April 1, and it’s no fooling, I’m starting the first day of my tour with Ludicra. This also the first day of my new blog. I have in the past done tour journals and blogs on MySpace, giving away my free content to NewsCorps. Not to mention, it got creepy with all these folks knowing the ins and outs of my brain, so I quit. Now, I’m doing it again with a focus in mind. The focus is music… Making it, recording it, touring, and a basic ethic of DIY how to do it. What better time to start than another tour? It’s the school of hard rocks. It’s a hard rock life. GET IT?!
I’m at the airport getting ready for a non stop flight to Frankfurt. Lesson one: non-stop flights rule. I’ll never forget running the Chicago airport and nearly breaking my knee falling, only to miss a flight and get our luggage lost with Wolves on the Throne Room on our way to Europe. So, always get non-stop, unless it’s more than a few hundred bucks.
Lesson two: it’s lonely. I’m alone. Since I’m a functioning alcoholic, time for a beer. It’s these little rewards that make it easier.
Lesson three: be gregarious. Technically, my bass case is “oversized” and should have cost me $250 to get on the plane. Instead, I got by being friendly, chatting, and basically acting like a dopey musician. It’s not a fat stretch, really, but being stressed and super business-like wouldn’t have helped. It’s a lesson I’ve learned by traveling with Dino Sommese, who infuriatingly gets away with the most heinous comments at an airport and gets free drinks, because he follows it all with a whimsical smile.
That’s it… Next up, customs.
Don't forget the most important airport tip of all: before you sit down to a leisurely meal at the airport TGIFridays, check the departure time on your ticket.
Very good point, as we missed our flight. Not my first, and not my last. Now, I made my flight, only to sit for an hour while they fixed electrical problems. That wasn't on the ticket. Just on the 1970's manual for this pile of junk. Han Solo is in the cabin hitting things saying "it's not my fault"