In this Tour Tips segment, the indie folk artist, Andy Tongren, recommends advice for being on the road. You can check out his tips below:
1. When you can afford the time - stop and see things
The days blur together on the road if you let them. If you’ve got a minute, pull over and look at a mountain. Sit by the water somewhere quiet. Wander a small town for 15 minutes. The memories aren’t always in the venues.
2. Document the dumb stuff
Sometimes the best tour memories aren’t the shows, they’re the weird gas stations (like that one in Oregon with the mannequin in a bathtub), the busted van limping from El Paso to Phoenix on a flat, the middle-of-nowhere moments. Take photos of the weird shit. You’ll laugh harder looking back than you did in the moment.
3. Find the balance of whiskey and Emergen-C
Tour is long nights, early mornings, and everything in between. It’s like whiskey and Emergen-C. Both have their place, but lean too hard on one (the one being whiskey) and forget the other, and you’ll burn out fast. Have fun, make memories, but take care of yourself too. You can’t pour from an empty cup (or sing with no voice).
4. Don’t get a tattoo right before you go on stage
Playing guitar with a fresh tattoo is a bad time. I learned that in Austin; got something done right before the set. By the end of the show, my guitar was covered in blood and ink… pretty sure there’s still some dried blood in the sound hole.
5. Be nice
The thing I love most about tour is the camaraderie. It’s always felt a bit like summer camp to me. You’re all in it together, and every job is important. A good vibe goes a long way when you're sharing tight spaces, long drives, and late nights.
Keep up with Andy Tongren on Instagram.
source https://www.digitaltourbus.com/features/andy-tongren-tour-tips/
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