Kianna Alarid (of Yes You Are, ex- Tilly and the Wall) – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, Kianna Alarid of the pop band, Yes You Are, gives you her tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

Tour Tips with Kianna of Yes You Are who has toured the US with Neon Trees (and also has over 10 years of experience touring both the US and internationally with her former band Tilly and the Wall.)

1. Stay healthy. – Take an immune booster (like Emergen-c) once a day, eat as healthy as possible, drink tons of water and get exercise daily. I know time is limited, but you can fit in exercise if you commit to it. Jogging and yoga are things you can do anywhere and do for even 20-30 to improve your stamina and overall health on the road. Also, try to get as much sleep as possible and avoid hangovers at all costs. I know this advice doesn’t go hand in hand with the “sex, drugs and rock and roll” mythology, but if you want to be successful and have a lifelong career doing this amazing job, you have to take it seriously. The whole point of touring is based on that 30-90 minutes you get to have up there on stage. You want to be able to be your best every night up there so you have to take care of yourself every day.

2. Be professional. – Be on time, be clear minded, be nice. You are building relationships everywhere you go, all the time. You want to leave a lasting, positive impression on promoters, booking agents and the artist’s you are playing with. They will remember if you were late, rude or intoxicated. Being a professional musician should be fun, but it’s still a profession. It’s your job.. so if you want a legitimate career you have to treat it like one.

3. Perfect your soundcheck. – Be friendly with the venue’s crew, especially if you’re not traveling with your own FOH/monitor person. Those people are going to be responsible for how you sound, so it’s in your best interest to know their name and present yourself as someone pleasant and easy to work with. Sound checks are often very short, especially if you’re the opening band so take advantage of the time you are given and make sure everyone is on stage, tuned up and ready to go. Learn the correct terminology to communicate with your monitor engineer, especially if you’re a vocalist. You want to be able to ask for certain modifications to your mix and do so in a very succinct way.

4. Cultivate great relationships with your travel mates. – If you don’t get along with the people you’re about to spend 24 hours a day with for weeks on end, you’re not going to have a good time and may possibly even end up losing something you have worked hard for. This might take some self-reflection and humbling.. but if you have serious issues with someone on tour, you need to be the one to address them and do so in a respectful way. Don’t avoid confrontation, it will only cause issues to fester and will result in resentment and possibly explosive outbursts. There is nothing wrong with confrontation as long as it’s done peacefully and with respect. Approach others with an open mind and a willingness to adjust and compromise. The desired result is that everyone gets to continue doing this job and also have a good time while doing it. All that being said, if someone is extremely toxic to the tour and causing all kinds of negative issues, you should absolutely voice your concerns to whoever calls the shots or consider finding a replacement for that person if you are the one calling the shots.

5. Have fun! – All the things I’ve mentioned so far will help keep the stresses of tour at bay. That way you can focus on all the amazing things about touring. See the sights, go to movies, see your friends, experience the local foods and take time for yourself in all the beautiful cities of the world. Have a fun time on and off stage every day because this is the best job in the world!

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