Active Band Man Chats - Handy Gadgets

So, what’s today’s topic?

The world has gotten a lot more convenient, hasn’t it?

Yeah, it has. And?

Equipment has evolved too!

Yeah, yeah. When I think about when we first started playing instruments...

But surprisingly, sometimes the more basic stuff ends up being more useful, right?

Ah, yeah! Those subtle, handy gadgets. You don’t really need them, but when you have them, they’re unexpectedly useful.

Exactly!

When you’ve been in a band for a long time, you notice these things in random moments or situations.

That’s it!

Okay, okay. So, let’s hear what you’ve got.

First, something handy to have while traveling!

Ah, if you’re in a touring band, you end up spending a lot of time in the van, right? Making that time comfortable is important. It even affects your performance.

Exactly!

So, where do we start?

Cushion!

Well... yeah, that’d definitely make things more comfortable.

Pillow!

You could just use the cushion for that.

It’s better if it’s one of those neck pillows!

Ah, I see. Like the ones from travel stores. Makes sense if you’re trying to catch some sleep in the van.

Eye mask.

Ah, that might actually be a good one.

Earplugs!
CRESCENDO / Sleep 25 Ear Protectors (Earplugs)

Yeah, they sometimes give out those things on highway buses, don’t they? These are more like travel accessories than gear though. You think this is okay for Sound House?

Plastic bags!

Of course, they’re handy as trash bags, but you can use them for a lot of other things too. In emergencies, you could even use them to carry water, right?

You can even fetch well water!

Okay, okay...

How about a fan or folding fan!

Yeah, air conditioning doesn’t always hit every seat evenly.

But the most useful thing to have is...

Is...?

Towels!

What?

T-o-w-e-l!
Japan Birdwatching Society / Yama Towel Lime

Huh? Could you explain that a bit?

You can roll it up and use it as a cushion or a pillow.

Well... I guess that’s true.

It can also double as an eye mask.

Yeah.

And you can use it like a shawl or scarf!

For when the AC is too strong, huh.

If you’re a touring band, you probably have a ton of them packed anyway! Towels!

Yeah, they’re usually merch.

Towels are versatile!

You think so?

And best of all...

Oh, there’s an even better use?

You can wipe off sweat!

Right... (deadpan)

You can wipe away tears too...

Hey, we’re not done yet... go ahead and wipe those tears.

Spinning towels around during a live show gets the crowd hyped!

Let’s not do that in the car though, it’s dangerous. But yeah, towels really do come in handy... What was that whole conversation we just had?

Moving on! Handy items to have in the green room at a live venue!

Aren’t you just going to ignore me?

Power strips!

Ah, right. Outlets in the green room are always limited. Everyone’s fighting over them to charge their phones...

Exactly, and there are things like hair dryers too.

These days, they’ve got small ones that can split into two or three. Having one of those means you won’t bother anyone while securing some power for yourself!

Also, bring your own mirror.

Most green rooms do have mirrors, though.

Yeah, but not all of them have a full wall of mirrors.

True, and sometimes they’re so covered in band passes that they’re useless...

It’s nice to give up the spot in front of the mirror to those going on stage soon.

Depends on how big the green room is, but sharing the mirror is definitely good manners.

So, bringing your own mirror is highly recommended for any situation!

A small one should be fine, right?

Sure, but if you can, bring a vanity mirror!

Vanity mirror?

One with lights! You never know if you’ll end up in a dark corner of the green room.

I see... definitely useful for anyone doing their makeup.

Oh, and remember that plastic bags come in handy in the green room too.

For trash?

That, and to store your sweaty shirts after the show.

Good point! Especially on tour, managing your stage clothes can be tricky... Sweaty people really need that!

Exactly! That’s a tip from The Captains’ sweatiest member, Ted! Alright, now let’s talk about stuff that can be handy on stage!

Alright, next up is handy gear for the stage, right?

Yep!

What do you have for us?

Power strips!

Didn’t we just talk about those for the green room?

It’s better to bring a separate one just for the stage!
CLASSIC PRO / Power Strip PDS8 1.6m

Well... the venue staff will usually lend you one if you ask, but if you bring your own, you save the hassle of having to borrow one.

If it’s just an effects pedal board, you might not need one, but lately, I use one outlet for the pedal board, one for a preamp for the mic, and one for the wireless mic receiver—so three outlets in total!

Yeah, with different plug shapes and all, it’s definitely more reassuring to bring your own.

Exactly!

Anything else? Got more?

Something tape-related!

Tape-related?

Masking tape!

Ah, masking tape. I use it too.

To prevent cables from coming loose?

Yeah, that, and also to stick setlists on the monitor. Oh, and I use the Xvive wireless system, so I use it to fix the transmitter to my bass. I think I mentioned this before.

In that case, since it’ll show on the body, it’s better if you use one with a cute or motivating pattern, right!?

?

My favorite is this one!

?

Taro Okamoto!

‘Art is explosion,’ huh? That’s a bold choice.

Also, having some protective tape like floor covering tape would be good too!
Diatex / Y-06-WH PYOLAN™ Floor Protection Tape White

Well, they probably keep duct tape on hand at the live venue... but the protection tape is easier to stick and peel off.

Yeah! Plus, it’s easy to write on!

That’s true... Oh, and we need permanent markers too. Writing instruments are surprisingly useful.

Essential! Especially when someone asks for your autograph! Wait, Horry? Do you want my autograph?

Yes, yes, I want it (deadpan). The prince is very popular, after all!

Permanently!

Huh? Oh, I see, you made a pun with ‘permanent markers’—nice one (deadpan) By the way, I carry a few pens, a thin screwdriver, and nail clippers in my pencil case. Nail clippers are surprisingly handy. It’s a bit tough to use them instead of scissors, though.

Oh, speaking of pens, we need paper too!

Paper?

You know, paper to write the setlist and stick it somewhere visible during the performance!

Ah, that’s actually pretty important. I carry that too. It’s useful for writing setlists or jotting down chord progressions.

The size of the paper and thickness of the text are personal preferences, so let’s carry what works for us! I prefer using brush pens on A4-sized paper.

Some live venues provide paper for writing setlists, and they often say, “Feel free to use the back of this paper.”

Sometimes, that paper has the setlists from bands that performed there before, right?

Ah, yeah! Not just setlists, but sometimes they even have orders for the PA staff written on them.

That happens a lot. I love reading those!

You love it!?

It’s interesting to imagine what the songs are like just from their titles.

You have quite the imagination!

They usually have rough notes on the tempo, like ‘upbeat’ or ‘slow’.

And I guess you can imagine the lighting staff’s cues too?

You can definitely do that!

It seems like the prince spends time in the green room fantasizing about the other bands’ songs! So, what else is there? Any other handy items?

That seems to be about it!

I think if we keep looking, we might come up with more, but this is what comes to mind right away.

We’ve talked about quite a bit so far, but having prepared members is really the best, right?

Like Ted?

Exactly! If you ask Ted, he usually has just about anything you need. He’s really amazing.

For example?

Of course, he has stationery like pens, scissors, notebooks, and tape, but also tools like screwdrivers and wrenches! If you say, “Oh no, a button came off my costume!” he’ll pull out sewing supplies, and I have this image of him always having chopsticks on hand too.

Oh, I think I’ve seen him pull out chopsticks! It was when another member was struggling without any! As expected of him.

He’s like Doraemon!

Ted-emon... But not every band has such thoughtful members, so it’s best to prepare as much as you can on your own. I hope this talk can serve as a reference for that.

So, everything comes down to?

Love!