Touring and Asperger's / Autism

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Hey there,
Is anyone else here a professional musician? I just started performing with a couple of bands. The problem is, although I am good with music and being able to keep up, I don't know how I'm going to be able to deal with touring. Has anyone else here gone through this experience (not being able to have your own room, dietary issues, anxiety with going to different places daily, being the only non-driver in a band, sensory issues such as motion sickness / unfamiliar PA systems / carrying large quantities of instruments / the drug habits of other bands)? As this is pretty much the only job opportunity open to me right now (and something I enjoy), I would like some advice.

Don't know whether this will help, but a while back I met a musician that I now know has AS. I recall him saying that he could not stand touring, for many of the reasons that you mention. He became a successful studio musician and arranger. However, I guess this only works if you live in an area with many studios.

I've done the whole tour thing (as a roadie, not a player).
I was in a van with 5 others for 29 days (31 shows).
We went all across the country.

Getting time to yourself is difficult. One thing that will
greatly affect the amount of free time you'll get is which
part of the country you're touring through and whether
or not you have a place to stay once you get to your
next gig.

East coast gigs are usually only 2 or 3 hours away from each
other at most. Compare that with West coast touring where
the cities are hundreds of miles apart (i.e. LA, San Fran, Portland.).
East side touring will allow you more time to rest between shows
and/or look for a place to stay, whereas on the west, you will
probably end up driving all night as soon as your gig ends.
If you don't drive consider yourself lucky. You probably will be
better rested than your band mates. Don't be surprised if this
becomes a point of contention between you guys/gals. People
become grouchy when traveling like that, and they just might
shell out a few words if they think you have it easier.

Generally, when we rolled into the next town, we would find the
nearest big park or open space with grass and we would just
plop out on the ground. Everyone is planning on sleeping so you
will either have time to rest or explore/get away. Use any time
you have to get away. If the group wants to eat at Mcdonald's,
and you hate it there (as I did), look for markets nearby or other
places where you can find something different. I carried a bunch
of nutrition bars/trail mix/dried fruit/high fiber cereal for times like
this. Sometimes their is only time to go through the drive-thru and
your stash will help you out here. Get used to eating that stuff before
your trip. It will become more routine. If you have time, meet up
with the group later and explore while they're eating their empty-
calorie junk. I found a Mexican joint across the road from a White
Castle in Indiana. I took my tacos into the White Castle, and they
just drooled over their crappy burgers when they saw that (We were
all Mexican or lived in Mexican hoods). Another time, there was a
market with an Asian deli counter. I ordered a small takeout box of
rice and bought a can of black beans to pour over it (cold. get used to
it). Think protein. A $9 Greek salad with tons of meat on it fed me 3
times while my friend's $6 burger/fries from the same restaurant was
good only once. I'm a "food snob" myself, and I tend to be very picky
about food. Better food IS out there.

Motion sickness: Can't help you there. Never had it, but my Grandmother
used to get it all the time. She used to suck on a slice of lemon and it would
help her get over it (Old Mexican trick. Not sure if it works on non-Mexicans .

I have a strict shower ritual, and this caused me a lot of worry. I've never
come across so many stopped-up drains as I have when I'm traveling, and I
absolutely hate those things. I have long hair and these things just make me
take way longer. Not much of a cure for this one. Bite the bullet and dive in.
Learn to take shorter showers. Put your mind in "GO" and keep going every
time you notice yourself hesitating. I waste a lot of time staring at stuff if I don't
know how I'm going to proceed. Heck. Wash that soap scum off your ankle in
the sink AFTER you finish showering, just don't stop to think about it much. There
is a line of dirty band members outside that door. Many times you will probably
have to skip the shower if you have no place to stay or time. Wal-mart parking
lots are good for camping sometimes. They are open 24 hours, have supplies,
no one bugs you in the parking lot, and they have restrooms where you can take
a bird bath. In towns with nuthin'-to-do they even serve as a hang out place for
the locals. Invite them to your show. Worst shower on tour: the water hose by
the McDonald's drive-thru in Baltimore. I just kept behind the bush as much as
I could (kept my shorts on) while cars waited just feet away. Awful.... But no
one said anything, and I was the only clean one in the van. Felt much better.

If you're not driving think of something else to do for the group. Become the
navigator if you're good with directions. It helps to have a laptop with you, and
you'll find that you can piggy back on someone else's wi-fi signal almost anywhere.
We were surprised by this. It helped us plan ahead. Find your way to the nearest
college campus in whichever town you stop in. Those places always have lots of
restaurants, laundromats, instrument shops if you need strings, and bookstores
just to kill time. AND they are usually crawling with potential audience members.
Cafes serve as a place to log onto the net (if you can't find a signal while roaming)
and your band can use it as a base while everyone runs errands. Use this time to
get away from your band members. Cafes in general are a good place to find out
what happens in a town. They have fliers for upcoming shows and venues. Write
these down and use them for next time. Know the bands in the towns you're going
to. They will provide you with a place to stay.

Know your band members. Recognize when they are grouchy and/or drunk and
STAY AWAY. The one time I had a meltdown on tour was because the camera guy
insisted on following me around with the camera precisely because I did not like
being filmed. He was drunk, and then another drunk band member decided to join
him in pestering me. This did not end well, and it has only been until this past year
that things started to feel normal again between my friend and me. (summer '05 tour)

Lots of what I said is good advice for touring whether you are AS or not. The important
thing for the AS person is to be able to break away from the group. Keep your eyes
on them and don't wander too far because you never know when some self-appointed
"tour captain" will decide that you should all go somewhere else. They will chew your
head off if you are absent when the deal goes down. Agree and confirm with departure
times to cover yourself.

Have fun and eat right. Sleep will come when it damn well pleases.
PM me if you have any more ?s. I have a list of small handy things to take on tour.