Light Years – TOUR TIPS

This set of Tour Tips was written by the Ohio based pop punk band, Light Years. You can check out their tips for being on the road, after the break.

1. The first tour tip I would give to aspiring touring bands is to lower your expectations. If it is your first tour and you expect every show to be just like the shows you play in your hometown, you might be in for a letdown. It’s hard getting people out of town to come to a show for a band they may have never heard of, or might have only seen the name online somewhere. Granted this isn’t the case for all bands, and if it doesn’t apply to your band, fuck you, you lucky bastards.

2. Bring a towel! It is an easy item to overlook when packing for the big tour, but it is sometimes the most essential. When your showering at the nice persons house that let you and your band crash for the night, the last thing you want to do is ask if you can wipe your hairy naked body down on their nice white towels. Plus finding sweet swimming spots is always on the agenda for a tour and you don’t want to be soaked when it’s time to get back in the van.

3. Get some alone time. Being cooped up in a steel box for 8 hours at a time and then sitting at the venue with the same 5 people will drive anyone insane. If you get the chance to talk a walk around the block by yourself or just find a corner to sit in and play angry birds away from everyone take it. It can help decrease the stress levels between everyone and might make you want to strangle your band mates a little bit less… maybe.

4. Explore the local cuisine. Every city has its own unique spot that everyone says “you have to go!” It’s always worth it to check it out, we have found some of our favorite foods in places we would never have gone to before. Lots of places have their own after show spot to get food, and it’s always cool to go and hang out with like minded people from a different city. But if all else fails there is always Taco Bell.

5. Don’t beat yourself up. Being on tour, no matter how shitty the it is, is always better than being home and getting yelled at by your boss, or parents, or teachers, or whoever makes your life suck. Some people never leave their hometown let alone their state! So if you ever getdown on tour (it will happen) just remember you could not be on tour, and that would suck.

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Do you think these tips would be useful for being on the road? What tips would you recommend that aren’t mentioned here? Let us know in the comments below!