What Actually Happens on a Band Tour (The Honest Version)

Greetings, Buskers! 👋

People see the stage. The lights, the crowd, the set. What they don't see is the two hours before the gig where someone can't find the drum key, the sat nav is arguing with itself, and we're all surviving on a single bag of Haribo and misplaced optimism.

Here's what life on the One For All tour actually looks like.

🚐 The Van

The van is our office, our dressing room, our dining room, and occasionally our bedroom. It smells like guitar cases and instant coffee. Someone always has their feet up where they shouldn't. The aux cord argument is a daily ritual. We wouldn't change any of it.

⏰ The Soundcheck

Soundcheck is where you find out whether the gig is going to be plain sailing or a complete adventure. Sometimes everything clicks in twenty minutes and you feel like a proper rock band. Other times you spend forty-five minutes chasing a mysterious hum that turns out to be someone's phone charger. Both outcomes are, in their own way, character building.

🎤 The Green Room

We use the term loosely. It might be an actual green room. It might be a stock cupboard with a mirror balanced on a crate. It might be the car park. On a good night there's a rider. On a great night the rider has actual food on it rather than just a warm six-pack and a packet of Rich Tea biscuits.

🙌 The 60 Seconds Before We Walk On

This bit never gets old. Doesn't matter if it's a packed festival field or a Tuesday night in a pub with forty people in — there's something about that sixty seconds in the wings before the first chord lands that still makes every single one of us buzz. That's why we do it.

☀️ What's Coming Up

The One For All tour is still rolling — and festival season is just around the corner. If you haven't grabbed your tickets yet, head to the Tour page and come find us. We promise the soundcheck stories are worth it.

See you down the front. 🎸

Much love,

Ken, Luke, Olly and Matt 🎸

P.S. Drop us a comment — what's the best (or worst) venue you've ever seen us play? We have some opinions of our own…