Support Tours-Jeffrey Lewis

[00:06.88]I don’t want to leave my home to do a tour with crummy pay [00:10.14]But if they make an offer to you whatcha really gonna say? [00:13.57]It’s hard to play an empty room, it’s hard to book a tour [00:16.66]So you pray some bigger band might say that you can come support [00:20.20]It might be a hassle, it’s a tragedy, a parody [00:23.20]But how you gonna haggle when you know it’s only charity? [00:26.48]Support tours, it’s iffy, $250 at the best, but they know a thousand others who would do the tour for less [00:32.88]Support tours, you gotta understand the situation, a band needs having patience for the vast humiliation [00:39.86]So you hit the open road and ate a lot of crazy gravel [00:43.04]With good songs and decent merch I always found a way to travel [00:46.44]But you found that booking tours can be more trouble than it’s worth [00:49.62]Who'd see your unknown band when there’s ten million on the Earth? [00:52.81]So the bassists scan the web for any tours that get announced on it [00:56.21]And if no support’s confirmed that’s when you take a leap and pounce on it [00:59.28]Support tours, drummers who are nice can turn cold-hearted [01:02.33]So you can’t return them home owning less money than they started [01:05.75]Support tours, the bassist has to grit those teeth and face it [01:08.87]Pay to stay in hotel? No way! It’s work, not a vacation [01:12.75]And after many sleazy years you nearly have your own career [01:16.00]And you can book a little tour and you can pick where you appear [01:19.30]Now you pick the tour supports so of course like chicken pox [01:22.77]Every band you ever met all pop up quick in you inbox [01:25.95]And they wanna know if there’s support acts that are yet confirmed [01:29.13]So you make them awful offers cause I guess it’s just your turn [01:32.49]Support tours, I’m in it for the money, is that funny? [01:35.46]I’m a working class musician with no funding in my country [01:38.97]Support tours, I’m thinking out my best when I get desparate [01:42.01]Find a way to make it pay cause it’s my job not an investment [01:45.46]Support tours, the sweet and sour secret of the trade [01:48.42]You learn to squeeze in every way to turn the lemons lemonade [01:51.97]Support tours, I gotta find a way to make it work [01:54.84]Till I just cut so many corners I get dizzy from the circle [02:00.74]I don’t want to leave my home to do a tour with crummy pay [02:03.82]But if they make an offer to you whatcha really gonna say? [02:07.39]"Hey Jeffrey, nice to hear from you [02:08.84]Yeah we have availed April 11 to May 15 [02:11.19]The tour starts in Omaha, you’ll be the first act out of three [02:13.69]The budget is $50 to $150 a night, but I’ll see if I can up that a little in the major markets for you [02:17.93]But we can’t have you on the bill in Portland, San Francisco, or Seattle, cause we were just down there last month [02:21.91]Let us know what you say, we’re announcing tomorrow" [02:23.97]Oh, terrible offer, let me think about it...Yes!