The Bus

I wanted to take the time to add an addendum entry about life on the tour bus.

On past tours I have been on, the rock and roll image you all must get in your head was fairly accurate. However, this time around, it is a much more sedate and pleasant experience. Not that I minded the reckless abandon behavior - I embraced that as well, but load ins when you arrive at a new venue are far more productive and enjoyable when one is not reeking of beer and cigarettes while clutching their head in agony. That being said, at the ripe old age of 37, I am really starting to prefer actually sleeping on the sleeper bus.

So. The. Bus.

We need 2 sleeper busses on this gig. The first carries the Wardrobe and Hair staff, a stage manager or two, and props. It leaves around 1-2am. The second bus carries The Carpenters (not Karen)(the singer)(The Carpenters...oh nevermind) Sound and Electrics. I think load out for those boys lasts about 7 hours so they leave around 4-5am.

It is about the size of your average Greyhound bus, but there is a front lounge and a back lounge with 12 bunks in between. In the past the back lounge has been the rowdy smokey area, and the front lounge is more for the subdued. Spamalot doen't have too many smokers so we suck them down before we get on the bus and just deal with our addiction the best way we can.
Load out for Wardrobe and Hair only takes about an hour at the very very most, so we are usually on the bus first. Picking the right bunk I find is an art form. Everyone is different. I prefer a middle bunk, because I don't like the noise of the bottom bunk or the height of the top bunk. Your bunk varies from bus to bus. The first bus I rode on this tour was a complete Aerosmith 1978 throwback with mattresses that weren't all that comfortable. The last bus we had, was quite an improvement. Each bunk has a canvas like curtain you can close for some privacy, but we can all still hear each other snore and fart. It aint all THAT private. I must warn you though, closing that curtain makes your bunk wicked stuffy and hot creating what I call Bus Grunge, which requires immediate showering upon arrival. I usually get out of my bunk at least once a night because I wake up feeling the heat of a thousand suns boiling me up. Then again it could be a hot flash. Am I old enough for those yet? Either way it gets bloody stinkin hot in there.
So now you have your bunk picked out. At this point there are some options. You can watch TV or a movie in either lounge,
or you can check your email using the wireless. (This is new. These buses on this tour are the first I have been on with that luxury.) You could grab a bite to eat with whatever food or beer the Props department picks up. Elaine (from our Hair department) is sort of the bus mom. She got the ice and set up the fridge - basically just tried to make things nice for us.

After an hour or two, the bus really starts to fill up and that's when all the hilarity insues. It is very rare that everyone gets to just hang out together, unless we are all at work. Being the social butterfly I am, the times where we are all just relaxed and the pressure is off, and we are able to just Be, are always my favorite and one of the reasons I like this lifestyle. This last ride we took from Hartford to Rochester was a very good time. Nobody got loaded or anything, we just laughed a lot and then went to sleep.

You arrive in your next city and the bus just idles there while you sleep. You can wake up and have coffee and breakfast, unless Props takes everything off the bus before everyone gets up. (LOL. Lots of people still mad about that one.)
If you were able to get an early check in at the hotel, you can go catch some real sleep and wash off the Bus Grunge before load in. Usually the other bus goes directly to load in and the deck crew starts immediately setting up our skit at the next venue.

So that's basically it. I have had the party party party bus experience, and that is way fun - once in awhile. I don't know how people live like that all the time though. If you are going to have to travel like this constantly, I prefer the hangout and laugh but don't be a lush kinda time.

Life on the road. It aint all that glamorous people, but with the right mix of personalities, it sure can be fun.