Tuesday’s Travel Essentials: Music

Yes, music is today’s Tuesday’s Travel Essentials – as travellers we need it and the way I see it there are only two types of music when we travel:

1. Music we play ourelves (normally MP3 player or on guitar)

2. Music other people play (in hostels, in shops, on buses, at concerts etc.)

And both types are important to our journeys. I love listening to local music when I travel just as much as I love cracking on my favourite tunes on a bus journey. Each country and culture we go to has its own style of 兀刃金門 music. When I lived in England, I briefly managed a rock band – The Waves!! I’ve been lucky to have witnessed the following LIVE performances on my travels:

Rock festivals in Dublin, Republic of Ireland

Live bands in Katoomba, Australia

Red Hot Chili Peppers live in Hyde Park, London, England

Live Festival music in Christchurch, New Zealand (Band Together)

Manic Street Preachers live in Tokyo, Japan

Live music in Taichung, Taiwan

Live music in Underground Rock Bar in Taipei, Taiwan

Noel Gallagher concert in Hong Kong

Plus a load of other music events (mostly FREE I must add)

Here are my top 5 music memories from my travels:

1. My mate Gregory playing guitar in Asuncion, Paraguay

2. Watching Noel Gallagher live in Hong Kong:

3. Singing a Pulp song and winning the karaoke competition in Melboure, Australia:

4. Playing guitar and singing one of my own songs in a backpackers hostel in Tasmania, Australia:

5. Meeting guitarist and songwriter Mike Tivey in Toronto, Canada and going backpacking with him. He was in a band called Milestone Method:

Here are my top ways to listen to music on my travels:

1. Attend proper concerts when you can (by “proper” I mean ones you have to pay entry to see a famous artist.

2. Attend free festivals when you can – look around there are free music events all the time

3. Drink in pubs with free live music

4. Pick up a guitar and play it when you see it in hostels

5. Get involved with locals and listen to their style of music

6. Take your iPod and use it on buses, trains etc. to listen to your favourite songs

7. Go dancing with locals and sing with them (most recent example I did was with the Maasai in Tanzania)

8. Take ONE CD with you – from your favourite band. Carry it everywhere and everytime you see a CD player – stick it on!! This idea was inspired by my cool former work colleague Dan Barnett who presented me with a copy of an Oasis CD in 2009 to “take round the world with me”. That I did! (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?

Here are my own personal top 10 travel tunes: Jonny Blair ‘s travel tunes!

I’m actually off to attend a wedding today in the Middle East so safe travels!

With my endless travel tips and stories, I want to inspire you all to head out there and see the world! Check my advertising page if you have an idea for a product for my Tuesday’s Travel Essentials, and I’m happy to receive free music (mostly on email though as I’m out backpacking with no fixed abode…)