From connection strategy to crisis: using alcohol to be part of the public can harm artists' health and image

What is the impact of alcohol on live performances?
"Prepares the liver". This phrase is quite common on stages or among the public when the first chords of a modão or a sofrência rock country shows.
As the music progresses, glasses and bottles start to turn over. And, when this happens on stage, it can have strong impacts ranging from problems with the singers' voices and performance to image and mental health crises for these artists.
g1 has already shown how excess alcohol on stage and backstage affects artists' routines. An important aspect of this abuse is: artists do not seek to drink just for partying, but in search of connection with the public.
"What I see today is a generation that pushes the envelope in wanting to generate connection. 'I also like to drink, I'm like you'. Even the generation of women who came and who also drink on stage... In the beginning it was: 'I'm like a man, we also drink'. The main reason was to generate connection. But then it loses its hand", analyzes a production professional from the country music universe who preferred not to to identify.
But she argues that this attempt at connection is not exclusive to country folk.
"The motto of rock has always been 'sex, drugs and rock n' roll'. For mass music, more popular, it is alcohol. Especially because it is free and cheaper. Reggae and MPB have the marijuana vibe. It is not possible to generalize, but drug consumption is normally related to lifestyle", he states.
The "losing hand" mentioned by her does not always mean dependence or a scandal on stage. It could also be a crisis in the artist's image.
"Imagine a contractor who has seen a very successful artist making several statements that he has problems with alcohol, with drinking, that he only does the show if he drinks or apologizing, because once again he was unable to perform with the desired quality", asks psychologist Juliana Chiavassa.
"We don't normalize drinking and working in other professions. It seems to me that this is much more of a part of music, as if it were very free", she points out.
Juliana also highlights that this normality is reinforced by major alcoholic beverage brands sponsoring country events.
Lost your hand? And now? How to deal with crises?
Between dances and "gelas", Nattan performed an almost two-hour show at Ribeirão Rodeo Music 2026
Érico Andrade/g1
Another point that the psychologist highlights is that, when the artist or his team realizes that the use of alcoholic beverages is causing harm, he already has great losses.
For public image strategist Luciéllio Guimarães, it is a mistake for the artist to think that the public connects with him because he is drinking. "Most of the time, the public connects because they perceive spontaneity, vulnerability and authenticity," he says.
"Alcohol may even facilitate this sensation in the short term, but it also increases the risk of compromising exactly what the artist was hired to deliver: the performance."
"The most sustainable connection comes from authenticity, stage presence and the ability to read the audience. When the artist starts to associate performance with alcohol consumption, it creates a double risk: for health and for their own personal brand."
But if the artist did not realize this in time, what should be done?
"The first step is to understand that the crisis rarely arises from drinking itself. It arises when there is a breach of public expectation. The fan buys a ticket expecting a certain artistic delivery and, when they notice loss of performance, vocal failures, forgetfulness or inappropriate behavior, they feel that the implicit agreement has been broken", highlights Luciéllio Guimarães, public image strategist.
To manage image from this moment on, Luciéllio mentions that the job is not to hide the problem and, yes, restore the public's trust in the artist.
"This involves recognizing what happened when necessary, demonstrating responsibility and presenting concrete changes in behavior.

The public tends to forgive human failures, but reacts badly to the repetition of the error or the denial of reality."
Nattan, Murilo Huff, Zé Neto and more reports
Murilo Huff excites and delights the audience on the first night of the Festa Junina show in Votorantim (SP)
Marcel Scinocca/g1
The discussion about the impact of alcohol consumption on the performance routine resurfaced after Nattan's self-criticism after a show in Maracanaú, Ceará. The singer admitted that the enthusiasm and the drink consumed in the dressing room compromised his performance, to the point of repeating at least one of the songs several times during the show. He did not mention whether he will abandon alcohol consumption, but promised to deliver to the public a "new performance with the standard of quality that his audience knows" on another date. day
Weeks earlier, Murilo Huff had said in an interview with presenter Renato Sertanejeiro that he drastically reduced his alcohol consumption at shows after a conversation with Luan Santana in 2022.
Last year, João Gomes revealed that he had moderated his drinking for health reasons. Diagnosed with fatty liver, the artist commented that it was difficult to abandon the habit of drinking two doses of cachaça per show
Added to these statements is a new report from. Zé Neto, Cristiano's duo. In an interview with Luciano Huck last month, he reported that he entered a dangerous and abusive cycle of medication, drinking and smoking to cope with his concert routine before accepting the diagnosis of the disease. In 2024, the duo announced a career break for Zé to treat depression. drinking alcohol before or during performances has always been part of behind the scenes at shows. But these recent reports show that the practice can directly impact the quality of performances. And it can cause short- and long-term issues for the artists' voice, image, health and career. "Na Casa da Vizinha" dozens of times. On social media, there are reports that he "couldn't sing because he was so drunk." And there are also statements from fans saying that this is already common behavior for the singer on stage. "We have to remember that the singer is there as a professional. The audience is the one having fun. And sometimes, it gets a little mixed up. The singer understands that this is a moment of celebration, of entertainment, including for him. And it isn't. That's his professional environment", says Thays Vaiano, speech therapist specializing in voice.
"However, we know that in the past there was this myth of 'oh, I'll take a sip of brandy and my voice will improve, I'll be better on stage'. This is untrue, drinking any type of alcoholic beverage does not improve your voice. On the contrary, it makes it worse."
"But alcohol inhibits your perception a little and makes people feel looser, less inhibited. So, this sometimes makes them feel more comfortable performing that role", adds the singer.
Loss of inhibition... and voice control
Zé Neto and Cristiano; Bruno César and Rodrigo
Disclosure
The use of alcohol can bring about disinhibition, but along with it, loss of voice control. Thays Vaiano explains at least four ways in which alcohol can interfere with an artist's performance:
Dehydration: as alcohol has a diuretic effect, it removes hydration from the vocal cord region and suffers from loss of lubrication.

As a result: greater effort to sing;
vocal fatigue;
In the long term, it can cause damage to the vocal fold.
Loss of motor coordination: this also includes all the muscles involved in singing. The result:
out of tune;
difficulty controlling breathing;
rhythm errors.
Lower perception of effort: the singer loses awareness of the volume of his voice. And the result:
it forces the voice more, causing greater wear and tear on the structures involved in speech and voice production and singing;
it does not reach the desired notes;
it increases the risk of injuries.
Reflux: alcohol is one of the main triggers of reflux. And this acid reflux that comes from the stomach and reaches the vocal cord, hurts the vocal cord. The result:
irritation of the vocal folds;
worsening performance.
An additional topic here is that, in many cases, the artist's schedule does not leave enough time for him to recover from these minor injuries caused on a daily basis. Over time, the effects accumulate and can lead the singer to a surgical situation.
"Alcohol, in itself, does not cause the person to have to undergo surgery. But prolonged use of a voice that is not very good, with some type of injury for a long time on top of the strain, causes the vocal fold to suffer a lot. And in some cases, this causes them to have to undergo some type of rehabilitation", explains Thays Vaiano.
Speech therapist Leny Kyrillos also adds that there is a difference in the consumption of fermented alcohol versus distilled alcohol. Both cause dehydration and trigger the issues already mentioned. But the distillate still "causes an effect of pseudoanesthesia: the person forces themselves to sing, they don't feel it, and when the effect wears off, the damage has been done."
Far beyond the problem with the voice
Fan drinks from the boot served by Nattan on the stage of Ribeirão Rodeo Music 2025 in Ribeirão Preto, SP
Érico Andrade/g1
In addition to vocal problems, it is always worth remembering that the habit can become dependence.
"If he needs alcohol to sing, to carry out that profession, he has a problem that needs medical help. Because him needing alcohol to carry out that profession already constitutes alcoholism", warns speech therapist Thays Vaiano.
"Do you only go on stage if you have been drinking? 'Ah, no, but I only drink one can.' Okay, but otherwise you won't be able to do the show? Do you think the show is bad? This is already a dependency. A person doesn't necessarily have to drink two bottles of wine to appear addicted. That's how much alcohol takes up space in this artist's life", explains psychologist Juliana Chiavassa.
The psychologist also warns of the fact that some artists feel the need to consume alcohol to carry out professional activities beyond the show, such as participating in a photo shoot, recording or composing. "Artistically, what do you do with your career without drinking? That's the main point."
Is the new generation changing?
João Gomes in Derradeiro de Maio
Joana Lima
It's not new that artists consume alcohol on stage and backstage. Bruno, Marrone's duo, Leonardo and Zeca Pagodinho are some emblematic examples.
But recent statements from these younger artists citing their impact on stage could mean a change in pattern. Or just a reflection of the phase in which celebrities show a little more of their "real life". They share their pains, weaknesses and mental health struggles.
"People today are more enlightened, and most of them already understand the need to take care of themselves. The voice is multifactorial, it is impacted by everything that affects our body, for better or for worse", says speech therapist Leny Kyrillos.

Source: G1

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