Noah Guthrie – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, the singer-songwriter, Noah Guthrie, gives you his tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

1. Cold Medicine & Melatonin
Fact. Somebody will get sick no matter what. Another fact. Your sleeping schedule will be very different from what you have going on at home. Melatonin is a sleeping aid that works wonders for me and it’s all natural! (Just So you can feel slightly less sketchy about taking a sleeping pill.) With all that undersleeping you’re doing you’re bound to get sick sometime and if you’re a singer this can really get annoying. I always keep some cold shortening medicine like Zicam, with me to make sure any cold that I do I get, doesn’t hang around too long.

2. Bring Your Favorite Pillow
Unless you like having your face smashed against a glass window in the middle of your nap while hugging a sharp off ramp, bring a pillow. Also, it’s a nice little taste of home to have with you.

3. Don’t Be A Hermit
Leave your hotel room. If you find yourself with some downtime in a cool city, be sure and go into town or go for a walk and find some local faces to look at that aren’t the five faces you’ve been looking at in the van for the last 600 miles. Find some good food and take in the vibes of the area.

4. Designate a Cubby Hole & Cubby Person
This one needs a little explaining. Some tours aren’t as luxurious as others. Therefore, seat space in the van is limited and becomes very valuable. Solution: Cubby Hole. If an extra seat is needed you can almost always carve out a “cubby hole” for someone to sit in using the gear you brought with you. i.e. road cases, drum cases, and mic stands to drape blankets over to create privacy/banishment walls. Once a cubby hole is created a “cubby person” must be designated to take the first shift in the cubby. In this matter, a little diplomacy can go a long way. Example: Bass player is in the cubby hole and has some gummy worms that he hasn’t eaten for the last 5 shows. Meanwhile, you have a window seat and have been eying those gummy worms. How bout a trade? Maybe it’s time to switch and enjoy your delicious treat in the security of the cubby hole. Sure the ride is a little rough and you may have to dodge incoming guitars when the brakes are a little touchy but what do you care? You’ve got a sugar blasted delight! The cubby hole can also be used as punishment. Example: Bandmate farts. Bandmate is banished to the cubby hole.

5. Podcasts
One of the best ways to kill time on the road is to immerse yourself into the wonderful world of podcasts. They’re a great way to stay awake, provide a new headspace for yourself, or create a new conversation in the van. Some of my favorites are This American Life, Stuff You Should Know, The Liturgists Podcast, and Tanis.

6. Limit Your Fast Food Intake
Let’s be honest, the road does not always lend itself to fine dining experiences. While fast food is usually a cheap and convenient option its definitely worth it to seek out some real food for yourself. Especially on those longer tours. Salads and veggies can be boring but they don’t come back to haunt you on stage like three McDoubles most certainly will. Was the zesty sauce at Burger King great? Absolutely. Do the fans want to smell your zesty sweat body at the meet and greet later? Absolutely not.

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