Mating Ritual – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, the pop artist, Mating Ritual, gives you his tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

1. Stop talking. In a pop band, the vocals are arguably the most important part of the show. I love talking and having fun with friends/bandmates/fans after shows, but when you’re exhausting your vocal chords every single night, talking during the day becomes a luxury you should try to cut down on. I try to limit the amount of talking I do before we hit the stage, and I have a Stop Talking tattoo on my wrists as a reminder.

2. Eat well. Sometimes the only options available in the area/time of night maybe fast food, but whenever the circumstances allow, eat as well as you can. That means different things to everyone in our band. To some, it means eat as healthy as possible and to others, it means the tastiest food available. I fall somewhere in the middle, depending on the city. Some places (like Denver and Seattle) have delicious healthy food, but others (Kansas City/Portland etc) best dining options are much more gut-busting (I’m looking at you Oklahoma Joe’s).

3. Drink on your days off. I like to drink. A lot. But getting hammered every single night can have a similar effect as talking too much, killing your vocal chords and ruining the reason you’re out in the first place: the performances (not to mention your overall health). So I take our off days to enjoy bloody mary’s and mimosa’s and day buzziness, sticking to one or two beers only on shows days. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

4. Being on your phone is OK. In normal life, when I go to a restaurant (or anywhere in public) I leave my phone in my pocket and enjoy the company of friends/being in the moment. On tour, however, you’re constantly surrounded by the same 5-10 people who you can only have so many conversations with (see tip 1), so bust out that phone and texts to your heart’s content.

5. This last one sounds cliche and lame but have fun. The reason you’re on tour is to connect with fans and give the music a more tangible entity in both of your lives. An unengaged performer can’t be hid from fans. I can’t tell you how many bands I’ve walked away disappointed because I could tell they weren’t having fun/didn’t want to be there. It was your choice to go out on the road, so sit back, let petty grievances go and just have some fun. It’ll be a better experience for you and your fans.

Keep up with the artist on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

(Photo credit: Matt Viscuso)