The Darts have a busy year ahead.
First, they will release the brand new full-length Halloween Love Songs on March 3 (Meow Hiss Music). Then the band hits the road – France in March-April, then much of the US in May-June. They are also booking dates in the EUK, Australia, and New Zealand as we speak.
With the band prepping for such a heavy tour schedule, we figured we’d get them in the traveling spirit by letting the band talk tour tips.
Nicole Takes Aim
What surprising/unexpected item do you pack that you really don't want to live without on a long tour?
Rikki: A tennis ball to roll out tense muscles.
Lindsay: Rikki introduced me to laundry detergent sheets and now I won't tour without them. They take up almost no space, and when you have your own laundry detergent you don't have to deal with buying it at laundromats and they work great for doing laundry in the hotel sink in a pinch.
Becca: I don’t bring anything that unexpected -- a lot of times I transfer the leftover hot sauce packet collection from previous tours and put them in my purse.
At a US gas station, what is your go-to snack food? At a European gas station?
Rikki: white cheddar cheez-its for US, pocket coffee in the EU
Lindsay: US gas station: chili lime flavored almonds. EU gas station: Ritter Sport chocolate bars.
Becca: US: protein bars/shakes, salted almonds, because you don’t really get fed here. In the EU I’ll do chips, also known as “SALTY CRUNCHIES,” because they have the different French cheese flavors.
Lindsay Takes Aim
What is your favorite band that you've discovered on tour?
Becca: SERVICE! I’m looking forward to our US tour with them in May.
Nicole: There are so many, but recently I really liked The Crotches. We played with them in San Diego and they were crazy talented and put on a really fun, hyper-entertaining show.
Rikki: SERVICE is also my favorite band and I’m so excited to tour with them!
What do you like to do in the downtime between soundcheck and show time?
Becca: I’ll grab a beer, get done up, warm up on guitar, take an occasional nap.
Nicole: Wait there’s downtime?? No one told me. I use that time to set up the merch area, which is no easy feat for a Darts show, return phone calls to people in other time zones, reply to booking, press and guest list emails, and quickly throw on makeup and clothes so that I can be standing at merch ready to go when doors open. I stay at merch until our set, and go straight back there right after the last note. And I have no complaints whatsoever -- it makes sense for me to get stuff done during this precious time when things are quiet, it’s still daytime, and we’re not in a moving vehicle for a few hours.
Rikki: A lot of times I go explore the city. Try to find a cute cafe, church or square.
Rikki Takes Aim
What is your favorite venue to play?
Lindsay: I don’t have one favorite venue, but I love smaller punk clubs. Those are almost always the most fun shows with the best crowds. Give me a 100-200 capacity club with a decent PA and graffiti in the bathroom. Add a green room with a couch to take a nap on and you can’t go wrong.
Becca: I love places like Le Pavillon 108 in Fumel, France. Any of these small French clubs where there’s a real sense of community. You walk into a warm welcome from everyone, there is huge spread of snacks, and we get to have a leisurely family style dinner and drink a ton of wine. The shows are always enthusiastic and fun. We’ve played a lot of places like this in different European countries, not just France, and it’s always a big tour gift.
Nicole: I agree with both of the above answers! Nothing like a sweaty punk club where I can easily jump onto the front row -- like The Pits in Belgium or Melody Inn in Indianapolis -- and crowdsurf to the back of the room. And the French community-run clubs are such a special, incredible experience. RockSea in St. Gilles Croix de Vie is a very special place -- on the sea -- and La Manufacture in Saint-Quentin is too; both have some of the best stages, sound, hospitality, and crowd we could ask for. But I also have to give a shoutout to being able to play two of my dream festivals in one summer: Binic Folk & Blues Fest in France and Sjock Fest in Belgium. There is a great satisfaction that comes with playing on a huge stage with a glorious chanting crowd.
Would you rather play with zero opening bands or four?
Lindsay: I personally prefer to play with another band, especially if they’re good. It makes the night more fun and if you have a great band playing before you that gets the crowd warmed up. It’s great.
But four support bands makes for a very long night. Since the question is between zero bands and four, all other things being equal, I’d have to say zero. With no other bands you don’t have to tear down after soundcheck, which is nice.
Becca: Opening bands warm up the crowd and are super important, but I don’t like four band bills. Sometimes it’s fun just to have a built-in crowd if things stay short and on schedule, but that’s rare. I don’t mind the one-band bill because people are there to see you, you finish early, and it’s way simpler in general.
Nicole: Zero, to be honest. The shows with lots of opening bands go so late -- the crowd gets exhausted and starts to dwindle or drunkenly lose their verve after several hours, and we even get a bit energy-deficient standing at merch or waiting in the green room for hours. It’s really fun to meet other musicians but we want to kill on stage, and we do that best when we can get up there and rock without too much delay.
Becca Takes Aim
How do you stay positive on long tours that are over a month long?
Lindsay: It helps me to remember that I’m doing it because I love it. It sounds simple but sometimes it can be really grueling on the road and if I’m feeling cranky, tired and hungry as I'm hauling heavy gear up a narrow staircase and thinking “fuck this,” Asking myself if I’d rather be sitting in an office answering an email helps me put it in perspective. For me, I’ll take tired and hungry and hauling gear every single time, because it means I get to play my bass later.
Rikki: Really, I think it’s just taking care of yourself. Going for walks, getting sleep when you can, trying to eat healthy. Sometimes you have to give yourself permission to check out and get some alone time and that always helps.
Nicole: Gratitude. Every day on tour, especially when it’s hard, or things aren’t working out or (as the financier behind things) we keep going further and further into the red, I just have to bring one thought forward. I just have to remember sitting in an office for 20 years, aching and literally crying to get to do this life. Nothing worthwhile is easy. To me this is the thing I was designed to do. I feel it in my bones, and as long as I can surround myself with positive, kind and talented people who are also grateful for this kind of life, it’s the most worthwhile thing I could imagine for myself.
What’s the last good book you’ve read in the van?
Lindsay: On the last tour leg I brought The Likeness by Tana French. She’s one of my favorite authors. If you like character driven, atmospheric, and devastating murder mysteries, I really recommend her.
Rikki: I actually can’t read in the van because I get carsick, but I recently reread Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas just because I love it so much and I wanna get in Hunter S. Thompson‘s head so bad.
Nicole: I am usually writing songs on my laptop in the van or sleeping, but I have a copy of the Bill Evans biography in my bag at all times and every now and then I dip into it, read a page or two, and get inspired. His mantra to “play every note with intention” has really changed the way I am playing and writing since I started reading it. Maybe someday I’ll actually finish it.
