Seafret – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, the indie duo, Seafret, give you their tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

1.) Stay Healthy
Rule number one of our tour tips is all about looking after yourself. This is touring and touring isn’t easy, especially if you like to party and stay up late. Make sure you plan your sesh wisely, maybe you have a day off in two shows time, that’s the time to really let loose. Too many times we have hit the road and due to being lost in the excitement got absolutely ruined on the first night. If, like us, you make this amateur mistake you’ll be quick to learn there are better ways to go about it. Another great thing that we got on to is taking a Nutri Bullet (or any kind of food blender). Buy loads of fruit and greens (or if you’re feeling pro have it on your rider), wizz it up in a morning and you have at least 30% more chance of surviving the tour without any problems.

2) Enjoy It
Sometimes it feels like there’s a lot of pressure on you to deliver what the fans and everybody involved wants, don’t let this trip you up. You’re in this position because you have something that people aspire to and that’s something to be proud of. Every bit of work you’ve put in takes you towards where you want to be and one little mistake you made 9 months ago isn’t something you should be worrying about. You should never forget that playing music to a crowd of tune-hungry people is an absolute dream and for anyone who finds themselves in that position should revel in every moment of it.

3.) Don’t Forget Your Roots
You know what it’s like, starting out in a band in a pub where three people are looking at you suspiciously as you drop one of your own originals between some well-known crowd pleasing cover songs. The first people that tell you they enjoyed the show are the start of it all, whether that’s friends, family or some random guy in a bar that’s had a few too many. This is what’s always driven us on, having someone believe in you changes the whole game. For us it was family, then friends and then people in our hometown and so on. Watching it grow inspired us to keep pushing and gave us confidence boost we needed. As the shows get bigger, make sure you don’t get too big that you forget about those early supporters because without you wouldn’t be where you are now.

4.) Anything Can Happen, Be Prepared
Another tip would be to make sure you’re ready for whatever happens. For example, that dodgy lead that kind of crackles when you play it but most of the time it’s alright? Change it. And get a spare. Too many shows get affected by little things that with a little bit of forward thinking could have been avoided. Get whatever you can afford and double up on parts that are vital to your performance. Including spare trousers.

5.) Make It Special
Showing respect to your fans is a vital part of the whole music process. People pay a lot of money to watch bands these days so make sure that they all feel satisfied by trying to hold everyone’s attention while you’re on stage and making them feel like they’re a part of the night (Even the ones right at the back pretending to be too cool).

Also, if you can take something that they can leave the show with whether it’s a badge or a limited edition t-shirt. A little love goes a long way.

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(Photo credit: Phoebe Fox)