The knack: Surviving on tour
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Your support makes all the difference."Get the biggest bus you can: some bands get sent on tour in Transit vans. Boredom is a big problem, so don't even think about going on the road without a PlayStation and a bar: we would've split up within a week without them. Your voice wears down, so every now and again don't talk to anyone for a day and drink whisky with honey. Your tour manager might say, `Don't drink or you'll go crazy' - but ignore this; getting pissed every night alleviates the pressure of being cooped up with a bunch of madheads and keeps you sane. Just don't do it too much before you go on stage or you'll play badly.
Don't invite people, especially groupies, on to your bus: that's like shitting in your living room. Do all your socialising in the dressing rooms and when your driver comes and says, `Time to go,' get on the bus alone. Don't play the big pop star and mess the road manager, the driver and the rest of the crew around - they're looking after you.
Get as many riders [the free stuff that bands demand] as you can. They'll say, `We'll give you the five crates of beer but not the brandy.' You've got to say, `The band in the dressing room next door's got brandy, why can't we?' They'll get the brandy. Put boxer shorts on your rider as well, because it saves you from having to wash any, although I'm sure Liam and Noel don't have to worry about that." Interview by Fiona McClymont
Richard McNevin-Duff is lead singer of The Space Monkeys, who have just finished a US tour. Their single `Brave New World' (Factory Records) is out in July.
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