Living Hollow - TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, the deathcore band, Living Hollow, recommends advice for being a musician on the road. You can check out the tips below:

We chose this feature because it's something we've spent a considerable amount of time discussing and planning. We hope it can illuminate our struggles of being a touring band in 2025 and also help other bands who plan to hit the road in the future!

Tip #1: Tour prep is extremely important.
We've always used the "Measure twice, Cut once" rule for prep—basically, double count EVERYTHING: cables, merch, backup gear, clothes, etc. The last thing you'd want on the road is to show up to your first show and realize that you've left behind essential equipment. So, make a list and check it twice!

Tip #2: Transportation has always been a major issue with touring bands.
For us, we've decided to take out an RV for tours for the foreseeable future. Why RVs? It's a tour bus and hotel all in one. When you plan your finances for the tour, look at the cost of hotels plus the cost of rentals and include estimated gas for the trip as well—it gets pretty costly! And hotels sometimes don't have the best parking situations for vans with trailers/tour buses. One thing we like to do is reach out to the venues we will be visiting on our tour to see if they will allow us to park our RV on-site overnight; most places are very accommodating! If not, then Walmarts or truck stops have always been a solid place to park for extended hours at a time. It might not be the best tip for everyone, but it works well for us!

Tip #3: DRYER SHEETS.
Holy shit, you guys—do you have any idea about the absolute sheer POWER dryer sheets have? Let me tell you: stuff those bad boys in your shoes and with your dirty laundry, and I swear it'll make the most massive difference. Like I said before, we take out an RV for tours. Sometimes showering isn't an option and neither is doing laundry, so blocking the odor emanating from your bandmates' shoes and dirty clothes will greatly improve overall well-being!

Tip #4: One of the perks of being on tour is all the new places you get to visit! And for us, that means food.
When in Rome, right? Well... sometimes. You have to play it smart financially. Money can fly when you hit every Chicago pizza joint or Carolina BBQ spot, so choose wisely! We have found that planning our group meals on the road and then hitting a grocery store for food supplies for everything else is the most cost-effective way to ensure that everyone gets to eat at a place they want while also feeding everyone in places that don't have much to offer. It's a small tip, but I can't tell you how much money we've individually saved by doing it this way.

Tip #5: SLEEP.
Take any chance you get to sleep. Being well rested for your shows while on the road can sometimes be an issue, but it ensures that every show gets 100% of your energy. Shows that you go nuts for end up being more profitable on the merch front and really prove to show-goers that you mean to perform to the best of your abilities. This is so important to us because we are still a newer band and not every show will be packed to the brim. Our fans, new and old, deserve a show worth going to, and we intend on giving it to them! Without proper sleep and rest, doing that just becomes 10x harder.

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