The Planet Smashers\u2019 first Warped experience was as DIY as it gets. Collyer remembers playing Qu\u00e9bec City in the festival\u2019s early days, before the band fully understood what they were walking into.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe played on the flatbed of a truck,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I was like, \u2018This is different\u2019. And then we had to do our own merch, but we didn\u2019t know you were supposed to bring a tent. So we were that band in the sun with just a table, and the sun was just pounding down on us.\u201d<\/p>\n
They had copies of their early releases, one Planet Smashers shirt design, and no real plan. The shirts sold out almost instantly. Then, an icon walked up. \u201cI just remember Tim Armstrong walked up and I\u2019m like, oh my gosh,\u201d Collyer says. \u201cAnd he stopped and goes, \u2018Hey, are you guys that band that does that song \u2018Pierce Me\u2019? I\u2019m like, \u2018yes. How the fuck do you know?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
That, to Collyer, was the magic of Warped Tour. It flattened the hierarchy. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere was equality throughout the tour, which was really cool,\u201d he says. \u201cEveryone got 30 minutes, no one got more time.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Nick Farkas, Senior Vice President of booking and events at evenko, who are co-producers of Warped Tour\u2019s Montr\u00e9al stop, also remembers his first Warped Tour. Back then, he was a young, DIY booker, having co-founded Greenland Productions in 1993. \u201cIt really takes me back to the beginning of my career. It was the first real festival we ever did, and we always had an amazing time,\u201c remembers Farkas. That first year, the festival was being held at the now-shuttered Blue Bonnets horse racing track. \u201cWe had sold 3000 tickets, but about 6000 people showed up without tickets, and we hadn’t set up a different line for people without tickets. Security had to sort people and create different lines, we were walking around with change and selling tickets directly in the line.\u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cThat they chose Montr\u00e9al over another Canadian or American market tells you how important punk rock is to Montr\u00e9al,\u201c says Farkas, who is also behind some of Canada’s biggest festivals, including Osheaga and Lasso. <\/p>\n
Warped Tour also helped bands build real networks between local bands and international ones. Before social media made every scene feel connected, you had to meet people in person. \u201cYou met them at Warped Tour. And you just made friends,\u201d Collyer says. \u201cAnd suddenly you go, oh, I\u2019ve got a friend in Atlanta now. Oh, I\u2019ve got a friend in Charlotte. Oh, I\u2019ve got a friend in Washington. Now you\u2019ve got a tour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the fun, surviving Warped Tour as a band was not an easy feat. It was hot, exhausting, smelly, and chaotic. The glamour level was low. Collyer remembers vans, RVs, overnight drives, terrifying highway moments, and trying to find a usable shower only to discover that someone had ruined it for everyone. He also remembers losing his voice in Miami because of the heat and the culture of staying up late, yelling, laughing, and hanging out.<\/p>\n
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So what is his advice for surviving the weekend?<\/p>\n
First, the obvious one. \u201cHydrate. You\u2019ve got to stay hydrated,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
He means it. One year, water was hard to come by but energy drinks were everywhere. Their drummer Scott started drinking too much Monster and ended up with a painful inflamed heart sac that bothered him for months.<\/p>\n
Second, sunscreen. It might feel basic, but Warped Tour is well-known to be a sunburn factory.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, the sunscreen is going to be a lifesaver. I know it\u2019s the end of the summer, but it\u2019s going to get you eventually,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Third, do not gamble with the bathrooms.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you feel you need to go to the washroom, don\u2019t wait,\u201d he says. \u201cGo as fast as you can, they can get pretty nasty very quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fourth, buy merch early. Bands, especially those traveling across the border, can only bring so much. If you wait until the end of the day, your size might be gone. \u201cWhen it\u2019s gone, it\u2019s gone,\u201d Collyer says.<\/p>\n
Most importantly, pace yourself. The urge to see everything is part of the fun, but you need to survive long enough to enjoy it. \u201cIf you find a slot where there\u2019s a band that you know, a time when there\u2019s no one you\u2019d want to see, take that moment,\u201d he says. \u201cTake a little nap and then go back and get them.\u201d<\/p>\n
And if you see band members walking around, be cool. That is part of the point. Warped Tour was built on accessibility, community, and Kevin Lyman\u2019s famous attitude that there is \u201cno room for rock stars.\u201d<\/p>\n