Life on the road: secrets of a musician on tour
Updated: Jul 9
There is excitement. There is anxiety. There is packing and unpacking and repacking of gear and bags. There are hotel rooms and hostels, host families, good restaurants and greasy spoons. And there are a lot of hours on the road. This is Touring.
The bulk of the hours on the road are filled with planning and logistics. Where to next? Stopping for gas? A meal? Staying the night or pressing on? What can we do to push our music business further? How can we sell some CDs/downloads/Tshirts/More shows?
When I first toured, I still loved the road. I loved seeing old friends in different cities. It felt glamorous to be going somewhere new every few days. I liked exploring the towns and cities we went to, especially within walking distance. There was the solitude and the comraderie. There was anticipation of the show, excitement of playing for new audiences, and the disappointments of low turn out. Every place was different. The music was the same. There was comfort in those songs when you are lonesome for home.
As time wore on, I got worn out. It’s a lot of driving for a little money. Is the cost worth the benefit? Sometimes the answer was yes, but other times it was no. And as I got older, if the answer was no, I wouldn't take the tour. The road is a long, dangerous and sometimes boring friend. It was glorious, and it was soul-sucking. But it was always great to come home.
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