Have you ever had to stop and do a “I’m gonna turn this car around” moment with unruly passengers?
I haven’t done that with customers, but I once had the permission from my Boss to do so if I can’t stand the customers any longer. It was a really awful tour and the people were very disrespectful. I still finished it though
What/are the accommodations on the bus?
It’s basically like a hotel room I got bunk beds and 1 big room with a double bed (named starroom), toilet and shower, small kitchen with the basics, multiple TVs and consoles, dining area and couches, WiFi and a hard drive with 2TB of movies.
Who decides who gets what bunk?
Sometimes tour management declares the bunks. Sometimes its first come first serve. Most of the times the people travel together so much that everyone has their distinctive place in the bus.
How many drivers are there?
There are 2 types of drivers. Main-drivers as me carry one customer during their whole tour. I have my own Bus who I always drive and I have my regular customers who drive always with me when on tour. And double-drivers fly from tour to tour and live out the bag and always there when a main-driver needs help with his distances.
How did you get that job?
Long story short. Connections.
I knew my company for years cause I lived in a flat with the younger brother of my boss. Didn’t like my old job anymore and made the driving license. Started at my company and worked my ass off.
The normal way in the business is driving public or tourist bus for years. Get good connections and recommendations and work very hard and concentrated in the first year. When you survive the first year you are mostly safe.
Do the musicians sleep while you drive, party, just chill, or a mix?
They mostly sleep. When I start driving some are still awake an chill but go to bed soon as well. After 4,5 hours when I have my first short brake everyone is in bed. Party mostly only when the next day is an off day with no show to play.
How do you manage your sleep schedule on longer drives? Do you have a buddy to switch with or the whole bus stops for you to rest?
Sometimes when the drive is more than 800km the night I get a buddy. But otherwise I do everything alone. I sleep like a nightshift worker. My worktime is mainly from midnight till 09:00 am with a little extras to do during the day (cleaning etc) But my driving times are strictly regulated the same as truck drivers driving times.
What genre of music has the messiest musicians?
Overall I would say Hip-Hop. A lot of Rap Artists don’t care too much about the Bus and that I have to clean it. But it gets better when they get older. Young people who just started their career are way more messy then old veterans.
Assuming you’re getting some sort of briefing before a job starts, are there any requests in a brief that’s a red flag for you? Like you know that means trouble?
When they ask for hotel pickups and drops during the day. I have sharp resting times and I am not an Uber who can get you around town.
When I see there isn’t much plan. That happens only on small tours.
When the tour manager doesn’t know how many people will come with us.
When you got friends or family of the artists on the bus. When people don’t have something to do on tour and are just here for holidays and party it’s always crap.
Which dept do you prefer to drive and which do you try to avoid? Band, Lampies, Backline, Sound, Production, Carpenters, Caterers?
Band is alright. Sometimes the hotel pickups mess up my driving and sleeping schedule tho.
Production is often very strict but that’s ok. Just not so much fun to drive.
From the other crew guys it doesn’t makes that much difference for me what department they are in
Caterers are everyone’s favorite.
What’s the weirdest habit any of your clients has exhibited? Or the single weirdest thing they did?
I had parents who shower with their adult children. Old dudes who try to hook up with teens. Got offered the weirdest drugs while I was actively driving. Famous musicians who sit next to me while driving and talk with me about their depression.
Are groupies still a thing?
Mostly no. Some small bands Still tolerate it, but big tours are way to professional to allow that. Especially in the Bus where a view people live together on tight space it got very seldom.
Has any fan ever try to sneak onto the bus?
I had that a few times yes, but the doors only open with a code or are locked all the time so getting on the bus is pretty hard.
If you drove any musicians you admired, did you fangirl all over or is that unprofessional?
I drove with multiple musicians who I admired all my life. I am still not a fan of anyone. This word is very badly associated in the Industry and also I can’t do my work properly when I have those feelings about a customer.
And I never do any Photograph or autograph stuff with any artist I meet even if I don’t have them in my bus. For me that’s very unprofessional and doesn’t fit in that job.
What was the nicest thing a customer did for you?
I once watched the show of a band I was with from the side of the stage and in between 2 songs the singer said:“ we might not play the best but at least we have the best nightliner driver.“ and then they forced me on stage. 5000 people in front of me applauding was a amazing experience. I will never forget that moment cause normally I never ever stand on a stage.
Do the musicians/their company usually tip you at the end of their tour?
Tips are sadly not very common. I get a lot of compliments about my work but still the people don’t tip me. Main reason for that is that the people I drive don’t pay me. Some Tour management company pays my company and those people never join the people in the bus. So they don’t care about my work as they stay in their Office.
When I get a tip it’s mostly private money from the crew and I appreciate that a lot.
Which country has the best or worst drivers?
French in the big cities just don’t care. English people drive mostly slow and always in the middle lane. Germans want to race everything and Romanians are always stressed. No county is perfect.
What’s the worst stretch of road that you’ve experienced?
Quality wise Bulgaria and Serbia is bad. Size-wise, the road up to Vals in Switzerland mountains is crazy. Especially with a double-decker.
Have you ever been involved in any type of accident while on tour?
Luckily I haven’t been involved in an accident. Also when your responsible for an big accident no one will trust you anymore and you have to leave the job. Drivers tend to become truck drivers in the live music industry if that happens.
I had multiple breakdowns tho but that happens when you drive so big distances.
Would you recommend this kind of job to people?
I would recommend it tho everyone who brings the following things.
Likes to drive, especially at night, especially long distances with big buses.
Has a deep sleep.
Can handle stressful situations in traffic and is not aggressive.
Can handle being away from home the major part of the year especially during summer season.
Can handle bossy, egocentric often drunk or drugged people calmly while always being completely sober.
The hardest part personally is being away in my relationship while loving to do this job
Theodore Lee is the editor of Caveman Circus. He strives for self-improvement in all areas of his life, except his candy consumption, where he remains a champion gummy worm enthusiast. When not writing about mindfulness or living in integrity, you can find him hiding giant bags of sour patch kids under the bed.