At the Heart of It – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, Kenjamin Smiertelny of the post-hardcore band, At the Heart of It, gives you their tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

Tip 1: The Notebook
No, this isn’t about the movie I have yet to see; sure it’s absolutely brilliant, though. This is something I have started doing in recent years. Being a touring musician in an unsigned band, sometimes band members/crew have to work with a certain budget to maintain survival while on the road for an extended time. Even between the subject of tour even comes up, I keep an envelope set aside which I will put money into weekly. Depending on the length of the tour and sometimes the questionable “guarantees” we will get from each show, I try to keep a per diem of $30 per day, just in case heaven forbid we or any specific person in the van has to put $15 each into the gas tank to get to the next venue, there will still be another $15 to survive that day. I always find that the best way to monitor spending is to keep a small notebook and pen with me at all times; I document anything we spend. No matter where you go, write a small description of what it is, whether you stopped at a restaurant or bought an energy drink and sweets from a gas station, write it down in the notebook, and always round to the higher number. This way, if funds start to get really tight, you can refer to your notebook and see where you can cut spending for the duration of the tour. The notebook is also useful if you happen to run into a music lover somewhere and want to share your info with them but have no business cards or stickers on you, a URL and a name takes seconds to write.

Tip 2: The Towel
Yes, the towel. This is more of a trick/tour hack. We (band people) all sweat when we play live, sometimes even at practice. It’s unavoidable unless maybe you’re a statue band (don’t be a statue band). Especially on the road, a shower is not always available, though they do sell portable solar- powered showers at camping supply shops. For me especially, my scalp gets quite itchy between shows. Sometimes you need to resort to sticking your head in a sink and just towel dry it and hope for the best. Now here’s the trick, however, this is only effective in the spring and summer months. You have no dryer, therefore the night before, when you’re all nestled up in the van to sleep in a parking lot for the night, put your wet towel on the roof/windshield of your van and let the morning sun dry it for you. Keep in mind this won’t do anything to wash your towel, however, it will keep it dry for use the following night. I try and bring 1-2 towels, all depending on the length of the tour. Lastly, keep laundromats in mind; you will eventually need one.

Tip 3: The Trailer
Not every band tours with a trailer. Sometimes you are able to get away with removing seats from your van and carefully Tetris-ing all of your equipment/merch/luggage in the back. However, if you are touring with a trailer, know that sometimes it’s a whole different ballpark. Do keep in mind to take wide, right turns (depending which country you’re traveling through), and keep in mind that tolls will be sometimes significantly more expensive. Additionally, do check your trailer laws for each state you will be in. Trust me, no one likes to be woken up in the middle of an overnight drive to the driver yelling that you’re being stopped by law enforcement for unknowingly driving on a New York parkway where trailers aren’t allowed.

Tip 4: The Serials
This one’s a no-brainer. It’s unfortunate, but it happens. Sometimes gear gets stolen. This is where serial numbers come in. Most gear will have serial numbers as identification in case they are pilfered. Having these numbers in your possession, of course, will not prevent gear from being stolen, however it greatly increases your chances of getting your loot recovered. Many times when used gear is sold to music shops, they’re required to hold onto it for a period of time. This is in case the serial numbers on the gear are called in from local law enforcement when reported stolen. Having these serial numbers makes recovery of your stolen equipment a possibility. Serial numbers, they’re important, write them down somewhere.

Tip 5: The Navigator
The navigator is especially important during overnight drives. Sometimes these drives are unavoidable. At times, shows will be spaced apart enough where distance, time and traffic factors make it necessary for at least part of the trip to be navigated at night. Unless you’re a true night owl, this is exhausting. As the driver, you are responsible for everyone riding as a passenger, as well as all of your gear. It is not uncommon for anyone during an all-night drive to fall asleep at the wheel. The best way to stay alert, be on the right route, and maintain safety is to have a passenger/navigator to not only help with directions, but to keep you conversing and awake. It may not be the preferred task for the co-pilot, but is is the most important safety precaution that can prevent accidents.

Tip 6: The Etiquette
This may be the most important advice anyone in the local music scene could hear. Don’t be that band that stands outside amongst themselves not watching or supporting the other acts. The local scene is a community of individuals who are gathered there, all for the same reason, music. Music is not a competition; bands are not a competition; it’s not about who has the most likes or what acts can draw the most people. We are all there as a community. When you are that band who doesn’t care to make friends or converse with anyone else there in the scene, or support any other acts for that matter, it does not go unnoticed by bands on the bill and the promoters of the show. Also, when it comes to fans, people remember groups who were friendly and interactive, not stand-offish and disinterested. We are all local bands, we are not above anybody else in the scene. The best way to be remembered is to make friends and support each other; that’s what a community is all about.

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(Photo Credit: Sara Jean DiBartolomeo)