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

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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