CALIFORNIA ROCK NEWS

California Rock News Completely Bans Alcohol From Credentialed Staff and Contributors. No Restrictions on Weed.
Effective immediately, California Rock News is an alcohol-free publication. Every writer, photographer, and contributor covering a show under our banner will be doing so without getting drunk.
This isn’t a stunt and it isn’t a judgment of anyone in the crowd having a good time. It’s a statement about the press specifically. Too many of us in this line of work have treated “credentialed media” as a synonym for “open bar,” and the results have not been good — for the coverage, for the venues, or for the reputation of music journalism as a whole. Sloppy notes, sloppier behavior, and a general sense that some outlets show up for the free drinks and resulting selfies rather than the music. We don’t want any part of that anymore.
The Case for Sober Coverage
A reviewer who’s been drinking is not doing their job. Set lists get misremembered, quotes get mangled, and the piece that comes out the next morning reads like it was written by someone who was there and also wasn’t. Worse, drunk media behavior at shows — talking over sets, hassling security, cornering musicians backstage — reflects badly on every outlet, not just the person doing it. We’d rather not be lumped in.
There’s also a broader argument here that goes beyond our own staff: live music itself would benefit from a culture that doesn’t center alcohol so heavily. Venues built around bar sales shape everything from ticket pricing to how long a night runs to who feels comfortable showing up. A scene where the audience — and the media covering it — isn’t primarily there to drink is one where the focus can actually stay on the performance.
What This Means in Practice
• This is a complete ban, not a “cut back” policy. No open bar, no “one for the road,” no exceptions for CRN staff, writers, or photographers on any assignment.
• Coverage could happen when this policy is relevant to a story, but it’s not going to be preachy about it in every review, or hopefully at all.
• If you want an alternative, we’d rather see people enjoying a show relaxed on cannabis than fighting a hangover through the encore. Different substance, same idea: enjoy the music, don’t let the substance run the night.
California Rock News has always been about the bands and the scene. This policy is us trying to make sure our coverage actually reflects that.
Earplugs, blindfold, and barf bags not included.