In my previous post, I listed the Top 5 gifts to give bands going on tour. They were: Nail clippers, a battery pack, jump rope, Subway gift cards and a laundry bag.
Now that Hello Kelly has been off of the road for a couple days, I’ve had some time to think about the Top 5 Gifts Band’s Don’t Need on the Road. And I’ll be honest: Most of these were inspired by my having to clean out the van after this tour.
Without further ado …
–
5. Soft Drinks
They might be tasty but we don’t want them! And it’s not just because they’re not healthy either! While cans of Coke seem like great gifts at the time, there’s nowhere to put them! It’s not long before the case falls apart and cans of Coke are rolling around at our feet as we drive: So when George tries to crack one open, it explodes all over him … It’s just a bad scene altogether! If you want to help hydrate your musician friends, just stick with water!
4. Perishable Food
To be fair, bands are usually at fault for this one: After the show, we see half a pizza leftover or a bucket of chicken uneaten … And we beg to take it with us for a late drive snack, or lunch the next day. This is fine if we grab a little bit and eat it right away, but I’ve found too many boxes of rotten food tucked under van seats at the end of tours to feel good about taking food “for the road” anymore. If you want to make sure your musician friends stay fed, refer to my last post: Subway gift cards!
3. Magazines
A leisurely read on the road seems great, but consider this: Things like magazines and newspapers just create hyper-frustrating clutter in a van that’s already difficult enough to keep tidy. As soon as that magazine hits the floor, those staples are as good as stepped on … and before too long, you’ve got loose pages all over the bottom of the van that are destined for the post-tour garbage bag. Besides, musicians’ brains need to be fed: Give us books instead!
2. Baked Goods
Don’t get me wrong, you should NOT stop sending baked goods on tour with your musician friends. (Especially if that musician friend is me!) But here are the guidelines: 1. Small quantities: If it’s not eaten within the first couple days, it’ll be lost in the abyss. 2. No Tupperware: There’s only so much room under our feet in the van and we always feel bad tossing your perfectly good Tupperware into gas station trash cans. (Did you think we were gonna mail it back to you or something?)
1. CD’s
Every time we switch up drivers in the van, there are cell phones, iPods, charger cables & CDs are being rotated. It’s hard enough to keep track of iPods and cell phones, so it’s doubly tough to keep track of “that CD somebody gave me” and by now you’re probably picking up a theme: Once something hits the van floor, it’s as good as destroyed. If there’s music you’d like to share with your musician friends, email it or buy it for them on iTunes.
–
There you have it. My apologies to anybody who’s ever given me these gifts. It doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate them at the time!
I’m having fun writing posts from the perspective of a musician with a bit of touring experience. In the spirit of this, this weekend I’m going to break down the set that Hello Kelly played for our Kelly’s Home for Christmas Tour. This was one of the tightest and most effective sets we’ve ever put together and I’ve decided to pull it apart and share some of the thought behind it.
If you’re interested in knowing a little more about the process of putting together an engaging set, maybe my post will be of some use to you. Then again, maybe it’ll be total rubbish!
Christmas times’ a comin’!
–
francy
Top 5 Gifts Bands Don’t Need on the Road
10
In my previous post, I listed the Top 5 gifts to give bands going on tour. They were: Nail clippers, a battery pack, jump rope, Subway gift cards and a laundry bag.
Now that Hello Kelly has been off of the road for a couple days, I’ve had some time to think about the Top 5 Gifts Band’s Don’t Need on the Road. And I’ll be honest: Most of these were inspired by my having to clean out the van after this tour.
Without further ado …
–
5. Soft Drinks
They might be tasty but we don’t want them! And it’s not just because they’re not healthy either! While cans of Coke seem like great gifts at the time, there’s nowhere to put them! It’s not long before the case falls apart and cans of Coke are rolling around at our feet as we drive: So when George tries to crack one open, it explodes all over him … It’s just a bad scene altogether! If you want to help hydrate your musician friends, just stick with water!
4. Perishable Food
To be fair, bands are usually at fault for this one: After the show, we see half a pizza leftover or a bucket of chicken uneaten … And we beg to take it with us for a late drive snack, or lunch the next day. This is fine if we grab a little bit and eat it right away, but I’ve found too many boxes of rotten food tucked under van seats at the end of tours to feel good about taking food “for the road” anymore. If you want to make sure your musician friends stay fed, refer to my last post: Subway gift cards!
3. Magazines
A leisurely read on the road seems great, but consider this: Things like magazines and newspapers just create hyper-frustrating clutter in a van that’s already difficult enough to keep tidy. As soon as that magazine hits the floor, those staples are as good as stepped on … and before too long, you’ve got loose pages all over the bottom of the van that are destined for the post-tour garbage bag. Besides, musicians’ brains need to be fed: Give us books instead!
2. Baked Goods
Don’t get me wrong, you should NOT stop sending baked goods on tour with your musician friends. (Especially if that musician friend is me!) But here are the guidelines: 1. Small quantities: If it’s not eaten within the first couple days, it’ll be lost in the abyss. 2. No Tupperware: There’s only so much room under our feet in the van and we always feel bad tossing your perfectly good Tupperware into gas station trash cans. (Did you think we were gonna mail it back to you or something?)
1. CD’s
Every time we switch up drivers in the van, there are cell phones, iPods, charger cables & CDs are being rotated. It’s hard enough to keep track of iPods and cell phones, so it’s doubly tough to keep track of “that CD somebody gave me” and by now you’re probably picking up a theme: Once something hits the van floor, it’s as good as destroyed. If there’s music you’d like to share with your musician friends, email it or buy it for them on iTunes.
–
There you have it. My apologies to anybody who’s ever given me these gifts. It doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate them at the time!
I’m having fun writing posts from the perspective of a musician with a bit of touring experience. In the spirit of this, this weekend I’m going to break down the set that Hello Kelly played for our Kelly’s Home for Christmas Tour. This was one of the tightest and most effective sets we’ve ever put together and I’ve decided to pull it apart and share some of the thought behind it.
If you’re interested in knowing a little more about the process of putting together an engaging set, maybe my post will be of some use to you. Then again, maybe it’ll be total rubbish!
Christmas times’ a comin’!
–
francy