SOULICIT

In issue 72 of Black Velvet (May 2012) one of the band's featured in the Supersonic Future Superstars section is none other than Soulicit. You'll have to read the mag itself to find out what exactly we wrote about the band, but we will tell you that their CD impressed us hugely - and we're eager to be able to see these guys live. Although they haven't yet been to the UK (they're US based), so we haven't been able to catch them on tour, we decided to do the next best thing - and get them to TELL us about touring instead. Read below and then check out their songs on their website.

By Shari Black Velvet

Black Velvet: What is something you think people who don’t go on tour don’t understand about the touring lifestyle?
Darick Parson: It is definitely not as glamorous as some may think. Contrary to the way it is portrayed in movies and such it is quite the opposite. Sleeping in a van with five guys in a grocery store parking lot, standing around waiting for hours on end and eating a diet consisting of things that barely qualify as food are all parts of being on the road at our level. There are no screaming fans when you step out of the van and the "after parties" normally consist of a bowl of noodles or a microwave burrito at a gas station on the way to the next town. It is a dirty and sleepless lifestyle and we love every minute of it!

BV: What was your first ever tour like?
DP: It was a blast and a wonderful learning opportunity for us. We went out with another band that had many tours under their belt so it was great to learn from them and also learn from ourselves. We all grew as musicians and performers in leaps and bounds. Meeting all the new fans and making new friends was amazing.

BV: How does going out on tour make you feel – in your mind, heart and soul? How do you feel the morning you’re about to leave for tour?
DP: For me it is bittersweet when we leave because I have a wife and kids I have to kiss goodbye every time I leave. I love the road and my soul yearns to be out there but at the same time it tears me up inside knowing it might be months before I get to see them again. After being on the road you form a weird addiction to being out there and grinding it out every day. Much like when I got my first tattoo it just made me want more and more. The road is the same for me, once I got a taste I wanted more and more. It's a twisted, sick addiction us musicians share!

BV: Tell us about some of your crew. How many people do you have in your crew, who are they and how good are they at their job?
DP: We have one "crew" guy and he does it all. He is our tour manager, merch guy, and driver all in one. He is a guy that wears many hats... literally. Anything we need he is more than happy to help us out with and is a great asset to this band. He is yet one more piece that makes this whole thing spin around.

BV: If you could suggest an improvement to venues to make your touring life easier, what would you suggest they do or have?
DP: I would suggest every venue offer free beer and free catering to all bands coming in off the road! Seriously though I would say all venues should have a green room. Coming in off the road it is great to have somewhere to freshen up and clear your mind before your set. Not all places have these facilities and it is super nice when we find one that does.

BV: What is something you’ve discovered about a fellow bandmate while on tour?
DP: I think when you are around a group of guys every single day, all day, you learn about every one of them. Unfortunately that means the good AND the bad. Everyone has little nuances and habits that others might find annoying or agitating but you learn to live with those things for the better of the band as a whole. We are all adults about it and don't let any of that kind of stuff get to us too much.

BV: What is something you do on tour that people might be surprised to discover?
DP: We actually have a ritual after every show in which we offer up the coveted “beer tab". The beer tab is a trophy of sorts for a band member who went above and beyond that night on stage. Whether it be shooting flames out of his mouth or surfing on a drum throne after all shows we open the floor to voting for this award. Although there is consideration made every night to hand out the beer tab most often than not it is agreed there was no overwhelming winner and no tab handed out. That makes the beer tab all that more coveted and harder to achieve.

BV: Coolest band you’ve toured with?
DP: Honestly we have enjoyed every band we have been out with. We have been very fortunate to be out with such a great line up of bands and truly honoured to share the stage with all of them.

BV: Raddest fan you’ve ever met on tour?
DP: The raddest would definitely have to be the girl who actually tattooed Soulicit on her back which also included a line out of one our songs. That just floored me and really put into perspective that what we are doing really does reach out and touch people in big ways. I really meant a lot to me.

BV: Have you ever lost anything important on tour?
DP: Every now and then we lose our drummer Trent. Don't get me wrong we love the hell out of the guy but naturally as a drummer he has a tinge of ADD and his attention span is about as long as his male member. He knows it, we all know it so we deal with it and move on. We are now thinking of installing a GPS tracking chip under his skin.

BV: Most torturous (or nightmarish) moment on tour?
DP: Probably the time we blew out all four tyres on our trailer during a 20 hour drive across country. That really messed up our estimated time of arrival!

BV: When I was in ____________ I had the most amazing ____________.
DP: When I was in Philadelphia I had the most amazing cheese steak.

BV: If fans were to bring you gifts on tour, what would you most like to be given?
DP: Home made food is definitely number one. We eat so much crap on the road so when we can get a nice hot home cooked meal that is about as good as it gets for us!

BV: What soul would you most like to torture with a Soulicit show (ie. Who would you most LOVE to come and see you play, and why)?
DP: We would love for someone like Black Stone Cherry to come watch us. Hopefully they would like it and invite us on tour with them!

Visit www.soulicitrock.com for more info.