Going on a tour - tips for sore fingers?

Hey guys,

Me and my good ol' Thumb NT are going on a small tour in southern Europe in a couple of weeks. There will be 9 gigs on 9 consecutive nights. I have never played that many gigs in such a short time before. Mainly, I'm worried that my fingers won't hold up, and become all sore and full of blisters. Sometimes, even after playing only a single gig, my fingers get a little sore (though I haven't had a blister in years), and sometimes I can feel this soreness the following day.

How do you guys approach this? Are there any pro-tips you can share?

Any other things you want to share about touring as a bass player, please go ahead.

For those interested, the dates are:

2012, June:
- Friday 22th: Italy, Bologna @ XM24 w/ NASUM + WORMROT
- Saturday 23th: Germany, Memmingen @ Schwarzer Adler "Mosh Against Southside IV" w/ FLESHCRAWL + ENDDARM
- Sunday 24th: Poland, Wroclaw (TBC)
- Monday 25th: Czech Republic, Breclav @ Piksla Kafé w/ DESTROYING DIVINITY
- Tuesday 26th: Czech Republic, Prague @ Exit-us w/ POSSESSED (usa) + PANDEMIA
- Wednesday 27th: Germany, Berlin @ Koma-F
- Thursday 28th: Germany, Neu-Anspach @ Juz Alt-Anspach w/ WOMB LEECH
- Friday 29th: - Germany, Mainz (TBC)
- Sat 30th: Italy, Milan @ Blue Rose Saloon w/ NECRO + GRINDZERO

 

My cure was getting a compressor and turning up the volume onstage: I`m playing a bit softer, more in control, I hear all my notes at a more even level so I don`t tend do dig in that hard anymore... If we are doing long shows (like 3-4 hours), I´m always carrying soe handbalm with sallow thorn, applying some 2 hours prior to the gig and some after the gig. Keeps my skin intact.

Have a good tour! Some interesting billings there :twisted:

 

if you had more time...practice with minimum stop between musics, light up your touch (if you play hard)! in my last touring band we would practice the complete set with no stops (like in a real show) but two times in a row, when the real thing came no special effort was required. remember to rest and eat right (the drummer found the wrong way he needed to eat a mars before the gigs), and most important... have fun!

 

In case of emergencies if you shred your fingers or you get the dreaded right hand fingertip blisters/cuts liquid bandaid stuff or super glue can be used to make a second skin. I have done a couple gigs with cuts on my plucking fingers and by painting a bit of superglue on my fingers it got me through. It feels weird, you have a good chance of glueing yourself to something, and its probably bad for your strings..BUT it will get you through in a pinch.

Apart form that rehearsing double sets is a great tip, also look after yourself. you can do one gig hungover/after eating lots of crap/both, but third gig after tow big nights will SUCK. I once did battle of the bands-drink, party gig-drink, club gig the third night. it was horrid by the third night.

 

Two beers before the gig, no more. About the fingers: make sure your monitoring is loud enough so you won't play too hard. Compression does help, so does not having a scooped sound on your EQ.

 

I don't have any advice or tips but I sure do wanna wish U succes and mucho fun on ur tour man ... 8:

 

Is it because of friction? I might sound crazy, but if you have oily nose or face rub your fingers against them for lubrication. It won't take away the soreness and it makes playing smoother and more comfortable.

 

I have/would just play through it. In the mean time when you are not touring, play more. The last couple weekends we rehearsed 15 hours total each weekend working on 25 song sets. I had no soreness anywhere. No soreness during our two hour show Saturday. A year ago, I would have been hurting, but I have gotten past that point.

You will be ok

 

Lots of great tips here! I'll agree that its good practice not to dig in harder at a gig...it takes control, but you will sound better in the end. Also, another vote for liquid bandaid or even super glue. It can get you through in an emergency! Best of luck!

 

Ice can help both the sore muscles and the sore finger tips. I've actually found that icing blisters speeds up the re-absorption of the fluid and formation of calluses.

 

About the advise to take it easy during gigs, it's hard to do that. When you're on the verge of wetting yourself out of excitement at gigs, I think it is unlikely to control yourself from playing with much intensity. Just my few cents. :d

 

Great advice so far so I won't beat a dead horse but trying to play consistent is super important for tone just as much as soreness and being prepared works wonders. If you are completely prepared (practiced the set 2-3 times strait for multiple days in a row) then you will have no problems just fun!

 

never!

 

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm back from the tour, and we had a blast! My fingers held up without problems, and my Warwick delivered the goods night after night. Cheers!

 

Good luck. Fender used to have this magazine called frontline. I believe it was Victor Bailey who stated he used some oil from The BodyShop to keep his fingers smooth and free of blisters. Some lines later he confessed he SOMETIMES used that oil, but mostly used some grease... ...out of his nose

 

That`s a "not-need-to-know"-fact!