The Big Dirty – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, the rock band, The Big Dirty, give you their tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

1. BUDGET
Budget is EVERYTHING on a tour. The moment you check your bank account (and it will happen) and see that big fat “0 funds available” sign knowing you have 3 days left…….is worse than a 7-year-old finding out Santa isn’t real. You need to learn to make the pennies last. You won’t have a microwave but some of the venues might so a stock up on cheap ready meals. Take bottles that you can refill as you go, buy tobacco instead of cigarettes and always go “own brand”. We lived on cocktail sausages and pot noodles during our UK tour but we survived…..oh and “Oust” actually makes pretty good deodorant!

2. BUILD BRIDGES
On many tours, you will find yourself accompanied by sometimes multiple other bands and/or artists. You will find the experience a much more pleasurable one if you all learn to get along. Musicians, Roadies, drivers, managers and sound techs. You are all in it together so work together. If your boy’s band are playing their heart out to a tough audience. Get up on that floor n tear shit up!!

3. SPREAD THE WORD!
Just because your half torn poster is up in the local leisure center next to “Cathy’s over 50’s aerobics- Tuesdays from 9”,
doesn’t mean the crowds are going to flock to your show, especially if you are from out of town. Always make sure you do your research. Target the places that you will be touring in, find out if you know anybody there, contact local radio and media and use the power of social media to let people know you are coming. There is nothing worse than ttVelling 4 hours in a sweaty Ford Fiesta to play to a dead room

4. LOOK AFTER YOURSELVES!
The show at the end of the tour deserves the same standard as the show at the start so make sure you take care of your body. Sleep when you can, stock up on Ibuprofen and Paracetamol, drink lots of water, do vocal exercise before going on stage and as blasphemous as it may sound…..try and take a few nights off the booze. We took a supply of “Vocalzone” throat sweets with us that helped so much, especially as our lead singer tends to scream like a banshee.

5. TAKE CONDOMS!!
Because…..you know…….its a jungle out there

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