The Dig – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, the rock ‘n roll band, The Dig, give you their tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

Tip #1: If you’re on a support tour and you meet a nice gal or guy at the show, don’t introduce her or him to the headlining band.
If you just finished a good set, you might find yourself talking to an attractive man or woman after the show. It may be tempting to try and be cool by showing them the backstage area where all the bands are hanging out. However, this is a big mistake. The minute your new friend lays eyes on a member of the headlining band, you may as well just head on back to the hotel by yourself, put on some sweatpants, grab a bag of chips and turn on Law And Order. Don’t get us wrong, your new friend will be going home with someone, but it won’t be you.

Tip #2: Always have a friend(s) and/or crew member(s) come along on the road.
When it’s just the four of you in the van, vicious arguments can start over things like who forgot to put an exclamation point at the end of the last band email. But when another friend or two are around, all of a sudden you become aware that if you go down that road, the asshole that you know you are deep down will be exposed for all to see. The net result is you tear into each other 75-90% less of the time.

Tip #3: Make at least one band member go to mechanic school before you start touring.
If you make music for a living, chances are you’ve spent your whole life avoiding doing “guy stuff.” Before you hit the road, it’s best to designate one person to learn a thing or two about fixing the van. If this one seems like too much, then tip #4 below may be the one for you.

Tip #4: Listen to your friend/tour manager when he tells you to get AAA before you hit the road.
It’s not the most rock ‘n roll thing you’ve ever heard, but if you bust a trailer tire 39 miles outside Denver and you gotta be at the venue in 20 minutes, you’re gonna need a real man or woman to step in and get the job done fast. If you didn’t heed tip #3, the least you should do is listen to the tour manager you hired and get AAA.

Tip #5: Play the 8-second game:
You may already have some good car games lined up, but we highly recommend playing the 8-second game, otherwise known as a “list.” Someone serves as the list moderator and starts by playing 8 seconds of a song. Everyone goes around in some kind of order and tries to guess the song from that 8 seconds. If you get it right, you get a point. If you’re feeling adventurous you can try and guess the song for an additional point. But beware: if you get the artist right but the song wrong, you don’t get any points. Choose wisely.

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(Photo credit: Sean Macneil)