how to suppress cough on the bandstand ....

[pamosmusic]

If you're sick, don't go.

If you've got a scratch in your throat, a glass of water. Bring a fiver for a the server and tell them what's up. Give them a nod when the glass is empty.

Old school, best school.

(I have the world's worst seasonal allergies, so I've got a scratch in my throat and watering eyes from February to October most years. This method is tried and true.)

[RJVB]

(I have the world's worst seasonal allergies, so I've got a scratch in my throat and watering eyes from February to October most years. This method is tried and true.)

Good thing you don't get a runny nose too! I seem to have aged out of the worst of my allergies but I can still get an extremely runny nose as an over-sensitivity reaction. I can't recall that was ever a problem during lessons, rehearsals or performances (nor the associated sneeze attacks that you really don't want playing baroque violin - the good part of a white-blouse effect?). But at home I'd have no choice but to bind a napkin under my nose

[pamosmusic]

Good thing you don't get a runny nose too! I seem to have aged out of the worst of my allergies but I can still get an extremely runny nose as an over-sensitivity reaction. I can't recall that was ever a problem during lessons, rehearsals or performances (nor the associated sneeze attacks that you really don't want playing baroque violin - the good part of a white-blouse effect?). But at home I'd have no choice but to bind a napkin under my nose

Oh I do too. Alternately runny and super stuffed up.

I carry around an old dish towel in the spring to save on Kleenex costs

[AllanAllen]

So how did it go? What did you choose? Finish the story OP

[ccroft]

Alcohol is a cough suppressant. So.. relax and have a couple!
Also codeine, but that can lead to serious trouble in my experience.

[AllanAllen]

Alcohol is a cough suppressant. So.. relax and have a couple!
Also codeine, but that can lead to serious trouble in my experience.

Alcohol makes you play bad. As a sober musician, I see it all the time. Nobody gets better after a drink. Nobody.

[pamosmusic]

Alcohol makes you play bad. As a sober musician, I see it all the time. Nobody gets better after a drink. Nobody.

I’d wager a lot of people would play a little better after one, but worse after two.

[AllanAllen]

I’d wager a lot of people would play a little better after one, but worse after two.

That’s because the first one doesn’t kick in until you’re on the second. Probably.

[pamosmusic]

That’s because the first one doesn’t kick in until you’re on the second. Probably.

The more important question:

What goober is spending half their pay on drinks at a gig?

-or-

Where is this gig that gives musicians more than two drinks on the house?

[mr. beaumont]

For me, I love a drink.

AFTER the gig.

[Bobby Timmons]

[JazzNote]

So how did it go? What did you choose? Finish the story OP

As i had pointed out in post #14, i chose the "lubricant" recommended by a friend who is a singer (https://www.paul-pille.de/documents/...14443741_g.jpg).
These drops produce a layer of "smooth oily film" over the throat. Taking one/some before the gig and again in every pause worked well for the whole evening (it was a long gig, first set from 19:45 to 20:45, more sets from 22:30h to 01:30h).

Of course, being a red wine fan playing regularly in five star hotel surroundings where drinks are provided for free for the musicians i'm used to drinking moderately, which may have helped too. (Actually this prevented me from considering codeine products against cough.)

On the topic of drinking on a gig, i think we cannot make a general rule which fits everybody the same. If one knows his individual limit and stays within, the effect of relaxation which comes with it would rather help than destroy the music. So maybe the only rule would be "to know when to stop".

I'm sure many of the recommended products in this thread would work well too, but many are not available over here in Switzerland.

And thanks again to everybody involved for the help!

[DawgBone]

The more important question:

What goober is spending half their pay on drinks at a gig?

-or-

Where is this gig that gives musicians more than two drinks on the house?

Two drinks on the house is what I call a cheap ass venue. I notice it's often the multi million dollar establishments have the crappiest pay and fewest comped drinks. Usually the biggest load in and parking headaches as well. It's like shitty gigs usually contain the entire package of shitty, not just a couple elements.

If I drank all the comped drinks some of the breweries here offer you'd have to carry me out when the gig was over. A couple places have a $50 per man bar tab. A couple others $40. I'm not a big drinker but a couple guys in the band barely drink at all so maybe I should tie on $130 worth of craft beer one of these days, lol Personally I'd rather have the $50 and buy my own pisswater after the show but it doesn't work like that unfortunately. I don't want your shitty food and drinks, I want money.

[RJVB]

Two drinks on the house is what I call a cheap ass venue. I notice it's often the multi million dollar establishments have the crappiest pay and fewest comped drinks.

(comped like your own comping? )

What venue is too cheap to provide musicians with a caraf of tap water or have drinkable water in their bathroom??