This Is What 'Touring Life' Is Like When You Are Not A Rockstar
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This Is What 'Touring Life' Is Like When You Are Not A Rockstar

Get a Planet Fitness membership.

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This Is What 'Touring Life' Is Like When You Are Not A Rockstar
Brandon Perez

I dug into the life of touring bands.

What goes on on those long tours? What sights do they get to see while traveling across the U.S.? How do they survive being with each other for so long?

Keep reading to hear from nine band members on 11 different bands.

What band are/were you in? Tell me a little bit about them.

Dan Quigley:

I play in the, now on hiatus, Hour 24. I'm also involved in some new projects that I can't say yet, do studio session work, and "touring band member" work.

Chris Marshall:

I'm Chris, I play guitar in the “metalcore/rock” band Goodbye Blue Skies. We've been a band for about 10 years with a lot of ups and downs but we're still kicking!

Seth Decker:

I’m in a band called Young Poet, we’re a rock quartet from Baltimore, Maryland.

Sean "Thriller" Smith:

I was previously the percussionist extraordinaire/drumstick licker of Uh Huh Baby Yeah!, Now I am the golden voice/microphone licker of the Sean Vs. Wild Podcast.

John Braboy:

I was in Uh Huh Baby Yeah. You probably know more about us than we do! We were a heavier pop/rock n’ roll band from southern Indiana/Louisville, Kentucky.

Casey Allen:

In Your Memory, a rock band based out of Washington, D.C.

Timothy "Tiny Tim" Franklin:

I’m the guitarist for the band Castle No Kings. We’re a post-hardcore/spoken word band out of Toledo, Ohio. We recently released an EP titled “Blind” that can be found on any major streaming site.

Kevin Fletcher:

Summer Youth. It originally started as a solo project after Uh Huh Baby Yeah broke up. It became a full-on band in February of this year.

Evan Villarreal:

Well, I'm actually playing actively in four bands currently: Silver Age, Tranquility, The Flats, and Tugboat. Silver Age is my band where I sing and play guitar, been going hard at this one since about 2012 officially and it has picked up some great momentum the past year, which has been mind-blowing and crazy. Tranquility, where I play the drums, has been going for about 2-3 years now and is ever growing and changing musically. The Flats, I had the opportunity of joining and have been playing guitar with them since, recording on a new record, and stepping out on the road. Tugboat is hardcore that I play with my best friends.

How many times have you gone on tour? What has been your favorite place so far?

Dan:

I've been on 10-15 tours, some lasting as long as 11 weeks at once. I absolutely love Seattle, Washington, and the mountains and desert in Utah.

Chris:

We haven't done a big tour yet due to our luck with vans but we've done a lot of mini-tours/weekend warriors in the regional area. The farthest we've been so far was to Buffalo, New York.

Seth:

I’ve toured about two dozen times in my life. My favorite places so far have been a show at a Masonic temple in Philadelphia and a show in a deli in Georgia. They both sound sketchy, but they were some of the most fun and interactive crowds ever.

Sean:

I have toured dozens of times in my illustrious past. Some of my favorite places are Los Angeles/Southern California, Utah, North Carolina, and of course -- Toledo, Ohio.

John:

I toured for about 10 years and we went a lot of places, but for me, Asheville, North Carolina was like a second home for us. Especially, early on as a band. Asheville was ALWAYS a stopping point for us whether it be for a show or just a night to crash and party with friends and family.

Casey:

We've been on tours longer than two weeks about four times. My favorite places to play have been Cleveland, Ohio and Washington D.C.

Tim:

We’ve been on tour twice. So far, my favorite place has to be New York City. I had never been there prior to our first tour, so seeing it when I’m on the road doing what I love was an awesome experience.

Kevin:

More times than I can count at this point. Vans Warped Tour 2014 100%. I also really loved that run we did with Assuming We Survive in March of 2016. Met some of my best friends on that tour.

Evan:

Altogether, between Silver Age, Tranquility, and The Flats, I have been out on the road six times. The sweetest city I've played in is Lowell, Massachusetts.

Best or worst tour memory?

Dan:

One that tops the bottom of the list was the time the wiring in our van’s lights went bad and the inside of our van caught a small fire at 3 a.m. on the Jersey Turnpike. We pulled over at a rest stop and on our way back we saw smoke coming out of the van from inside the passenger/bunk section of our van. We had to call 911 and cops, fire trucks, and an ambulance showed up. It was pretty scary since we didn't know if the van would blow up or what. We found the problem was in the wiring and everything ended up being OK, but it was absolutely terrifying. I also remember a time when our brakes went out heading downhill in the Rocky Mountains, that was also quite terrifying. It's funny looking back on these near-death experiences as fond memories.

Chris:

Best: Sightseeing. It's something about exploring a place you've never been with your best friends, it's very fun and exciting. Also meeting new faces and creating bonds with other bands and, of course, playing the show, it's a completely different experience playing in front of people that have never seen you live before, it's nerve wrecking but very rewarding.

Worst: We did a run with Four Letter Lie (FLL) a few years ago for their album release, and the first stop was in Romeo, Michigan, I believe. Well FLL had transmission issues with their van so they couldn't make it, we just bought a van and were on our way to the show when we realized we had a fuel leakage (our luck with vans), so we as well had to cancel. Not a great way to start a tour off. Oh, almost not making it back to Toledo after our show with Sleeping With Sirens wasn't the best of times either (again, our luck with vans).

Seth:

One of my worst tour memories is breaking down on Pennsylvania Turnpike on the way home from a New Jersey show where two people showed up. It was cold and late so the chances of getting help were nil.

Best memory on tour is definitely getting to cook out after a show in Tennessee, everyone came, stayed, and hung out. I made like 39 new friends.

Sean:

Best tour memory: The countless nights driving or riding in the van through desert and forest, music blaring, talking and making each other laugh, building bonds and memories that will last for your lifetime. That's the real magic of tour. Of course, you don't really know that until after the tour is over.

Worst tour memory: Anything involving the state of Washington. Easily my least favorite tour stop.

John:

One of the best tour memories was on my last tour with the band. We played the Glass House in Pomona, California with Reckless Serenade, Assuming We Survive, and Matchbook Romance. It was just a great show with great people and probably the best venue we'd played at.

Worst tour memory is being broke down on Warped 2014 so many times. So many trailer issues, but I guess all in all it was a great learning experience for us. It brought us all a little closer while we waited on the side of the road or in a gas station parking lot.

Casey:

Memorable moments on tour; Playing in Cleveland at a pretty packed house then partying super Hard with the Ira Hill guys at their place in Cleveland.

Tim:

Oh man, best tour memory for me would have to be when we were in New York. We had met up with one of my old friends Nick Ledonne that was living in upstate New York. He was extremely good to us, he gave us a place to clean up and relax, and he even paid our table's bill at a restaurant in NYC that was over $200 without saying anything to us.

Kevin:

WORST: Touring with our pals, Audiostrobelight, I caught a stomach bug and we had to stop every few minutes so I could shit in random bathrooms. It was the worst.

BEST: Being able to tour with one of my favorite bands, The Used, and getting to go up on stage with them during their opener. So surreal!

Evan:

My worst tour memory was undoubtedly being just a block away from gunfire in the streets in South Philadelphia. Absolutely terrifying in every way imaginable.

What are some things you feel like you absolutely NEED on tour, but always run out of/forget/lose?

Dan:

WATER WATER WATER!!! Cases of water, camping/thermal water bottles, or anything. You need water to stay hydrated, brush your teeth, clean, and so much more.

Also, small bags are super helpful so trash isn't getting all over the place. Staying clean and organized is a must. Pens too.

I like to pack in a carry-on bag and a backpack. In my carry-on, I have my clothes and toiletries, and that stays in the luggage section of our trailer. My backpack I have packed with loads of books, my computer, etc. I'll also throw my show clothes in it when I walk in to the venue.

Chris:

Something to keep you entertained, so cell phones, game consoles, a book, anything to help pass the time. A medicine cabinet!! YOU WILL GET SICK ON THE ROAD! So you must make sure to stay supplied with medicine. Anything to keep you fresh, showers are few and far between when you're a low tier band, so poor man's showers will have to do, also keep a supply of baby wipes! Have some fruit or nuts to snack on, eating junk all the time is going to make you feel miserable, try to keep your energy going as much as you can.

Seth:

Something everyone needs on tour is enough money to get everyone home. If your van totally breaks down in Texas, you should have a sock with enough cash in it to pay for everyone to get a bus ride home. Everything else you can sort of do without or plan around.

Sean:

Cigarettes. It's a bad habit that I don't partake in much anymore, but on tour doing long drives, arriving at venues with hours to spare, or waiting hours to play or get paid, it was a tour staple. Some days, there just weren't enough cigarettes in the world to keep you occupied.

John:

Baby wipes and ibuprofen! Both are a must when touring! Showers are few and far between and the hangovers can be a true struggle on those long drives. Be prepared!

Casey:

General Hygiene Items, pillows, and blankets, all sense.

Tim:

SOCKS! On our last tour, our vocalist Seth Bickel forgot to pack socks. Healthy foods are a huge thing, you can never pack enough of it. Proper sleeping gear is a huge thing, sleeping in a van isn’t as easy as it sounds, so remember to bring stuff to make it comfortable.

Kevin:

Clean underwear/socks. No matter what, I never pack enough. And laundry isn't exactly something you get to do every day.

Evan:

A DAMN TOWEL. Okay, here is my problem with towels on tour; you use it one time and you can't put it back in your bag or anything ‘cause it's wet. So, you can either just have a wet towel floating around or you forget the towel in the first place and just hope you can use one somewhere, but that's obviously no guarantee. Basically, they need to make disposable body towels or something to change the towel game cause right now it's not looking so hot.

Give me your best tip for artists and bands who are looking to tour.

Dan:

Get a Planet Fitness membership. For $20 a month, you get access for you and a guest to nearly 1,000 24/7 (mostly) gyms across the United States. You'll have a 24-hour security patrolled lot to park in and sleep, a place to work out and stay healthy, and a place to shower. They also have special days of the month where they give out free food. You literally get all this for a fraction of the cost of one night in a hotel. This is must for anyone in a small to mid-sized touring band.

Chris:

Overprepare, make sure you have a notebook filled with every bit of info you need to know about your tour dates, get to the venue early, check it out, talk and get to know the promoter/staff a bit. Make sure your vehicle is as road-worthy as possible (don't make our mistakes!). And most importantly, enjoy it, it's not always glamorous, you might have to sleep in the van on extremely hot or cold nights, you might have to sleep on someone's floor, but enjoy the moment, hard work will pay off, so have fun!

Seth:

My advice would be, don’t tour until you’re certain every band member could sell ten tickets to every stop on the tour. It’s easy to write off bad shows and say it’s worth all the money and work to play for two people, but you could be building up your hometown scene a lot cheaper while building an Internet audience up to a point where they’re demanding you to come to their town. That’s when you’re ready to hit the road; when you know there’s a safe place with great people along the way.

Sean:

Go do it. Book your own. Don't wait for a booking agent. Don't wait for someone to help you. Get on the phone. Send out emails. Start out by doing weekends in markets that are around you. Go back to those markets every couple of months. Build your fanbase. Make contacts. Keep them. Get yourself booked. And then when you hit the road, be knowledgeable on basic vehicle maintenance -- trust me, you will need it. And honestly, be smart. Look out for your fellow bandmates and yourself, and have the time of your life.

John:

The best advice or tip I can give you is, don't ever feel like you're too good to play anywhere. Whether it's for five people or 500, in someone’s basement or Madison Square Garden, play your heart out and always be thankful for the opportunity no matter what slot you're playing on the bill.

Casey:

Best advice for bands looking to tour is to make a list and check it off to ensure all of the important stuff makes it on tour. Also, make sure to double and triple check shows that all the details have been accounted for and that shows are being pushed.

Tim:

Be patient, it takes time. Don’t get stressed out when a show drops here or there because it will all still pull together. Remember that this is an opportunity to have the time of your life, and make lifelong memories. Don’t waste the opportunity being stressed out!

Kevin:

Tour smart. Don't just tour for the sake of touring. Find like-minded bands, and develop a game plan. Network in every city you play. Support other bands out on the road -- they'll be your best friends. Never give up.

Evan:

Best tip. Easy, if you want to go on tour, start making connections and refine your art! The more confidently you can perform your music, the better it sounds, and the more people you know, the more likely it is your tour will follow through. Just KEEP GOING, never give up and eventually shit will happen if you're working hard. (Hopefully, I really don't know anything).

*Answers have been edited for length and clarity

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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