Bands Tell Us About the Worst Places They've Crashed While Touring

I've interviewed musicians since I was a teenager, and in that time, I've learned two main lessons. The first lesson is that playing in a band is the greatest job in the world. For months at a time you and your friends get to travel from place to place sharing your art and ideas with audiences who are excited to see you play. The second lesson is that playing in a band is the worst job in the world. For months at a time you're away from your family and loved ones, performing songs you poured your heart into for minuscule crowds that are only there for the beer.

There are a lot of highs and lows for touring musicians. Anyone who has spent time on the road can tell you that one of the biggest concerns is figuring out where they're going to spend the night post concert. Recently I sat down with a handful of bands and asked about the worst place they've ever slept.

PUP Turns Gnarled And Bloody Into High Punk Art

The early rough cut had X-ray callbacks to all the videos. We had X-rays of the busted bones, Zach’s broken wrist, the cut hand from “Guilt Trip,” Stefan having cymbals in his back from “Reservoir,” and his broken arm from doing the inverted Jesus pose and falling into the crowd in “Dark Days."
The idea was they’d been on this tour for however long and they’re broken and battered, emotionally and physically — and they really were. There’s that one X-ray of Stefan’s real throat. The story of the video is a slightly more gnarly version of the very real life PUP story. We literally shot a video where they set each other on fire, soaked in blood, and were physically trying to kill each other. I don’t have a clue what we can do [to top this video] next.

-- Juno nominated filmmaker Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux describes making PUP's new video, "If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will" -- Fader

Soure, External. "PUP Turns Gnarled And Bloody Into High Punk Art." FYI Music News. June 03, 2016. Accessed June 06, 2016. http://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2016/06/03/pup-turns-gnarled-and-bloody-high-punk-art.