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A couple of weekends ago I was at the Ohana Music Festival here in Southern California with Sleater-Kinney. First, being able to wake up in my own bed, have breakfast, drive to the gig and be back home in bed not long after 10 pm was truly amazing! However, the thing that I’ve been reminiscing on most was the number of people I ran into that I knew. This used to happen back in the UK but once I moved to LA, I was almost starting from scratch. Of course, this is not the first time this has happened but after such a long time away from touring, it really meant more.

When we tour, we are away from our friends and family for potentially really long periods. The people you tour with and the people you meet can become really good friends. You can also lose touch with your old non-touring friends. Instead of being sad about this, I think of it as just something that happens through life. An evolution. And anyway, it’s really just the same as your friends back home, except that when your non-touring friends go to the pub to meet up, we are maybe doing it at a festival in Germany!

It can be difficult missing all those weddings and events your friends have, but you have to look at it as how wonderful it is to be able to have friends all around the world and meet up with them in random places. Let’s keep the positive spin on things, it’s difficult enough out there!

For me, the rest of the year will be focused on family and life at home. I’ve been at home a lot, I know, but I think 2022 will be crazy busy, so I am enjoying what is left of 2021 whilst we iron out all the COVID kinks. It’s going to be great to get back out there and hit the road running (in my case it’s usually literally!)

A nod to those I spent some time with at Ohana:

Karrie “our fearless leader” Keyes, no explanation necessary, with Pearl Jam

Greg Bogart whom I met on the P!nk tour who was with the all-star band (phew, that was a lot of rockstars on one stage!)

Lauren Sego festival LD whom I toured with on Tegan and Sara, the hardest working crew member I know

Kate Lee system tech for Rat Sound Systems, shadowed me for the day during a Vance Joy show in LA, so much enthusiasm, positive attitude, and amazing work ethic

If the goal in life is to surround yourself with the people you want to be like, this is an A+ list.

Also, note I’ve included a photo of myself and my buddy Rachel Ryan who is a badass sound engineer. This is not from Ohana but from Sao Paulo, Brazil. I did not take a single photo at Ohana, I was too busy enjoying the day, but this also shows how awesome this industry is; to be able to run into friends in Brazil! Ironically we were meant to be working together the previous weekend at Ohana. One day we will work together Rachel!!

Back On The Road

 

I finally had the chance to get back to touring, albeit a very quick one. A last-minute call to jump onto a tour for a couple of weeks.

The first day was strange, mainly just being at an airport, being around so many people (there were a lot of people at LAX), and being on a plane. I landed to a text telling me the next day’s show was canceled. Good start! We were near the east coast and a tropical storm/hurricane was wreaking havoc. This was the story for most of my time on this tour. A show canceled, two days of rain on mobile stages, a show stopped halfway through the set for lightning strikes followed by the audience being evacuated to safety. And of course the constant threat of COVID/delta variant.

The touring side of it has been pretty smooth with everyone respecting the protocols; testing multiple times during the tour, wearing masks almost all of the time, no guests backstage for the most part (if you were backstage, you had to have a rapid test). We had to wear masks anytime we were indoors and anytime local crew/anyone, not in our bubble was around us. If we were outside and on stage with just our band and crew, we could take the masks off. This seemed to work really well. At times it was pretty rough having to wear a mask in the intense heat and humidity, but I know a lot of people have had to do this for a very long time so it’s a small sacrifice to be able to get back to work.

It’s crazy to think that people still don’t want to wear masks where it’s enforced. It literally affects our livelihoods and their enjoyment of events. If the band or crew catches it, the tour stops, they quarantine and the show does not go on. Everyone should be super grateful for those willing to risk their health to put on a show for the fans. I know I am.

Now I’m back home and back to triathlon training. Two very different worlds! No sudden weather events, no health scares. When all is said and done, however, it was good to be back!

On a side note, if anyone is curious how I transitioned my training whilst on the road (as I am currently in the middle of a rigorous Ironman training plan), I asked my coach what the best thing to do was and she said:

When you are away, it will depend on the facilities and the time you have available. It’s probably not worth trying to do a bad version of your programmed training riding on an old gym bike. It might help you maintain your fitness, but it won’t grow it.

The best approach is to do what you can, but don’t stress about it. Aim to complete your planned runs, and you can add a couple of short easy runs if you have the time (and energy). Add more than that, and on top of all the time on your feet in what sounds like a tough working situation will put you at risk of injury. Adding core strength and flexibility in the gym is likely to be more beneficial.

Don’t worry, you can get back into training properly on your return.

I think flexibility is the key for touring at the moment..do what you can and try to enjoy it. With the COVID protocols, I did a lot of hotel room bodyweight workouts (squats, planks, etc). You really only need a mat/towel and maybe a footrest (see photos!) It’s also been super key to continue to make healthy choices where possible. If it is within your control, choose healthy (smoothies and oatmeal, anyone?), if not, post-show pizza will have to do!! Hey.. sometimes you gotta live a little.

From Day Job to Janet Jackson and P!nk

I was listening to an interview with Malcolm Weldon, production manager extraordinaire, and noticed some similarities between his entry to touring and my own. You probably all know by now that I have shared how I got started in my book “Girl on the Road: How to Break into Touring from a Female Perspective”, but I thought it would be useful to share a common theme for those currently looking to break into touring.

I met Malcolm on the P!nk tour in 2019 when Vance Joy was supporting. He was the production manager. I happened across an interview with him on YouTube on the Tour Management 101 page and wanted to take a listen to hear how he got his break. He lays out in great detail exactly how he got started. The thing that most stood out for me though, was that at the beginning when he was working sound, he also had a regular day job in a grocery store. You know my big lesson is to save up money whilst working a regular job, while making contacts and learning, before jumping ship and getting on the road. This is exactly how to do it. Work a regular job but also fit in side jobs in your chosen field. Luckily regular jobs are 9 am to 5 pm and gigs are 5 pm until midnight! Whilst you may not get much sleep, you will be able to pay the bills whilst learning your craft and getting a foot in the door.

I did exactly this as well. I worked at a ticket call centre during the day and would immediately head to the rehearsal studio after I finished doing the evening shift. I was so excited to be working at this rehearsal studio that it didn’t matter that I was tired! I knew this was my way forward. Then when I started getting more shifts, it became viable to leave my regular 9 to 5 job and just work at the studio. I did need to downsize my living and expenses because it’s a fine line between being available to say yes to shifts and also having enough money for bills.. this is where you need to save, save, save whilst you have the regular job. It seems boring to do any other job unrelated to audio or backline, but trust me, it will set you up for when you need to make that leap.

There will also be no stress as to whether you get called for a sound gig or stage hand work if you’re working in a grocery store, because you know you’ll have a paycheck each week. Also, make sure you’re doing a great job at your regular job because you’re inevitably going to need time off and you’ll want them to say yes because they want to keep you at that job!!

Just remember the bigger picture, and when you see someone of Malcolm’s stature (Janet Jackson tours, P!nk tours.. can’t really get any bigger), you think, gosh how do I get there? Well, it started by working in a grocery store.

 

Eating Healthy on Tour

A few years ago when I started working out more seriously (more than a run for the bus type thing), I started looking at what I ate and how it affected me. I was vegetarian and vegan on and off for a few years and can now say I am fully plant-based. Yes, it’s the buzzword of the moment, but if that means there will be wider access to plant-based foods around the world, then I’ll take it!

Don’t get me wrong, there was a time when I would have two steaks a week at home and my favourite thing to do on tour was finding the best steak restaurant and order a fillet with an expensive glass of red wine (I thank the Raveonettes for introducing me to the finer side of wining and dining.. oh I miss those days!) I digress. These days it’s coffee and avocado toast. No animals were harmed and it fuels me after my workouts.

I find the hardest thing on tour is eating well. There will no doubt be pizza after the show on the bus. There will be wine flowing. There will be late nights. Trying to abstain from these indulgences is one of the hardest things for me. You want to be social, but if you stay up, you want to eat that pizza! I can tell myself I’m not doing my body any favours by eating it but the devil on the shoulder shouts louder. I think this is where moderation comes into play and setting yourself up for success by taking yourself out of the situation where you might succumb. If you’re serious about eating well and performing at your absolute best (clean foods, very limited alcohol, and good sleep) then you need to prioritise these things and send yourself off to bed after maybe making a nighttime tea, or having a bowl of oatmeal or a banana and nut butter. Doesn’t sound as exciting as a pepperoni pizza does it? Trust me, I know. but I also know how much better I feel when I don’t eat processed, salty food. It really all comes down to how you want to treat your body. You only have one, you need to look after it.

If you’re in your twenties, I’m not going to tell you to not go and party, but I can’t even imagine where I would be if I was living like I am now back when I was 23!

Give some healthy eating a go, you might like it and you might be surprised how good you feel!

Here is a good list of healthy foods to add to the bus stock list that will get you through breakfast, lunch, or nighttime snacks:

Working out on tour. Training for an Ironman whilst on tour!

 

It’s officially summer! The guns are out, and if you’re British, the pale skin is also out!! I digress. Summer always brings more motivation for working out, everyone wants the summer beach body. It’s definitely inspiring seeing everyone out and about in the sun, running or cycling, etc. But how do we stay fit when we are on tour?

In 2018 I managed to train for a half Ironman whilst being on tour. For those that don’t know, a half Ironman is a triathlon consisting of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride followed by a half marathon. I obviously didn’t come at this from scratch, I had been running quite a lot leading up to it but deciding to train for this knowing I was going to be on the road was quite the challenge. So how did I do it?

Running is obviously the easiest of the three to do on the road. If you really want to be fit or complete a training plan, that means getting up early and running before load in (usually the venues will be open before load in so you can shower), or maybe even a run post soundcheck. I’ve done this a couple of times and it is actually pretty nice!

Days off are the best… you can fit in a workout even with a lie-in! My best days off are those that begin with a late start, followed by a run that ends at a coffee shop and finding a healthy spot for dinner. I definitely feel fulfilled on those days!

Next up is cycling. This is definitely a challenge.. it’s not very easy to carry your bike on tour, although I have toured with crew who have brought fold-up bicycles and stored them under the bus. This is a great way to see every city, but you need a full-on road bike for my kind of training. That option was out the window. I happened to ask in a store about bike rentals in different cities and they told me about a company called Rapha. Rapha is a cycling brand that has a membership that allows you to rent really high-end road bikes in different cities all over the world at a discount. The stores are called “clubhouses” and are very sharp looking, most with cafes inside too! (When I joined they would give free coffee at each clubhouse, they’ve since revoked that perk! Boo!!). These clubhouses would pop up maybe every couple of weeks on tour, so I would make sure to take advantage and get some good rides in when I could. Aside from that, I would use a stationary bike in the gym. Definitely not as good, but better than nothing.

It turned out that the swim training is actually pretty easy to do. Most Ironman races are in open water (lakes, ocean, etc) but the reality is, most people train in a pool. Every major city has a pool, and generally, the venues or hotels aren’t that far away from them. Also in a pinch, a hotel pool will do… for a pre-lobby call workout. The bonus on tour is that if you’re staying in hotels, you’ll usually have access to a gym and sauna, etc. Great for strength training and recovery.

I managed to train enough to complete the half Ironman and had no injuries and even enjoyed it! There really is no excuse for not looking after your health on tour. If you’re interested in seeing some workouts I’ve done whilst on tour, you can follow my “not-so-secret” Instagram @rocknrolltriathlete

Next month I’ll discuss how to eat well on tour. Equally important to overall wellness.

 

10 things you need to be successful (and they’re all free!)

We have made it to June! 6 months into 2021, halfway through the post-pandemic year. Things are looking a little brighter, shows are starting to get booked, calls are coming in for work. You might be thinking about getting back on track with finding yourself a job on tour. In my book, I write about the 10 qualities or attributes you need to be successful. Let’s take a look at them.

Being on time

This is huge. You need to respect everyone’s time on the tour. If 10 other people have sacrificed sleep, a coffee, a workout, or whatever else to make sure they’re on time for lobby call, then you’d better make sure you’re on time too! Oh and on time is late, make sure you’re there 15 mins before you’re meant to be. The bus WILL leave without you!

Work ethic

If someone doesn’t want to be on a tour or doesn’t want to be part of a team, they won’t last long. If you have a strong work ethic and make yourself indispensable, you’ll have a long career.

Effort

Make sure you are putting some effort in, try a little harder, it’ll get noticed. Also see point 9.

Body Language

Whether we like it or not, we all judge and are all judged on how we look or stand. Quick first impressions or even people you’ve worked with a long time. This is something totally within your control to change the attitude of the room and the people around you, which in turn will make a more pleasant experience for you too.

Energy

It can be very tiring on tour, and as the above point, it is easy to slip into a negative mindset here and there. If you aim to bring the highest energy every day, you can pick someone else up which is a win all around.

Attitude

It may be a cliche but a positive mental attitude will get you very far in life. It’s difficult out there, don’t get me wrong.. but we can try to improve our mental state with things such as meditation or working out or just making sure we get enough sleep. We can then tackle each day with the best attitude.

Passion

It’s the reason why we’re here. We love what we do. If you stop loving it, maybe try a different path, a different job on tour, but always be passionate about what you do. As the saying goes “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life”.

Being coachable

Even having a lifetime of experience doesn’t mean you know everything. Be open to learning from others.

Doing extra/going the extra mile

This will always get noticed and come back to you down the road. Remember why you’re doing your job, remember the sacrifices that got you to where you are now. Keep working harder and pushing harder and you will reap the rewards.

Being prepared

As they say, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. Know what you are doing, where you’re supposed to be, what’s happening tomorrow, the week ahead. Be on top of things. Carry a notepad, make notes, set reminders, whatever you need to do.

You see, you don’t need to be an expert at your job to start with, you just need the right attitude and to arm yourself with these attributes and you’ll do just fine.

To read more about breaking into the world of touring, check out my book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Road-Touring-Female-Perspective/dp/B084QGRKVW

Let’s Talk About Taxes

It can be a pretty boring subject, but if you’re a touring freelancer you need to pay attention! This year the tax deadline has been extended, hurrah. Although it’s likely there won’t be much to report, boo. Either way, we can look ahead to when we will all be earning again.

If you are self-employed or work through an LLC you’ll need to keep a portion of your income aside for taxes. If you’re on the payroll, someone else takes care of this for you, which seems like a bummer at the time as you get less money in your bank account, but it’s for your benefit come tax time (can you say refund!?).

A good rule of thumb is to put aside 30-35% of your income immediately before paying anything else. I suggest opening up a savings account and transferring the 30-35% anytime you get paid. Trust me when I say you will thank yourself come tax-filing time. Even if you pay taxes quarterly, you should act as if that 30-35% doesn’t exist in your account. Take it out, remove it, immediately!! Do not fall into the trap of thinking you will have the money when the time comes to pay the tax bill. Most people will have spent it without even realising. It happens so easily.

If you can get disciplined with your finances, you will have a stronger career. You will be able to manage your money and time better because you are on top of your financial game. You won’t have to take a gig you wouldn’t normally take just because you need to pay those taxes. This is the very first step to take to managing your finances well. It doesn’t need to feel intimidating, it’s just common sense and a little restraint and discipline (we all want to buy shiny things when we get paid!)

Of course, I could go down the route of “Pay yourself first” where you contribute to retirement accounts that are tax-deductible and then you account for your taxes after that, but I think that is next level and maybe for another blog altogether!

Once you have yourself covered with taxes, you can start looking to reduce your tax bill with deductions like travel and meals. Your accountant will be able to tell you what is and isn’t deductible, and yes you probably should have an accountant. If it sounds expensive, just know that the cost of the accountant is also deductible and they will probably reduce your tax bill by more than their fee.

So to sum up:

  1. Save 30-35% of your income immediately into a savings account for your tax bill
  2. Get an accountant
  3. Go enjoy the rest of your paycheck!

If you have any questions, I’d be happy to chat over email. Until the next time…

More on Taxes and Finances

Surviving This Tour Life: A Financial Guide

Death and Taxes

Mental Health and Attachment

I started this month with some work on the books, a one-off awards show. It was a wonderful feeling to be back at it, while at the same time trying to remind myself that I haven’t forgotten how to re-string a guitar. However, it was short-lived. The crew was cut back due to Covid restrictions and I was back in my sweat pants before I could say load in.

It got me to thinking about how we attach ourselves to our jobs. I started walking taller knowing I was working again, I had a purpose once more. Seeing other people’s posts about feeling a loss of purpose during this lockdown, I’ve been thinking how potentially unhealthy it is that we have such an attachment to our jobs. We are not wholly our jobs. Yes, we may have dedicated years to trying to get the job in the first place, but it does not define us. Just because we have pivoted to driving a delivery van or working in a coffee shop, it doesn’t make us a different person, or at least it shouldn’t. We should focus on our qualities and what we bring to the world that way. Can you deliver a package in the same way you would tend to an artist? Do you take pride in being on time every single day for your shift just like you would need to for a bus call?

You can still be super passionate about your career, but it doesn’t need to be all-consuming. Do you take breaks between tours? Are you able to maintain relationships off the road? As much as we want to believe that people are looking out for us, our artist cares about us, at the end of the day it’s a business. They will no doubt do whatever is best for their business, so you should also think of yourself as a business. Nurture yourself, put yourself first.

What is your identity outside of work? I have been taking this forced time off to start learning to surf. I have always wanted to learn, I have put myself in the best location (Southern California baby!) and now there are no excuses for not having the time. In fact, I am becoming quite knowledgeable on how the waves are during all the seasons (or should I say the one season we have here!).

The one commodity you can never replace is time. Enjoy being handed some time off, or at least having time to do something different.

 

Reasons to Get a Mentor

And why now is the time to do it

On behalf of SoundGirls, I have been working with Noelle Scaggs from Fitz and the tantrums on her initiative called Diversify The Stage. It aims to bring more people of color, women, and L.G.B.T.Q. individuals into the concert industry through a series of masterclass sessions, mentorships, and internship programs. The middle stage involved placing the students with mentors so I thought I would share some thoughts on having a mentor.

Why do you need a mentor?

So you’re looking to get into the industry but you don’t know where to start, or maybe you have questions about the job(s). These days you can find out a lot of information online for yourself, however, this definitely does not replace having a mentor.

You can type a question into Google such as “how to re-string a guitar” and you will get hundreds of YouTube videos and websites telling you how to do it. You’ll probably become overwhelmed and have more questions than when you started. However, with a mentor, you can have a conversation and ask follow-up questions to your initial question. There is never just one question! There is also never just one answer, but isn’t it best to get an answer from a person who is actually doing the thing you want to do?

How I found my mentor

I wasn’t looking for a mentor, and I have never even said the word mentor to my mentor! He probably doesn’t even realise the role he’s in. The mentor/mentee relationship doesn’t need to be something super specific, you don’t need to have set times to meet each week or month. It’s about having someone you can turn to when you have questions, fears, doubts. Someone who can share your excitement, and hopefully someone who can help you progress in your chosen field.

So how did I find my mentor? I was fortunate enough to get a job in a rehearsal studio in London and during the introductions, I was told one of the staff was a guitar tech for bands on tour. I was immediately in awe as that was exactly what I wanted to do! Luckily for me, we had a lot of common interests (90’s music, fast cars, guitars) so we become good friends. I shared with him that I wanted to do what he did and asked if he could show me some things like re-stringing a guitar “properly” (how a tech would do it), testing amps, building a drum kit, etc. He was so kind to oblige and he even recommended me for my first proper “full time as a freelancer” tour.

It didn’t stop there, I leant on him a lot in that first year because I didn’t know if other tours would come in, I was out there in the freelancer world on my own. He reassured me that there would be more work and to just enjoy the downtime. Sure enough, more work came and I didn’t look back. Years into my career I would still be asking his advice, and still do now. Just last week I was asking him about a Hammond organ! He is a fountain of knowledge to me and this is what drives me to want to give back to those starting out now. We all know more than someone else out there, and there are people who would benefit from that knowledge.

Now is the time to find a mentor

Of course, most touring people are off tour right now. Many have had to turn to other jobs or they are just waiting for the big re-open. Now is the perfect time to reach out to some people you admire in your chosen field. If they’re worth their salt, they won’t mind you reaching out. They’ve been in the place you are, and most would be happy to help. I’m sure it will make them happy to feel like they are contributing something in the touring world right now. Do some research on who does the job you’re looking to do and send them a polite message. You never know, you may end up working with them or in place of them one day.

You can find out more about Diversify The Stage

 

 

 

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