Smoking ban coming - giggers opinions?

[BCR Greg]

I don't smoke, so I will be more comfortable.

The bigger problem is that people falsely think that they must be partaking of a vice or two to enjoy live music. More often than not, somebody tells me how "wasted" they were at some concert and what a great time it was. Morons.

I think there are so many other factors that are killing club audiences. In PA, the legal level is .08, and it may go down farther. Drunk driving is getting cracked down, which is good, but the occasional Gestapo tactics of the Pa State Police can be a real hassle. I have been dry for 22 years, and hit a roadblock a few weeks ago. I was made to do all kinds of gymnastics, and then a breathyliser(sp?). The cop wasn't even apologetic after the sniffer came thru virgin. He just dismissed me with a wave of his hand, like I was bothering HIM. THIS is something that people just don't want to deal with.

Other diversions like better home theatres and internet stuff are also cutting into club attendance.

The days of the packed club every weekend are over. I'm glad I lived and played in a time when the club scene was bedlam(the late, lamented 80's, baby!), walking on the crowd's shoulders was fun when it was a typical stage device.... now it would be impossible.

Ah, shit.

I am friggin' OLD.

[kurtsstuff]

I too miss the 80's but...I still smoke..I'm respectful of others and I expect the same respect in my choice and if not......FUGGEM!!....

[Guest pirateflynn]

I don't smoke, so I will be more comfortable.

The bigger problem is that people falsely think that they must be partaking of a vice or two to enjoy live music. More often than not, somebody tells me how "wasted" they were at some concert and what a great time it was. Morons.

I think there are so many other factors that are killing club audiences. In PA, the legal level is .08, and it may go down farther. Drunk driving is getting cracked down, which is good, but the occasional Gestapo tactics of the Pa State Police can be a real hassle. I have been dry for 22 years, and hit a roadblock a few weeks ago. I was made to do all kinds of gymnastics, and then a breathyliser(sp?). The cop wasn't even apologetic after the sniffer came thru virgin. He just dismissed me with a wave of his hand, like I was bothering HIM. THIS is something that people just don't want to deal with.

Other diversions like better home theatres and internet stuff are also cutting into club attendance.

The days of the packed club every weekend are over. I'm glad I lived and played in a time when the club scene was bedlam(the late, lamented 80's, baby!), walking on the crowd's shoulders was fun when it was a typical stage device.... now it would be impossible.

Ah, shit.

I am friggin' OLD.

Some good points there.

[sirDaniel]

until they took smoke away, I never even realized it smelled, and I didn't smoke.

Ban smoking, Pretty soon bike helmets will be mandatory for ANY activity exceeding .25G . This is all bogus and it's just the beginning. Food will be next.

[BadJaxx]

nah, not food....industry poisons much of the food supply along with the air and water....

and they get the big tax breaks....

[Stike]

I'm sure Stike was kidding.

Kind of. There's a subgroup of "goddamn hippies" (that was the just funnin' part) that I refer to as "Trustafarians" that seems to feel that while tobacco smoke is one of the most offensive things known to man marijuana smoke is somehow different and does not posess the same secondhand effect. Smoke is smoke be it tobakky, weed, or pork.

[tafkathundernotes]

Yeah. Goddamn Trustafarians!

[edgar_allan_poe]

This is all bogus and it's just the beginning. Food will be next.

Next? It already started a couple of years ago. There are a boatload of restaurants and producers of food who are under intense pressure to remove hydrogenated oils from their recipes. That stuff is awful for your body. But again...isn't that our responsibility? Isn't it up to me...the consumer...to determine what I would like to eat?

I don't eat the stuff. I avoid it like the plague. But the govt has no place telling McDonalds that they have to cook their fries in a different oil.

[kizanski]

But the govt has no place telling McDonalds that they have to cook their fries in a different oil.

Well, you know what? Even though I agree with you, I still think that it's necessary that they do (and here's why - lol)...

At a time when the information about the food that we eat and our nutritional requirements has never been more detailed and prevalent, so has risen the number of obese people (particularly YOUNG obese people) in our country.

It's almost as if they are tied together: as the information increases, so does our country's obesity.

It's obvious that the majority do not know what to do (or refuse to do it), so someone has to do something to protect them from themselves. Again: I agree with you, but desperate times call for desperate measures (and in my opinion, cutting out those fats does not even apply).

In Mel Brooks' masterpiece, Blazing Saddles, Harvey Korman hands Brooks (the Governor) a bill to sign that would allow the government to take over hundreds of acres of land from the "Indians."

"It's for their own good," says Korman. "They're such children."

[Zoner]

The smoking ban is obviously geared toward protecting the EMPLOYEES form the hazards of secondhand smoke - not the patrons. The patrons are not going there to provide for their families and can make choices without consequence. I was essentially forced to quit my job due to this hazard and there are few other ways to continue in this business without playing in clubs, unless studios start popping up here in MN needing intense guitar work (not likely). This is simply an effort to protect workers in their work environment, the same as they would if it was a coal mine or a meat packing plant. No one is forced to work in any of these places, but let's face it, this type of nannying isn't gonna go away and it might as well benefit the MAJORITY (non-smokers in this case) rather than allow a hazard to exist to the detriment of everyone who might want to see a band without being poisoned. This situation is unique in that one person can make a choice(to smoke) and their choice can potentially damage the people around them. Just like choosing to get hammered and get behind the wheel as far as I'm concerned. People have the right to abuse and damage themselves I guess, but don't have the right to subject others to their destructive choices. Z

[Submariner85]

There's always this:

[Craig S]

The days of the packed club every weekend are over. I'm glad I lived and played in a time when the club scene was bedlam(the late, lamented 80's, baby!), walking on the crowd's shoulders was fun when it was a typical stage device.... now it would be impossible.

Yep....those were the days.... I sure like not having my gear smell like smoke or having to chisel it off.. I've had guitars that have been exposed to smoke for so long it's gotten into the finish.

Back to the point, David E is correct when he states a decrease in attendence. Not all clubs are recognizing the ban... We are supposed to play a place shortly and they have ashtray's out, the works and are blatently ignoring the law. I'm a distance runner and really do not enjoy the smoke. With that in mind I get a little annoyed when people have said "If you don't like it do go there"...well, true maybe, but that means I would never play out. I also hate to see gov't regulate anything and it's a shame it can't just be a courtesy thing.. Want to puff just go outside. In Ohio I thik it was the raising of the drinking age back to 21 that has helped kill the music scene.

[SirDouglas]

the whole arguement rolls down from person to person... its all your opinion ...i agree with poe that the gov is sticking its head where it doesnt belong again...

i do smoke occasionally... i dont drink(bad liver) ..but my habit is much worse in the eyes of most peoples... i chew leaf tobacoo... and yes i spit on the sidewalk and anywhere else someone looks disgusted at it... usually thier shoes.... but i dont go around protesting anti smoking... yes my clothes come off stinkin like 200 cigs after a gig... washing machine does a good job of fixing that...

my whole take on this... dont like smoke.... dont go in... you want to hear the band.... deal with the smoke... its that simple...

bein a drama queen about cigs is moot....learn to deal.... and pick up your fucking butts too omg.... goddamn litter bugs hippie fucks

i dont feel better... thsi whole thing is imposing on everyones rights... not jsut smokers...

Randy

[Guest Meshuggah]

I hada nice experience this past month.

I went to my first smoke free concert, Savoy Brown.

The venue was stink-free and the acoustics were superb!

What a concept.

I WILL go back.

[BillW]

"And band members can't drink either" ?????

WTF ????

It's nice not to have to shower (mostly to get the smell of smoke off) before getting into bed at 4 am ( although the BO is bad - the smoke was much, much worse) But where we used to play the fog machines were just as bad if not worse IMHO than the smokers. Except at the NorthStar in Rochester. Talk about Blue air....my eyes would sting it was so smokey in there. We simply told our bookie not to book us back there.

To me the audience has dipped - especially since it's city/county related (i.e. the audiences go to where they can smoke, next town over, next county over etc...). With the state wide ban - I think they're levelling the playing field so I think it's a good step (despite the fact that it is govt telling us how to live our lives).

Wait - I forgot, I'm retired from gigging, so take it with a grain ....;-)

[tafkathundernotes]

"And band members can't drink either" ?????

WTF ????

Yeah, believe it or not - it's a state law : Band members are considered employees (contractors) of the establishment, and are therefore in the same boat as a bartender. The club can be fined or even lose its liquor license if you get caught drinking on the job. If there are other clubs nearby, sometimes musicians will wander down the street for a cold one. It doesn't effect me, because I don't drink until after the show. I guess some people consider a gig to be an alcohol event, where music is consumed. To each, his own.