Hail Sagan – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, the metal band, Hail Sagan, give you their tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

1. DVDs/Movies and a Way to Play Them: Being on the road can become boring rather quickly, and your smartphone won’t be enough to get you through. You won’t always have wifi in order to download movies (do it in advance as a backup), so you should bring along at least ten really amazing DVDs of mixed genres and a DVD player or laptop. Hail Sagan never leaves home without the following: (1. Hellraiser (2. Rosemary’s Baby (3. Return of the Living Dead (4. Phantasm (5. A Nightmare on Elm Street (6. The Terminator (7. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (8. Stepbrothers (9. Napoleon Dynamite (10. Finding Nemo. Don’t forget to pack earbuds in case your bandmates don’t want to be subjected to your awesome taste in films.

2. Call in Advance For Your Shows: How terrible would it be to leave one city, several hundred miles away, only to arrive in the next city on the list and find out your show was canceled? It would SUCK! But it does happen. Before you leave on tour, call each venue to make sure everything is copacetic. Then do it again the day before the show. Don’t leave one venue without making sure the next one is good to go. You should also have your tour manager do some digging to find out who he or she needs to connect with on the day of your show in order to get your band paid.

3. Socks Socks, and More Socks: Laundry facilities are few and far between on the road, so whenever you get an opportunity to do laundry, take advantage of it. However, we know one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in life is where the other sock goes to hide out… Instead of having to embark on a search and recovery effort under the seats and in your bags, list socks as an item on your rider. Or, be sure and stop several times along the way at Walmart, or another discount store, where you can grab a bag of socks for under $3. Not only will you always have a match, but your bandmates will thank you for your exceptional hygiene.

4. Check for Bedbugs at the Hotel: This is legitimately one of the scariest things that can happen on tour. They’re not always visible upon first glance, but those skeevy, little parasites can literally ruin your vibe. For one, the bites can cause a serious skin reaction, as well as an infestation of your luggage. The best way to inspect your room is to first leave your stuff in the tour shuttle, then take a credit card and run it along the mattress seam, your phone light will help guide the way. Check for live bedbugs or excrement and eggs. Next, remove the bottom sheet on the mattress and search for any sign of insect activity. Check all tags, straps, pillows, or any other place a bug would hide out. You can even move the bed away from the wall or flip the mattress. Bedbugs know no status and have been found in some of the nicest hotels, so don’t assume they’re not there.

5. Days Off: If you’re lucky to have a day off, and you should push for at least one per week, move onto the next city before you relax. Don’t wait until the night of your day off, or the next morning. It’s better to be where you need to be for the next show in case anything untoward should happen, rather than be in a bind in the last city, and trying to figure out how you’re going to get to the venue. It’s especially nice because you don’t have to worry about rushing around in your leisure time, which you need to make the most of since the road can do a number on your mind, body, and spirit.

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