FANGZ give their tips for DIY touring
Sydney-based punk band FANGZ have dropped their new single and video, Won’t Be Me. Here, they give us their tips about DIY touring:
Touring Australia is a bloody tough slog at the best of times. For the past decade and a half, I’ve been seeing the majority of Australia through the window of a CX5 or Hiace van as a guitarist or tech/tour manager. In Australia, we don’t have the luxury of the next major city being a 4-hour drive away, so we often find ourselves doing long road drives for only one or two shows over a weekend then working our asses off Monday to Thursday then doing it all again. Here’s some tips I’ve picked up over the years that might help you out.
1. Pack light. Chances are you’re not going to have a lot of space, so pack only the things you’ll need. You’re not going to need to take three Les Pauls to a gig in Geelong. As for clothes, only take what you will need and one spare of anything. You can always do the shower wash of socks and undies if need be!
2. Small toolkit. Make yourself a small toolkit of the essentials you may need as a band. Mine is an A5 sized pouch. It contains the following: a leather man multitool, a string winder, foldable guitar neck rest, a couple of sharpies, a drum key, a pair of wire cutters, a multi screwdriver, imperial and metric Allen keys, some matchsticks and some super glue. I also carry a roll of gaff, a small tin of electronic contact cleaner and a small tin of WD40. This kit can get my band and I through most small repairs on the road that may need to happen.
3. Earplugs and sleep. One thing you’ll always be short on when touring is sleep. Invariably you’re getting back to your accommodation late, drunk, on an uncomfortable couch/floor/bed if you’re lucky. Always travel with some disposable earplugs. Someone will usually be snoring loud, so do yourself a favour and eliminate this from getting on your nerves.
4. Stretching. Being cramped in a wagon with a guitar over your lap and an amp between you and your drummer is never going to be comfortable. Any chance you can get make sure you get out of the car and have a good stretch
5. Hydration. Seems obvious. But drink water! Always! Not only will it help you process the fifteen beers you drank last night, but it will also mean you can sing the night after!
6. Car maintenance. Always check your oil levels, coolant levels, tyre pressure the day BEFORE you leave. Also, if you’re driving between Adelaide and Sydney, don’t bank on the next town having a fuel station open. Running out of fuel on the Hay Plain sucks. TRUST ME. If its 200km to the next town and you have 210km of fuel, don’t bank on making it. You probably won’t.
7. Be Nice. Probably the most important thing I’ve learned in my years of touring, is be nice to everyone. People remember. Venues are few and far between. So are good support bands. If you’re lucky enough to get a soundcheck at a venue, don’t be a dick and take up the whole allotted time. The opening band probably wants to check their gear too, and chances are you’re borrowing their bass cab and maybe a drum kit. If you piss off the in-house sound person at soundcheck, chances are they’re not going to do their best work in your set. Everyone wants to have a good gig, so just have fun. If something doesn’t go your way, get over it. Laugh it off. Chances are no one will remember what went wrong anyway.
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Keep up to date with the band and check out their upcoming tour dates on Facebook.
Photo credit: Rhys Bennett.
