WHAT most of you, dear readers, know about touring musicians probably comes from Hollywood or YouTube, which shows superstars on tour with an entourage, private jets and limousines, handlers parting crowds like Moses did the Red Sea, and debauchery backstage.

The reality is the opposite. It’s like boot camp but constantly on the move, shifting from one venue to the next, wondering if anyone will attend the show, how much merch you’ll sell, whether you’ll make it in time for soundcheck, sitting around alone waiting for the show, dealing with low-cost airlines, baggage check-ins, hoping the ground crew doesn’t trash your equipment, and sharing sofas or beds with sweaty bandmates.