I’ve spent the last couple of years on the road doing shows. I’m not famous, but I have had some wonderful experiences traveling and playing music. Some of the things I’ve learned are pretty common sense, but I think it’s easy to forget them when you’re in the midst of traveling. So here are some tips for making life on the road easier:
1. Bring an extra charger. For anything that has a battery. There are always plenty of outlets in your hotel room, so make sure to use them before you go out to play. If you have a computer, make sure it is charged before you leave your hotel room (and be sure to bring a charger for that too). The same goes for cell phones and iPods. It is also a good idea to bring an extra set of batteries for any electronics that use them (like your guitar tuner).
2. Get up early. Or late if you can sleep in without feeling guilty or wasting time. Staying up late and sleeping until noon every day will make it harder for you to perform each night and will make it harder for you to stay awake during the day (when there is so much sight-seeing to do!). Try getting
1. Eat Healthy
The best way to stay healthy on the road is to avoid getting sick. And the best way to do that is to eat well. If you eat three balanced meals a day, with fruit and veggies, you’ll have all of the vitamins and nutrients you need. Try to avoid fried foods, high-fat foods, fatty meats and sweets as much as possible. Also try not to drink too much alcohol or coffee and drink plenty of water.
2. Stay Organized
Keeping your belongings organized will make living on the road easier because you won’t be stressing about where everything is, which can distract from the important task of making music. Buy a plastic bin or two in which you can store all of your extra clothes and toiletries; this will help keep your room neater. You may want to buy a crate or shelf that can hold your shoes at the bottom of your closet so they don’t pile up on the floor in your hotel room.
3. Pack Light
When packing for life on the road, remember: less is more! The lighter you pack, the less expensive it will be when flying from one city to another. Plus, if you’re carrying less weight around, it will be easier for you to get around by
1) EAT HEALTHY
One of the most important things to do when you’re on the road is to make sure you’re taking care of your body. In order to sing your best every night, you need to eat right, exercise and get enough sleep. If you have no idea where to start, check out this blog post for tips on how to eat healthy while traveling.
2) PACK LIGHT
The less baggage you have with you on tour, the better. It can be tempting to pack up everything in your closet, but that means more bags for you to carry and more money for those over-weight bags. This will save you time, effort and money in the long run. I recommend using packing cubes like these ones from Eagle Creek or Ziploc bags to organize your clothes and toiletries by outfit or by day so that you’re never digging through your entire suitcase looking for a specific item.
3) BE ORGANIZED
Keeping track of show dates and times can be a huge challenge if you don’t stay organized. The best way I have found to do this is to use an app called iCalendar. You can download it here (it’s free). It
Performers can be a finicky bunch. We have our routines and rituals we use to get us in the right frame of mind to perform. We don’t like change and we especially don’t like it when that change is imposed on us.
When you’re traveling around and performing at different venues, it’s inevitable that things are going to be different every night. Some days you’ll have a full band, other times it will just be you and a piano player or guitar player. Some places you’ll have your own dressing room and others will have none at all. Sometimes the food backstage will be great and other times it will be horrible. Sometimes the sound system will be fantastic, sometimes not so much.
You can’t control everything that happens on the road but there is a lot of ways you can make your life on the road easier by being prepared for these changes. Here are 6 tips that I think can help:
Tour life is something that scares the hell out of most new singer/songwriters. I know it did me. It’s all very overwhelming until you get into a routine, and that can take many months to figure out. Of course, every artist is different, as are their needs. So there is no one right way to live on the road, but I thought I’d share what works for me in hopes that it’ll ease your transition and help you feel more comfortable with the idea of living in a suitcase for weeks at a time.
1. Drink Water
2. Give yourself space
3. Be ready for anything
4. Be Grateful
5. Pack light but smart
6. Stay organized
1. The right luggage
I’ve always been a backpacker and a traveler, so when I started touring with my band, I just packed everything in one big bag. This was not ideal.
While you may be tempted to bring all the things you think you might need on the road, it is best to focus on the necessities. Also, it is important to have the right kind of luggage and backpack if you are going to be carrying your stuff around with you in various cities.
One way to make sure that you don’t forget anything on tour is to write down everything that you will need for every day/city that you travel through and then check it off as you go. If your tour is more than a couple of weeks long, make a list for each week or category of stops (e.g. West Coast).
Write down what clothes are appropriate for each city/climate and season and make sure they are clean and ready to go before you leave home. You should also include all toiletries, medicines, electronics and chargers/power cords, makeup/hygiene items, food (if applicable), money (for transportation/food), etc.
1. Pack light!
2. Bring a backup of everything!
3. Get a travel case for your laptop and important documents!
4. Make sure your clothes are all wrinkle free, because you don’t want to waste time ironing all your clothes on the road.
5. Bring a book or magazine to pass the time when you have a lot of down time.
6. Organization is key!