White City – TOUR TIPS

This new set of Tour Tips was written by Ru Owen, the vocalist of punk rock band, White City. You can check out her tips for being on the road, after the break.

White City formed in Kabul, Afghanistan and decided to tour every country ending in ‘stan. For the record, that’s Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It took a little over 2 months to complete in several sections. Here are their top tips for touring the ‘stans.

1. Plan a long time to get your visas

Trips to many of these countries involve lengthy visa processes, bureaucracy out of a Kafka novel and some pecuniary greasing of the wheels. Get a local to help you if you can or go through a travel agency. It’ll cost more, but it will save your sanity. The visa you’ll finally get, however, is the coolest thing in your passport, although it may provoke some extra questioning when you go through western airports.

2. Bring all your gear

Unless you particularly want to play through antiquated old Soviet guitars and mics that give you electric shocks every time you touch them, bring all your gear. You can hire decent amplifier in these cities – that’s right, we said amplifier singular – so make sure you make inquiries ahead of time.

3. Get your booze hat on.

You think you’re going to mainly muslim countries and so there won’t be booze? Wrong. The ex-Soviet countries keep the vodka tradition strong with tipples before most meals (including breakfast) and to toast, well, anything, including your gig! In Afghanistan and Pakistan, although booze is not legal, many private parties will serve it surreptitiously. Don’t drink the moonshine if you value your sight.

4. Leave your wallet at home and bring a rucksack

Many of these countries suffer high inflation. In Uzbekistan we changed $500 in 5 hundred bills and left with 2 shopping bags of currency. Every time we paid for a meal, we’d take out a brick of cash.

5. Learn some local lingo.

You’re about to have the best audiences you’ve ever had. Not many western bands come this way and the people are super-friendly and super-excited to have you here. Plus, you’re in a part of the world were hospitality is taken seriously. A few words in the local language (“please”:, “thank you”, “[insert city] is cool” and the local word for “dude”) will go a long way. Also, having local friends means security, better fun, cheaper living and more vodka toasts!

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