Cancellations

Today I was driving around, doing all the things that my crazy life requires I do...taking my Dad to the hospital for more tests, fixing my Mom's car, renting chairs for my upcoming wedding this weekend, and other stuff...and I get a call from the bar I'm supposed to be playing at tonight. They're cancelling me...because of a last-minute Tigers game that's gonna fill their bar with people who'll want to watch it on their giant TVs. So we're superfluous, and we're out. At the last minute too. Now I have to call my bandmates, who are as thrilled about this as you might imagine, and try to buoy their spirits up and share their pain at the same time. Some of us have cancelled other gigs to make this one, which now won't pay us for our lost time, and may decide to ax us altogether if we squawk too much about it. I grind my shiny shiny teeth.

The problem is that we have so very little leverage in the music world at this time. There's a million bands that would love to play every gig (granted, not as gifted as the band I'm fortunate enough to be in, but still), and the Musician's Union is as sad dusty shell that can essentially do nothing about situations like this. I know, I worked for the MU for a while, doing their paperwork. I wish it were otherwise. We're playing as much as any band in our area doing this Roots-oriented stuff, and I'm having a lot of fun doing it, but moments like this remind me that a lot of these clubs don't really give a crap about live music, or they're doing it on a whim, or under duress from one of the owners, or whatever. I won't say that they're bottom-feeder gigs....hey, I've BEEN on the bottom...but we're not too high up the food chain either. I've been to so many clubs without stages, or dressing rooms, or lights, or actual space to set up, that when I get said stuff I'm startled. And that's sad.

 It's a whole other blogs worth of words to talk about the changes in the public's perception of Music and their valuation of it...certainly there are other things people are doing with their time (like me right now). But is live music an endangered species? Yeah, I think it is. Am I gonna keep at trying to do it? Yeah, because I can't stop. Does it get me down sometimes? Yeah...hey, if you're gonna keep asking questions you might at least buy the next drink, buddy.

Top 10 Touring Tricks

Things to think about before you go out on the road…

1. Pack efficiently – a large (wheeled) duffle bag and a small book backpack should be enough for a tour under two months long…or even longer. Consider what kinds of weather you’ll be encountering, having a spare sweatshirt can be a lifesaver even in the summer if you’re close to the ocean or in the mountains. I’ll pack in walking shoes as well a gig boots, and a lot more t-shirts, socks and underwear than you think you need. Cotton clothes and drip-dry stuff is great since you may be doing your laundry in the sink at the hotel, especially if you’re in Europe! Laundromats are hard to find, and finding time to use them is harder. I’ll just ask for a couple more towels and wring my socks, t-shirts or whatever out with them…before a show…hang ‘em up and they should be dry by next day.

2. Bring food with you – even in the States it can be hard to find anything remotely edible on the highway stops…pack some Protein Bars and things like that along. Even if promoters tell you that they’ll provide a meal, surprises happen…a lot…and having a bag of granola or whatever can make a big difference. Note: DON’T pack perishable stuff! Those bananas are just gonna stink up the van, trust me. Eat that kind of thing as soon as you get it. And if you’re a band that brings its own cooler along, well, you’re smarter than the ones I’ve traveled with! It’s a great idea, you’ll save a lot of dough if you buy sandwich stuff at a grocery, and you’ll eat better and stay healthier. And don’t just fill it all up with beer!

3. Save those little soaps and shampoos you get in hotels. Nice and disposable. Who wants to travel with a big ol’ slimy bar of wet soap? Not me! Plus, shampoo bottles can open themselves…if you do travel with bottles like that (and toothpaste too), put them in Ziploc bags just in case. Keeps your kit bag from being slimed.

4. DON’T trash your hotel room/dressing room. That’s for babies.

5. If you don’t have your own sound guy, be sure to make friends with the one at the venue you’re at. Yeah, some are idiots and some are insane, but they can make or break your sound, and you have to deal with them. Be pals with them, buy ‘em a drink or whatever, ask ‘em about their job and what the crowds are like. A sound man’s job is difficult…they’re supposed to be transparent…and a lot of the time the only time they get acknowledged is when something is going wrong. If you’re on friendly terms you’re a LOT more likely to get what you want in terms of sound, and your special requests won’t make you seem like prima donnas. Plus, these guys usually talk with the owners of the clubs more than you do…if they like you, they’re liable to talk you up to them, and repeat business is the name of the game.

6. Bring stuff to keep you from going crazy. Back in the day I’d stuff all my available extra space (such as it was) with books and CDs. Nowadays, a well-stocked iPod and a Kindle can take their place, but it’s still an essential thing to have for some distraction. There’s lots of time a band on the road will want to talk together, but some of those long drives can dry that up occasionally. If you’re a game player, bring those. I’ve also spent a lot of road time writing, and if you’re a songwriter you might consider spending time each day with your notebook…it can be a valuable thing to do, and it eats up the miles as well.

7. Try to get a little time for yourself when you can! One of the hardest things about being on tour is that there’s very little privacy, and that can get on your nerves after a fairly short time. If you have some down time, maybe take a walk, check out the city you’re in, find a park or browse a pawnshop, whatever. You’ll get less burned out. And also, if you can, get out and have fun with your bandmates on days you have off! Getting a chance to get out, have new experiences, see new things and meet new people are some of the best things about touring. Don’t spend all your down time watching sports on hotel TV.

8. Do I really have to tell you to be great to your agents, to the club owners, promoters, fans and friends on the road? Everybody you meet will eventually talk about meeting you…give ‘em something good to say. I’ve sure heard bad stories about artists from all those kind of folks, and it does nothing good for their careers!

9. I won’t tell you what to consume (who’d listen anyway), but please, try to be aware of the fact that any intoxicants are gonna affect your performance, your stamina, and your health out on the road. I can speak from the experience of many years of dissipation! Many of us like to relax with a drink or whatever before or after a show, but just remember that the stresses and the ongoing party vibe of the music scene can make overindulgence seem like a good idea. Really, it’s not so good…the sides of the touring road are littered with the bodies of great musicians who fell too far off the wagon. And touring is physically stressful anyway…it’s just very easy to burn yourself out, and that’ll take a toll on the most important thing, the music. So have fun, but if you indulge, please pace yourself.

10. One of the best things about festivals and multi-band shows is getting to hang out with the other musicians! Lots of great times and experiences to be had for sure, and a lot to learn, both about music and survival on the road and in the business. Again, just being friendly has positive results most of the time. Networking with new friends can help your career too…you can get invaluable tips on new venues for booking, the word on promoters and agents, ideas for new shows…it really never hurts to make friends, and you never know where it can lead. When I worked with the Ultrasonics, our keyboardist Ben spent some time hanging out with the members of Blues Traveler while we were at a festival. After our band finally folded, they hired him! He’s been playing with them ever since. I always enjoy being able to spend time with our crazy, wonderful compatriots in this business, it’s always a treat, and part of what makes it a fantastic career at any level. May you too have a lifetime of great experiences as a musician! You’re already well on your way.

So things have been going really well for The Shelter Dogs in the last few months...we've put together a new CD that everybody seems to like, our musical catalog has expanded quite a lot, our playing has gotten tighter and more cohesive and fun, and we're gigging a bit and folks are showing up and enjoying it! I feel good about it. Although, as one of the principal guys in the band doing booking, I would love it if I had a manager who would do that part. Maybe someday. Things still seem to be progressing slowly to me...but that may just be my nature to see it that way. Actually, for the time we've been together, things are doing great.

This week I'm getting ready to start moving my old Magic Attic Studio into my farmhouse...it's gonna be a lot of work but it'll be a better space and I should get a lot more done. I'll have to scrape together a few more pieces (anybody wanna give me a nice beefy computer? Ours melted down), and get the rooms ready, but I'm looking forward to recording the band there, as well as doing some of the Beowulf Kingsley stuff and producing a few of my friend's bands as well.

Still wrasslin' with the Upright Bass! It's a monster...but a good one. Every time I think I'm starting to really get it down, I wind up looking at a Ray Brown video on YouTube and it's "Well, back to the practice room"!! Currently I'm looking at a new fingering method (for me, anyway) by this amazing cat named Francois Rabbath (check HIM playing on YouTube too!), a remarkable soloist and teacher. Thing is with the Upright (BEWARE! Boring tech talk follows): the darn thing is so huge that most practical fingerings have had to be divided up into whole-step and half-step positions, and there's a lot of shifting your hand around the bass. And the traditional method involves a LOT of positions...it's sort of debatable how many there are, but more than a dozen...it's very confusing and easy to get off your intonation (tuning). Rabbath divides the bass up into just 6 positions, and uses a fingering system that apparently helps your intonation stay spot on. So I'm gonna give it a shot! It involves learning a whole different approach, but I like learning new things, so we'll see. I might even start bringing the bow out to gigs. Earth people, tremble in fear!!!

Anyhow, I'm feeling strangely positive for being a 59-year-old looking towards February. It was a mess of a year last year, and there's been a lot of challenges, but I'm still afloat mostly, still living with the coolest girl in the world, still feeding all these dang cats, and still playing music. I'm feeling more creative and energetic these days, even if my back might be a little creaky in the mornings (well, sometimes in the afternoons too). We'll see what the future brings in!