So when a small indie band is on the road touring around for weeks at a time. how do the details workout? like laundry for example? how do things like that work out? lol
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Questions about touring
- Thread starter cubinicano
- Start date
Spend a day at the laundromat as often as you need to. I tried to bring enough clothes to last at least a week so I wouldn't get stuck at the laundromat too often. I preferred to wash the last day, so I'd pack clean clothes.
Just like everything else, you're on your own out there as an indie band.
I brought tools with me, lost a wheel bearing on one truck. Had it towed to a service station. How much will this cost? How much you got? How bout we bring you the parts, what will you charge for labor? Y'all can't go into McDonalds and give them beef to cook up for ya... Ok, so how much will it cost? How much you got? Thanks, but no thanks.
We pushed the truck out into the parking lot, drove the other truck (Nicknamed the Mt. St. Helens van) to a junk yard, picked up a front hub/rotor with wheel bearing inside (didn't have a way to press a new bearing in, and since the bearing had fallen apart, it had torn up the seat so a new bearing woudn't have fit tight), found out there were 2 versions of that part on that truck, returned to junk yard to get right part, returned and installed it myself in the parking lot.
Luckily we had left a day early, so we drove all night to make up some time, and weren't late. Pulled up about 2 hrs before the gig start time, I had to hook up PA, ran upstairs to wash the grease off and get dressed, hit the stage on time. Barely.
Randy
Just like everything else, you're on your own out there as an indie band.
I brought tools with me, lost a wheel bearing on one truck. Had it towed to a service station. How much will this cost? How much you got? How bout we bring you the parts, what will you charge for labor? Y'all can't go into McDonalds and give them beef to cook up for ya... Ok, so how much will it cost? How much you got? Thanks, but no thanks.
We pushed the truck out into the parking lot, drove the other truck (Nicknamed the Mt. St. Helens van) to a junk yard, picked up a front hub/rotor with wheel bearing inside (didn't have a way to press a new bearing in, and since the bearing had fallen apart, it had torn up the seat so a new bearing woudn't have fit tight), found out there were 2 versions of that part on that truck, returned to junk yard to get right part, returned and installed it myself in the parking lot.
Luckily we had left a day early, so we drove all night to make up some time, and weren't late. Pulled up about 2 hrs before the gig start time, I had to hook up PA, ran upstairs to wash the grease off and get dressed, hit the stage on time. Barely.
Randy
- Jan 27, 2010
- 4,141
- 471
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Genz Benz Amplification
Take plenty of extra socks and underwear. Jeans and t shirts can be worn for days without too much funk, but recycling socks just won't do.
It also helps to have a credit card available ONLY for emergencies. And no, "out of beer" is not an emergency.
It also helps to have a credit card available ONLY for emergencies. And no, "out of beer" is not an emergency.
Later that week, the guys wanted to change the oil on the MT St Helen's van. Named because, being an old utility van, had a billion miles on it, and a leaky exhaust manifold that leaked into the cab, so we drove it with windows open. In winter.
So they borrowed my tools, I told them what to do, off we go to the store to let them work on it.
On the way back from the store, we see the Mt St Helens van on the side of the road, hood up. Oh crap. Pull in behind them, "Hey, what's wrong????" The guys come around from the front of the van... COVERED IN OIL...
..
The van's owner nearly in tears, OMG, I broke it, it was shooting oil all over the van! (they left the engine cover off to take it for test drive...) Turns out the old gasket stuck to the engine instead of coming off with the old filter, new filter went on, so they had 2 gaskets. The first gasket is held in place by grooves on the filter. The orignal gasket is held in place by pressure of the oil filter screwed on.... which isn't enough to hold it in place, so the 2nd gasket slipped, and the oil shot out the hole.... all over the van, all over the owner's brand new winter coat... oops..
Popped the filter off, threw away the extra gasket, put the filter back on, started it up, and all was fine...
except that new coat... 
Randy
So they borrowed my tools, I told them what to do, off we go to the store to let them work on it.
On the way back from the store, we see the Mt St Helens van on the side of the road, hood up. Oh crap. Pull in behind them, "Hey, what's wrong????" The guys come around from the front of the van... COVERED IN OIL...
..The van's owner nearly in tears, OMG, I broke it, it was shooting oil all over the van! (they left the engine cover off to take it for test drive...) Turns out the old gasket stuck to the engine instead of coming off with the old filter, new filter went on, so they had 2 gaskets. The first gasket is held in place by grooves on the filter. The orignal gasket is held in place by pressure of the oil filter screwed on.... which isn't enough to hold it in place, so the 2nd gasket slipped, and the oil shot out the hole.... all over the van, all over the owner's brand new winter coat... oops..
Popped the filter off, threw away the extra gasket, put the filter back on, started it up, and all was fine...
except that new coat... Randy
During the week, the main truck (with camper on back end) which had bubble window on top, was driven by its owner to the bank. Apparently he was unaware of the actual height of the truck, as he sheared off the bubble window on the overhead at the drive through teller.
Fixed it with some sheet metal placed over the hole.
On the way to the next gig, we remembered the fruit we had put in the little refrigerator on board for the drive to the first gig. Oops. Still there. Rotten as hell. With the Mt St Helen's van behind us, we took off the metal covering the hole in the roof, and proceeded to try to throw the fruit up through the hold in the roof. The goal was to loft it high enough, that it would come down and hit the Mt St Helen's van in the windshield.
It was tough, but we got pretty good at it after a bit.
The guys in the Mt St Helen's van were perplexed... had no idea where the fruit was coming from...
They couldn't figure out how some kids were dropping fruit off the overpasses, then somehow making it to the next one in time to nail them again...
Everyone had a good laugh when we fessed up...
Randy
Fixed it with some sheet metal placed over the hole.
On the way to the next gig, we remembered the fruit we had put in the little refrigerator on board for the drive to the first gig. Oops. Still there. Rotten as hell. With the Mt St Helen's van behind us, we took off the metal covering the hole in the roof, and proceeded to try to throw the fruit up through the hold in the roof. The goal was to loft it high enough, that it would come down and hit the Mt St Helen's van in the windshield.
It was tough, but we got pretty good at it after a bit.
The guys in the Mt St Helen's van were perplexed... had no idea where the fruit was coming from...
They couldn't figure out how some kids were dropping fruit off the overpasses, then somehow making it to the next one in time to nail them again...
Everyone had a good laugh when we fessed up...
Randy
I hope to God we come across someone at the show who is willing to put us up for the night. Maybe get lucky and they have a washing machine. Other than that, Laundromat before load in. Or do as I have done, wash your clothes in a venue sink and air dry them out the windows haha, way gross but it has saved me from being too crusty on occasion. This just made me miss tour. I gotta book that ****! haha
There's a great book called The Musician's Guide to the Road that covers everything you'd wanna know.
My advice is to have a set or two of clothes that are just for wearing onstage. It helps to keep everything else a little bit more clean.
Make sure everything is in good shape with the van/ your equipment before you leave. If something happens out on the road where you don't know anyone, you're in trouble.
Make sure everything is in good shape with the van/ your equipment before you leave. If something happens out on the road where you don't know anyone, you're in trouble.
