Together we have come up with some touring tips! :
1. Do 3 `dummy`checks when leaving hotel & venue.
2. Find tasks you like to do while in the vehicle.
3. Drink more water than you think you can.
4. Get used to the sacrificing - for the sake of music/the road.
5. Send the band 'rider' more than once to the venues.
6. Keep everything you travel with in one/the same place.
7. Buy space savers at Wonderlust (soft compartments, that compress!).
8. Realize that internet is not always free, use it when it is.
9. Remember you're not the only one in the band.
10. GPS is essential (but know your N.S.E.W. for unexpected detours etc).
11. Having GPS does not make you exempt from road signs.
12. Partying is best when you have the next night off.
13. Enjoy the benefit of wake up calls; the variety of how is kind of fun.
14. Know what you want to convey when you are being interviewed.
15. Take more pictures.
16. Don't do rehearsals on days off ... especially if there aren't many days off.
17. Exercise. Breath.
18. Make friends and be a friend.
19. Pack light, you can buy anything that you have forgotten, or suddenly can't live without.
20. Write return addresses on packages and remember tracking numbers.
21. A long tour goes by just as fast as a short tour ... enjoy!
22. Leave early. The GPS can not predict pee stops, coffee breaks, traffic jams, gravel roads, or weather.
23. Invite the press. Remember to ask them to send you a copy of the article.
24. Keep track of what you liked & didn't about each show ... they will blend together like the days.
25. Delegate tasks that make sense ... Little things can go a long way.
26. You can't see everything do everything. Accept, Prioritize.
27. Be kind and overly courteous.
28. Love the ones you're with, or at least try to find something loveable about them.
29. Learn new things.
30. Practice challenging parts if you have time at a soundcheck.
31. Talk about set list or music changes, not all of them need to be physically played to 'know them'.
32. Know what and who you want to portray. Live it, feel it, dress it.
32. Listen. Really listen.
33. Always keep your passport on you.
34. Say 'yes' often, especially if offered a local tour of the town-city (so special!!).
35. Stage banter is best if it includes something local and fresh.
36. Drink and eat locally as much as possible '...When in Rome...'
37. Be extra polite and smiley when police pull you over :)
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