Yeah, but now we have the internet so everyone will know what they are missing.

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Mammoth (June 23, 2008)

Punk as FUCK

atom (he with package) wrote an article on touring once, i don't remember where i saw it, but he suggested booking tours such that every stop is less than 100 miles from the one before and after it. then sign up for AAA, and just use their "free tow up to 100 miles" service to get you to the show.

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Edia_Ave (June 23, 2008)

hahaha atom rules.

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hobojew (June 23, 2008)

http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2003-10-16/cover17.shtml

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baseball (June 23, 2008)
This is fucking hilarious.

"8. Get very comfortable with shitting in weirdly laid-out bathrooms. I think the strangest restroom I came across in my travels was the one in the otherwise-comfortable club called The Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kan. The bathroom at The Bottleneck consists of one completely open, empty room except for two toilets with just a meter of space between them. There are no stalls, and for maximum awkwardness, there;s no lock on the door. I have pooped in plain view of and at the same time -- almost touching, knee-to-knee -- as a complete stranger. He indeed was pooping next to me. I imagine that this is the kind of thing that really will only happen on tour, or if you frequent shows at The Bottleneck and don't live within the 26-mile radius that most folks would gladly jog to avoid pooping while touching/watching a complete stranger pooping. Or if that

show rest of commentThis is fucking hilarious.

"8. Get very comfortable with shitting in weirdly laid-out bathrooms. I think the strangest restroom I came across in my travels was the one in the otherwise-comfortable club called The Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kan. The bathroom at The Bottleneck consists of one completely open, empty room except for two toilets with just a meter of space between them. There are no stalls, and for maximum awkwardness, there;s no lock on the door. I have pooped in plain view of and at the same time -- almost touching, knee-to-knee -- as a complete stranger. He indeed was pooping next to me. I imagine that this is the kind of thing that really will only happen on tour, or if you frequent shows at The Bottleneck and don't live within the 26-mile radius that most folks would gladly jog to avoid pooping while touching/watching a complete stranger pooping. Or if that's your thing."
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LookBackAndLaugh (June 23, 2008)

I've never been to the bathrooms there, but I go there for concerts a moderate amount. It reminds me of how CBGB's bathrooms have been described.

That's cool if you live in a major city, but kind of sucks for those of us who live in the Midwest.

I was just thinking about this. When I was in High School gas was .79 cents a gallon...and I was still broke. I have NO CLUE how kids are able to pay for it to do stuff now.

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trevor_the_exploder (June 23, 2008)

thinking about this made me feels old...

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trevor_the_exploder (June 23, 2008)

*feel

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baldsteve (June 23, 2008)

Everything makes me feel old.

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baseball (June 23, 2008)

I know really. Gas was $.99/gal when I started driving. It used to cost $12 tops to fill my tank.

These prices are driving me up the wall. I know I can afford it, but I cringe every time I fill up my tank. It's like "fuck, well there's two records and a show."

All these 16 year old kids making like $6/hr must be stuck inside. Plus, those are the people that really should be out on the road if you ask me. You basically spend the first year you have a license learning how to not drive like an asshole.

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the_other_scott (June 23, 2008)

man. how old are you? when i was 16 it was $1.40 and that was 9 years ago. no wonder you're bald!

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baldsteve (June 23, 2008)

32

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Michael_Jackson_Jordan (June 23, 2008)

Gas was *just* starting to rise past the dollar mark when I was a senior in highschool. I remember a kid complaining in chemistry class how he had no idea how he was going to afford filling his tank up when it costed $1.32 a gallon. Looking back on that moment now...

I also agree with whomever said touring scenes would become more regional. It's not all that bad for bands who thrive in large cities like NYC or Southern Cali, but leaves bands emerging from the sticks without much of an option.

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Dakotacore (June 23, 2008)

Gas was $.97 when I was a senior in high school and I had a little ford ranger that I could fill for about $10 and that would last me about 2 weeks. Now that would cost me $40 to fill. I had to work as a bag boy 20-30 hours a week to afford gas, beer, food, and my car payment. I would never had made it now.

Congrats, it's the greatest feeling in the world when that fucking test ends and ya get that little peice of paper.

You are super young and I'm glad that gas wasn't expensive when I started driving. That sucks yo.

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ForgetThisPlace (June 23, 2008)

yeah, I'm fairly sure I'm (one of) the youngest on here.

I'll go thank them when I get off my lunch break.

Federal Reserve maybe, but what do the warmongerers have to do with it? All the money they spend has gone right back into the economy for the most part.

There's alot more American content in an M-1 tank than there is in a Plasma TV or an iPod. That's not a justification for anything, just debating the facts of the issue.

But yeah, the inflated dollar isn't helping things right now.

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Preston (June 23, 2008)

How do you think the government pays for the 3 trillion dollar war? The federal income tax couldn't come close to covering that AND all of our spending at home. The Fed supplies it. The government, sure, makes the companies rich by spending all their newly acquired funny money, but the accelerated spending due to war drives the inflation through the roof. The middle and lower classes won't feel the effects until that money has trickled down.

The blame only partly falls on Washington for this one. More blame goes to K-street and the emerging economies of India and China.

high gas prices could be a good thing too - maybe it will filter out all the sucky bands who shouldn't be touring in the first place. see -- there ARE postives to everything

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Mammoth (June 23, 2008)

Agree'd BUT there are many great bands that this will effect too.

Public transportation is for jerks and lesbians.

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veganboyjosh (June 23, 2008)

i'm no jerk, so i guess that makes me...a lesbian?

awesome.

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baldsteve (June 23, 2008)

Too funny dude.

do you think you'd have to pay more because your backline would take a few seats surely hah

90% of obstacles bands face from the industry are due to either not paying attention to the details of their contract or to the fact that everybody steals music

no small shows??? bad idea....

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VictorIkpeba24 (June 23, 2008)

I don't think he was serious. Or he is crazy.

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T-Rock (June 23, 2008)
I never got the obsessive nature of punk fans and shows. Make a circle pit in your basement with your friends if you need it that bad. Personally, I'm here for the music. I know it's much more fun and authentic in public blah blah blah, but whatever. I'd much rather you make two albums a year instead of one, and not tour at all. That's the bottom line. For every band.

I've been to shows. Many. It's fun, but not that fun. Nowadays, in order for me to even go to a show, one of the following must happen:

a) One of my favorite bands is playing (and I mean the top of my favorites list, so to speak)
b) The show is occuring very, very close to my home or university

That's about it. People always talk about Trent Reznor being such a revolutionary in the music business nowadays. I'm not much of a NIN fan, but I don't think Reznor shou

show rest of commentI never got the obsessive nature of punk fans and shows. Make a circle pit in your basement with your friends if you need it that bad. Personally, I'm here for the music. I know it's much more fun and authentic in public blah blah blah, but whatever. I'd much rather you make two albums a year instead of one, and not tour at all. That's the bottom line. For every band.

I've been to shows. Many. It's fun, but not that fun. Nowadays, in order for me to even go to a show, one of the following must happen:

a) One of my favorite bands is playing (and I mean the top of my favorites list, so to speak)
b) The show is occuring very, very close to my home or university

That's about it. People always talk about Trent Reznor being such a revolutionary in the music business nowadays. I'm not much of a NIN fan, but I don't think Reznor should never tour much ever again. Play Lolla and be done. Do the rest via the net.


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Mammoth (June 23, 2008)

Maybe the craziest rant I've read all day.

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CCSummers (June 23, 2008)

It sounds like you are just a recluse.
I enjoy the social and positive aspects of shows. It's a community.

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DavidM (June 23, 2008)

With tickets at $61.50, I don't think Trent will ever stop.

are you kidding!? this is how bands are making money today because kids (excluding myself) don't buy their music. if bands didn't tour they'd be broke and working at the mcdonald's up the road.

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Mammoth (June 23, 2008)

Yeah, that would suck. I myself would be working for Jimmy John's...

Why is every Burger King employee really gross and dirty?

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T-Rock (June 23, 2008)

I'm okay with that. I think most musicians should have a "real" job unless you hit it real big. I personally make music with my friends (more insturmental rock, sometimes using electronic insturments when we're without them), and I like that set up. Many internet communities are made of musicians giving away free music.

2nded. Most people suck anyway, and the few people who don't and are actually cool pretty much suck too. People who like people and sweaty crowds are kinda gay.

Oh, the guy with the 500 dollar suit is making a witty retort to the man in the 6000 DOLLAR SUIT! CMON!

Good thing Americans can't get enough deep fry. That resource will never run out.

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veganboyjosh (June 23, 2008)
you know what's funny? after a couple of tours, they (my friends the grease thieves) have seen that the merkin fast food places have dirty ass oil, full of nasties. asian restaurants are where it's at. they've got a gps that helps them find the places, and they've got notes on which places are good sources, in which cities.
as more bands and other drivers get hip to the greasel source, it's gonna get harder to find. so far, they've been run off by a couple of restaurant owner/mgrs, but mostly i think it's out of confusion...if you own a restaurant, and come outside to dump trash in the alley, and there's 4 dirty kids with a van and a trailer, hurriedly scooping out your oil barrel, what are you gonna think?

who steals dirty oil?

i think eventually, someone will come up with a way to convert/clean this oil, and there'll come a market for i

show rest of commentyou know what's funny? after a couple of tours, they (my friends the grease thieves) have seen that the merkin fast food places have dirty ass oil, full of nasties. asian restaurants are where it's at. they've got a gps that helps them find the places, and they've got notes on which places are good sources, in which cities.
as more bands and other drivers get hip to the greasel source, it's gonna get harder to find. so far, they've been run off by a couple of restaurant owner/mgrs, but mostly i think it's out of confusion...if you own a restaurant, and come outside to dump trash in the alley, and there's 4 dirty kids with a van and a trailer, hurriedly scooping out your oil barrel, what are you gonna think?

who steals dirty oil?

i think eventually, someone will come up with a way to convert/clean this oil, and there'll come a market for it, and then my friends will have to pony up close to gas prices.

solar asphalt panels, i say. make the roads out of solar panels.


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baldsteve (June 23, 2008)

Nothing to do with your post...but do you remember the 90's surf/garage band 'The Car Thieves' they had eps with titles like 'the man from u.r.a.n.u.s.' I had a kick ass sticker from them that said 'ass, ass or ass, nobody rides for free'.

I miss that sticker

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veganboyjosh (June 23, 2008)

i don't remember them, old man.

that is an awesome sticker, tho.

also, unrelated to your post, i need some movie and/or tv characters who rode bikes:

paul newman in butch cassidy.
pee wee herman
elliot/et
the wicked witch's doppelganger
the muppets
the paperboy in better off dead
cru jones
kevin costner
etc.

bring it on. i can't think of a more perfect thread for soliciting members of this list than one about high gas prices.

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baldsteve (June 23, 2008)

bah! you kids.

The older brother riding the little kids bike in 'goonies' is a good one.
The kids in Iron Eagle

let me think for a bit

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veganboyjosh (June 23, 2008)

ooooh, goonies. i totally should have nailed that one.



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jg (June 23, 2008)

howard brackett (kevin kline character in in and out)

I read an interesting artical in a European snowboard mag about this. (They toured a van in North America). Seems a good way to go.

The catch is that vegetable oil and waste product oil dries the seals in your engine and can lead to a mechanical failure that costs way more than the gas you save.

It's a good thought for sure, but it is not fool proof.

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veganboyjosh (June 23, 2008)

you have to do some conversions first...

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Guy_Incognito (June 23, 2008)

I'm aware of the conversions, but they don't solve ALL of the issues related to running veggy oil. I looked into doing this for my own band but at the end of the day we did the math and it didn't make sense based on expected costs of maintenance and repairs.



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veganboyjosh (June 23, 2008)

if you're interested, get in touch with them. it's been a couple years since they made the switch, and whenever i see them (a couple times a year, generally), i ask how the greasel's doing. all of them sing its praises every time.

there's a link to their website in my original post, you should be able to get in touch with them. they know personally the guy who did the conversion. i'm sure they're happy to put you in touch with him...

Doesn't the oil have to be a specific temperature to run properly?

Impossible to use during the winter!

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veganboyjosh (June 23, 2008)

it does have to be warm enough...the greasel tank is inside the cab, it's basically where the back seat/loft would be, in your normal, average, touring punk van.

the thing is, it still has the diesel tank as well, and a switch near the steering wheel, so in the morning/when it's cold, they can switch to the diesel to warm up the engine, then switch back to the grease....

last I read Ryan was down to $9 when they hit rva
pretty impressive the amount those guys tour though

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blanktapesemptybottles (June 23, 2008)

I'm sayin

dirty money are probably the nicest dudes ever

we just played a show with those guys, very nice dudes. we just went on a 6 weeker and made it back, but the difference between now and 4 years ago, is that 4 years ago, we would've made it back with some money to make tshirts or pay jam space rent, or make a van payment.

my car is a 97' piece of shit.

I drive a '95 Chevy Astro that gets 20 mpg on highway, and 14-16 mpg in the city. The vans that these bands are taking on tour do considerably worse than that sometimes. Touring cost a lot. You need to print your own t-shirts, reconsider how fancy your CD packaging needs to look (you can print and cut your own cardboard sleeves, it still looks pro), and though this means you sell for cheaper sometimes, it also means you will probably see more sales and you have still spent less on overall merch. It sounds tough, but it isn't as hard as you would think. Ideas anyone? I would love to hear them. I try to tour myself every now and then.

take the bus.

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veganboyjosh (June 23, 2008)

the bus is full of lesbians.

i should know, i'm apparently one of them.

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I-type-poorly (June 23, 2008)

It's funny when people take Simpsons quotes seriously.

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veganboyjosh (June 23, 2008)

you don't win friends with salad.

Same in Columbus, I can't go to Cleveland or Cincinnati without spending 45-50 on gas there and back. Then with 10-20 on tickets and another 10-20 on merch it's near 100. Fuck that.

I lived in Sandusky a little while, I know the happening scene in Columbus, Clevo is better.

Yeah, but don't you guys have way better public transportation?

There's not that many places here that have competent public transportation.

True, but you live in a country that is about the size of my home state. I can't imagine there is such thing as a 5000 kilometer cross country drive in the UK.

Yeah, it is pretty fucked over here. Bear in mind though that in NA cars as a general rule run much bigger engines, still works out cheaper for them but not much and by the looks of things they'll have caught us up in price in the near future. I started driving over 10 years ago and 70p litres back then were bad enough. It'll only get worse too. Europe is catching us up quickly and if you do any distance there, you get raped on road tolls (unless you want to be stuck behind a hundred lorries on 40yr old roads). We took a trip down to Valencia last Summer and the tolls alone were more than the fuel.

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Guy_Incognito (June 23, 2008)

It's because we have the NEED for SPEED baby! Yeehaw!

i don't know where you are from but, in the states, the costs of everything is rising and few people in this country are willing to buy music

her:"welcome to burger king, may i take your order please?"
touring punk musician:"yeah, last time we were here, we went through the drive-thru, and our order was messed up. the manager told us we could just ask next time, and he'd comp our bill."
her:"um...ok, what would you like?"

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HOISTDATRAG (June 23, 2008)

haha, you can actually get free meals at Cracker Barrel sometimes by showing the waitress a tour pass.. it's usually just as awkward and/or sketchy as above scenario

So you stole food...which puts pressure on other people's well being...so that you could do something as self indulging as touring around playing music?

So what you are telling me is that you basically stole food so that you could take a vacation?

Wow

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HOISTDATRAG (June 23, 2008)

oh really? you're going to complain about stealing from a multibillion chain center like Wal-Mart when virtually everybody does, especially touring bands? Go tell your favorite band that. Get off your high horse.

and plus if you ever get lonely you just shift over a wham! genitals! seriously though thats how lots of D.I.Y. hardcore punk bands used to/still do it.

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veganboyjosh (June 23, 2008)

my new favorite band name:

"wham! genitals! seriously though"


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MrStylson (June 23, 2008)

and a genuine lol...

the only real downfall with that is that now there's 2 touring bands to pay off the door. I'm sure everyone's experiences are different, but when i book a show, all the money i can pay out goes to the touring band, so if there's two, it gets split, and the same amount of money goes into the gas tank. I've found that most places work this way.

Winner.

self

"you wouldn't steal a car, would you?"

"i would if i could download one."

We just don't give a shit and aren't going to pay for it no matter what?

I'm still broke?

amen bro, i hate people who steal music. they are the reason these bands have problems on the road.

Start selling drugs at your shows

Oh yeah,

Arcata California was the highest gas in the country when we were there. I heard it's because they have to haul it all the way up from the Bay Area, but it seems like Bush has found a way to punish the most liberal areas with the highest prices. Weird.