Courting’s Ultimate Touring Survival Guide

Touring isn’t all glamour and curtain calls. For Liverpool band Courting, it’s a balancing act – it one of chaos but it’s also about the camaraderie. Fresh from their first US tour, the band shares their no-nonsense, practical tips on surviving life on the road. Whether it’s dodging tourist traps or remembering the power of nail clippers, here’s how they make it work and why you’ll want to pack a spare belt.

5 Survival Tips

A little silence goes a long way: “I think as a band, you can gravitate towards constant conversation because you’re trying to commit to having a shared experience. That being said, I think the most important thing is taking the time to take everything in yourself. A little silent phone time never hurt anybody.

Say ‘Yes’ (within reason): “For me, I think it is important to generally say ‘yes’ as much as you can on tour. Try and experience as much as possible (with an effort to not burn yourself out).”

Ditch the tourist traps “Skip on the big tourist attractions and try and find little hidden dives and spots. For us, I think this is what makes a place feel homely and interesting. We tend to look around on internet forums to find the best local breakfasts, best speakeasy bars, etc. This tends to lead to better nights and mornings.”

Overplan for sanity’s sake “Overplan. Know exactly how long you will be driving every single day. Know exactly/roughly where you’re planning to park. How do different countries/states’ tolls work, etc.? Sometimes you have to make things a little boring to be able to have fun, stay healthy, and stay sane.”

Be kind to everyone “Be kind to absolutely everybody that you can. Every security guard, sound person, supermarket employee. Touring…words travel fast, and it feels far greater to be recommended and loved than hated in every city you want to come back to.”

The Essential Packing List

“We’re quite good at packing, so I don’t think there was anything that we found we particularly forgot. But here are our tour essentials:”

• Nail Clippers (this is by far the most important thing you can ever bring)
• A USB Memory stick (always comes in handy for some reason)
• Always buy a wheel lock
• Phone GPS holder
• More portable chargers than you think you’ll need
• A laundry bag
• +2 extra pairs of whatever amount of underwear you’re planning on bringing
• A selection of atmosphere-specific hats
• A film camera
• A spare belt (somebody will always need a belt)
• Swimming shorts
• A large quantity of Sharpie pens
• An extra set of nail clippers

Tour Dates

The band are set to embark on a UK tour in March and April 2025. Catch them at the following venues:

• 15th March – Leeds – Dark Arts at Belgrave Music Hall
• 31st March – Newcastle – The Grove
• 1st April – Glasgow – SWG3 (Warehouse)
• 3rd April – Nottingham – The Bodega
• 4th April – Manchester – Gorilla
• 5th April – Sheffield – Yellow Arch Studio
• 7th April – Bristol – Thekla
• 8th April – Birmingham – Mama Roux’s
• 9th April – London – Oslo

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