A blog about touring tips, advice and anecdotes from the electronic band.
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– touring tips
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– faders up
– are you guys, like, related?
– what does the name mean?
– how did you get the gig?
We all know that when we go to a concert, we are expecting to see the best performance possible. The band is expected to be on point and know how to keep the crowd engaged. The energy in the room should be contagious and make you want to dance. When you see a band perform, you should feel as if they are playing their hearts out for your entertainment.
The same goes for an electronic band. We have learned a few tips and tricks from our years of performing as an electronic duo (The Postal Service) that we want to share with you so that you can get the most out of your performances.
Set up your soundcheck like a mini sound design session
Soundchecks are always a good time to get some extra practice in before the show starts. If you’re an electronic musician, this is especially true because a lot of what we do involves manipulating sounds in real time and making sure they sound good through a venue’s PA system.
When we play live, there are usually two people on stage: one who plays guitar and sings (Ben Gibbard) while another one controls all of the electronics (Jimmy Tamborello). This means that our soundcheck is very different than other bands’ soundchecks because we have more things going on.
Tour stories are always way more interesting than the actual tour. It’s funny, the things that you remember. I’m sure we did all sorts of shit that was actually important, but the things we remember are the little things.
I’ve written a few blog posts about my time on tour with The Chemical Brothers, and I thought it might be nice to share these with you. We had an amazing time, and there was a lot of funny moments, so hopefully some of these will help you laugh at your life on the road!
When one half of the electronic duo that brought you “Don’t You Worry Child”, “Save the World” and “Reload” isn’t touring – he is a super dad. Sebastian Ingrosso spends time with his two kids and supporting his wife in her career, which is not easy. We asked him how he balances it all and what are his tips on how to be a good husband.
“It is important to be supportive in every way possible. I am there for my wife if she needs me, but I also want to make sure that she has space to do what she loves and not feel like she has to constantly be at home with the kids.”
Sebastian says it is important for couples to talk about what they want from their relationship, especially when children enter the picture.
“Your priorities change when you have children and you have to adapt together as a family.”
Don’t drink too much. But don’t be afraid to drink a little bit.
When you’re playing, your mouth is in front of the speakers and your ears are right next to the speakers. So if you start drinking, it’s going to affect you quickly. You will feel drunk quickly, and it will affect your performance.
If you’re on a multi-day run, take at least one night off from drinking. I know that sounds like real lame advice, but if you’re on tour for two weeks straight and you’re drinking every day, it’s going to catch up with you pretty quick.
If you have a favorite local brew wherever your playing, try to enjoy that. Some people like to travel with their own beer or whiskey or whatever they like to drink. We’ve done that before. It’s kind of fun because it’s something unique about where you are playing that night. It makes for a great memory when you get home and crack open another beer from wherever you were playing last week and remember how awesome that was when we were there last week.