Unifier – TOUR TIPS

This set of Tour Tips was written by the alternative/rock band, Unifier. You can check out the tips after the break.

1. Shakeification – We just recently started subbing in Herbalife shakes for meals and it’s been pretty awesome. Make sure you have a wide mouth bottle with you in the van so you can dump the powder in with water easily and shake it up really well (stirring will leave it chunky). It’s way healthier than grabbing any sort of cheap fast food, and definitely has more nutrients to offer you than a pack of ramen. On top of that, we did the math and it comes out to spending around $1.50 on a meal, so you’ll save a ton of money. You should definitely still eat at least one solid meal a day, because they’re not the most filling things in the world, but it will get you by in a pinch and keep you healthy on the road.

2. Undwearability – Go to REI and buy 2 pairs of ExOfficio camping underwear. It will last you days longer than regular underwear without getting insanely stinky, and it wicks away moisture really well during shows, minimizing post-set swamp butt. This also means that you can wash it in the sink and set it out to dry in the van, giving you a fresh pair for the next night. They’re a bit pricey but totally worth not having to pack 15 pairs of underwear, and even with just 2 pairs you can wash and repeat to get a fresh pair every night.

3. Beggarificence – Never underestimate the power of homelessness. You’re sleeping in a van in a new city every night – technically that means you’re homeless right? We like to make Luke (after he’s had a little liquid courage) carry around our crappy little cardboard box tip jar at the end of shows and ask people for money. Even just pestering people for a little spare change in a kind way and explaining how much it would help and how expensive being in a band is can get you enough for a nice late-night snack. We’ve seriously made about $20 some nights doing this. Plus, it gives you extra quarters for tolls and putting air in the tires at gas stations.

4. Babitude – Cleanliness is next to Baby-ness. Hobo showers in the sink are great and all, but the crisp, clean, germ-killing powers of baby wipes rule all. Even better is the combo of a baby wipe-down with a sprinkle of baby powder afterwards to really keep you feeling fresh and chase the chafe away.

5. Compartmentalization – It’s not enough to be organized, you need to launch a zeitgeist against the inevitability of leaving something you need somewhere you don’t need it. Make sure everything you bring with you has it’s own special place. Divide up pockets in bags into categories: electronics, pens and pencils, books, socks, underwear (though you can probably combine this with socks if you’re rocking tip #2), shirts, etc. You can always get to and find stuff quicker this way, and it makes it way less likely that you’ll absentmindedly forget something if you’ve got it drilled into your subconscious to always take out and put back your things in the exact same spot.

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