Welcome to The Back Lounge
if you’ve ever gone from A to B on a tourbus, you’ll know the back lounge is often the social centre on the road.
Help yourself to a beer or make a brew (Yorkshire Tea is our preferred), sit yourself down and join in the conversation, or just sit and listen. We really don’t mind, as long as you’re respectful and courteous to the other members.
The Back Lounge started in June 2020, when, feeling isolated during lockdown and missing my ‘touring family’, I started attending the online COVID ‘Come Together’ support group hosted by Backline in North America. Realising how massively beneficial it was to my well-being, I put a tentative post on Facebook, asking if anyone would be interested in a similar, European-based group and received 50 replies within 24 hours.
Our online community is now in four figures, with regular attendees encompassing pretty much every role on tour from UK, Europe, North America and Canada, and the occasional insomniac Australian. The group has received really positive international press coverage and within its first six months, was longlisted for BBC Radio 4’s mental health All In The Mind Awards 2021.
What The Back Lounge Is
The Back Lounge community primarily encompasses music touring crew and artists, but is open to anyone working in the wider events industry including management, booking agents, venue staff, security and so on. It’s a peer support group with the aim of pooling resources and supporting each other in maintaining good physical and mental health within what sometimes feels like a crazy industry.
On our regular zoom meets, you can take part with your camera on or off, and either speak or listen – it’s up to you. All we ask is that you mute yourself when you’re not talking, treat everyone in the group with respect and give them space to say their piece. Everyone is given time to contribute to the discussion, as long or as little as you like.
We often have specialist guests speaking on subjects regarding physical and mental health, followed by a members’ discussion; we add our views, share experiences, argue (without anger), offer support, vent our feelings, occasionally cry – but we also laugh (a lot!) Back Lounge is a safe space and anything members share should always be treated as confidential. Sessions are not recorded, for the same reason.
There is no formal membership as such; you just have to have an ongoing association with the touring industry, and you can come and go as you please, depending on your inclination and demands of work. And there will never be a charge to ‘belong’; you belong just by showing up.
So feel free to join us. Just send me a message on the link or via our socials and I’ll add you to the group.
Our community looks to support each other especially when times are hard. We’ve all been on those ‘difficult’ tours or ones where, inexplicably, you just don’t fit in. Or the tours when Jack Daniel’s by the half-pint is de rigueur and you’d secretly prefer Ovaltine and an early night ;-). Here at the Back Lounge, we’ve got your back, whatever your personal choice.
We look forward to you joining our community
What The Back Lounge Isn’t
1. A Medical Service
The group is happy to support you if you’re having general mental health issues, but none of us are clinicians or are qualified to offer one-on-one counselling. If you’re in crisis or have a medical problem, please contact one of the outside services listed in Resources, who can give you the immediate specialist help you need.
2. A Job Centre
We’re always happy to offer advice and support to newbies in the touring industry, but please don’t ask us for specific job opportunities. That’s not what we’re here for.
3. A Ticket Agency
Freebies or backstage passes? Don’t even go there…

We have regular meetings every Wednesday evening at 6pm UK time and you can connect with us here
And you can sign up for our weekly mail out with meeting info here
The BACK LOUNGE TV

Casey's tour friendly HIIT
This is a do anywhere tour friendly ‘bit sweaty’ HIIT with James Cash, tour acclimatised and roadie friendly personal trainer, including most recently for Sam Smith.
If we could get through this class, you can. Various Back Lounger red faces have been edited out to protect the innocent. You can find James Cash here at his regular home
- TheTrainStationgym.co.uk
- @PhoenixatTheTrainStation
- thetrainstationgym
- @_trainstation

Qi Gong by Craig Ali
Craig ran a workshop for us on ‘Mindfulness for touring’. If sitting still is hard and gentle movement is more your thing, set yourself up for the day or change your mood with this ‘do anywhere’ 11 minute Qi Gong.
TIME OUT

MITC Guide to Anxiety Relief & Self Isolation
MITC is a collective of expert therapists and coaches who are all ex-music business. This guide to coping with anxiety and isolaton is an amazing resource originally put out during lockdown, but completely relevant ongoing

A Change is Gonna Come
The past few years have highlighted mental health as a critical issue in the live music industry. This survey commissioned by Dr Chayim Newman & Zack Borer LMFT, presents the findings collected from professionals working across touring, along with solutions as to how we can build a healthier future.

Roadmap To Sustainable Touring
In January 2022, we ran a session with Tour Production Group on how to make touring more sustainable. With 90 people on the call, between us we shared some useful resources - from organisations and suppliers to books and podcasts. You can download the info here. If you’d like to watch the session itself, please get in touch, happy to share!

Craig Ali’s 3 minute breathing space
Do anywhere, great for when you’re in the thick of it… and you don’t even need to close your eyes so no one need know a thing 😉

Craig Ali’s ‘Settling the Mind’
Keep this download on your phone for when you want to start the day in the right way, when your day needs a reset or when the plane is coming in to land and you’ll be the ground running. 10 minutes is all it takes.

A starters guide to health and wellness w Matt Kansy
One page of the best advice from former roadie & now wellness & nutrition coach

Exercise to Create Healthy Boundaries - RESPECT YOURSELF! 4mins with Laura Ferguson
#laura.ferguson.coach LGBTQ+ Life Coach & Hypnotherapist

Laura Ferguson - 3 Steps for Resilience including what to do when you’re asked to drop your rate. 3.26mins
#laura.ferguson.coach LGBTQ+ Life Coach and Hypnotherapist

Find your values - a simple exercise that helps you remember why it’s worth getting out of bed. with Laura Ferguson.
#laura.ferguson.coach LGBTQ+ Life Coach & Hypnotherapist

Yoga Nidra with Becky Pell (26mins)
Yoga Nidra is a guided relaxation, perfect for a disco nap or to drift off to sleep in your bunk. Who wouldn’t want to be a constellation of stars… Becky is a touring audio engineer, yoga teacher and author. You can find her here rocknrollyogi.com

Dr Niamh Flynn’s ‘Sleep Well’
One for your bunk! Dr Niamh is a sports psychologist and hypnotherapist. This 9 minute recording will have you snoring happily like any good roadie should.

MITC ‘Better Mental & Physical Health on Tour’
In Feb 2022 we ran a session in collaboration with Tour Production Group on better health on tour. Led by Jodi Milstein & Dr Arun Castro of Music Industry Therapists Collective, it was packed with really helpful information. Here’s the accompanying handout and if you’d like to hear the recording please get in touch.

How to be an Ally
In March 2022, we ran a session with Tour Production Group exploring how the touring industry is waking up to the benefits of a diverse workforce. We looked at ways we can create a safe working environment for minorities. and how to ensure our ally ship is well-intentioned & supportive Some useful resources available here and if you’d like to watch the session itself, please get in touch!

Coming Soon

Dr Niamh Flynn’s ‘Sleep Well’
One for your bunk! Dr Niamh is a sports psychologist and hypnotherapist. This 9 minute recording will have you snoring happily like any good roadie should.

A starters guide to health and wellness w Matt Kansy
One page of the best advice from former roadie & now wellness & nutrition coach

MITC Guide to Anxiety Relief & Self Isolation
MITC is a collective of expert therapists and coaches who are all ex-music business. This guide to coping with anxiety and isolaton is an amazing resource originally put out during lockdown, but completely relevant ongoing
Thank you long term Back Lounger Simon Schofield for the beautiful photos scattered across this page and the website