Ah being a bandleader is like herding cats. Calling everyone, scheduling the practices, finding the gigs, waiting for everybody to show up, rescheduling when they have to cancel, so much work. As a musician, I always show up when I say I do. I bring the drums and instruments to the local rumba, I'm always on time, so I'm frequently waiting. I'm also trying to get a latin jazz trio off the ground, so hard just to get 2 other guys together, same when I had my latin fusion trio.
Well, I've learnt not to try and hold people to my standard if I want to play with them. Either that or only play with people that have the same standards as I do, which is very limiting.
As for the other stuff, I find I feel better about playing after a beer or two to help with my nerves. Never more than that during or before. More is for after. I can count the musicians I know that don't do ganja on one hand, maybe even on finger
. San Francisco, California baby! A dispensiary on every block, lot's of sick musicians taking their medicine.