The 78-year-old songwriter Konstantin Wecker has canceled his tour due to a neurological disorder he attributes to years of alcohol consumption. In an interview with the 'Augsburger Allgemeine,' he openly discusses his alcoholism and regrets it, while cherishing positive memories of experiments with LSD and magic mushrooms.
Konstantin Wecker, the 78-year-old Munich-based songwriter, is known not only for his music but increasingly for his warnings about the dangers of alcohol. Recently, he had to cancel his current tour due to a neurological disorder that prevents him from playing complex piano pieces. He attributes this to the 'constant consumption of the nerve poison alcohol'.
In an interview with the 'Augsburger Allgemeine,' Wecker reflects on his long-standing alcoholism. 'The whole family was always worried about me. That's why I stopped,' he explains. It took decades for him to realize he was an alcoholic. 'The problem with legal drugs is that it's insanely hard to admit you're an alcoholic.'
Unlike with alcohol, Wecker views his experiences with illegal drugs positively. 'A few experiences I wouldn't want to miss, especially the experience with LSD,' he says. He recalls a trip to Bali where he took magic mushrooms, which were legal there. 'The Rolling Stones, I mean, were there at the same time and then wrote 'Sympathy for the Devil'.' He doesn't know how his life would have turned out without drugs: 'I have no idea... but basically, as it was, it was okay. Because you make mistakes in this life.'
Wecker's illness has lasting consequences: He can only play 'very simple melodies' on the piano, 'like a little child. Like a beginner. That's all that's left. And probably it won't get better. There's no prospect of healing.' These reflections also mirror his fondness for the 'failed ones'; he prefers conversations with homeless people – whom he calls 'Penner' – over seemingly perfect individuals.