Touring Advice

You guys have it down.

& the Mook has it flat cold nailed.

Cooler, w stored grocery store items - now THERE'S an imperative item!! Also the bulk water gallon jugs.

The gtrst & I share a small road-dog microwave in the hotels.
Sometimes we take a small elec-frij for the milk & juice, etc...if you don't have these, then the cooler is the shedt - make sure it has a plug-drain-hole AWA pull-handle & wheels on one end! [otherwise you'll be gettin' a frequent, unecessary workout when it's loaded to the hilt w food / ice / water]...

In addition to the ole' stalwart credit card[s], I go down to the bank a day or so b4hand & pick up a few smaller-denomination Travelers' Checks / Cheques; rarely keep cold hard cash on me [& NEVER in the hotels while i'm away], unless it's change back from the checks themselves...just common sense stuff...

OH yeah...& don't forget the Real-Feel "stop-sign," &/or Regal-Tip Practa-Pal knee-pad[s]...

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I wouldn't bring up the Rice-A-Roni until after you've shown her your sensitive and romantic side

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Or the Hamburglar Helper or Mac n Cheeze...
...Your possible choice of face[s] if all she 'whips out' is the Ramen noodles [img]eek.gif[/img] [img]confused.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thinking.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/sure.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/whatever.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 04, 2005 10:00 PM: Message edited by: got_a_match_grip? ]</font>

I used to love Ramen until one very sick evening in Tokyo long ago. The human animal is incapable of digesting Ramen or, as they say in Japan, cup o' noodle.

No thanks, I'll have a steeck-dog instead. [img]graemlins/gulp.gif[/img]

Yeah, i've eaten my fair share of cheaper canned tuna [water-packed, not oil!], PBS's [sometimes w jelly], & the ever-elusive Ramen 'soup' [brothy-flavored water mix], which also makes for a good luchtime or mid-lunch/dinner holdover/filler...

[The Silver-Spoon Kids, or perhaps i should've said "golden-," probably won't understand this [img]tongue.gif[/img] - & i'm NOT talking about the cool SSK's that grow up & out of it, & indeed become self-reliant, "can-do" type peeps... [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img] ]

As a great & wise man/ teacher once said, "...Just making friends & influencing peeps," i always say... [img]graemlins/thinking.gif[/img] [img]rolleyes.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 05, 2005 04:13 PM: Message edited by: got_a_match_grip? ]</font>

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As a great & wise man/teacher once said, "...Just making friends & influencing peeps"

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Dale Carnegie School of Drums, right? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

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Originally posted by CLWarunki:
I think in conclusion next time I will have to just get myself a drum tech! It would make life on the road a LOT easier.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Good drum-techs are not easy to find OR train. Most of them will tighten all your stands so tight that they'll be useless after two nights. And don't get me started about letting them tune your drums. These guys are really low on the evolutionary scale, I'm tellin' ya. A good drum-tech will cost you at least $2,000 a week, but these guys are worth their weight in gold.

If you're looking at someone to merely haul your stuff around, and then YOU setup and tear down, then that role should be easy to fill with your basic carbon based life form.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 05, 2005 07:10 PM: Message edited by: drumming sort of person ]</font>

$2000 a week!? I have to say, if I were earning enough from drumming to pay someone else $2000 dollars a week to set up my gear, I think I'd get someone half as good and give the rest of the money away...

All of these mentionned advices are really good: eating right, no booze, good sleep, saving money, warming up, bringing spare parts,... but be prepared to live with the sarcasms and laughs of other band members. From my experience, most musicians on tour are worriless party animals and even if not most bandleaders. But then again I've never done a major top pro world tour, only provincial tours...

CL,
An often overlooked issue is the sound guys in various venues. If your tour is going to include house sound run by the local sound engineer then I would suggest getting on his good side right off the bat. These guys will make or break your gig depending on their mood and level of stupidity (er' intelligence). Most sound engineers just don't hear the way you might hope and really it is amazing how bad most of them are. Even in big clubs or major concert venues the sound guys can be tone deaf. I've found that chatting with them before hand, learning his first name, and keeping a positive vibe can inspire him to try a bit harder for you. Buy him a drink (just one!, possibly a Red Bull) and let him know how you run your mix. Then cross your fingers!
ps - Bring your own bass mike.... or else you'll get a 57 right up your you know what.

Good advice and I concur with everyone.

One thing I'd like to mention is to keep
your focus on work as much as you can,
trying to learn something new, all the
time. If there are women in the band, do
NOT get intimate with them.

LOL

I know, right? What does that have to do
with anything? Well, it has a LOT to do
with everything if you do what you should
not do. Anyway, be cheerful and remember
to contribute to everyone.

[img]cool.gif[/img]