Golden Rules

I've been having a lot of fun keeping in touch with you guys on formspring this week.  For whatever reason, it's been easier to reply than twitter...  anyways, I got asked to read over an article that talks about the ten golden rules of touring.  I figured you might have a laugh reading over them... I certainly enjoyed myself responding. 

below is a link to the article:
http://www.virtualfestivals.com/latest/features/9238/-/The-10-golden-rules-of-touring


1 - Keep your van keys on you at all times
N/A... we had a key code to get in the bus... i suppose if anyone got too tipsy to remember it, they might have had a problem!

2 - Keep a watchful eye on all band mates, particularly those with AWOL tendencies.
Also kindof an N/A... since we are all hired musicians, we could lose our jobs for dissapearing haha... although there might have been some close calls :p

3 - Hide the sharpies (permanent markers) or learn to stay awake.
OMG I GOT MONTY SO GOOD ONE TIME!!! BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  I think he woke up with a bunny on his arm and an arrow to his crack among some other fun sayings in assorted places.  And another time everyone might have taken turns drawing on me... I was awake for that one.  Those pictures were pretty incriminating.

4 - Keep a bucket in the back of the van.
Bill was always sweet enough to stop when we needed an emergency pit stop... and that happened a few times.

5 - Book gigs in towns with leisure centers (so you can bathe).
HAHA. Everyone was so dang fussy about hygiene, this wasn't an issue. Val and I were probably the least concerned with showering every day (and sometimes more than once) like other people... perhaps because I'm more used to the diy touring life. Regardless, we would get flack for not taking each and every opportunity to shower... which realistically is courteous when sharing a bus with 12 people. 

6 - Do push your luck. (Going of the beaten path)
One of the most memorable nights of tour was when i snuck away from the group with a two friends of mine in iowa. We played hide and go seek in downtown Des Moines and then drove an hour into the corn fields to see the milky way. I still am in awe when i remember it.  Another time I went galloping horses through the forests of Texas (yes they do exist), only to tie the ponies to a tree, and eat Mexican food from a shack at the edge of the woods.  Then we raced home.  Val and I also made a practice of looking for restaurants featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives every time we had a day off.  :) so much good food. 

7 - ...but don't push it too much.
Um. We played an abandoned slaughter house. Enough said. And don't even get me started about the one time I ran into my ex boyfriend randomly in Cleveland. Ohhhh man.

8 - Don't bring your girlfriend or boyfriend.
Haha. Coed tours are like summer camp.

9 - Do take a camera.
I wish i had taken more pictures. More videos. More diary entries. More everything. Four months went by so fast... but i will say that i still nearly pee my pants when Val and I go over some of the ridiculous videos we took... like the one time we jumped into a fountain and some fans drove by and caught us. And this other time we rolled down a hill and got grass itch... and this one time where we narrated an entire soap opera about squirrels in the park. And those are the mild ones.

10 - Don't complain.
In a perfect world, this is the golden rule... but nearly impossible to follow.   Even when living the dream, things went wrong. Blowups happen, you miss people (or horses), you have bad days, you pms, the entire world around you seems like it's pmssing... but in hindsight i would gladly relive the worst day... or more hopefully i will be back on the road soon enough so i can make more memories with old and new friends.



here are a few photos i took on my blackberry and on my camera from the summer.   Enjoy ;)

The last BannerHill show before tour



The entire tour went Go-Karting as our first bonding experience and I burned my arm on the engine.



Met all these crazies at Foxwoods. <3




No comment :]


 Definitely enjoyed getting makeup tips from that girl


this little guy snuggled with me in my bunk at night... still does




Val and I got SO CLOSE to the singer of Phoenix on our day off in Missouri.


 My two besties from California celebrated the 4th with me in ATL


 This is what i saw every night... but with you there haha.



 i played barefoot that night because i took my shoes off in the dressing room and when i went back to grab them, Adam was doing an interview and my shoes were where they were filming. rofl.


 Valerie, Kristen (Ori's stylist) and I climbed the rocky steps


getting hollered at by all you lovelies/crazies :p


the girls



 
The midwest in all its glory

Uhhh... Yum...

 AAAaaaaand we played a baseball stadium.  Riiidiculous.



Thanks for reading.
News to come very soon about Logan, Val and my music to come.
Love always,
Liz Anne