Neville's Advocate

Nev ponders an upcoming rock ’n’ roll tour and what he needs to do to prepare. And realises he’s (sort of) in the charts

Every couple of years the artist whose band I’ve been a part of for 36 years, undertakes a nationwide tour. Unbelievably, Marty Wilde celebrates his 80th year in 2019, so we’re off again in a few weeks. These days the tours aren’t as long and arduous, but they still require a certain amount of preparation.

I tend to get precise about stuff – for instance, I can’t really concentrate if the mic stand is not perfectly in line with my amp, or if my setlists aren’t symmetrically either side of it. I also hate untidy cables, so I use a wireless system, etc. I’m sure there are plenty of others out there who are the same.

But getting back to preparations, I always like to buy new stage clothes. I get the suit, several shirts, new footwear and probably even a new clothes bag, as the last one is doubtless getting a bit tatty.

My gear gets a spruce-up too. When I was using a conventional amp I’d have it serviced by a local guru, and ensure all my cables were in tip-top condition, including those pesky pedal connectors that always let you down precisely at the moment when you don’t need it. These days I use a Line 6 Helix with