Dylan Taylor – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, the EDM artist, Dylan Taylor, gives you his tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

1) Stay Healthy
Being on tour through different climate changes, and within close quarters of dozens of people every day, your body is just begging to get sick. I try to stay as clean and eat healthier food as much as I can. Sometimes I’ll go on a strict, soda and candy diet for a few days, and I immediately regret it when the stomach ache hits! Nothing is worse than working 12 hour tour days, lifting gear, listening to a loud stage, all while having a cold or the flu. I recently got food poisoning while the band had rehearsals, luckily I was able to fight it off before we hit the road but it was a close call! Anyway, take care of yourself, get plenty of rest, eat good food and you’ll last a hell of a lot longer in a physical sense!

2) Be Productive!
So obviously being on tour, you’re already working really hard and you have super long days. But there is also a ton of down time that you could be spending doing or learning something. I write all of my music while on the road. I have my laptop, a small keyboard, and just a ton of time between Soundcheck and the show that I get to focus on my craft. My advice to you would be to read a book, pick up a hobby, get better at your craft, do something besides watching movies or playing video games. You’ll be thankful for I when you get home and have something to show for the time you’ve been away.

3) “You basically have 10 girlfriends now!”
I say this as a joke because you’re constantly around your band or crew, 24/7, there are good days and bad ones, and it’s important to stay positive and mentally focused. I say “girlfriends” as a jab to the fact that now you need to work together, communicate, live with, fight with, have fun with other people while on the road and it’s easy to be mad or be isolated from your group because you’re negative. I know on the road I definitely miss being home, I miss the activities I get to do when I’m home, I miss friends and family as well, but when you’re on the tour, you need to stay positive and happy. Not like in a fake sense. But take care of yourself mentally, however, you can make that happen. Have the most fun possible, make a ton of awesome memories, and keep you and the people around you with a positive mindset and the tour will feel more like a party than a job.

4) Love your fans the way they love you.
I’ve worked for a ton of big/small bands, as well as interacted with fans of what I do, and everyone handles their interactions differently for better or worse. These fans come out to see you, spend money to buy your merch, wait outside in the rain to get a picture with you, you owe them your career. It’s very humbling when I see small bands outside the show afterward talking to every single person that saw them vs. The bigger ones that go from the bus to stage and back again without making eye contact with anyone. I’ve learned to be more humble and excited to meet the people that are excited to meet me. Ask questions! Answer the ones you get asked honestly! Sign everything. Take pictures with everyone! Be outside for hours if that’s what it takes because those fans will never forget how awesome you are, and they already like your music, now they like you as a person and that impact will last a lot longer than a career.

5) Keeping love alive while you’re on tour!
This has to be the hardest thing to do and I’ve definitely failed many times before I got it right. So I’ll speak from the guys perspective first; being in a relationship is hard enough when you’re home, maybe you have arguments able little things, and you get to see them every day. Now picture being away from that person for let’s say 2 months (average tour length). Do you still trust them to be faithful? Are you communicating enough? Obviously, there are band guys that are married happily with a family and still tour, as I am but minus the family part yet. I finally got the partner to trust and love me while I’m away doing what I love to do. If you’re a guy in a band and have someone at home waiting for you, respect them, communicate with them, show them you miss them, make the effort! Now for the ladies, if you’re dating a dude on the road, chances are 80% of his day is filled with doing nothing, eating, sleeping, walking around a mall, and the 20% is on stage, meeting fans, etc. For the most part, it’s not some insane party 24/7 with strippers and drugs (unless we’re talking about Motley Crue). So please don’t succumb to any fears or trust issues you may have unless you see clear signs that something isn’t right. I can write a whole book on this topic but what I’m getting at is, people you love and care about at home are more important and valuable in your life than the groupie in any given city. Hands down 100% learned the hard way, grew up a bunch, and now I’m sharing the lesson with you!

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