We Spoke to a Guy Who Tour Manages Aussie Bands Across the USA

Image: Jack Mannix

A rusty rock dog once told me that the key to any successful tour was in knowing how to avoid the flashing lights. Police or paramedics. Jail or hospital. Winding up in either could cost a bunch of money in missed shows.

A good tour manager knows how to dodge the flashing lights and wailing sirens.

Mike Spyros has tour managed Australian bands Circle Pit, Slug Guts and Straight Arrows across America and helped out on US tours for Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys, Kitchens Floor, Royal Headache, and Naked on The Vague. Hardly any of them have been arrested or hospitalised.

For an Australian band, touring the USA, where in some places it’s illegal to drink a beer in a moving vehicle but ok to carry a concealed firearm, a tour manager acts as more than just a human GPS. A good TM is able to help maintain band harmony/sanity, load gear into the venue and get you to that bar that’s open at 4am.

Spyros, who works as a bar tender in New York when not touring, is a charismatic and genuine guy who has a true love for good music and adventure.

Angie Bermuda from Circle Pit and Straight Arrows describes meeting Mikey in New York for the first time. “He showed up in Brooklyn the day of the tour, with the van we brought, wearing a mesh singlet, a bandana tied around his head all perfect, and leather gloves. The rest is history!”

Noisey: How did you end up tour managing Australian bands around the USA?
Mike Spyros: I became obsessed with the first Circle Pit 7” after ordering it from RIP Society when I read that it sounded like Red Kross. Nic from RIP and I exchanged some emails and eventually I messaged the band and chatted once or twice with Angie. They probably thought I was crazy.

I had just returned from Europe when I heard about the Circle Pit tour. I’d been on a bunch of tours in the US with my old punk bands so I had hook-ups across the country. Nic eventually asked if I would tour manage and find them a van. To my Mom’s disappointment I said yes. She really wanted me to settle down and go to school or something. Instead I spent almost three years touring the country.

What kind of van did you have?
It was a 1993 GM conversion that I found on craigslist. The lady who owned it was a babysitter and when I cleaned it out I found a dirty diaper under a seat. I was nervous that it would break down on tour but it actually held up pretty well for some years. I pimped it out with a shag carpet and decorations. It was such a comfortable van, everyone who rode in it slept like a baby, except me cause I was driving 90 per-cent of the time.

Image: Mike Spyros

Image: Owen Penglis

Why Australian bands?
After the Circle Pit tour they hooked me up with a ticket to Australia where I ended up meeting a lot of the bands in the underground scene. This led to more touring gigs.

What do you think of the Aussies?
Most I’ve toured with were just really laid back and stress free. Or maybe I just created that atmosphere because that’s how I am most of the time. When I was in Australia I met amazing people outside the music scene too, just intuitive cool ass people.

Image: Angela Bermuda

Image: Owen Penglis

Are there any shows that stand out?
I remember an epic Circle Pit house party/show in Provo, Utah. We had a drug dog sniff our van on the way to that show. Luckily the bassist of the band ate his stash before the dog came around. I loved hanging in Kentucky with Slug Guts even though things got weird at the after party when a guy started doing his naked stand up comedy routine and all his friends loved it. But JD, the Slug Guts singer, was disgusted and yelled at him pretty much ending the party.

What are some of the best towns?
Kalamazoo has a little scene and we ended up there a couple times, great people that are always very hospitable. Bringing bands back home to my parent’s house in Connecticut is always my favorite though. My parents are pretty damn cool for putting up with all the random touring bands that have come by in the past ten years of my life.

And worst?
I always hated when the tour would get to New York City. It is the most annoying city because everyone has friends here and wants to see something different and party every night until 4am and its just the most annoying place to try and organize anything and driving around Brooklyn and Manhattan is hell. Tour for me never started until we got out of NYC.

Image: Mike Spyros

Image: Angela Bermuda

Angie tells the story of the van breaking down outside Davis, California. While the rest of the band continued on to San Francisco, you and her stayed with the van.
Yeah that was weird. We ended up at a University of California astrophysics house party where people were talking about the universe, doing shots and spewing. I remember forcing myself to drink because it was so weird. We were also sleeping in a human sized doghouse in the back yard. This older guy really sold me on buying those sports shoes with the toe slots. He also talked about stretching a lot. Like if you are standing still just stretch. I do that now!

What’s the best thing about touring?
I loved being on the road, seeing all my old friends, making new ones and just basking in the freedom and adventures. All the major cities are always a good time but it’s the random places we end up where I’ve never been before that almost feel like a different country to me that I remember best.

All the months of being malnourished and living off shitty gas station food was totally worth it. There’s so much I can say for all the characters I met in the bands and on the road, I could probably write an entire book. Maybe one day I will.

Images: Angela Bermuda

What American stuff do you get the most satisfaction out of showing to Aussie bands?
I like introducing them to the wild friends I've made over the years. I try and get most bands to my parent’s house in Connecticut for tons of free food (they own a pizza place) and maximum relaxation. The last tour with Angie we stopped there on my birthday and my uncle gave me a scratch ticket and I won $1000. I gave her $100.

What do you think Australian bands expect a US tour is going to be like, and is that expectation met?
I feel like Aussie bands don't know what to expect so they usually are never let down. Ha! I probably get let down more because I know I'm on the road with amazing artists and every show should be packed! Australian bands were all the rage for a few years here. My old band played with Eddy Current Suppression Ring on their first US tour and I remember thinking "why the fuck would these guys come all the way here to tour? They must enjoy losing money." But after listening to them and hearing all the other bands from Australia I realised they were just that good.

Do you have any key advice for Aussie bands coming to America?
If any Aussie bands are planning on touring they should just message me if they have any questions, I'm always down to help and can look at their tour schedule and probably plan it out a little smoother for them. I just hooked Brisbane band Sewers up at my sweet pad in the Lower East Side. It seemed like they had a good time getting drunk and eating dollar slices of pizza ha!