I hear ya but it seems so silly not to be able to put up a sign that says "If you can smoke less while here, this singer thanks you." Or something like that. Point being, they (smokers) don't give a damn about me an other non-smokers. Why shouldn't I be able to put up a soft-sell sign?

I have often thought... after I watch chain smoker after chain smoker, one after another... for four hours non-stop... and the damn bar is just unbearable... if many of them would just damn, lighten up a bit... if they would just try, they don't have to keep one lit the whole damn time. There are many times they go for long periods without ANY cig. So, just cutting back a bit would help. If you have a guy like me with a sign up, it's obvious. I dunno. It sucks, I know that.

I have come across two singers in the past month, each is 45 to age 50 and their singing voice is just shot. They say "Yeah, these damn cigarettes." And it is. You can hear in their manly voice and their hacking. What a pitiful lot we are, human beings.

The Gonzo jerk (in my song), what an idiot. I wrote that song after musing with a friend, "Who is the idiot s.o.b. that one day said, "Hey, why don't we roll some leaves up and let them dry and light the end and suck the heat and smoke into our lungs? That oughta be really nice." What a pathetic habit. Screw tobacco companies. Screw the Carolinas. If you say you wish tobacco would just disapper, people say, "Yeah, but Uncle Vern will be ought of work. He grows tobacco." Duh. Get another line of work, Vern.

Not too many years ago, cigarette smoke cost me an amp. It was a fan-cooled Peavey 600-Watt stereo amp/mixer that really rocked. The cooling fans, unfortunately, drew air through small vents and one end and expelled the air out the other. After two years of playing at the Havre de Grace, MD American Legion (Blood & Guts Saloon) cigarette tars had coated every slider, pot and jack connection to the point where they no longer made contact. Fortunately, I had an extended warranty and Peavey replaced it. I stopped playing there the following week. The smoke was so bad that a pair of $3,500 smoke eaters had no effect on the air quality at all.

As for the sign, it would probably result in instant unemployment.

Gary

Hand nicotine packets out to every1 before the show Remember though, its up to the bar whether or not to do this stuff, im sure they dont want anything to make smokers leave. Or get/rent/borrow an ionic breeze, and place it by you, they work quite nicely.

Phil

[This message has been edited by Pennywizz6 (edited 02-25-2005).]

This point is absolutely correct, I'm afraid. I would really like to know what they would do if all bands, all singers and all comidians would refuse to play in nicotin contaminated bars.
Live acts? Only in cleaned and freshed air, please!


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Greetings from Frankfurt (Germany),
Sheriff ;-)

Bill,
Ironically, in yesterday's Shreveport Times there was an article stating that a proposal is on the books to ban smoking in all public places in Shreveport. Of course even if it passes it will be too late to affect your gig Saturday.
BTW, it looks as if I may be able to attend after all. But if it's as smoky as you say, I won't stay long!! I worked there several years ago, and don't recall the smoke being that bad.
DonM

I smoked cigarettes for 40 years until recently. I must admit I enjoyed it and I still miss it. But even when I was still smoking I had stopped smoking in my cars and other enclosed spaces. And it in turn cut back my smoking. Even though I was still a smoker I even found smokey atmospheres offensive so I really understood how non-smokers disliked it even more than me. I wouldn't have been at all offended by any sign that suggested smokers kept it outside or at least at a minimum. It really depends on how it is written. If it comes across as a polite request then most people would respectfully abide by it without taking any offense. It's nothing for a smoker to slip outside if they really have to. In California all bars are now non-smoking which the singers in my band are very happy about because it had a very detrimental effect on their voices. Even though smoking is now banned in bars there is a slight loophole in the law that allows bars where employees are all the family that owns and runs the bar to make the choice themselves. We played a couple of nights in a LA bar that allowed smoking but the whole band made the decision to stop working there. We decided that we didn't need the job bad enough to work in a smokey atmosphere. Of course this is a rarity in LA now but would be harder in a state where all bars allow smoking.





[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 02-26-2005).]

As I said in my first post, it hasn't been terrible but it has been noticeable. Realize that I am particularly sensitive to it. Remember last time I played there... it was great... I think there might have been one or two smokers. Wonderful! It just depends on how many smokers. (By the way, I hope to see you and get your opinion on some of these songs!)

Back to the fan... I don't understand why it would not help. I mean, if people are smoking and ventilation is not so good, that smoke is just filling up the bar. Well, a fan pointed out the door moves air out the door. Smoke goes with it. I don't understand why it wouldn't help.

Bill,

If it's a floor (box) fan, you should position it so that it draws fresh air in from outside. This will force the warmer air closer to the ceiling out the door. If the fan is on a pedistal, and relative high above the floor, position it so it blows the air out the door and the cooler air closer to the ground will be drawn in.

Gary

I owned a bar for around 10 years. The best thing to draw out smoke is an exhaust fan in the ceiling.
DonM

All musicians should carry Febreze,it can keep the stage area fresher..