I'll be traveling from Philadelphia to see you in Kansas City because I won't be in Philadelphia when you're playing here. Can't wait!!! VIP and everything.
Bought my tickets back in December for the Charlotte show! What a way to kick off a Spring Break trip. Heading to the mountains directly after to soak in some hot springs with ears ringing from the Darkness show. Heavenly.......
I suppose if your backs start hurting, you could do some carefully coached exercises to build up your back muscles, I think that would happen. I remember having a bass that was really heavy and unbalanced, I had to keep pulling up on it to keep the neck from pulling me down. Very tiring. heat: Play Iowa in the winter, you might get a night where you step off the bus and it's 80 below with the wind chill. 🤣 Any Spinal Tap experiences?
Our little band had a fabulous time touring many years ago. Contracted by the American Government to tour U.S. airforce and army bases in Germany for months on end, we played to enormous crowds of servicemen who were all up for a party. We couldn’t have been treated any better. Very well treated at every venue (and rodeo), meals provided in all the bases restaurants, accommodation was in small German tourist hotels (We were a country rock band). Cocoa-cola was free ha ha, but beer had to be paid for. On the road in our beaten up transit van - we were a bit cramped for space, but it was like one very long holiday which I look back on very fondly…those were the days, great memories.
I worked as a house manager for many years at a performance venue. I always used to make it a point of pride to treat the act well & with great care for their needs. It wasn’t always easy, and sometimes you weren’t necessarily treated with the same professionalism, but it was always so important to me because I knew these guys were away from the comfort of home. Maybe it came from being a theatre actor myself, but I just felt it was really important. Kindness breeds kindness & all that.
Love this! Great insight. It's incredible to have someone who's really been there, done that (and still doing it!) doing youtube, patreon, and telling it how it is. Keep on keepin' on 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Interestingly fun.. The only point I can semi-disagree with is Justin's love of weighty guitars... I've just made my first prototype of the world's smallest and lightest full scale (25.5 inch) guitar that's only 20 inches long!... Sound's impossible? -- The body slides out from under the neck, taking the scale length up to the correct 25.5 inches and also houses a sliding tuner system crafted out of a set of acoustic tuners with the nobs cut off and slots cut in. Tunes via a screwdriver or key crafted from one of the cut off knobs.. The tuners slide so when the body slide the strings can be kept tight, not flapping around loosely.. -- The body follows the neck so it looks like a stick.. It's headless too, with fixed acoustic pickup and detachable electric pickup that can be. slid from the neck to the bridge, held on by magnetism, for nice tone control... It also has a volume and tone knob + socket taking up 1 inch at the bridge... World's smallest, lightest guitar... -- Makes Justin's skinny little lovely Martin travel aoustic guitar seem GIANT! Surprisingly robust and very simple to maintain... Total cost - £40 (though necks have just gone up in the UK due to short supply).. I have another system to prototype with tuners inside a spindle at the bridge end... Bit longer but potentially thinner, without the need for sliding tuners (strings wrap around the spindle when the body slides up into storage mode.. -- 6.5cm x 8 cm x 51cm box with enough free space for a small effects box / headphone guitar amp and small set of headphones. The box lid doubles as a bolt on stand so the guitar rests on your knee nicely. The balance is good. The body is heavy enough considering it's a headless guitar with no hardware at the head end other than 6x 2mm nail shafts in 6 holes just big enough to house the string ends that hook onto the cut off nails. -- blah blah..... More for people going on holiday and travelling than touring bands that should have their full stage kit with them.
Until losing my eyesight, I was a touring guitar tech for most of my adult life.… It is long days with little sleep; lots of hard work and heavy lifting. Insane travel schedules… Attitudes, egos, language barriers and, maintaining a proper diet… Not glamorous at all. Wouldn’t change a thing about it. Well, maybe the whole losing the eyesight part… Great video, Justin!🤠
@@dangolguitartech consider an elimination diet dude. Cut out ALL processed food (grains and dairy too) and see what happens after a month. Good luck to you ✌️
Totally unrelated but just wanted to say your running the game series got me back into D&D, dming for my son and wife now and your insight and advice has been invaluable. Thank you Matt.
A producer I worked with once said "It's a privilege to entertain" One of my pet peeves is musicians who bitch about being musicians, if you don't like it 'do something else', there are so many people who desperately want your job. I'm sure it's hard and can be monotonous but as Justin said it's the payment for doing the bits you love. If people are paying money to see you, bring your A game regardless of how you feel about the touring experience.
Hi Justin, I've always been interested in your band's early success in the UK, especially when you headlined Leeds & Reading festival in 2004. I'd love to watch a video of you maybe talking about that period in the band's career. Anyway, I love the openness and transparency you evoke through your TH-cam channel.
I would trade my routine of getting up, going to work for 8 hrs, five days a week, 50 weeks a year for the past 40 years for whatever you guys have to put up with.
LOL... You'd think so........ but you'd be wrong You'd be trading your 8 hours for like 16hours or so and your 5 days for like 6 or 7 days and then there's a tonne of legal shit you need to handle You'd do it for a while then you'd give it up and go back to your job and say... thank fuck i'm back here doing this stuff with no real responsibilities
I'm sorry but no. I'm a dancer and part of what was so fun about dance when I first started was that the rehearsals were only once a week and the performances were 4 times a year max. in the pro world, you're rehearsing 10+ hours a day, AND performing 3-10x a week (which means hair and makeup 3-10 times a week). I cannot imagine being a musical artist (the addition of press junkets, photoshoots, etc). dance drove me back to academics and now I'm about to go back to college so I can have a "boring" normal career lol. and I teach dance once a week
Justin my guy, your a major influence on my guitar playing, you was the first rockstar I saw on the telly as a young kid. You rock man, 22 years later and I'm watching you again. Thanks for the influence man your the reason I love the Gibson les Paul custom.
Nice that you acknowledge the obvious perks Justin, it's all very well these successful musicians sitting there looking like pantomime dames, telling us what an awfully hard life they have...I was in a moderately successful band during the 80s and I too was a spoilt fop, complaining about substandard hotel rooms 'gruelling' photo sessions, tour buses with just ONE toilet, no cashews in the 'Executive lounge' at Heathrow etc etc...I'm now a Farrier, getting kicked and bitten by stroppy horses (and horse owners) in all weathers, every day...Give me a rider with no caviar and a ridiculously early soundcheck (1.00 PM) any day.
chris payne who was in the gary numan band at the height of his success says similar things, that looking back it was such a lucky life to lead and be part of
I’ve never been in a (proper) band, but I can’t help but think most of the people who whine about touring have no real life experience to compare it to. As you say you didn’t until after you were that soldier. As Brett Anderson once said, stop complaining and f**k off and become a plumber, or words to that effect.
One of my earliest memories is banging out I Believe In A Thing Called Love in my grandmothers living room when I was three years old. Seeing you now doing this channel, touring and still making the music you love, through ups and downs, is phenomenally inspiring. Thank you for continuing to be an absolute legend ❤️✌️
This is a really interesting conversation for a music lover to hear. I know I would like to hear more behind the curtain stories or tales from the studio etc.
I've been reading Neil Peart's (RIP :-( ) stuff lately. I really like how he accommodated his introversion and how he managed tours, doing it his own way, biking between gigs.
Justin. It's good to see you here on TH-cam sharing your life. I've watched interviews with you and your brother and had some good laughs at times when I need it. The humor you guys put out is creative and enjoyable. I listen to your music a lot. You guys are truly talented, and the ride isn't over. You are probably the best rock singer out there right now. And you write very deep songs. The songs of addiction definitely hit home here. You tell it like it is. Thanks for sharing your life. I believe the best is in front of you and not behind you. Cheers from Zurich!
You´re so right Justin. Having an audience singing your song back at you must be one of the single most incredible feelings a human being can experience. How lucky you are. For us mere mortals we can only dream about what that must feel like. Oh, great to see Tom & Mark in your video. Love to hear your take on Blink 182......pretty please! Thanks for the music and laughs.
I love seeing your subscribers increase every time I come back. It is truly enjoyable to hear your insights. Thank you for creating this channel and producing so much content!
As a musician myself there’s not much I hate more than loading out gear in the middle of winter! But I look at it this way; we play for free but get paid to do all the peripheral stuff that makes the gig happen!
I agree with most of those comments, I used to be a Roadie. I did 6 months touring with one band, and I had no idea where I was most of the time. Sleep, travel to the next Gig, sleep, travel to the next Gig, over and over again. Some great memories, but most of it was just a Blur.
Justin, no matter how rough touring can be, you are the best live show I've ever seen. I wish your brother got more credit for holding it down, but when you can crowd surf AND nail your encore guitar part...
I've got to say, I love coming home from a shift at the hospital to see there's a new Justin vid. Great way to chill out and wind down. It would be awesome to see the band over here in NZ at some point, hopefully before the next millennia with COVID and all that.
Justin, I found your channel a day ago and have been binge-watching! I absolutely love how refreshingly honest it is. As an older gal who is almost 50y/o, I think you are a breath of fresh air on YT and so self-effacing! Just wonderful. (King Tuts is the Tits, Venue-wise) - All the best from a Glasgow Lass! xxx
Being on tour kind of sounds like a sailor's life getting underway on deployment with the carriers and ships. When I was a sailor in the United States Navy, we would blast your songs in our workshop singing at the top of our lungs it was such a morale booster for us. I'll always be thankful to you and all the musicians that make our lives so much more enjoyable.
@@sirchromiumdowns2015 Hey shipmate! Thank you for your service. I served aboard the AOE-6, Whidbey Island (LSD-41), GW(73), Truman(75), and Eisenhower (69). I served for 20 years, and I am a retired non nuclear electricians mate first class. It was during the Truman tour in 2009 where I worked in G-4 elevators as a EM2 that my shop used to blast The Darkness songs for morale.
What a breath of fresh air this channel is man! Darkness are up there for me as one of my favourite bands since my late teenage years. Seen you many many times and you never dissapoint live! Lost my misses on the 30th December 2021 and she leaves me alone to raise our four children under 10 and you're music helps still helps me today man.
Sorry to hear that Naval, must be absolutely awful for you mate. Luckily you have the wonderful Darkness family (myself included) at hand if you ever need to reach out...we are survivors, the ones left behind. Defenders of our legacy, the last of our kind. Big love dude.
@@punchyb1 beyond tough time mate but there is always the Darkness family. I am getting through it the best i can. Much respect and love for that comment.
I’m glad I had the opportunity to be on a big major label, be on MTV, play lollapalooza, Pitchfork, etc….. and do the whole touring thing when I was younger. It made me realize that I like being an artist….not a musician. If that makes any sense. Give me the creative part all day long. You can have the other promo bs. I like writing songs, making records, collaborating, painting, sculpting, crafting words, etc. I despised driving around the country in a van, waiting in back rooms, being in clubs until 3am in the morning, being stuck around a bunch of wasted people every night, talking to journalists, eating crap food, waking up at 5am to go to a radio station to play an acoustic song for a show, and having to talk to people I didn’t want to talk to. The good part about having done that life, and basically walking away from it……is I never have to go through the rest of my life wondering what it’s like to be a professional musician….like millions of musicians who never get a chance to do it. I saw it, experienced it, hated it, and was freed from that absurd dream. 😂
Great insight into touring, I did a smidgeon of it back in the late 70’s early 80’s. I hated it because of family and the routine. But working a 9 to 5 job ( construction ) it has it’s pitfalls as well. But my construction job had me away for months as well living in camps or motels that sucked as well.
This just popped up on my homepage and I didn't realize it was you at first. Instant sub and I'm buying Permission to Land ASAP! That album was a banger!
The world is better with guys like Justin Hawkins and Russell Brand sharing their experiences and insight in a humorous, quirky and immensely entertaining way. Appreciate these videos! Best of luck to you, Mr. Hawkins.
As someone who never met the right mix of people to form a consistent, touring band, I'd say touring is an absolute privilege and awesome. I have played a few gigs and it was always fun; live performances leave great memories, even the ones that weren't so good.
Love this, really interesting to hear the reality of it all from the horses mouth! Was fantastic to watch all the behind the scenes stuff on Patreon while you were touring made it all the more exciting and kept the tour going for all of us longer than our individual shows! If you are going to American dates definitely sign up to Patreon it made the gig even better if that was ever possible, and meeting new friends at every venue was just brilliant!!! Great shout out to tuts, Scottish hospitality at its best, always comes with a stroke warning 😂 x
Hey Justin! Just wanted to say thanks for being a bad-ass, and for the inspiration. You brought Rock N Roll back at a time that it was nearly dead. "Givin Up" is my go-to song when I feel like I just can't take anymore shit from the world. You fucking ROCK bro. \m/
More vids like this please Mr Hawkins! Love hearing your insight on being on tour or in the the Darkness in general. Could you talk about whether you get sick of playing the hits? Are there tips in keeping them fresh for yourselves? Do you have any deep cuts that are faves to play for the band?
Can’t find the video I was going to write this in, was the one about trolls. I remember when you first came out, distinctly. I am now 35. I thought you were great. Now when I watch you I think you are even better on this channel, so funny, a great sense of humour, musically very intelligent and interesting to learn from. If you have haters, there is no other words but envy. You are remarkable and your channel is fantastic. You remind me a bit on russell brand, who I love, but you have your own uniqueness. I personally think you are great and I share a lot of your points of view. Keep them coming Justin 🤟🏽🤟🏽🎸🎸
Hello there mate! Super stoked on the fact that i found your channel! Im from Argentina and been following The Darkness since "Permission to Land" (brilliant work as all that followed, by the way). I've heard all your music, even the solo and collab work. Even went to London on 2015 to see you guys at camden Roundhouse and was certainly an awesome gig! Sadly i tried to catch you guys on Roundhouse 2019 but after hours of driving from Wales to London i was so battered i had minor car crash and missed the show :( . Keep on riding and rocking the s#%t out of music!!!
Might be one of my favorite videos. Love to see someone explain how it’s really like. I’m sure there are times that it’s very rewarding, but I do not envy famous people at all. It would literally kill me.
This was a great watch. All takes are pretty on point though every day can be that or a great experience…We are doing a club tour with Anvil in the US right now and you get some nights with that jerk promoter that halves the guarantee and doesn’t even give bottled water, then some nights at great venues where they really go out of their way for the bands. It’s a life riding a wave vs a straight line. It’s a Les Paul vs a PRS. The PRS is always consistent in the middle and stays in tune, but that’s it. The Les Paul may give you more headaches, but it is capable of pure alchemy when it’s all working. Buy the ticket take the ride \m/ …..I’ll take the struggle….it’s worth it if this is your calling. We may never get to stadiums but I don’t care…..I’m in for life. It’s not a choice. Music….It’s just everything.
I had the privilege to work for a band the summer of 2016. It lasted for 15 weeks, 3 tours, 3 festivals a total of 63 shows. I was the singer's PA/HMUA/wardrobe. Getting her ready, and the show were my favorite parts. It was a lot of work but so rewarding.
The first time I saw The Darkness was supporting The Wildhearts at the Astoria many moons ago, just before 'Permission...' was released (or maybe it had been?) - thanks for name-checking The Wildhearts, they're one of those bands that should have been massive and deserve more recognition. I trust you'll agree?
Thank you so much for touring. It is obviously very tiring and even when you go to exciting places you don't often get to see anything they have to offer. I think I speak for all fans when I say how much we appreciate it, especially if you place close to where we live. I don't mind travelling to see a band but I can't always afford the train and hotel costs. Always an added bonus when I can see the live music within an hours' drive of home.
Hey Justin, my first ever 'Like and Subscribe' - Be honoured be very honoured.... Regarding the aforementioned The Wildhearts - I remember one of your first support slots with them in the Concorde 2 on Brighton beach.... how about an episode or 2 (because there's so much material) on Ginger please? In particular his prolific songwriting and its diversity .... Your favourite songs? .... Indulge me please
Just watched this video and I was a bit sad about what you said regarding “Christmas time…” I have been a HUGE fan of TD since 2003 when I started uni and I’ve been privileged enough to see you multiple times and I would come and watch you in the Summer/Spring/Autumn or Winter!! I think it’s great having that Winter/Christmas spirit and knowing I can watch you guys just makes that time of year special!! I listen to “Christmas Time” and “I am Santa” all year round as they are TD songs, I don’t care if they are specifically for a certain time of year! P.S why don’t you play “I am Santa” as well, when you do tour at Christmas, I love it!! Thank you and keep rocking (Say hi to the rest of the band for me 👍)
Long ago i was touring with my band.. and after soundcheck and some spare time to wait for the food.. Darkness was doing soundcheck... so i sat there and i had a private show by you guys ,,, O2 Academy Birmingham .. long long time ago... good times on the road. Cheers Justin.
So interesting you mention the connection with audience... Remember a megadeth concert and Dave looked me in the eye and gave me the finger... Was jovial .. made the gig .. so important those couple of hours on stage... Mate was at a Priest concert and during green manalishi Rob spoke to my mates wife... Epic . As fans we forget about everything during a gig, and so should the band.. ❤❤❤
I got to tour as a gtr tech for about a month and a half. I was young and it was my first time out on the road so the traveling was kinda fun(although I didn’t have much time in most places to do much exploring). The band I was working for was kinda miserable though(lol, they hadn’t toured in years and were complaining about being on the road…and 6 months prior to this I was working at McDs so…). It was a job though, woke up like 8:30-9, setup gear then take a lunch, get stuff onstage, show, get stuff offstage, dinner and sleep. The band I was with had their partying days behind them so it wasn’t really crazy after dinner. Overall, loved the lifestyle but not necessarily the guys I was working for(and I think the tour manager didn’t like me from the get-go). Great seeing your channel Justin, I’ve been following you guys since (I believe) your first show in the US(I was too young to get in).
Great video Justin. Please just know that the sacrifices in leaving your loved ones behind, and the stresses of touring, is so appreciated. The thought of experiencing live music again kept me going through lockdown and seeing you in December made me feel whole again (not in an Atomic Kitten way).
You should be proud of your Christmas song, Justin. I thing Christmas Time is the last genuinely good Christmas song in modern times. All the best to you.
Hi Justin, I was working at The London Astoria when you played and shot the footage for your gig, in fact, I actually bumped into you on the windy long stairway between the dressing room and stage. Please give the venue a mention as it no longer exists. Yes, it was smelly and needed repair but, it was a legendary venue for so many years and so many people used it for decades. Sadly it was demolished for the Crossrail development and was promised to have a replacement venue built in its place which obviously has never happened due to governmental or estate agents wishes as there's money to be made from overseas investment. Loving the stuff your doing with this new channel, Thank you. BUT, here's a challenge, Cardiacs!
One of the things those who can't take it any more could try is to go and get a job feeding billets into the rollers of a steel mill. (Very satisfying. You get to be part of turning a huge lump of square stuff into wire, or reinforcing bar, or rail tracks - all sorts of things). Nice thing about the "feeding" job is that you get to hang out nice and close to the oven used to keep the billets red hot, so that they can deform when going through the rollers instead of coming to a halt and spewing big worms of red hot steel all over the place. Nice and warm on a cold night (12 hours. Always at least 12 hours.) Actually it gets a bit hot after a while, but never mind; there's air conditioning. If it gets too hot just turn your aircon on. Instant relief. Very powerful air conditioner. A bit too powerful, though. You hang in there and try to just tolerate being in a fridge, because it's probably worse getting warmed up by bits of read hot steel. When you start shivering, though, you don't really have an alternative. If you can squeeze in a quick gap between billets, you can switch off the air conditioning. Sometimes takes a while. Those rollers are hungry. Billet needs to be pushed a little way, rotated (and don't leave the pusher in there, else it'll melt). Takes a fair bit of concentration. On just one single task. For 12 hours. (I think I said 12 hours?) Might sound like there are some downsides to that, but that's only to people who've never operated the sewage "honeysucker". With leaky pipes. And a broken tow hook, so has to be finessed along with a length of chain. (Workshop? ... Hahahahahahhaha ... good one.) That said, it sounds like the downside of the job is pretty harsh compared to e.g. working in a workshop where your only job is to forge the worksheets once a month, and the rest of the time you just "work for King Rat". It's all relative. But I am distracted by these relevancies. I found out what you've been up to, Justin Hawkins. (But maybe nobody at all is going to learn the secret, what with it being so deeply buried beneath this pile of TL;DR.) *Star Trekkin* th-cam.com/video/FCARADb9asE/w-d-xo.html (Ja, I know it's only a discovery for those who lived under or a rock, or with their heads buried in their own arse holes, for the last thirty years, but ... whaddever, as that great wisdom show used to say.)
I quit touring when my kids were born. We were always gone. I always kept a bag packed and spent very little time at home. We were always paying back the record company. I remember a 3 week tour was our “sanity limit”. Anything longer tended to wear you down badly. We loved playing. I loved only being responsible for a good show and laundry. We spent a lot of time traveling but not as much sightseeing as we hoped. Always under the gun. It was an experience and made me better as a player. As far as alone time…..we were van touring and sharing rooms so the drummer and I were VERY close. We lived in each other pockets
I'm on tour in the USA & Canada with The Darkness this year you can get tickets here: www.thedarknesslive.com/tour-dates/
You guys playing Toronto?
I'll be traveling from Philadelphia to see you in Kansas City because I won't be in Philadelphia when you're playing here. Can't wait!!! VIP and everything.
Please!! Play OPEN FIRE in Tampa FL. Thanks Justin 😁🤙
Bought my tickets back in December for the Charlotte show! What a way to kick off a Spring Break trip. Heading to the mountains directly after to soak in some hot springs with ears ringing from the Darkness show. Heavenly.......
I suppose if your backs start hurting, you could do some carefully coached exercises to build up your back muscles, I think that would happen. I remember having a bass that was really heavy and unbalanced, I had to keep pulling up on it to keep the neck from pulling me down. Very tiring.
heat: Play Iowa in the winter, you might get a night where you step off the bus and it's 80 below with the wind chill. 🤣
Any Spinal Tap experiences?
Our little band had a fabulous time touring many years ago. Contracted by the American Government to tour U.S. airforce and army bases in Germany for months on end, we played to enormous crowds of servicemen who were all up for a party. We couldn’t have been treated any better. Very well treated at every venue (and rodeo), meals provided in all the bases restaurants, accommodation was in small German tourist hotels (We were a country rock band). Cocoa-cola was free ha ha, but beer had to be paid for. On the road in our beaten up transit van - we were a bit cramped for space, but it was like one very long holiday which I look back on very fondly…those were the days, great memories.
As AC-DC once said... "It's a long way to the shop if you want a sausage roll".
Yes. In a roundabout way....
Never a truer line was sung, especially a vegan roll.
Bloody oath son 🤟
Us Aussies also had another version of the sausage roll line..... "It's a long way to the top if ya wanna f*#k a mole". Just sayin
🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🦘🐨👍
I worked as a house manager for many years at a performance venue. I always used to make it a point of pride to treat the act well & with great care for their needs. It wasn’t always easy, and sometimes you weren’t necessarily treated with the same professionalism, but it was always so important to me because I knew these guys were away from the comfort of home. Maybe it came from being a theatre actor myself, but I just felt it was really important. Kindness breeds kindness & all that.
Love this. Not treating them good because of who they are but because they are human just like us. Made me smile ❤
@@reginageorge8080 ❤️
Well said.
Love this! Great insight. It's incredible to have someone who's really been there, done that (and still doing it!) doing youtube, patreon, and telling it how it is. Keep on keepin' on 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Omg can't believe you are here too, I watch you everday 💜🙏 Could you please do a Guitar Tutorial for MGK's Drunk Face?
You sound like an old trucker from the states , keep on keeping on big red!
Yeah man ! I couldn't agree more 🎸🔥🤘
Love your channel too buddy. Living in NZ, I always appreciate learning a new tune with your dulcet northern tones and great instruction.
Interestingly fun.. The only point I can semi-disagree with is Justin's love of weighty guitars... I've just made my first prototype of the world's smallest and lightest full scale (25.5 inch) guitar that's only 20 inches long!... Sound's impossible?
--
The body slides out from under the neck, taking the scale length up to the correct 25.5 inches and also houses a sliding tuner system crafted out of a set of acoustic tuners with the nobs cut off and slots cut in. Tunes via a screwdriver or key crafted from one of the cut off knobs.. The tuners slide so when the body slide the strings can be kept tight, not flapping around loosely..
--
The body follows the neck so it looks like a stick.. It's headless too, with fixed acoustic pickup and detachable electric pickup that can be. slid from the neck to the bridge, held on by magnetism, for nice tone control... It also has a volume and tone knob + socket taking up 1 inch at the bridge... World's smallest, lightest guitar...
--
Makes Justin's skinny little lovely Martin travel aoustic guitar seem GIANT! Surprisingly robust and very simple to maintain... Total cost - £40 (though necks have just gone up in the UK due to short supply).. I have another system to prototype with tuners inside a spindle at the bridge end... Bit longer but potentially thinner, without the need for sliding tuners (strings wrap around the spindle when the body slides up into storage mode..
--
6.5cm x 8 cm x 51cm box with enough free space for a small effects box / headphone guitar amp and small set of headphones. The box lid doubles as a bolt on stand so the guitar rests on your knee nicely. The balance is good. The body is heavy enough considering it's a headless guitar with no hardware at the head end other than 6x 2mm nail shafts in 6 holes just big enough to house the string ends that hook onto the cut off nails.
--
blah blah..... More for people going on holiday and travelling than touring bands that should have their full stage kit with them.
Until losing my eyesight, I was a touring guitar tech for most of my adult life.… It is long days with little sleep; lots of hard work and heavy lifting. Insane travel schedules… Attitudes, egos, language barriers and, maintaining a proper diet… Not glamorous at all.
Wouldn’t change a thing about it. Well, maybe the whole losing the eyesight part… Great video, Justin!🤠
How did you lose your eyesight?
Genetic condition that I was born with.
My eyesight is dimming but still okish . I echo everything you said here , my life too.
@@dangolguitartech consider an elimination diet dude. Cut out ALL processed food (grains and dairy too) and see what happens after a month. Good luck to you ✌️
@@ht8083 wish it was that easy… Genetic disorder passed down by previous generations. Two of my three sons also have it.
If you think it's easy doin' one night stands
Try playin' in a rock roll band
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
Totally unrelated but just wanted to say your running the game series got me back into D&D, dming for my son and wife now and your insight and advice has been invaluable.
Thank you Matt.
@@nickchivers9029 Yay! Awesome!
not the same meaning but it reminded me of
When we started this band
All we needed
Needed was a laugh
Years gone by
I say we kicked some ass
brilliant
Yeah it's a mighty long way down rock 'n' roll
From the Liverpool docks to the Hollywood bowl
Thank you for the plectrum Justin, memento from your Leeds gig 😊 🤟🏼
A producer I worked with once said "It's a privilege to entertain"
One of my pet peeves is musicians who bitch about being musicians, if you don't like it 'do something else', there are so many people who desperately want your job. I'm sure it's hard and can be monotonous but as Justin said it's the payment for doing the bits you love.
If people are paying money to see you, bring your A game regardless of how you feel about the touring experience.
Hi Justin, I've always been interested in your band's early success in the UK, especially when you headlined Leeds & Reading festival in 2004. I'd love to watch a video of you maybe talking about that period in the band's career. Anyway, I love the openness and transparency you evoke through your TH-cam channel.
yes, do
Yes I had some friends who saw the darkness very early on and I wish I had! First time was tenants vital 2004!
@@cc_1983 I saw them there, I was 15
YES!! Please talk about Reading 2004 - that was an amazing experience
I remember walking around the campsite and every stereo was playing Permission to Land, good times
I would trade my routine of getting up, going to work for 8 hrs, five days a week, 50 weeks a year for the past 40 years for whatever you guys have to put up with.
The grass is always greener, sir...its fun for a while.
Oh no! Sometimes their guitars are too heavy! Give me the 50 weeks busting my balls instead lol
Preach man.
LOL... You'd think so........ but you'd be wrong
You'd be trading your 8 hours for like 16hours or so and your 5 days for like 6 or 7 days
and then there's a tonne of legal shit you need to handle
You'd do it for a while then you'd give it up and go back to your job and say... thank fuck i'm back here doing this stuff with no real responsibilities
I'm sorry but no. I'm a dancer and part of what was so fun about dance when I first started was that the rehearsals were only once a week and the performances were 4 times a year max. in the pro world, you're rehearsing 10+ hours a day, AND performing 3-10x a week (which means hair and makeup 3-10 times a week). I cannot imagine being a musical artist (the addition of press junkets, photoshoots, etc).
dance drove me back to academics and now I'm about to go back to college so I can have a "boring" normal career lol. and I teach dance once a week
Justin my guy, your a major influence on my guitar playing, you was the first rockstar I saw on the telly as a young kid. You rock man, 22 years later and I'm watching you again. Thanks for the influence man your the reason I love the Gibson les Paul custom.
New Zealand and Australia tour for next Christmas Justin. It's Summer time baby . . .
I believe in a thing called love!
Hell yeah, man! That’s a famous song of theirs! And you’ve written it here under a video of that artist! Awesome!
@@BP-or2iu 🤣
Nice that you acknowledge the obvious perks Justin, it's all very well these successful musicians sitting there looking like pantomime dames, telling us what an awfully hard life they have...I was in a moderately successful band during the 80s and I too was a spoilt fop, complaining about substandard hotel rooms 'gruelling' photo sessions, tour buses with just ONE toilet, no cashews in the 'Executive lounge' at Heathrow etc etc...I'm now a Farrier, getting kicked and bitten by stroppy horses (and horse owners) in all weathers, every day...Give me a rider with no caviar and a ridiculously early soundcheck (1.00 PM) any day.
chris payne who was in the gary numan band at the height of his success says similar things, that looking back it was such a lucky life to lead and be part of
I’ve never been in a (proper) band, but I can’t help but think most of the people who whine about touring have no real life experience to compare it to. As you say you didn’t until after you were that soldier. As Brett Anderson once said, stop complaining and f**k off and become a plumber, or words to that effect.
Try a comeback mate most modern music is not as good
@@SteveGad Very similar! Except I'm dealing with equine feet!
@@thebouncinghearts My drummer is an equine podiatrist. Must be a rock n roll thing 😂
One of my earliest memories is banging out I Believe In A Thing Called Love in my grandmothers living room when I was three years old. Seeing you now doing this channel, touring and still making the music you love, through ups and downs, is phenomenally inspiring. Thank you for continuing to be an absolute legend ❤️✌️
This is a really interesting conversation for a music lover to hear. I know I would like to hear more behind the curtain stories or tales from the studio etc.
I've been reading Neil Peart's (RIP :-( ) stuff lately. I really like how he accommodated his introversion and how he managed tours, doing it his own way, biking between gigs.
Justin. It's good to see you here on TH-cam sharing your life. I've watched interviews with you and your brother and had some good laughs at times when I need it. The humor you guys put out is creative and enjoyable. I listen to your music a lot. You guys are truly talented, and the ride isn't over. You are probably the best rock singer out there right now. And you write very deep songs. The songs of addiction definitely hit home here. You tell it like it is. Thanks for sharing your life. I believe the best is in front of you and not behind you. Cheers from Zurich!
You´re so right Justin. Having an audience singing your song back at you must be one of the single most incredible feelings a human being can experience. How lucky you are. For us mere mortals we can only dream about what that must feel like. Oh, great to see Tom & Mark in your video. Love to hear your take on Blink 182......pretty please! Thanks for the music and laughs.
☝️ What the moose said.
I love seeing your subscribers increase every time I come back. It is truly enjoyable to hear your insights. Thank you for creating this channel and producing so much content!
Found this, and love it, like the fact that you are so down to earth, keep doing what your doing, nice that you give an insight into reality.
As a musician myself there’s not much I hate more than loading out gear in the middle of winter! But I look at it this way; we play for free but get paid to do all the peripheral stuff that makes the gig happen!
I agree with most of those comments, I used to be a Roadie.
I did 6 months touring with one band, and I had no idea where I was most of the time.
Sleep, travel to the next Gig, sleep, travel to the next Gig, over and over again.
Some great memories, but most of it was just a Blur.
As a Christmas band, we are chuffed you made an epic tune that we take great pleasure in playing during the festive season
Justin, no matter how rough touring can be, you are the best live show I've ever seen. I wish your brother got more credit for holding it down, but when you can crowd surf AND nail your encore guitar part...
Always good to see you at the Birmingham venues I work at .
Hope we always make you feel welcome .
Justin - this has quickly become my favorite channel.
Also, I’m in a band - and we tour - there’s no alone time in the VAN haha.
I swear the pause between again.........again gets longer
It brings warmth and solace with each longer pause
I've got to say, I love coming home from a shift at the hospital to see there's a new Justin vid. Great way to chill out and wind down. It would be awesome to see the band over here in NZ at some point, hopefully before the next millennia with COVID and all that.
Apparently they gigged NZ in 2017.
Thank you for giving us such a private sneak peak behind the scenes. Greetings from Denmark!
"No band has ever done this before!"
"THEN WHY THE FUCK ARE WE DOING IT!?"
I died XD
Touring sounds like a love hate relationship, with the plus of seeing the world. Really enjoyed listening to how touring treated you.
Justin, I found your channel a day ago and have been binge-watching! I absolutely love how refreshingly honest it is. As an older gal who is almost 50y/o, I think you are a breath of fresh air on YT and so self-effacing! Just wonderful. (King Tuts is the Tits, Venue-wise) - All the best from a Glasgow Lass! xxx
Being on tour kind of sounds like a sailor's life getting underway on deployment with the carriers and ships. When I was a sailor in the United States Navy, we would blast your songs in our workshop singing at the top of our lungs it was such a morale booster for us. I'll always be thankful to you and all the musicians that make our lives so much more enjoyable.
Which ship were you on? I was on the Nimitz.
@@sirchromiumdowns2015 Hey shipmate! Thank you for your service. I served aboard the AOE-6, Whidbey Island (LSD-41), GW(73), Truman(75), and Eisenhower (69). I served for 20 years, and I am a retired non nuclear electricians mate first class.
It was during the Truman tour in 2009 where I worked in G-4 elevators as a EM2 that my shop used to blast The Darkness songs for morale.
Love your observations. Didnt really know your music and you seem like a genuine nice person
I like this one. Commentary on lifestyle and industry within music, not just the music. Wonderful!
What a breath of fresh air this channel is man! Darkness are up there for me as one of my favourite bands since my late teenage years. Seen you many many times and you never dissapoint live! Lost my misses on the 30th December 2021 and she leaves me alone to raise our four children under 10 and you're music helps still helps me today man.
Sorry to hear that Naval, must be absolutely awful for you mate. Luckily you have the wonderful Darkness family (myself included) at hand if you ever need to reach out...we are survivors, the ones left behind. Defenders of our legacy, the last of our kind. Big love dude.
@@punchyb1 beyond tough time mate but there is always the Darkness family. I am getting through it the best i can. Much respect and love for that comment.
I am SO happy I stumbled across your channel!
I’m glad I had the opportunity to be on a big major label, be on MTV, play lollapalooza, Pitchfork, etc….. and do the whole touring thing when I was younger. It made me realize that I like being an artist….not a musician. If that makes any sense. Give me the creative part all day long. You can have the other promo bs. I like writing songs, making records, collaborating, painting, sculpting, crafting words, etc. I despised driving around the country in a van, waiting in back rooms, being in clubs until 3am in the morning, being stuck around a bunch of wasted people every night, talking to journalists, eating crap food, waking up at 5am to go to a radio station to play an acoustic song for a show, and having to talk to people I didn’t want to talk to. The good part about having done that life, and basically walking away from it……is I never have to go through the rest of my life wondering what it’s like to be a professional musician….like millions of musicians who never get a chance to do it. I saw it, experienced it, hated it, and was freed from that absurd dream. 😂
Great insight into touring, I did a smidgeon of it back in the late 70’s early 80’s. I hated it because of family and the routine. But working a 9 to 5 job ( construction ) it has it’s pitfalls as well. But my construction job had me away for months as well living in camps or motels that sucked as well.
Same here been on the road for 5 years working construction… I would much rather be on tour with my band
This just popped up on my homepage and I didn't realize it was you at first. Instant sub and I'm buying Permission to Land ASAP! That album was a banger!
I'm in Justin. New fan, love the honest format. You rock this thing!
my greatest fear with touring has always been losing band members who can't survive the lifestyle....and also having gear ripped off!
Great channel Justin I'm really enjoying this! 👍😀
Mr. Hawkins, you are a diamond. Love the channel.
Love this channel!! You have a great perspective
Wow! Who knew that you just sat down talking about shit would be such compelling viewing!! Loving it so Keep it coming. Loving Motorheart btw.. 👏🏼
"Wield the axe with impunity". Love it. Hope you can still do so for a long time to come!
The world is better with guys like Justin Hawkins and Russell Brand sharing their experiences and insight in a humorous, quirky and immensely entertaining way. Appreciate these videos! Best of luck to you, Mr. Hawkins.
As someone who never met the right mix of people to form a consistent, touring band, I'd say touring is an absolute privilege and awesome. I have played a few gigs and it was always fun; live performances leave great memories, even the ones that weren't so good.
Love the haunting new theme melody!
Man! "Permission to Land" album changed my life forever. Just want to say love you guys so much!!!
Psyched for the Toronto Show (April 19th)! I hope Eastbound is in the setlist for this tour.
Love this, really interesting to hear the reality of it all from the horses mouth! Was fantastic to watch all the behind the scenes stuff on Patreon while you were touring made it all the more exciting and kept the tour going for all of us longer than our individual shows! If you are going to American dates definitely sign up to Patreon it made the gig even better if that was ever possible, and meeting new friends at every venue was just brilliant!!!
Great shout out to tuts, Scottish hospitality at its best, always comes with a stroke warning 😂 x
Hey Justin! Just wanted to say thanks for being a bad-ass, and for the inspiration. You brought Rock N Roll back at a time that it was nearly dead. "Givin Up" is my go-to song when I feel like I just can't take anymore shit from the world. You fucking ROCK bro. \m/
RESPECT.WELL SAID..
That was a really enjoyable watch - thank you Justin.
I’m always curious about how bands feel about chatting with fans after shows or before shows
I think that depends alot on the fan
More vids like this please Mr Hawkins! Love hearing your insight on being on tour or in the the Darkness in general. Could you talk about whether you get sick of playing the hits? Are there tips in keeping them fresh for yourselves? Do you have any deep cuts that are faves to play for the band?
I love Justins balanced humorous views
Love the AL Jourgensen And Justin Hawkins connection!! Nice dude
Can’t find the video I was going to write this in, was the one about trolls. I remember when you first came out, distinctly. I am now 35. I thought you were great. Now when I watch you I think you are even better on this channel, so funny, a great sense of humour, musically very intelligent and interesting to learn from. If you have haters, there is no other words but envy. You are remarkable and your channel is fantastic. You remind me a bit on russell brand, who I love, but you have your own uniqueness. I personally think you are great and I share a lot of your points of view. Keep them coming Justin 🤟🏽🤟🏽🎸🎸
Hello there mate! Super stoked on the fact that i found your channel! Im from Argentina and been following The Darkness since "Permission to Land" (brilliant work as all that followed, by the way).
I've heard all your music, even the solo and collab work. Even went to London on 2015 to see you guys at camden Roundhouse and was certainly an awesome gig!
Sadly i tried to catch you guys on Roundhouse 2019 but after hours of driving from Wales to London i was so battered i had minor car crash and missed the show :( .
Keep on riding and rocking the s#%t out of music!!!
One of my “favorite” memories on tour is prowling the hotel hallways for fine unfinished food trays.
Really digging your discussions ~ Thanks for sharing
Always insightful one way or the other. Interesting topic!
Might be one of my favorite videos. Love to see someone explain how it’s really like. I’m sure there are times that it’s very rewarding, but I do not envy famous people at all. It would literally kill me.
Great craic! And nice to see Michael Monroe in this video! I live in the same town as him here in Finland, and I just saw him on the street this week!
This channel is brilliant! Love ya, Justin, since I believe in a thing called love. ☮☮♥♥👌👌 xxx
This was a great watch. All takes are pretty on point though every day can be that or a great experience…We are doing a club tour with Anvil in the US right now and you get some nights with that jerk promoter that halves the guarantee and doesn’t even give bottled water, then some nights at great venues where they really go out of their way for the bands. It’s a life riding a wave vs a straight line. It’s a Les Paul vs a PRS. The PRS is always consistent in the middle and stays in tune, but that’s it. The Les Paul may give you more headaches, but it is capable of pure alchemy when it’s all working. Buy the ticket take the ride \m/ …..I’ll take the struggle….it’s worth it if this is your calling. We may never get to stadiums but I don’t care…..I’m in for life. It’s not a choice. Music….It’s just everything.
I had the privilege to work for a band the summer of 2016. It lasted for 15 weeks, 3 tours, 3 festivals a total of 63 shows. I was the singer's PA/HMUA/wardrobe. Getting her ready, and the show were my favorite parts. It was a lot of work but so rewarding.
The first time I saw The Darkness was supporting The Wildhearts at the Astoria many moons ago, just before 'Permission...' was released (or maybe it had been?) - thanks for name-checking The Wildhearts, they're one of those bands that should have been massive and deserve more recognition.
I trust you'll agree?
WHAT A SHOW !!!!
Great video! Quickly becoming one of my favourite channels.
loving your channel mate, good stuff. Keep it all coming!
Hey, coming to see you in Calgary on the 22nd
Looking forward to see you
Great video.
Very informative.
Keep it up.
You're such a natural at this.
Cheers man.
Thank you so much for touring. It is obviously very tiring and even when you go to exciting places you don't often get to see anything they have to offer. I think I speak for all fans when I say how much we appreciate it, especially if you place close to where we live. I don't mind travelling to see a band but I can't always afford the train and hotel costs. Always an added bonus when I can see the live music within an hours' drive of home.
Soccer?! You're tearing me apart Justin.
Hey Justin, my first ever 'Like and Subscribe' - Be honoured be very honoured.... Regarding the aforementioned The Wildhearts - I remember one of your first support slots with them in the Concorde 2 on Brighton beach.... how about an episode or 2 (because there's so much material) on Ginger please? In particular his prolific songwriting and its diversity .... Your favourite songs? .... Indulge me please
Yes! Would love to hear his thoughts. Ginger should have Ivor Novello's coming out of his ears, he is a criminally underrated songwriter.
WE LOVE YOU JUSTIN ❤️❤️
Just watched this video and I was a bit sad about what you said regarding “Christmas time…” I have been a HUGE fan of TD since 2003 when I started uni and I’ve been privileged enough to see you multiple times and I would come and watch you in the Summer/Spring/Autumn or Winter!! I think it’s great having that Winter/Christmas spirit and knowing I can watch you guys just makes that time of year special!! I listen to “Christmas Time” and “I am Santa” all year round as they are TD songs, I don’t care if they are specifically for a certain time of year! P.S why don’t you play “I am Santa” as well, when you do tour at Christmas, I love it!! Thank you and keep rocking (Say hi to the rest of the band for me 👍)
Long ago i was touring with my band.. and after soundcheck and some spare time to wait for the food.. Darkness was doing soundcheck... so i sat there and i had a private show by you guys ,,, O2 Academy Birmingham .. long long time ago... good times on the road. Cheers Justin.
So happy I found your channel 🏆
New subscribers, and loving the stories. Cheers.
So interesting you mention the connection with audience... Remember a megadeth concert and Dave looked me in the eye and gave me the finger... Was jovial .. made the gig .. so important those couple of hours on stage... Mate was at a Priest concert and during green manalishi Rob spoke to my mates wife... Epic . As fans we forget about everything during a gig, and so should the band.. ❤❤❤
Great stuff sir! Be well!
First time i have watched one of these podcasts, great insight delivered with a grounded personality; WIll definately watch more!
I got to tour as a gtr tech for about a month and a half. I was young and it was my first time out on the road so the traveling was kinda fun(although I didn’t have much time in most places to do much exploring). The band I was working for was kinda miserable though(lol, they hadn’t toured in years and were complaining about being on the road…and 6 months prior to this I was working at McDs so…). It was a job though, woke up like 8:30-9, setup gear then take a lunch, get stuff onstage, show, get stuff offstage, dinner and sleep. The band I was with had their partying days behind them so it wasn’t really crazy after dinner.
Overall, loved the lifestyle but not necessarily the guys I was working for(and I think the tour manager didn’t like me from the get-go).
Great seeing your channel Justin, I’ve been following you guys since (I believe) your first show in the US(I was too young to get in).
Great video Justin. Please just know that the sacrifices in leaving your loved ones behind, and the stresses of touring, is so appreciated.
The thought of experiencing live music again kept me going through lockdown and seeing you in December made me feel whole again (not in an Atomic Kitten way).
Why not in an Atomic Kitten kind of way? That song rocks.
Love this channel Justin Rock on my man
Excellent segment Justin and cool shirt 🤔👍🏻
Thank you for a really really interesting blog. And really admire your attitude I think you've got it spot on.
You should be proud of your Christmas song, Justin. I thing Christmas Time is the last genuinely good Christmas song in modern times. All the best to you.
Hi Justin, I was working at The London Astoria when you played and shot the footage for your gig, in fact, I actually bumped into you on the windy long stairway between the dressing room and stage. Please give the venue a mention as it no longer exists. Yes, it was smelly and needed repair but, it was a legendary venue for so many years and so many people used it for decades. Sadly it was demolished for the Crossrail development and was promised to have a replacement venue built in its place which obviously has never happened due to governmental or estate agents wishes as there's money to be made from overseas investment. Loving the stuff your doing with this new channel, Thank you. BUT, here's a challenge, Cardiacs!
I did a video on the Cardiacs!
And of course Thin Lizzy(REAL FUCKING ROCK).
@@JustinHawkinsRidesAgain oops.
One of the things those who can't take it any more could try is to go and get a job feeding billets into the rollers of a steel mill. (Very satisfying. You get to be part of turning a huge lump of square stuff into wire, or reinforcing bar, or rail tracks - all sorts of things). Nice thing about the "feeding" job is that you get to hang out nice and close to the oven used to keep the billets red hot, so that they can deform when going through the rollers instead of coming to a halt and spewing big worms of red hot steel all over the place. Nice and warm on a cold night (12 hours. Always at least 12 hours.)
Actually it gets a bit hot after a while, but never mind; there's air conditioning. If it gets too hot just turn your aircon on. Instant relief. Very powerful air conditioner. A bit too powerful, though. You hang in there and try to just tolerate being in a fridge, because it's probably worse getting warmed up by bits of read hot steel. When you start shivering, though, you don't really have an alternative. If you can squeeze in a quick gap between billets, you can switch off the air conditioning. Sometimes takes a while. Those rollers are hungry. Billet needs to be pushed a little way, rotated (and don't leave the pusher in there, else it'll melt). Takes a fair bit of concentration. On just one single task.
For 12 hours. (I think I said 12 hours?)
Might sound like there are some downsides to that, but that's only to people who've never operated the sewage "honeysucker". With leaky pipes. And a broken tow hook, so has to be finessed along with a length of chain. (Workshop? ... Hahahahahahhaha ... good one.)
That said, it sounds like the downside of the job is pretty harsh compared to e.g. working in a workshop where your only job is to forge the worksheets once a month, and the rest of the time you just "work for King Rat". It's all relative.
But I am distracted by these relevancies.
I found out what you've been up to, Justin Hawkins. (But maybe nobody at all is going to learn the secret, what with it being so deeply buried beneath this pile of TL;DR.) *Star Trekkin* th-cam.com/video/FCARADb9asE/w-d-xo.html
(Ja, I know it's only a discovery for those who lived under or a rock, or with their heads buried in their own arse holes, for the last thirty years, but ... whaddever, as that great wisdom show used to say.)
Thanks,great stories, see y'all in Houston
Right up there for the greatest intro on TH-cam possibly even the Internet
This was probably my favourite version of the intro tune so far.
I quit touring when my kids were born. We were always gone. I always kept a bag packed and spent very little time at home. We were always paying back the record company.
I remember a 3 week tour was our “sanity limit”. Anything longer tended to wear you down badly.
We loved playing. I loved only being responsible for a good show and laundry. We spent a lot of time traveling but not as much sightseeing as we hoped. Always under the gun.
It was an experience and made me better as a player.
As far as alone time…..we were van touring and sharing rooms so the drummer and I were VERY close. We lived in each other pockets