Suns of Thyme – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, Jens Rosenkranz of the Krautgaze band, Suns of Thyme, gives you his tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

There is no such thing as one way to prepare for a tour. Every band has their own way. It really depends on the dynamics between the band members. But here are five touring tips from Suns of Thyme:

1: Learn to pack your van right. You don’t want a cymbal decapitating your guitarist at the first red light or your bass head smashing your vintage guitar to pieces. Heavy hard cases first, light soft cases last. Strap your stuff! Spread the weight equally to the wheels so your car doesn’t wobble in curves. Have a strict loading order that every band member knows in their sleep. This also prevents forgetting gear at the venue.

2: Stay entertained. You are spending the majority of time on the road. Have books, music, games, movies etc. with you at all times. Bored humans tend to start arguments.

3: Sleep. It’s your fans night out, you are on a job. Partying is lovely, no doubt about that. But if you are in the middle of a six-week tour hungover, trapped in a van with five other hungover cranky exhausted people it gets tough. Trust me.

4: Make the sound engineer your best friend. When you are touring for the first couple of times. You don’t always have your own sound engineer with you. So you have to rely on the one provided by the venue. This is the person that decides how you sound to the audience. No matter how unimpressed or grumpy he/she is BE NICE!

5: Take care of your mates. Always keep an eye on your band mates mood. Be an advocate for their needs. Help where you can or give them some space.

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