Members Mike_Hawk Posted June 3, 2009 Members Share Posted June 3, 2009 We've got a two week tour in august, play like 12 or 14 shows. We're going out with a band we always play with in town, we're sharing the drummer and we've got their singer guesting on our new CD, and we always bring him up on stage with us. If our bands were people they've be married. We're totally different styles of metal but both basically at the top of our game in Portland. Anyway, we're tag teaming the tour for two weeks in August, going up to Everett, WA, over to Montana, down to Texas, over to Cali, and then heading up back north to Portland. Its been like 4 years since I've toured - what type of stuff do we need to think about? We're obviously thinking about this pretty hard but I just want to thoughts/opinions on things to bring, plan for etc. Assuming we plan good and bring spares for gear, anyone have any other ideas? Someone at one point said Vitamins, fruit, vegetables, and gatorade. Not a bad idea. I'm planning on saving tons of money for gas because my guess is that we'll get {censored}ed over on a few garuntees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ZERO HEROES Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 Get a big sign to put on your car to advertise the band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nuclear arsenal Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 is your name really "my cock"? i had a neighbor named mike hock.you might want to bring a camera and take pictures of scenery, or a tent and sleeping bags and pillows to sleep in to save on motel costs from time to time. books or ipod or something to kill time. notebook/tape recorder to record musical ideas. back up equipment. cords, strings, batteries, tubes, whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ZERO HEROES Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 Don't forget underwear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Blackwatch Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 Don't forget underwear. Screw the underwear.....go comando Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nuclear arsenal Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 do the tour naked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Z-Mann Posted June 5, 2009 Members Share Posted June 5, 2009 There is a book on Amazon that talks all about what to do to get ready for a tour. It has tons of recommendations from musicians, managers, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stwvince Posted June 5, 2009 Members Share Posted June 5, 2009 The main thing is to eat healthy, there's nothing worse then getting sick on tour from eating fast food three times a day every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Inazone Posted June 5, 2009 Members Share Posted June 5, 2009 Do you have AAA or some other sort of roadside assistance plan? Depending on your transportation situation, I would make absolutely sure that you have roadside assistance AND sufficient auto insurance to cover your bandmates and gear in the case of an accident. I'd also get any needed vehicle maintenance (oil change, A/C charge, tire inspection, etc.) done before heading out on the road. Other than that, do what you can to stay healthy even if you can't always eat healthy. I'm a big fan of Hall's Defense "Multi-Blend" drops, because they have vitamin C, zinc and echinacea all in one, and don't taste too bad. Vitamins are a good idea in general, and if you have space in a cooler for some Slim-Fast shakes or equivalent, they are decent for getting you by between "real" meals. Hell, probably better for you than most of the food you'll eat on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JEM33GEM Posted June 7, 2009 Members Share Posted June 7, 2009 Hey Mike_Hawk, In addition to the great suggestions already made (especially the one about doing the tour naked ), here are some other suggestions: • Always carry a sleeping bag. They can come in handy during cold weather, or when you need to be creative with alternative sleeping arrangements. • Pack only what you need. More stuff means more things to potentially lose, more items to check off before you leave each destination, and more weight to haul around. • Driving the speed limit and limiting your load on long tours saves you gas. • Keep all contact information you collect from people you meet while on the road, including fans, street team members, venue bookers, promoters, helpful strangers, retail store personnel, other bands, etc. • Keep a handy list of musicians in each city in case you need to replace a sick musician or a band member who has quit on you half way through the tour. • Take a tool kit. It will come in handy for both your equipment and auto needs. • Make sure your transportation is reliable and won’t break down on you in the middle of the tour. • Whenever possible, park where you can see / hear the van, and don’t make it easy for people to see inside your van. • If possible, bring a laptop with you. Having access to the Internet while on the road can be a lifesaver. You can research information, contact people on your mailing list, get directions, check the weather and traffic conditions, update your band web page or MySpace profile, add entries to your blog, participate in live chats, conduct podcast interviews, send and receive e-mail, twitter, and so on. • Bring along a hand truck to help with loading and un-loading of heavy items. • Use traveler’s checks instead of cash whenever possible. • Don’t keep large amounts of cash on you. Make frequent bank deposits when you get paid and use your ATM card to withdraw money. • Take along pre-paid phone cards for your long distance phone calls, or check to make sure your cell phone service includes long distance minutes that are affordable. You don’t want to come back from a tour only to receive a cell phone bill that eats up all your profits. • Have a check list of all your equipment, and check it before you leave each destination. • Give each band member a contact list of all the venues, bookers, promoters, and other important people involved in the tour. That way you will always have backups if you lose your master list or don’t have access to your database. • Always carry road maps. • Join AAA and carry your AAA card at all times. • Carry a credit card for emergency situations where a credit card is needed (e.g., for reservations, rentals, etc.). • Let people at home know your tour route and schedule. • Take some merchandise with you for sale at your gigs. Hope some of these help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stopthebus Posted June 18, 2009 Members Share Posted June 18, 2009 Get a big sign to put on your car to advertise the band. I wouldn't do this. Target sign for car thieves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kittybateman Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 Mike, Congrats on the tour! JEM - really good suggestions. If you have a PC laptop with a webcam or a video camera that hooks up to it, bring it and do live webcasts of all your shows. We use www.synclive.com. Really easy to set up and they will walk you through it. It is a live webcast and then the show is archived for later viewing (which means you can continue to promote it). It is a great way to feed the fans in other cities. We did one in Seattle and it was really successful. And it is FREE. Also - if you have guarantees at these shows, get it in writing, always! I always send a simple, one-page contract stating the terms, make them sign it and fax or scan/email it back to me. They might act like it's a pain in the ass, but trust me, just having that signed piece of paper will usually prevent them from trying to slime out of the deal. Any chance you can get hotel, dinner and hospitality thrown in? If you haven't finished negotiating yet, try. Often then can't give you more money, but they can throw in dinner, or would be willing to do a hotel room. It never hurts to ask. Also have a rider written up stating what you would like in your dressing room (snacks, water, beer, etc). Also, if you're sharing stuff, maybe you can also share a soundman/merch person so that both bands sound fantastic at each show. House soundmen can be really great, or really bad. If they can double as driver, merch seller and/or tech, all the better. Kitty www.marcuseaton.com www.myspace.com/marcus_eaton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 Holy crap, that's a lot of real estate to travel in two weeks. Better you than me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rypher21 Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 ..make sure all of you are in good condition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Blackwatch Posted June 24, 2009 Members Share Posted June 24, 2009 Get a big sign to put on your car to advertise the band. You need a big sign on the side of your car that says.... "Come and see Mike Hawk"........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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