pendingrequests Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 So at the end of February I will be stepping out of the studio and heading out with The 1930s (https://www.facebook.com/the1930smusic) on a short tour on the mainland of the UK. Like good old fashioned rock and roll, accommodation will be limited to floors/bedrooms/couches of friends. Obviously two of the main things I am keeping in mind is: 1. Travelling light 2. Keeping warm Any help in any area, not just what I should bring, but general advice would be very much appreciated. I don't want to break any friendships Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Change your underwear and your socks often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 No matter how well you get on, give each other space when it's needed; including yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Never, ever leave instruments in the van. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Travelling light - think disposable . Take cheap underwear with you and throw it away when it gets dirty and buy more cheap replacements from Primark ect . Keeping warm - get yourself some thermal stuff . My dad bought me a thermal t shirt , long sleeve thermal top and some thermal long johns for Xmas and I cannot believe how much difference they make when I wear them under my clothes when the weather is as bitterly cold as it has been recently . I hate the cold and I honestly cannot understand how I managed without these warm undergarments for so long . You can get them cheap online and they make all the difference between being freezoing and miserable and nice and warm . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pendingrequests Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1360254689' post='1967500'] Travelling light - think disposable . Take cheap underwear with you and throw it away when it gets dirty and buy more cheap replacements from Primark ect . Keeping warm - get yourself some thermal stuff . My dad bought me a thermal t shirt , long sleeve thermal top and some thermal long johns for Xmas and I cannot believe how much difference they make when I wear them under my clothes when the weather is as bitterly cold as it has been recently . I hate the cold and I honestly cannot understand how I managed without these warm undergarments for so long . You can get them cheap online and they make all the difference between being freezoing and miserable and nice and warm . [/quote] Yeh I have two pairs of long johns which are the first to enter the tour bag I know, I really can't stand the cold either, think i'll look for thermal socks as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebass84 Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Keep as much gear with you as often as you can. I've heard too many horror stories of people getting gear knicked from Vans etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Try not to drink too much, and eat as healthily as possible. Having been on tour and done neither, you certainly notice it towards the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1360261937' post='1967745'] Try not to drink too much, and eat as healthily as possible. Having been on tour and done neither, you certainly notice it towards the end. [/quote] Yes, watch out on all the take-away junk food - I did about a 15 date stint as TM to a band. We got meal money from most of the promoters instead of the hot meal they were supposed to supply, and the only thing it would cover or was nearby would always be Fish & Chips or kebab etc. I ended up with gastritis which I wouldn't wish on Michael Gove! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Admiral Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 [quote name='pendingrequests' timestamp='1360251685' post='1967423'] So at the end of February I will be stepping out of the studio and heading out with The 1930s (https://www.facebook.com/the1930smusic) on a short tour on the mainland of the UK. Like good old fashioned rock and roll, accommodation will be limited to floors/bedrooms/couches of friends. Obviously two of the main things I am keeping in mind is: 1. Travelling light 2. Keeping warm Any help in any area, not just what I should bring, but general advice would be very much appreciated. I don't want to break any friendships [/quote] Invest in a copy of Martin Atkins book 'Tour smart and break the band'. Amazon have it at about £13 I think and it's a brilliant book : covers all you need to know and in a very 'no bullshit' fashion, including how to survive on tour, particularly if you are doing it on the very cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monckyman Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Give yourself a routine for getting up and doing something before you need to be at the gig. Otherwise you'll slip into getting up later and later and feeling like sh*t all the time. You need a reason to say no to that 5 th drink. Be nice to the techies and they'll take care to get you the sound you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1360262300' post='1967753']I ended up with gastritis which I wouldn't wish on Michael Gove! [/quote] I would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nottswarwick Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 View it s a business trip, and not a "jolly". That way, you will get the most out of it in terms of furthering your band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1360262300' post='1967753'] I ended up with gastritis which I wouldn't wish on Michael Gove! [/quote] [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1360269566' post='1967917'] I would. [/quote] Trust you to pick up on that - it was meant as a passing quip, not a thread derail anyway, I'd rather send Gove a certain Swedish bass player to discuss the teaching of music in UK schools - that's something he really deserves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1360269935' post='1967930'] ...I'd rather send Gove a certain Swedish bass player to discuss the teaching of music in UK schools - that's something he really deserves! [/quote] Now you've gone too far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Steve Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 It's all been said really but it's worth repeating, always take your basses into your hotel (or other) room with you no matter how inconvenient to dig them out of the van after the gig. Watch what you eat, it's tempting to go the junk food route when you're really tired (and no-one has yet mentioned just how tired you'll be after all the travelling and very late nights) but be strict. I started touring as a stick thin beanpole but found the constant flow of free booze (post gig I should add), hotel breakfasts and buffets a little too tempting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 [size=4]Avoid arguing with [/size][i]anyone[/i][size=4]. Even if they're wrong.[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Oh, and plan the driving so you're not doing any of that too tired. Lots of motorway miles after a gig are not good, and don't think coffee, pro-plus or those horrible energy drinks will do any good. (sorry, sounding like a nearly 49 year old) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBass Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Jeans, don't have to be washed they are designed to take the wear of up to a few weeks non-washing! Keep your gear close to you, as often as possible! That stuff is your life! Also get receipts for EVERYTHING, that way you can claim it all back if you put it through a business account, you are working but you are having fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 [quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1360276239' post='1968112'] Jeans, don't have to be washed they are designed to take the wear of up to a few weeks non-washing! K [/quote] Don't believe that " change your underpants everyday " propganda either . That myth was started by washing powder manufacturers . With sensible use and a little bit of care a pair of pants can last almost as long as a pair of jeans without being washed . Even established touring bands with a major label behind them don't have the luxury of unlimited clean underpants on demand . I know this to be fact . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1360280996' post='1968180'] Don't believe that " change your underpants everyday " propganda either . That myth was started by washing powder manufacturers . With sensible use and a little bit of care a pair of pants can last almost as long as a pair of jeans without being washed . Even established touring bands with a major label behind them don't have the luxury of unlimited clean underpants on demand . I know this to be fact . [/quote] A shower and a pair of fresh under-crackers each day will help you feel good about yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dand666 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 In my old band, we just planned the nights then hoped for the best. Generally we asked the audience to kip on their floor and 99% of the time some girls let us :-) After 2 weeks of floor/car sleeping it does start to get a bit much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pendingrequests Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1360261937' post='1967745'] Try not to drink too much, and eat as healthily as possible. Having been on tour and done neither, you certainly notice it towards the end. [/quote] Yeh definitely sticking to this. Apparently last time, they were in McDonald's for most meals, which I am certainly not doing. [quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1360269477' post='1967914'] Give yourself a routine for getting up and doing something before you need to be at the gig. Otherwise you'll slip into getting up later and later and feeling like sh*t all the time. You need a reason to say no to that 5 th drink. [/quote] Good idea, thanks man. [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1360273723' post='1968043'] Oh, and plan the driving so you're not doing any of that too tired. Lots of motorway miles after a gig are not good, and don't think coffee, pro-plus or those horrible energy drinks will do any good. (sorry, sounding like a nearly 49 year old) [/quote] Well thankfully we have a driver, so I've dodged that bullet. And I don't drink coffee or enjoy energy drinks, so this may be the most productive tour ever! [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1360314775' post='1968359'] A shower and a pair of fresh under-crackers each day will help you feel good about yourself! [/quote] Feel the same way! especially after a night of sleeping on a floor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aende Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 (edited) Very easy to overeat and over drink - don't avoid, but, as Clint Eastwood said 'A mans got to know his limits'. Nothing worse than playing a gig and feeling bloated and hung over...... Keep your gear with you; make sure that it is not dropped knocked or damaged in transit. Laundrettes are your friend and with the advent of smartphones, easy to find. An hour in the laundrette sorting out you clothes is like getting into fresh bedsheets - just make you feel good, also, you carry less. And an hours downtime with a book.....! get your hearing and voice back! Converse boots - machine washable, you will probably sleep in them at somepoint or have something spilled on them! They also fold flat. Salad and fruit help to establish a bowel routine, Fibre y'see, know your 'times'......Nothing worse than being in a van with a load of blokes and nowhere near a bog! Bananas are a better energy kick than Mars bars....... Take a belt with you! Weight can change if you are on the road for a while, I tended to lose weight; but I was lucky enough to be on a Boy Band tour with a sh1tload of dancing girls.....a mind blowing shagfest! If you wear glasses; get daily contacts if you can. Edited February 8, 2013 by aende Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Wet wipes and that alcohol based hand wash stuff. If you're single, condoms. You may be the bass player, but you never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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