Touring Troubles

     We are going to follow the journey of one young band on their first-ever tour. A Lot Like Pteris are a fresh, progressive rock band that has been playing sold-out shows in Kiko Lake for months now, occasionally popping over to Neopia Central and opening for bigger bands that are touring through. They have put in so much work to gain notoriety and they are about to embark on a trip of a lifetime.

     The band is made up of three members, two of which are from Kiko Lake and one who moved from Roo Island just a couple years ago when the band really started to get big. Noah FX, a rock and roll Chia is their lead singer and guitarist, Sergio Six Fingers, a massively talented Meerca, is their bassist, and their drummer from Roo Island is a Blumaroo who goes by the name of Roonimal.

     Noah is a passionate singer and lyricist who holds his own on the guitar. Most of his lyrics are rooted in activism, as he is an outspoken citizen against Dr. Frank Sloth and his evil army. He hopes his lyrics can inspire young Neopians to ignore Sloth and not fall for his vicious propaganda.

     Noah FX is the natural frontman for the group, but the business side is handled by the much more level headed Sergio. Sergio has been playing bass almost since the day he was born and earned his name Sergio Six Fingers for his ability to hit chords that were once thought to be impossible. He can play up and down the fretboard with ease.

     Roonimal was born on Roo Island to a lower-class family, and frequently lived off omelettes that his family had foraged from the Giant Omelette and brought back home and froze, reheating them for breakfast. He started drumming as a child on the boardwalk, smacking sticks on makeshift drums he crafted out of buckets and bowls and trash can lids. His ingenuity has carried into his adulthood, where he often incorporates found objects into his drum kit to make unique and interesting sounds.

     Noah and Sergio met one day at the local Kiko Lake venue, the only one that hosts punk and alternative musicians. They were there to see Twice, and were chatting and hit it off immediately. After several jam sessions, they went to the neoBoards to find someone else to join on with them. They posted flyers over and over again, and auditioned a few local musicians but the energy did not click. They wanted someone who could jive with not only the music, but with them personally, and with the lyrical content they were putting out. Then Roonimal reached out to them. He lived over on Roo Island so they could not practice in person for the first few months, but they would send demo tapes back and forth to each other and record their own parts over them. They eventually released their first EP and it took off so much that it paid for Roonimal to relocate himself to Kiko Lake.

     After playing many, many local shows and in the nearest surrounding lands, their popularity seemed to outgrow the local scene. Every show was sold out and the demand was crazy. They had started seeing messages all over the neoBoard demanding that A Lot Like Pteris should come and play their towns. And that is when the idea was born.

     “Y’all, I really think we should consider going on tour with this new record,” Noah FX said to his comrades. They had just wrapped the recording process on their debut album. Twelve songs packed with soaring riffs, blasting drum beats, and lyrics that could topple a spaceship full of clockwork Grundos. “The people want it, and what we have got is really good.”

     “I’m all on board,” replied Roonimal. His cool demeanour always allowed him to ride out the waves of life, taking things as they come rather than trying to force something to happen. “You know me, I’m down for whatever.”

     “This would be a big investment, we’ve already spent so much on recording space and the whole songwriting process,” said Sergio nervously. He always thought about the time and money, and was a big reason the band was so successful. He’s the one to always handle the planning, booking venues and shows, and more. “But I do think it could be a good return on investment. If we book the right venues, advertise in the right markets, and get the word out to the people…Our new record is amazing and I know once the people hear it that they will want to turn out and see us perform it all live.”

     “That’s the spirit, buddy!” Noah had a glow in his eyes, and he looked at his bandmates and saw the glow in theirs too. “This is our time to really rock this world and make Neopia wake up. Dr. Sloth can’t get away with all that he’s done, and the people are softening up to him. I think this is how we bring awareness back to all the evil things he has done.”

     “We’re going to be unstoppable,” said Roonimal, smiling.

     “We’re going to have to figure out the most ideal tour route, the best way to get from place to place, and the most affordable way possible,” you could see Sergio already starting to crunch numbers behind his words. “If we do this smart we will be able to make enough profit from this to fuel the creation of our next album. I know we don’t do this stuff for the money, but the money is what allows us to keep doing this stuff. And I don’t want to go back to corporate Neopia.”

     Sergio used to be an accountant for the Bank of Neopia, and while he loved his coworkers, he hated helping the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. He has serious issues with the lopsided economy, and quit his job when he just couldn’t handle his bosses making money off other people’s problems.

     “I got into making music to do good in the world, and if I can use the skills I picked up working at the bank and turn those wrongs into rights by inspiring the little man, I’m all in on this tour,” smiled Sergio.

     “This is exactly why we are so lucky to have you with us,” Roonimal said. “I would not be able to make heads or tails of any of this if it were just me. I just want to bang on my drums to a screaming crowd every night and make music for the people.”

     “We’re going to reach a world of people with this album, in their ears and in person. This could be the best experience of our lives,” a hopeful Noah spoke confidently.

     And with that they got to work on tour planning. Roonimal hit the practice space to make sure every song was airtight in his head, that every beat sounded right and that he knew exactly where to place the drum fills for his solos. Noah started working on his stage presence, making sure he knew the perfect moves to get the crowd going, and making sure his voice could hit every note while he played his guitar. And Sergio, a bass prodigy who already is well versed in every song they’ve written, got right to work on securing venues, transportation, and speaking with local promoters to have them help get the word out about the tour. This was a huge task to take on and they needed all the help that they can get.

     “This is going to be totally crazy,” Roonimal said with a smirk.

     “I hope so, this ain’t worth it if it isn’t nuts,” laughed Noah. “We’re going to put on the craziest set of shows this planet has ever seen.”

     “The craziest set of shows this planet…and whatever planet that loser Dr. Sloth is watching from…has ever seen,” smiled Sergio as he typed away on his laptop.

     “I like the way you are thinking,” responded Noah. “Let’s make sure Sloth is front and center at one of our shows. I want him to know just how much we hate him.”

     What will happen to our touring band of musicians? Where will this tour take them, will their shows sell out, or will they be playing to empty rooms? This is something you will want to stay tuned into to see what happens. Check in on them in the next issue of the Neopian Times!

To be continued…