Touring life can be tough on even the most road-hardened bands, involving as it does long hours of boredom punctuated by moments of panic – and sure, the occasional gig or party, too – so it never hurts to gather as many survival tips as you can.
A band on the rise who already have plenty of tour-based wisdom to share, Byron electronic quarter Tora have seen a lot already, from being robbed while they were onstage, to having to endure a gargantuan 43 hour drive, and they want to help other bands avoid their own mistakes.
One thing they’ve managed to get spot on though is their music, and everything we’ve heard so far of their upcoming debut album Take A Rest has impressed us with a distinctive mix of gorgeous vocals distinctive electronic textures.
Take A Rest will be out Friday June 9 and can be ordered here, and they’ll be touring Australia throughout June/July – and hopefully taking on board the lessons they’ve shared with us below.
The top 5 tips for surviving life on tour
Try not to get robbed
Don’t leave anything valuable in the tour van unattended, people are way too good at breaking in. We learned the hard way when all of our belongings were stolen while we we were on stage, luckily our music gear was with us.
Shortcuts are dangerous
Don’t try and take shortcuts without first considering the potential problems. We drove from Zurich (Switzerland) to Riga (Latvia) in one leg, which was already ridiculously long, but we tried to take a short cut through Kaliningrad (a province in Russia), and we were denied at the border because we didn’t realise we would need visas. This turned a 36 hour drive into a 43 hour drive…
Make new friends
Be real friendly to everyone you meet, because when you’re broke and can’t afford hotel rooms, any new friends you make after the shows can save you from sleeping on the floor of the van or under the stars.
The essentials
Always have a bottle of water, a small midi keyboard & headphones so you can work on the go, comfy pillow, a kindle loaded up with good books, perhaps a GameBoy with Pokemon and a big bag of fruit/nuts for the long drives… Oh, and a toothbrush.
Stay lubricated
For vocalists, make sure there’s a jar of honey available before every show, because after you’ve played 20-30 shows in a row, and probably partied 20-30 nights in a row, your voice will stop working as smoothly unless you keep it nicely soothed with honey.
Tora national tour dates
Jun 24 – Howler
Brunswick, VIC, Australia
Jun 24 -Oxford Art Factory
Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
Jun 30 – The Brightside
Fortitude Valley, QLD, Australia
Jul 1 – The Northern
Byron Bay, NSW, Australia
Jul 7 – Jive Bar
Adelaide, SA, Australia
Jul 8 – Amplifier Bar
Perth, WA, Australia
Jul 9 – Mojo’s Bar
North Fremantle, WA, Australia
