not for her wonderful song writing and voice, but for herself harming and addictions.
As a music fan it is hateful to watch a singer you are really fond of, self destruct, but they're human before anything else. They make mistakes, they have good days and bad days- but they have a job to do, and when they start being unprofessional what exactly as
music fans are we meant to do? Do we let them carry on and possibly die young, or do
we find a way to let them know that we love their music and want them to stick around to make more music? What should be the main focus is the music they give us, not their personal life. There is no need for us to know about who they've slept with, married, how much they drink or what drugs they take.
Pete Doherty seems to be more known for his drug addiction and being Kate Moss' ex- his work with The Libertines and Babyshambles seem to be ignored due to this, but is it his fault or the press? Amy Winehouse seems to be now known for her on-stage antics rather than possessing one of the best voices in Britain and winning an Ivor Novello aged only 21, it is evident that she has talent.
For some the idea of being famous is the whole "sex, drugs and rock'n'roll" lifestyle but for others, they are in it for their love of music
Janis Joplin possessed one of the greatest voices to have ever existed, yet her drug taking caused her death aged just 27. Although she took drugs (and seemed to be quite open about it) she never missed a performance nor did she ever turn up late. There was no
press to hound her and there didn't seem to be much pressure placed on her- she got on
stage and sang-that was it. With Amy Winehouse, however, there seems to be an insane amount of pressure placed on her because her voice is so rare- nobody out there right now
sounds like her. Maybe it is because of her talent that she is hounded to make her see
what she is doing to herself. She does cancel shows and she does turn up late, but give credit where credit is due- she has recently cancelled the remaining dates of her UK tour because she doesn't want to perform badly and also because her husband is in prison. Will she spend her time visiting him or will she get the help she needs to overcome her drug problem?
When listening to Procol Harum, early Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Lou Reed, The Doors and Iggy Pop you can pick up on drug related influences in their lyrics, 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' by Procol Harum being the most evident- an account of an LSD trip or Lou Reed's 'How Do You Think It Feels' which is about drug addiction. Even the so called greatest band of the 60s, The Beatles, wrote many of their most memorable work under the influence of mind altering substances - think of Lucy in the sky with diamonds, in fact think of the whole of the Sgt.Pepper album, and the Rubber Soul album and........... well you get the picture. They do say if you can remember the 60s you weren't there.
To bring it up to date, there is evident drug references to songs by The Libertines ('What A Waster', 'Can't Stand Me Now' being the most evident), Amy Winehouse's song 'Addicted' has a heavy reference to marijuana, Bloc Party's 'Song For Clay (Disappear
Here)' makes references to drug taking and the quite powerful line "cocaine won't save
you."- And they are right, it won't save you. It'll just destroy you- but try telling that to musicians that are currently dabbling in it.
Perhaps we should not be at all surprised, go back many hundreds of years when all of the worthiest literary figures were writing their masterpieces under the influence of morphine and or alcohol. History often repeats itself and it seems that to be able to write truly great literature, as well as truly great lyrics and music, then the soul has to be tortured. The moon and June lyrics of the 50s has given way to the Back to Black of the noughties and only the very young or those who get high on elevator music, can fail to be moved by the pain and suffering contained in the words we hear now.
Once, and long ago, there was the Yellow Brick Road of Dorothy, there was the magic of Cole Porter and dare I say Elvis, now and for the foreseeable future we have to suffer
along, and perhaps even sing along, to the pain of life. He might not have been high when he wrote the songs that made the whole world whinge (that's a bit of a paraphrase) but dear, dear Stephen Morrissey got it right when he penned that beautiful love song "There is a light that never goes out" and said "If a ten tonne truck kills the both of us, to die by your side the pleasure, the privilege is mine".
We have certainly come a long way from:
"Once upon a time there was a little white bull, little white bull." Yes that was Tommy Steele in the 50s.
I believe as far as writing lyrics goes, the only way is up, and we don't need to know anything other than there is so much talent today, there are so many wonderful songs, fantastic music played by musicians, and if they are stoned, high or falling down drunk-as long as the band keeps playing I for one will be standing at the front giving it everything.
"...that incremental suicide of turning your life into a dream, to make being awake as similar to sleep as possible. Drowsily, lazily, dry-mouth your way through the day's ceremonies, fumble your way back into the dew-bather you never really left, draped in brown, brown now all around, the haze!" - Russell Brand on drug addiction.
"Si ma êkh gûndo piyiamásko...ándo bírto barruno. Bírto, bírto barruno."
to be honest i think its bull **** that people take drugs because people in the media do it. people take drugs to escape, or to fit in with friends or perhaps shock horror cos its fun to be out your head.
yes within the media especally rap and club music there is a increase in the mention of drugs and drug taking but that alone cannont be held accountable for the hundreds of thousends of people in the uk alone that use substances.
I think the question you seem to have raised here is more along the lines of hte availability iif drugs than the connection of tdrugs and music, because sadly i can name at least 4 people off hte top of my head in my friends who can fix me up with almost anything i could care to name should i want to.
However there is a big problem at the moment with drugs being glamourised by musicians, however tis always been intrinsically linked, who dosent know that thing:
Sex drugs rock and roll....
so yeah
I don't smoke or do drugs and to be honest I don't feel any pressure to do so either. If anything I feel more like I pressure the people around me not to smoke or do drugs!
I guess I am lucky in that with metal most people assume the stereotype is to be constantly drunk and taking drugs, but in actual fact alot of famous metal musicians no longer drink or do drugs and its not really considered a major thing if you dont want to do drugs.
Let me be the one you call
If you jump i'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn YOU'RE NOT ALONE
