Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Pros and Cons of tour

Many of you ask these questions...and they usually are popular interview questions too.

"What's your favorite thing about being on the road?"
"What are your "go to" items on tour?"
"What can't you live without on tour?"
"What's the best thing about tour, and the worst?"
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.

Well... there are many pros and cons to tour.

There are the obvious Pros:
Traveling

And more traveling



Seeing the world
Meeting many different people from all across the country
Trying out new restaurants and eating delicious foods from across the country



Making friends (hopefully) with the bands you're on tour with
Playing music! (Duh!)

Obvious cons:
Showers aren't always as plentiful as you would like.  Laundry machines as well.
Hardly any privacy AT ALL.
Sometimes bands you tour with are complete tools...and yup, you've gotta be around them for 30 plus days.  (That doesn't apply for this awesome Blake Shelton tour!)
Peoples' sleep schedules are different.  You may be trying to sleep while the person next to you is watching TV, the person in front of you is watching a Back to the Future marathon (*cough* Nick!) and the people sleeping under your bunk are snoring.
Missing your friends and family back home
Long distance relationships...well, they suck.

However...below is the biggest con of them all!

And just because I love dogs...here are some more photos.  I was walking in NY when I walked by a bunch of adorable puppies in the window!  I wish so badly that I could get a dog, but I don't think it's fair to keep one cooped up on a bus most of the day, and where would he pee anyway?  And who would watch it when I have to leave unexpectedly.  Oh wonderful dogs, ruler of cats and all other creatures, I hope I can get one of you soon so I can cuddle you all day!



This one's face below just breaks my heart. I wish I could have taken him with me!



Cons of tour
It's really difficult to keep in contact with the outside world on tour.  The person I usually miss the most on tour, although I miss all my family and friends, is my mom.  When I'm home I love to watch movies with my mom and cook and try to learn some more Korean.  (Yes, I am half Korean. My mom's from Seoul).  Also, I have 4 younger sisters, and sometimes when I come home after 3-4 months of tour, I feel like I've missed some quality time with them in their youth.  It's almost as if every time I see them they've grown and inch, or have suddenly developed boobs, or their hairs down to their butts.  I missed being at my little sister's very first dance.  I would have helped her pick out a dress, do her make up, curl her hair...tell her to behave herself, dangit!  I would have yelled at my other little sister's basketball coach when he screamed out to her, in front of everyone during a game, "You suck! Get on the bench!"  (Yeah, rude right? I mean, I understand constructive criticism, but not in that way and especially not for a younger child).  I never miss one of their basketball games when I'm home, and if I would have been there during that.... oh mama.  That coach wouldn't think I'm so shy after all......  My head gets hot just thinking about it!

Dating on the road is really tough.  You're busy all day, and you don't want to talk too much either.  I've had times in my past when I've talked on the phone to a loved one after a show, and then the next morning have lost my voice.  
But sometimes being on the road can be lonely.  This Valentine's day, you better be my Valentine so I don't feel so lame.  I'll be yours too!  It can be a  mutual agreement.  Single for V day is just rubbing salt in the wound people!

Random tips for tour:
"I'll be 5 minutes" means I'll be a half hour, so grab a book.
For girls: You can never have enough tampons
Even though it's been only 1 day, your socks AREN'T CLEAN!  Change that pair of feety gloves dudes! Please!!!!
If you take longer than 15 minutes in the shower, you might for some odd reason become the least popular on the bus.
For girls: Even though the crowd is often somewhat far away, shave your legs!  The audience can smell the fear in your tiny hair particles....
Yoga mats are handy, plus they make you look cool.
They're called headphones people.  You may want to blast ______ band in the bus for 3 hours, but who wants to have that in the background while they're trying to read.
Keep away from your guitar player if he's had over 4 drinks.  Being thrown up upon 3 times in my life is quite enough to last me for a bit.
Keep a journal
Make an effort to call your friends often
Once one person gets sick in the bus...just sit and accept defeat and wait for the cold and flu to nestle in on you.


But all in all, at the end of the day, with both the pros and cons of tour, I'd much rather be on tour.  You see, I feel like half of my heart belongs to the road anyway.  And I am loving playing music for ya'll!  I would never want to give up this for anything:




Thanks for coming out to see us on the road!
XOXO
Dia 

P.S. If you are in Nashville, come see us tonight at Exit Inn!  And if you are awake early tomorrow in Nashville, tune into FOX News Tennessee Mornings!


And thank you Music Choice for having me for some lovely interviews!





23 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. when oh when are you coming to san diego?

    I will be your valentine, every day.

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  3. Dia, you are so amazing and down to earth. You're my favorite person, hands down. And I'd be your valentine if you need one! :) Have lots of fun touring! Love your faithful fan, Shannon. <3

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  4. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Can't wait to see your band and Blake next month!

    Con: Living out of a suitcase for 3 months. And if you are a "band in a van," you had better not have many suitcases.

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  5. Oh my, those puppies just melted my heart. So cute!!!

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  6. Awwwwww puppies >_<
    Can't wait to see you on tour on the nineteenth! It'll be like a belated valentines present for me :)

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  7. Woooo NYC baby!!! Home sweet home. Good luck tonight to you and Andrew Allen!!!

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  8. If I were on that subway I would be freaking out! "OMG ITS DIA FREAKING FRAMPTON!!!!!!!!!". Those people are so oblivious being unaware of the freaking legend they have standing inches away from them!!!!

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  9. keep writing and taking pictures dia. you are never going to want to forget a day of this! see you in towson!

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  10. Dia ! I hope to get to see you in Clearwater, FL on Sunday. Although I am a big fan, I have yet to see you! (SAD FACE) I've had many opportunities, but something ALWAYS seemed to get in the way of me seeing one of your shows.. so I made it a promise to myself to FINALLY go this year even if something came up. Can't wait!! Have fun on the road! See you soon!

    -Lari Alejandro

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  11. Oh man, puppies!!! And pizza!
    Three instances of Carlo's bodily fluids getting backtracked on you doesn't sound too good though! haha looks like the pros definitely outweigh the con, though. And I love the way you've been putting your hair with the curly side swept thing ever since The Voice, definitely looks good for every occasion.

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  12. This might sound weird, but you should look into menstrual cups! They're eco-friendly, better for your body, take next to no room to pack, and you NEVER have to worry about having enough tampons.

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  13. Dia, ur blog is always an awesome read, it definitely put a lingering smile on my face (not creepy smile but a joyful smile)Ha!

    yup, being single during Vday is not fun, I can be ur Valentine too =) and i dont care about ur hair particles, maybe i can somehow get a sample of ur follicles so i can clone u and be my friend forever(now that's a little creepy--but i'll make u another Dia clone so u can attend to ur future dog or family affairs while ur clone run ur errands.. =)...)

    If anyone gets sick in the bus, trust me you can still avoid getting sick, here's some tips:
    1) vitamins, esp Vit C
    2) fluids, fluids, fluids...NOT body fluids! actually avoid any contacts with body fluids!
    3) get ur flu shots annually! and everyone in the bus--unless contraindicated (such as allergy to eggs).
    4) get disposable mask and most of all GOOD HANDWASHING practices at all times(or keep a HAND SANITIZER next to u).
    5) teach that sick person/or anyone in the bus to cover their coughs, or cough on their sleeves not hands. or ask them to wear mask & give them hand sanitiser, & encourage handwashing as much as possible.
    6) isolate that sick person in their own bed and draw his/her curtains ( i know it's mean but u have to protect as many ppl as possible, lol!)
    7) Get as many rest as possible..or quiet times as possible...dont wait for anyone to use their headphones, just hand it to them and show ur sweet sweet smile--im sure they wont mind =)
    8) as soon as u feel any throat itchiness, gargle with warm water with salt at least 3x a day--most common bacterias dont like salt.
    9) Or u can hire me for free as ur personal Nurse Practitioner to take care of u and ur Band during your tour--I'm on vacation for a month starting today =)lol!

    I am so glad u're a dog person!

    See ya at Troubadour

    Love and Prayers,
    Nel

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  14. Great show last night at Exit/In! You all sounded great! You and your sister looked like you really enjoyed performing, and were having a lot of fun. I'm glad you enjoyed your time in Nashville. I know Nashville enjoyed having you here!
    Wishing you great success,
    Sean

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  15. caught the Exit In show online, yay you guys... and i've been away from the web browsing i usually do the past few months so i didn't notice you finally started using this blog... good to see words from you :)

    see you at the social :)

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  16. OMG - Dia Frampton. Since hearing you sing on The Voice, I have been such a fan and you've grown so much as an artist. My friend Gloria May and I attended the concert last night in Atlanta and we were both blown away by your voice. So much, that I walked out and bought your CD immediately. I don't want to give too much away, but one of my favorite moments was when you sang with (you know who). Such an awesome song and I can't wait to hear it on the radio. There is no doubt that Blake Shelton cares for you and your career and supports your talent 100%. Congratulations on a job well done!!! My hope for you is the people of this world to recognize just how amazing you are. Bless you for such a wonderful performance. I challenge anyone out there with Blake Shelton tickets to arrive early to hear Dia's amazing voice! If you are up to this challenge, please hit "Like" to show your support for Dia! Oh, by the way, you looked absolutely beautiful. Way to go Ms. Dia Frampton!!!! We'll be first in line the next time you're in town!!

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  17. Hey Dia!

    This is semi-embarrassing since I've never ever commented on the blog of someone I'm a fan of. (Mostly because I hate being a "fan")

    BUT, the music you guys create is awesome. Your music has gotten me (and undoubtedly many others) through some pretty rough spouts. Recently I bicycled across the U.S. and there was ALWAYS a song from RED on the playlist. I feel like the whole feat was something that I thought was impossible a year ago, and your music was something that made it happen. I'm sure I'm not the only one, so I wanted to thank you for helping people, not only through tough times, but to become everything and more than they imagined they could. :)

    I noticed that you posted a lot(ish) about finding showers. I'm sure sometimes it can be a logistical nightmare, but it makes worlds of difference when you're travelling a lot. I don't want to make it seem like I'm this "all-knowing shower guru" that tells travelers how to find showers. I'm sure you guys are already trying a lot of these things (if not more). I just wanted to throw in two-cents of traveling experience out there in hopes that you'll have a better day.

    I'm not sure what you guys are trying, but sometimes YMCA's let you take showers in them. Gyms have showers but are more likely to shoot you down. If you explain your situation to YMCA they're generally empathetic. Also, camping and RV sites sometimes have them. If you're reaaally open to things you could try couchsurfing.org. At first it seems a little (okay, reaaaally) sketch, but it's a cool way to meet locals!

    Truck stops (especially the big ones), usually have showers too. Sometimes if you tell your story they'll give you one for free. Those are pretty convenient since they're typically right off the highways. And lastly, Churches. Kinda weird right? Not all of them have showers, but if you guys are stuck in a po'dunk town and you have internet access, see if you can search for their phone number. It's a real hit-or-miss kind of method, but their usually really nice about it.

    At the very least, you'll have a collection of reeeally funny, weird, awesome stories to add to the many you already have. :)

    I wish there was more I could do, but I'm out of the country for a few months. Good luck on tour! Thanks for inspiring the hell out of our generation! :)

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  18. my name is Audrey Ayala i am 10 and i live in sandiego, California .I love your singing!your my favorite singer.Your not dirty like Christina Aguilara (on the voice)!!!!!!!! I knew your band before the voice.I love Black Wedding!Can you tell Carlo he did awesome on the cinnamon challenge!Tell nick he should marry meg!Also I love Your Song Billy the kid i love the part "you'll never find him!You'll never find him!" part! Right know i feel kinda like "Isabella" but Im really sad and your music is helping me stay happy.Ive been listening to don't kick the chair because my mom and dad aren't getting along.It just keeps me strong.Anyways PLEASE email me at Ayalafamily@cox.net that's my biggest wish in the WHOLE WORLD! -Audrey Ayala :) 10 years old Please Email Me at ayalafamily@cox.net Thanks for reading

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  19. Great and beautiful musician/singer

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  20. Great and beautiful musician/singer

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