A Fans Guide To Being On Tour
INTRODUCTION
Rob Halford released a book in 2022 titled Biblical and a
damn good read it is too. In his book he shared his 50 years experience of
being in a band and touring the world.
It was basically an idiots guide to being in a band and
being on the road, or, to put it another way, it was, “Being in a band and
being on the road for DUMMIES.”
It wasn’t too dissimilar to something I’d written for Living
Colour and Skunkworks in 1993 and 1996, respectively. With that in mind, and
with the Wolfsbane UK Tour starting tomorrow, I thought I’d offer a different
perspective on the whole being in a band and being on tour and come at the
subject from a fans point of view.
Has Rob Halford spent the last 50 years touring the world in
a band? Yes. Has he toured the world from a fans point of view? Probably not. *
So, for good or for bad, here are my thoughts, experiences
of touring, of following a band, of how and why we do it.
* The one thing I do know about our hero’s is that they were
kids with a dream once too, and it doesn’t matter how big they become, they
never really lose that fan mentality.
Go and listen to Jeff Lynne talk about being asked to phone
Roy Orbison, only to then find himself in a band with Roy Orbison AND George
Harrison. How does he even begin to try and process that?
Rob once said that he sometimes lies in bed after a gig
thinking, was that really me on stage screaming my tits off… Well, yes Rob, it
was, but guess what, you ain’t ever been in a band with Roy Orbison and George fucking
Harrison…
Although, doing a duet with Dolly fucking Parton (no
relation) is as mental as it gets, surly that must be up there with opening
your bedroom curtains only to find a spaceship has landed on the lawn, with
loads of Space Aliens waving at you while holding a tentacle full of Priest
albums waiting to be signed.
The day you stop being a fan is the day you truly die.
Never stop being that kid full of hopes and dreams, if you
do, you surrender your soul and your spirit.
And the next time someone says to you, “Haven’t you grown
out of that…” calmly tell them to FUCK OFF!
Right. I’m off on tour.
Smoke me a kipper, I’ll be back in time for Xmas.
Noggin xx
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