Always Come Prepared

My little adventure in the mountain was an eye opening experience in terms of preparation. Yeah, I was in no shape to handle a flat tire on the side of the mountain with no service, but there were other ways in which I was prepared– I had spare blankets in the car, plenty of water, plenty of food, and an overnight bag. Even if an impromptu camping trip wasn’t what I was expecting, I was prepared to survive the night. I’ve since added a AAA membership and a satellite device to that list. But stuff like this happens all the time at gigs too. Cables stop working, power cords get left behind (true story), devices aren’t charged. Amongst all the gear I need to bring, I have a list of things I always keep extras of so that I can get through the gig (or in case of emergencies).

Extra legitimate gear:

• 1/4 inch cables

• Xlr cables

• Mic

• Standard power cable

• Sustain pedal

• Pin keys

• phone/tablet chargers or back-up devices.

Now here are some things I keep in my gig bag that aren’t necessarily “extras,” but I am thankful when I have them:

• Liquid IV (for when I’m having trouble staying hydrated despite drinking a lot of water)

• Hand-held nebulizer + liquid saline pakcets (same, but specifically for my vocal cords)

• Protein snack (commute and gig days get LONG, and meal times are unpredictable)

• Bag of chips or popcorn

• Ear plugs (for when the stage sound is LOUD. Hearing health is so important for our job and it sucks having your ears blasted)

• Singing straws (for warm-ups & cool-downs). 

Keeping all of these items in my bag has saved my butt MANY times. Now do yourself a favor and learn from my mistakes ;)