Don’t be the town drunk

A ROW of champagne flutes neatly lined up, huge buckets of ice cold beers, ciders and boxes of top whiskey seems to be the norm in VIP sections when artists await their performances.

It’s more common than not – for top artists alcohol is always part of their ‘technical riders’, while starting-out performers prepare themselves when attending functions by arriving with cooler boxes bursting with alcoholic drinks.

At many events, VIP sections are riddled with drunk artists. They party it up and consume lots of alcohol hours before their performances.

Some sniff white powder or smoke various substances before hitting the stage, which leads to them giving the audience watered-down, intoxicated performances.

Let’s face it, many artists perform plastered and it seems normal but it’s not.

This begs the question: ‘does the art world have a drinking or drug problem?’ The answer is a big fat ‘yes!’ – it’s not even a problem it’s a pandemic, especially in Zululand.

There is nothing normal about being a drunken artist who relies on alcohol or substances to deliver a ‘good performance’.

Not only does it spell trouble and never leads to anything good, but it’s an insult to the paying audience who expects the best and to get their money's worth.

So what needs to happen? Seasoned artists must lead by example and groom up-and-coming preformers.

Just because an artist is surrounded by people consuming copious amounts of alcohol at functions, doesn’t mean you join them. They are out to have fun, you are at work – remember that, and behave like it. Undoubtedly, the industry has a lot to celebrate, from exhibition openings to artwork sales - not to mention a relentless calendar of international fairs – but let the audience celebrate with alcohol, after all it’s their night out.

This is not Hollywood, and you are not in a movie. This real life and actions have real consequences.

Perhaps it’s time to ask yourself what is your purpose of being an artist – is it to look for a party every weekend or contribute something of value to the industry?

I’m not saying don’t have a drink, but do it after the show has ended, be responsible and don’t become the town drunk.