Have to play the Contractors gig tonight. Last night I developed the beginning of a cold I guess. Nasal drip etc. No headache or such.

I'm always nervous when the gig get near. I usually get a one shot whiskey and have it with sevenup while I'm setting up. It helps calm me down.

1. Should I skip the whiskey?
2. Should I have sip of cold medicine?
3. What about those cold remedies that stop the nasal drip etc?
4. Should I do nothing?

So far I don't seem to be hoarse. I don't have any idea what to do. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Boo

Sudafed is one of the only thigs I take if I have trouble breathing. The whisky is a personal choice. I'm agaist it at work, but some people need that "soothing" effect that it seems to give. You make that call, but in general - I advise against stimulants when singing. That goes for caffine too.

hey boo take some good pictures too for us to see...

Dave thanks.
Donny I'll be loaded down with just trying to perform. If I see someone taking pictures I'll get some copies.
Boo

Boo,

I would take a couple of the little red Sudafed pills. I've never had any trouble with a couple of Sudafed and one or two beers but that is me. I would be careful. Some of the liquid cold medicines like Vick's Nyquell are over 40 proof. They are already pre mixed cold medicine and alcohol. If you think you need the mixed drink while setting up try everything the night before the job. That way you can see how you will react to the Sudafed and the shot. Good luck!

Tom

Boo,

You're probably gonna' find this one hard to believe, but it works. About 30 years ago I was a newscaster for one of the local radio stations. I walked in to the studio one morning to do the 7:00 a.m. newscast, which takes about 15 minutes and my voice was totally shot. My throat felt like a piece of raw beef and looked equally as bad. The studio director, who was as old as I am now, said "Go into the frig, open that jar of sour onions and pop one in your mouth--you'll be just fine, at least for as long as the newscast takes. I took his advice, and within seconds after eating the sour onion, my voice was back, sounded as good as ever and the pain was completely gone. The effects last about an hour at best, but I've been using this technique ever since. Essentially, the vinegar anesthesizes your vocal folds and much of your throat. Additionally, the vinegar apparently cuts through any mucus that may have accumulated on the vocal folds. As for the booze, forgattaboutit! Sudafed, those little red pills, are great to dry up the post-nasal drip, which also helps keep you going when you have to perform with a cold. Keep in mind, however, that they are an antihistamine and will dry you out and make you a bit drowsy.

Good Luck,

Gary

Sudafed is good , but the daytime gelcap congestion/cough med's is best for me .

BTW ....whatever you do , don't get hammered .

Boo.....how was the gig?..........

hi Boo: I too advocate Sudafed as the least harmful medication to help clear up nasal drip/congestion problems, but also recommend drinking lots of water and/or sipping warm herbal tea with honey & lemon to help counter act the moisture loss effect to your throat & vocal chords by the Sudafed. Alcohol is particularly bad for a singer as it has a harsh effect on your throat & vocal cords stripping away moisture. One thing I find especially effective to soothe my throat is Slippery Elm. In addition to these things, the best singer's advice is getting plenty of rest before the gig.

Boo, looking forward to hearing how your gig went.

Scott

One 'medication' that is as much a part of my 'gear' as my keyboard is "Hall's menthol - eucalyptus" cough drops ... I'll break up a couple in the wrapper before the gig and pop in a piece during an instrumental solo, or between songs .... Just be careful if you have one in your mouth when hitting a BIG note ....Also, while I might on occasion have a vodka martini a 1/2 hour or so before I start, the standard liquid during the gig is a large water, no ice...
t.

boo...this works for me..probably not for everybody...but it works for me.
I get one of those minute maid frozen orange juice cans, let it thaw a bit so it's almost a slush....then EAT IT I try and follow this with 3 or 4 hours (if that's possible) of rest or sleep. In any event, it clears me up like a good thing. It's like mainlining about a dozen oranges, and vitamin C is always good for ya.
Like I say though...I works for me..it may not be for everybody.

Boo,

Take all of the above advice, then follow it up after the gig with a large bottle of Kickapoo Joy Juice--Oh Yeah!

So how did the gig go?

Gary

Everything went great. I took the (generic cheaper)sudafed and bought two of those little shot bottles at the liquor store. You guys know me. I bought the cheap Jim Beam stuff. It doesn't matter to me. I don't drink enough to know the difference. Only for gigging ocasions. It really calms me down.

Anyway, several contractors I've known for the past 25 years were there. They were literally shocked, as they all know me as a brick layer.

If the lady that got me the job ( I called it the job for Dave's benefit) would have told me the Mayor and a Councilman was going to be there, I probably would have chickened out.

The Councilman was listening intently even when people were trying to converse with him. I play my horn with a New Orleans flavor and I know he reconized the sound. So he comes up and wants to know if I would do Basin Street Blues for him.

I had been playing the horn for about an hour. At this time I was singing and playing the keyboard. I've sang and played Basin Street around the house a few times, but didn't feel I should do it as I hadn't played it for over a year. And besides I didn't have the Fake Book with me with the lyrics. So, I told him I'd do something he'd like and I did "Do You Know What It means to Miss New Orleans".

I had a drink while setting up and played keyboard and sang while three or four caters were setting up. It would have helped if they would have said that sounds nice. I guess they were too busy.

Later the bartender said he really enjoyed what I did. He said he was 37. That's younger than one of my sons.

Somewhere in the middle of the evening I turned up the sound and I did Soul Seranade and got quite a bit of attention, and yes, every body still really likes Yakety Sax and nobody plays it but me and Boots Randolph. At least I've never heard anyone play it except a buddy of mine in New Orleans.

Even Jamey Abersole advises all of the Jazz tenor men to learn Yakety Sax in his literature. I think many jazz guys think it is beyond their diginity to play such a tune. But the folks really listen up when I play it.

I don't think I'll need a drink to get started next time. It was a great experience for me. I wasn't anywhere near as nervous this time around. The last thing I did solo had me jittery for a month before it happened.

I hate to go around offering to aduition and play for free. It's much better to have them ask you to play. I didn't even give a price. I asked what did they expect to pay? They said $300. Wish I could do that a few times a month. If I want to play more I will probably have to go beat the bushes. Donny this is where the Little Green Monster would be handy for quick short auditions. And it sounds good.

I think Don, Dave, Scott and Donny would have trouble in this town making a living. It's just not a party town like New Orleans. I need to move to New Jersey.

I enjoy the stories here on the forum as much as the valuable info I've gleened over the past couple of years. Hope you guys enjoy this one.

Great story Boo. Glad it went so well for you.

AJ

Thats great to hear Boo.....maybe you'll get some gigs from it also!

Glad everything went well for you Boo, and I hope it leads to more jobs (gigs).

Cheers,

Gary

Boo, you can move back to Louisiana. Over the past 25 years, I've made hundreds of dollars in the music business.
DonM

Don,

Believe it or not I made hundres of dollars for this gig. I don't mean to brag, I'm just excited and encouraged again after a bad few months. I need to get some gigs. I want to make more than Uncle Dave.

I can dream can't I.