Farewell to the stage

Finally dry: “I’ve had enough of the beer tent”

He was an entertainer through and through: Herbert Schnalzer

(Bild: WWW.RENESTRASSER.at)

Herbert Schnalzer from Sinabelkirchen has been a successful cover singer and voice impersonator on stage for many years. Now he is saying goodbye - not least because he can no longer stand the alcohol-soaked atmosphere on and in front of the stage.

"I've been sober for twelve years, four months and 16 days." For musician and singer Herbert Schnalzer from Sinabelkirchen, every day without alcohol is a victory over himself. Today he drinks raspberry crackers instead of red wine, still water instead of vodka. "Even one Mon Cherie would be too much to fall back into the drunken rut," he says.

The music scene in particular, which he has been a part of for decades, is biased by the cliché of being closely associated with excessive alcohol consumption. "People don't talk about it, even though it affects a lot of people. Alcohol is part of the business. It's common practice," says the former singer of the party band Egon 7. Before the gig, he quickly downs a Jägermeister or two to combat stage fright. On stage, "rounds" then have to be drunk to keep the audience in the marquee in a good mood. "Alcohol is always available and helps to overcome inhibitions. Alcohol makes you more confident, more relaxed and better able to cope with pressure and the audience," says Schnalzer, who has experienced all of this himself.

Herbert Schnalzer in his wild years

(Bild: Alois Absenger)

"It's so easy to overlook the danger of alcohol. The more drunk you are, the more you can take. You laugh at the stinky finger in the audience. I allowed myself to do things that I would never do when I was sober," says the 50-year-old, looking back on a decade as an alcoholic. "During this time, I had 80 to 100 gigs a year. The self-imposed pressure to always give my best drove me more and more into addiction. My daily intake of two bottles of red wine and a few bottles of beer didn't cause me any problems when I was playing, but my body was on the verge of collapse. I weighed 123 kilograms, was bloated and constantly ill," he says.

"I tried to quit several times"
There were many indications that he would have to stop drinking immediately. "I tried several times," he says. But it was a tragic accident that caused the glass to overflow. "With a blood alcohol level of 2.2, I came to a standstill on the train tracks. I was lucky that the Ostbahn was closed at the time, otherwise it would have ended tragically".

Schnalzer has been sober for 12 years

(Bild: Alois Absenger)

The musician went cold turkey for six months and spent a long time in talking therapies to dry out his body and mind. "It was a damn hard time, but I only learn through pain," admits the separated family man. "I don't attack anything anymore because I don't trust myself."

No more beer tent
In order to resist any temptation, the musician and singer is now leaving the beer tent stages - after almost 30 years. The end will come on October 5 with the "50 Shades of Voices" concert at forumKloster Gleisdorf.

And what comes next? "I'll continue to do my podcasts, I'm a publisher and recently also a stadium announcer. I sing at weddings and play the odd wedding, because the clientele here is cooler and, above all, more sober."