Fatally Yours – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, Christian Rivera of the rock band, Fatally Yours, gives you his tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

Tour Tips: Christian’s Code of the Road
Written by Christian Rivera of Fatally Yours

With the warm weather quickly approaching, the touring season is again upon us! But before you ladies and gents hop in the van melt faces across America, here are a few tips:

1. Whenever you drive your touring rig, ALWAYS have an Assistant Driver. I cannot stress this enough. Ok, so what is an Assistant Driver? An Assistant Driver, or A-Driver, is a responsible, sober adult whose job, in a nutshell, is to make sure your ass stays awake while you’re behind the wheel so that you, your band, your vehicle, and your gear all make it to the next gig in one piece. Other responsibilities include operating the GPS, getting out of the vehicle and assisting with backing the vehicle, and other things as they come up. The main priority is to ensure that the driver of that vehicle focuses 100% of his or her attention on the most important task at hand: driving. Think of your A-Driver as a second set of eyes. S/he must stay awake with you. If either the Driver or A-Driver becomes drowsy, STOP THE VEHICLE in a safe manner, and rotate a new Driver/A-Driver team in to take over. Something to consider: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving was responsible for 72,000 crashes, 44,000 injuries, and 800 deaths in 2013. Don’t be a statistic. Get yourself an A-Driver.

2. Take care of your health. I know this one sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t heed this simple advice. If you’re not running at 100%, your show is going to suffer. Do you want an audience’s first impression of your live show to be that your band has no energy and your performance was lackluster? I didn’t think so. I’ll be the first one to tell you that maintaining healthy habits on the road is one of the hardest things to do, but it can be done.

– Make sure you get adequate sleep. Nap whenever you get the opportunity, because staying well-rested helps to bolster your immune system, and it also helps you think more clearly and is of utmost importance for maintaining a healthy weight.

– Eat well. Skip the drive-thru and head to a grocery store or Walmart, where you can buy more nutritious foods, and also keep the costs down. A good rule of thumb is to stick to the perimeters of the grocery store. You can also purchase a cooler and keep your perishables on ice. PS – Walmart parking lots are a good place to park the van and crash if you don’t have anywhere else to stay for the night.

– Exercise. Do I really need to go over the benefits?

– Limit alcohol intake. I know, I’m a party pooper, but this is so important. For one thing, once you start drinking, that immediately eliminates your ability to drive. Don’t even think about drinking and getting behind the wheel. It’s not worth it. Also, remember what I said about the need to bolster your immune system? Well, alcohol suppresses your immune system. This means that the more you drink, the more likely it is for you to get sick and stay sick. Look, I’m not saying don’t drink. I’m just saying, keep it cool, and if you do drink, hand the keys to someone who isn’t.

– Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water provides so many benefits. Everything from maintaining a healthy weight, to muscle efficiency, to even balancing your mood. There’s always room for a case of water in the van.

3. Make sure you are stocked up on extra strings and supplies. Don’t just assume that a Guitar Center will be conveniently located within a short distance from the venue. Ask any veteran touring musician about Murphy’s Law: whatever can go wrong, will go wrong; if it can break, it will—you get the gist. It’s a very real thing. It’s always better to have and not need than to need and not have. Don’t be that guy. Be a pro. Be prepared.

4. Don’t forget your creature comforts—your favorite blanket or pillow, your phone charger, or basically anything else that will make your gypsy life easier while you’re living in a van. Believe me, there’s nothing worse than sleeping on someone else’s nasty, smelly, drool-covered pillow.

5. Get a YMCA membership. YMCA memberships are very affordable, and they are located across the country. Why should you do it? Not only should you be finding the time to exercise, as I mentioned above, but there’s another reason: Swamp Ass. If you have a YMCA membership, you and your band can hit their showers. Personal hygiene is so important, and YMCA is a great alternative to Sea Bass’s nasty truck stop sink shower.

6. Be courteous to other bands, fans, venue staff, and everyone else. Seriously, this is another one that should be a no-brainer, but I feel the need to emphasize. Far too often, I’ve encountered individuals and bands that seem to think that they are too good for everyone else. STOP THAT. A little courtesy goes a very long way. Take the time to learn the sound engineer’s name. Use it. Help the other bands if they need help. It costs nothing to be a decent person, but believe me when I tell you that it really does go a very long way. Being a dick to others is just not a good look, and your attitude can mean the difference between people wanting to work with you or people not returning your calls.

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