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Alright I found the email that was sent & this was the reply.

It is illegal for anyone working for a liquor licensed establishment to consume alcohol while on duty; this not only includes waiters, waitresses and bartenders, but it also includes entertainers.

The owner of an establishment is responsible for the actions and behaviors of their employees and their customers. Entertainers are considered employees of the owner. In WAC (Washington Administrative Code) 314.11, the responsibilities of the owner are outlined. Please go to our web site at WWW.LIQ.WA.GOV and click on the link for Laws and Rules for the text. Please see WAC 314-11-015 for the responsibilities, (d) states that no employee may drink while working.

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Well sho' nuff I found WAC 314-11-015 detailed in the Washington State Alcohol Control Board "Off premises licensee handbook". Here is the exact verbiage:

NO DRINKING ON THE JOB
No employee or licensee may drink alcohol while on duty. Employees and licensees who are drinking on duty cannot effectively judge the age or sobriety of customers.

Which is what I thought earlier...that if you are employed to serve alcohol, you can't judge who is overserved if you yourself are drunk. I do see a number of people who were fined for that.

But nowhere does it specifically mention entertainers (who are mostly never "employees" they are contractors, as am I) so I think your friend at the Bureau might be a little overzealous. Based on how the official statute is worded, they wouldn't dare bring it in front of a judge. Who cares if the band is drunk? Why would that be of concern to an alcohol enforcement official? Bureaucrats...hmmmph!

While they're figuring it out, I'll have a dirty Belvedere martini up with olives, please

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[font=Lucida Console]"Sing for the day, sing for the moment, sing for the time of your life!"[/font]

AAAH yes I love Wisconsin! however last friday I worked a show where the owner insisted on sending me shots of whisky most of the night. this on top of my normal beer I should not have driven home even after sobering up at a friends till 5:30

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

Washington might (assuming they wished to) consider this a Group Four Violation:
Entertainment/instruction/meeting/trade show violations. First violation 3 day suspension or $500 monetary option. Second Violation 5 day suspension or $2,500 monetary option. Third violation 10 day suspension or $5,000 monetary option. Fourth Violation 20 day suspension or $10,000 monetary option.




http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=314-29-025


Washington likely would view this under Group Two- Conduct Violations.
Retailer/nonretailer violation: Violation on the part of a retail licensee that involves a nonretail licensee, other than group four violations assuming they wanted to target an establishment for something along these lines. I doubt legislation has much interest in busting most that are 21 or older for drinking in a bar though unless something more significant happens. While it might be technically illegal, it appears certain violations (such as an entertainer having a drink or two) isn't something many in law enforcement would lose sleep over.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

It was a good long while ago that I posted this same question and the fallout was this: Nobody could figure out why I would raise this question. It's a given, in most peoples' minds, that they should be permitted to drink on the job; there are those who blatantly abuse it and drink themselves into oblivion, and there are those who maybe have one drink over the course of the whole night. I don't really have a rule for myself except to say that I'm usually too busy - and even if I had a drink, it'd more than likely just sit there and become a watered down warm drink by the time I get to it.

Interestingly, I've had patrons mention the on-the-job drinking habits of other hosts and usually bring it up stating that there is some sort of shortfall in their hosting abilities - like the rotation gets screwed up, they start talking too much on the mic, they get people's songs confused, etc. So it isn't that the host is drinking that is the root of the complaint, it is the fact that it alters their job performance.

It seems that even if this law is on the books, it is not something that is ordinarily enforced. On the off chance that an over-zealous agent might decide to actually enforce it randomly, I would NOT want to be the one that was on the receiving end of it, claiming ignorance of the law.

It's a chance you take when you knowingly break any law - you shouldn't be surprised if you're caught - speeding, talking on a hand-held cell phone (now a law in the State of Wa) while driving, etc. Those stupid little laws that are seldom enforced ... but at any time could be. It's human nature to push it to the limit.

Yeah I get the same comments about several rooms. But not about the KJ of the longest running karaoke room in the area, who doesn't drink on the job either.

I've now been at this for 2 1/2 years and I think I'm second longest around here. The other room, a very successful country and oldies place, has been going for 4. So far the sober hosts have been outlasting the drinking ones in my little corner of the world.

For me it is a part of the KJ job.

It helps you fit in with the environment of the customers.

I generally have one light beer after setting up my gear and 2 more through the night.

Im a big guy (nearly 200lbs) and 3 beers is nothing for me in terms of drinking them over a 3-4 hour period in terms of intoxication.



Unfortunately the way the laws are written, moderation is not an understood concept. Recently a local ordinance has banned all paid BAR employees from drinking, including doormen and bartenders.

This has caused some problems in that many of the local bars basically hire some of their doormen from the regulars to pay off bar tabs.

As for entertainment, I have talked to many bands who have rarely if ever got up on stage TOTALLY sober. Performing in the music industry completely sober in bar settings is the rare exception, and generally is only done by musicians in a rehab program or trying to get over past problems. Nearly any rock musician that does drink has at least something to drink before performing in a bar, usually not enough to get trashed but just "enough".

Well I guess the only way to know for sure is to talk to someone personally and find out for sure.

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This was the reply I received from the Washington State Liquor Control Board:

My name is (name removed to protect the innocent) with the Washington State Liquor Control Board, Captain for Seattle and King County Enforcement, and I am writing to you today in response to your inquiry regarding entertainers (DJs/band members) consuming alcohol during performances.

Washington Administrative Codes prohibit employees from drinking on duty. This includes all employees performing any act of employment for the benefit of the liquor licensee, whether the employee is paid, a volunteer, or off duty and helping out by performing employment activities. This has a direct impact on entertainers (DJs/band members) as an employee is defined as “any person performing services on a licensed premises for the benefit of the licensee.” Below are links to the applicable WAC rules.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=314-01-005 (Definition of employee)

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=314-11-015 (Drinking on Duty – (3)(d))

So the short answer is an entertainer may not consume alcohol during a performance.

Answers that question!!!!

Thanks for clearing that up, Croak, for those of us in Wa St. I'm not sure why everyone gets ticked off when this subject is brought up, the law is the law. Risk breaking it and risk the ticket or fine or however they deal with it. Apparently for some, alcohol is a vital part of the job.

The bar gets the fine just like they do when someone is overserved or a bartender is caught drinking on the job.

Seems like a stupid law to impose on entertainers.

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hi-voxentertainment

No Wonder People Are Staying And Partying At Home. A Liberal Is One Of Those Whom Passes Inconsequential Laws To Satisfy Their Dogma With No Regard For Human Rights Or Whatever Problems Will Ensue.

When Are You Going To Get Off Your Arse And Say No!!!! Who Is Running The Show UP THere?. A Bunch Of Prohabition Women? What A Bunch OF Wusses!!!!

I Would Like Them See Them Enforce This Law On The Ridge Or In The Deep Woods Here.

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Y'know, I don't typically like to get political on message boards, but this kind of ill-informed verbal dung really p!sses me off. I'm one of the so-called bleeding heart liberals that big mouths like Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity (and apparently you) like to spout off about all day, and I can say with all authority that I DO NOT support this "inconsequential law." And your opinion on liberals regarding human rights is so far off base the sun can't get light to it.

So, do me a favor and leave your right wing ramblings out of my karaoke, would ya? Please and thanks.

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hi-voxentertainment

Apparently this law has been on the books forever - whether we support it or not doesn't matter squat. It's there and we deal with it. That isn't to say it is ENFORCED - reading back you'd realize that it is NOT enforced. I certainly didn't write the law, and I certainly don't care if it's on the books or not as I don't drink while hosting to the point that it would ever affect the quality of my show.

No need to sling that kind of dung, karyoker. I, too, do not indulge in political discussions for this very reason.

k

mistake sorry

Been there done that. They have leglislated and bankrupted this nation into a second rate country.

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Hey karaoker, I posted a response to your very last sentence, cause it did sound like something my ancestors would say, and I thought it was kind of funny. Afterwards I went back and read the other posts, and said shyt, I I don't want to get involved in any kind of political thing here, I don't choose my friends by their political views at all, and I sure don't want to get into any of that here. Actually, I am to the point that I hate politics, no matter what party, so no offense to anyone, I don't want the drama, sorry. Ron

In Nebraska there is no state-wide ban on drinking on duty, but the town in whichI play, has an law that anyone serving alcohol cannot drink. It is strictly enforced. The cops come to the bar frequently and check ID's and make sure the bartender isn't drinking. I am not affected by the law.