5 Things To Always Pack for a Tour
By Irish Millie
Real-life touring essentials that support your body, mind, gear, and sanity on the road.
As a young, touring musician, I have learned a lot about what is essential for touring, especially when being away from home for long periods of time. Revisiting past tours and moments when simple objects/articles have saved me from crisis, has allowed me to create a list of 5 things every artist should make mandatory to bring on a tour.
1 “Sick Kit”
Whether you're a vocalist, or an instrumentalist, nobody wants to be on stage feeling crummy. Especially when the whole job of an artist is to create positive emotion within an audience. Packing your essential “sick kit” is critical for saving your sanity. This would include pain killers, throat lozenges, cold and flu medication, and general wellness essentials to help you feel your best throughout a tour.
2 “Muscle Strain Relief”
With musical expertise comes strain on the body. In a recent class I took at UofT I learned from professor Kyle Zavits that over 90% of musicians have playing based pain. For me I like muscle creams such as Volteran or LaKota, so I can play long shows day after day with less struggle. These are especially essential when playing instruments that involve non symmetrical body motions like the guitar and fiddle.
3 “The Hungry Musician”
Yes, I have a sign at home that says “I am sorry for what I said when I was hungry.” Something I find myself saying even more when in stressful situations and on the go. A tour is stressful, and often draining on the social battery. Food is highly important to keeping you sane in these types of situations. So keep a protein bar or trail mix in your case, purse, or backpack for those times when you cannot find a gas station.
4 “Outfit Backup”
How many times have you gotten on a stage and found your outfit to be… annoying? For me this has happened many times over the years, and I found that while packing clothing for a tour, I could no longer simply rely on just one outfit per show. Maybe you get there and try it on and it is terrible. This happens with funky clothes worn by musicians a lot, especially when you haven't had a chance to try them on yet. (You also do not want to end up wearing the same outfit for every show, because then… the photographer will definitely roll their eyes at you.) So try packing extra gig outfits that can be mixed and matched to satisfy your comfort.
5 “Instrument First Aid”
By far the most important component of a tour is the music itself. Nobody can play music without a functioning instrument. If this is your voice, just refer to #1 on the list. But if you have an instrument not connected to the body, you need to create an instrument first aid kit. For me this includes strings, rosin, horsehair backups, and a small set of tools. For you? Now that depends on your instrument. Researching the areas you are travelling to to find someone who could work on your instrument, in case of an emergency, is also a fantastic idea. Always remember to bring way more than you think you’ll need, because without your instrument? You are going home my friend
Irish Millie is a 19-year-old fiddler, singer, and multi-instrumentalist taking the Canadian roots scene by storm.
Website - irishmillie.ca