Ah Bobby. What a bloody dead set legend.
I really admire people who always have an aura of positive energy about them and I am definitely inspired by Charles and his cheerfulness around other people. Never a dull moment.
Apart from having chops on the drums and guitar, Bobby Alu is also a gifted vocalist and songwriter. He has had a pretty massive year of touring, performing his own headline shows as well as supporting The Beautiful Girls and John Butler. Next year, Bobby is due to support UB40 AND release the rest of his new album. #productive
As an experienced travelling musician, he has run the track more than once. While it was snowing outside, I sat down with Charles for 5 minutes in Luxembourg late October to ask him a couple of questions.
What are three qualities that you think every touring musician should possess?
"Patience. The ability to sleep, anywhere. Being adaptable."
What is one new habit or lifestyle change that has affected you in a positive way in the last 5 years? Have you developed any new habits that keep you healthy on and off the road that impact your ability to perform better?
"Exercise and meditation. I like to go for a run or use rubber bands for stretches. Meditation is most effective a little bit after I wake up or before the gig."
What has been one of the hardest things you’ve had to deal with one tour and how did you overcome it?
"The hardest thing is staying connected with my partner. We try to send heaps of photos and try to keep in touch. Its good if you can invite your partner on tour when it’s possible. Just so they can imagine what it’s like. It’s hard to imagine if you’ve never been on tour and shared the same perspective. Reality verses the concept is very different."
How do you maintain a positive mindset or deal with high stress situations whilst touring?
"For me, we are a speck of dust in the universe, so I try not to let it be a big deal, whatever the problem is. It won’t matter in a year. Failures are good, basically, that is how you learn. It's more about how you come back from it, rather than the actual fail."
Looking back on your touring experiences and where you are now, what is one piece of advice you’ve give to a younger musician about touring, or to your younger self?
"Pack lightly, and try and make the most out of the experience because not many people get to do it. It can be hard to enjoy it when its day in and day out, and you kinda forget you're playing a rock show. But the thing is, it's actually awesome."
Check him out - https://bobbyalu.com/
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