Gig vans, road trips and skint knuckles
The last way I wanted to spend my day… was doing was working on my gig van, but it’s at the top of the food chain if I want to work and because Buffett hasn’t bought any of my songs yet, I guess I’ll keep doing my own vehicle maintenance.
It’s a ’94 Ford Aerostar and it’s perfect as a full time music wagon. It’s the extended version so it has a few extra feet in length. It has duel a/c’s and most important it had great cup holders and arm rests. I left one of the back seats in and I have pillows, blankets and other stuff required if I need to spend the night sleeping in the van.
I have all the creature comforts and emergency supplies like water, food, tools and a roadside breakdown kit. In it;s ample storage compartments I have grooming supplies and medical maintenance items like contact solution and spare contacts. I even have a small sewing kit, a can opener, duct tape, rope, oil and one gallon of gas in a safety can.
A few months back I got a call about 8:45 pm from a local muso that I know works pretty regular and spends a fair amount of time on the road travelling the south in a pickup truck and a small dog. He sounded all rev’ed up and told me his microphone cable didn’t work. I asked “which one?”, he said the only one I have and I go on in 20 minutes and I don’t know who else to call….argg. I jumped in the van for a short drive over to St. Simons Island georgia and found him dancin’ outside the club in the cold. So I gave him a good cord and another for a spare and a quick lecture on being prepared…..son
Memorial day weekend is coming up soon and tourist season will be here before you know it and I’ll do at least 75 gigs in the next three months and I don’t want to spend my spare time making repairs I should have made pre-season, but like todays job…..the Aerostar needed a new alternator so I dug out all my make in China wrenches and a pair of gloves to help me keep as much skin as possible on my knuckles. I managed to get it removed and after a trip to Auto Zone had the new one home and installed in about 2 hours. But when I connected the jumper cables the built in smoke started coming out!
*Arggg*…it had burned and melted some wires with that un mistakable burnt rubber smell…..*argg* again..it was a bad alternator, so I removed it again, went back to the Zone and had them check it…yep, it was bad.
Anyway, we got the new one installed just in time to scrub the grease off my hands and do an afternoon gig on the beach. After all…I just wanna play music…thats all.
“Kings Highway .mp3 by Leo Dean
Loved your post Leo. I feel your pain…or Danny does when he is fixing the diesel on the sailboat! Seems that finger-style guitar (nails required) and diesel mechanic just don’t go together.
We’ll say a little prayer for your van! I think it’s time for another trip to ol’ GA for a visit. It has been a LONG time.
k