While My Finger Gently Bleeds
Everyone’s had one of those nights where, basically, they drink far too much and lose control over their motor skills.
It usually manifests itself in drunken stumbling and falling down stairs or into gutters.
Not too long ago, however, I had something much worse.
I’d been having a few beers with Jordan before moving on to Scotch. This was really where things started heading downhill. After beer, (as good as Stella Artois is) Johnny tasted absolutely divine, and I began knocking it back far too fast.
We decided to have a bit of a jam, maybe try and make a cover of a song.
I, slightly unbalanced, retrieved my guitar from my room and thankfully managed to get it back into the study without tripping and falling on it.
We kept drinking for a bit - I have hazy recollections of seeing my glass half full of straight scotch at one point - before I finally grabbed the guitar to play.
Or tried to.
I mean, I was making noise, but there is no way that could be called music.
I didn’t understand. I was doing eveything I usually did. I looked at my fingers, most likely with drunked expression of befuddlement.
I was able to grip the guitar, make chord changes, and my strumming hand seemed to be working fine.
I just wasn’t hitting the strings properly.
I put the pick down, figuring being able to feel the strings would help.
I felt them all right, the nice fat E string beating into my index finger - I had a blood blister just above the nail the next morning!
The jam was not going to happen that night. I coudn’t believe it. I had fallen over, vomited, coma’d out many times due to alcohol, but never, ever had I not been able to play guitar. (Sure, many of those times I hadn’t attempted, but hey.)
It felt terrible. Like suddenly I couldn’t breathe or something.
Now I look back on it with understanding. I was raging drunk at that point, and it’s not really that surprising (still doesn’t change the hurt I felt though!). But I still want to know how on earth do the rock stars do it?
I mean, they get up, night after night, after drinking a bottle of gin and doing however much in drug slang means a shitload of whatever A class drugs they go for, and still manage to rock. And don’t people say they write better when drunk and stoned? Being able to write implies being able to play the instrument.
I get no amazing insightful inspirations. I end up making horrible noises and nearly injuring my hands.
Not fair.
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5 Responses to “While My Finger Gently Bleeds”
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Adey Ben, 2 months without a post is terrible. Get moving!!!!!
yojoe What about Missile Pops?
Shannon OMG. Check it out… http://mudhead.uottawa.ca/~pet e/beard.html
Ben A singular beer won’t quite cut it. But you’re on the right track…
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Heartbreaking. Will it have consequences for your drinking?
Doubtful.
Will probably just not grab the guitar when utterly smashed.
I would have thought you already had a ban on drunken guitar handling - considering how special and EXPENSIVE and special it is.
No no, you misinterpreted the rule. Because of how special and EXPENSIVE and special it is, you are permanently banned from touching it. Without exception.
(Ok, maybe the odd exception when I ask you to.)
I’m NOT that clumsy. And when I am it’s because you leave it in the middle of your room. At night. When it’s dark. And when I’m scientifically proven to be more clumsy.