[Music] Has anyone followed a band/solo artist on a tour?

[Herr Tubthumper]

I went to see The Smile on Tuesday and marveled at their tour dates; I thought it would have been cool to take some time out and follow the tour, maybe not all the dates but a significant chunk.

Whilst I’ve seen many bands in different countries I’ve never actually followed a tour. Closest I’ve got is seeing 4 albums on the Kraftwerk “catalogue” thingy in 4 different countries and venues. A mate at uni went to all the UK Kiss dates on Animalize and I’ve met people at gigs who’ve travelled around, a guy at Gruff Rhys had seen to most of the shows on a short EU tour. I also met LOADS of guys at a Maiden gig who had travelled all over seeing them.

It seems like a great way of spending time.

Anyone one on here?

 

[GJN1]

A journo friend of mine travelled on tour with Rock Bitch once. Safe to say he had a few, er, stories.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Unbelievably expensive hobby that IMO would totally kill any enjoyment after seeing the band go through the motions for the third night in a row.

Unless it's Blink 182 of course. Then count me in.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I saw the Comsat Angels reunion gig in Sheffield in 2009, then went to see their next gig in Islington. Does that count?

 

[DavePage]

Followed Steve Harley through Germany and Belgium on tour and many individual gigs in the UK

 

[emphyrian]

followed Metallica around Europe about 12 years ago. Uk, Ireland, Denmark, France and Germany then the money ran out so went home.

I also go to many InmE gigs and help out with their merch and load ins etc

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Groupies

 

[Hotchilidog]

Quite a few bands. Whilst I wouldn't do whole tours I'd follow bands all over the country.
The Levellers home and abroad, did half a Fields of the Nephilim tour, Faith No More, then smaller bands like The Atom Seed and Dawn After Dark (who I still travel to see).

Dawn After Dark were the first band I really followed (even did the hitching for a bit) and 30 years on the band got back together and the Dawn Losers (the following) all reunited as if we had just seen each other last week and not three decades ago.

Travelling around with bands is a great way to see different places, although I'm not sure I'd recommend an overnight coach to Aberdeen to see a band as a particularly great idea though

 

[Official Old Man]

Mate of mine is following Crowded House right now.
St Austell, Eden Project, Halifax and Cardiff.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Mate of mine is following Crowded House right now.
St Austell, Eden Project, Halifax and Cardiff.

Is he taking the weather with him?

 

[The Clamp]

Followed the Rollins Band on tour in ‘96.

Only UK dates. Loved it. Tied in with meeting mates in various places they were at university.

Good days.

 

[kevo]

I went to see The Smile on Tuesday and marveled at their tour dates; I thought it would have been cool to take some time out and follow the tour, maybe not all the dates but a significant chunk.

Whilst I’ve seen many bands in different countries I’ve never actually followed a tour. Closest I’ve got is seeing 4 albums on the Kraftwerk “catalogue” thingy in 4 different countries and venues. A mate at uni went to all the UK Kiss dates on Animalize and I’ve met people at gigs who’ve travelled around, a guy at Gruff Rhys had seen to most of the shows on a short EU tour. I also met LOADS of guys at a Maiden gig who had travelled all over seeing them.

It seems like a great way of spending time.

Anyone one on here?

Sea Power - but never did a whole tour (except very short ones of 4/5 dates). Great times.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Quite a few bands. Whilst I wouldn't do whole tours I'd follow bands all over the country.
The Levellers home and abroad, did half a Fields of the Nephilim tour, Faith No More, then smaller bands like The Atom Seed and Dawn After Dark (who I still travel to see).

Dawn After Dark were the first band I really followed (even did the hitching for a bit) and 30 years on the band got back together and the Dawn Losers (the following) all reunited as if we had just seen each other last week and not three decades ago.

Travelling around with bands is a great way to see different places, although I'm not sure I'd recommend an overnight coach to Aberdeen to see a band as a particularly great idea though

I like the idea of this

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Which reminds me a friend is a tour manager and he saw Radiohead a load of times one summer about 5- 6 years ago; he was managing an act which was on the same festival circuit as them.

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

A school class mate ‘disappeared’ for years in the early 80’s and later found out he travelled all over Europe following Theatre of Hate.

 

[kevo]

Some mates of mine followed David Bowie on a European tour. Some incredible tales, including meeting the man himself (once at a service station) and being mistaken for a film crew in Switzerland and given VIP front row seats when the venue manager realised his mistake...

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Back in the mid 80s I saw Suzanne Vega at the Brighton centre twice in the space of about 6 months or so.
It was the same tour, but had booked a british leg , and the Brighton centre twice.


Pretty tedious gigs, girlfriend at the times choice.



also saw the Ramones 3 years running at the Brixton Academy.
I assumed this was part of a continuous world tour.

Thise gigs were nearly identical - but utterly fantastic.

 

[The Clamp]

Was on tour with Senser for a while. I had a band at the time. Senser then left the tour to support Rollins Band for a few dates.

Our band spent the summers of 97 and 98 on tour with a few bands and performers. Living out of a van and generally having a scuzzy but very good time.

Then I had to get a haircut and a job.

 

[boik]

Followed The Beloved on their French tour in October '87. First night in Rennes was brilliant. Second night was the night of the "Hurricane". Carnage in northern France, but then we also found out that it was the same in the UK, so we decided that we had to go back home and help our families.

Turned out to be a very short tour, but I've still got the t-shirt.

 

[Comrade Sam]

Travelled around the UK with MU330 on tour. Only because I managed the support act - Ska-Gal & the Hands of Ra.
Always thought going on tour would be fun, as manager wheeler dealing - I didn't forsee the drugs I was going to procure would be Night Nurse and Benolin.
We had our own mini bus with a dozen of us in. £50 a gig in November and everyone had a cold throughout. The glamour of Cardiff, Highbury, Derby, Leeds, Hartlepool, Glasgow and Darlington in the snow. We lived on busking, cheese sandwiches and a pallet of out of date larger I blagged in a market in Derby. By day 3 we ran out of real fags and were skinning up with cheap pipe tobacco. After every gig I had to schmooze for our beds for the night (MU330 seemed to always have somewhere nice for themselves). In Glasgow we ended up in a former brothel with 4 charming heroin addicts and it was covered in pictures of their genitals. We spent the night going on about what radical Brightonians we were, until at three in the morning a naked bearded Scot stood in the doorway and said 'Who's up for a sauna?' At that point we all pretended to be sleepy and hid under whatever covers we could find.