Flagship Romance – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, the alternative folk duo, Flagship Romance, give you their tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

1.) Strike a balance between “Peace” & “Party”
When touring, it can seem like days/weeks/months are blurring together as you are constantly on the move. However, for super-fans, friends, & house concert hosts your arrival in their corner of the world is an event that they will want to celebrate to the fullest extent. Those memorable nights spent with those who support us & our art are some of our favorite snapshots of our lives. It is important, though, to be in tune with your body, know your limits, & stop from stretching yourself too thin. Know when to say goodnight, to not drink “just one more local, single hopped IPA”; remember that first & foremost, your mission is to put on the best performance every night. That objective becomes exponentially harder when you’re hungover & under-slept.

2.) Merch Mantra
If done right, your schwiggity swag could end up at least doubling your tour income. An average person’s preferred way to consume music in the 21st century can be divided among a handful of digital & analog options. I mean, a sweet new fan came to a recent show of ours in Providence, RI, because they found us on Deezr! Deezr?! That being said, we feel it is more important than ever to have a diversified merch table. We call ours “the boutique.” In our experience, fans of your music will want to support you, but you have to be sure you give them options. “Got rid of your CD collection?” Well, we have USBs that contain our entire catalog with b-sides & intro videos that give a little insight into each album. “Can I buy your album on iTunes” Well, yes you can, or we can directly sell & send you a digital download, through which we see 100% of the profit versus 70-80%. “Want to get physical?” CDs, vinyl, t-shirts, screen printed posters, guitar string jewelry; all of it is a way to have your fans support you & to keep your gas tank full. Yes, it is a big initial investment, but it is true that you have to spend money to make money.

3.) Pack like a Pro
On our first couple of tours, we packed way. too. much! There were shirts, pants, & jackets that weren’t worn once on a 3-4 month tour. With every consecutive tour, our luggage footprint has gotten smaller & smaller. To be honest, beyond the obvious plus side of having more room in the car, it just feels good to not be carrying around a bunch of stuff. Essentials you might not think about: one really good hat that won’t lose shape & cover bad hair days, one pair of comfortable shoes for those long drives, & clothes you can mix & match. It will also help to go to the dojo of YouTube to watch a tutorial on how to roll your clothes like a master traveler sensei.

4.) Food for Thought
Food is fuel. The quality of what you put into your body has an effect on your physical & mental state when performing. There will be times when you are passing through small town America & you’re forced to choose between a mystery-ingredient-filled gas station burrito or blocks of deep-fried batter that might have a bit of “chicken” in the center. What we do to have a constant healthy food option is we buy hummus, veggies, Clif Bars, cans of tuna fish, & good quality deli meat & store them in a cooler. It is cheaper than eating out & we save ourselves the straight up misery of having an internal war in our intestinal system. A note for singers: dairy is thy enemy. It gunks up your vocal cords with mucus, making it harder for that delicate muscle to vibrate, causing you to strain & eventually shred your money-maker. On top of that, the extra phlegm becomes a petri dish, attracting bacteria & leading to illness. Yum. That being said, it would be wise to do your best to stay away from foods that contain cheese & heavy cream.

5.) Tech Tips
There are a few items/services that over the years have made life on the road a lot more stress-free for us. MiniMax: This little rechargeable brick of awesome has saved our behinds multiple times this past month. If your car battery dies while in the middle of nowhere, it has the power to jumpstart your vehicle & keep you on your way. Square: Download the app. Get the credit card reader. In 2017, you need to be able to accept credit cards. When inputting your merch items, add in the 2.75% fee they take out (it adds up). Yeti Cooler: We got this as a Christmas present (thanks, Bob & Sammi). It is like having a mini-fridge in your tour vehicle. Google Sheets: Easy to use, mobile interface that you can utilize & share with band-members to keep track of your mileage, as well as your tour income/expenses. Waze: We don’t use our Garmin anymore. This social traffic app has saved us an incalculable amount of time. Unlimited Data Phone Plan: If you plan on touring extensively, make sure you have a phone plan with a reputable provider with the best coverage. It is a bit of an expense per month, but it is worth it (AND you can write it off).

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