1/ Name? 

Sophie Kirov

 

2/ Hometown? 

Perth, WA

 

3/ Currently Reside? 

Brunswick Heads, NSW

 

4/ Role? 

Owner of Badlands Group: entertainment visa and tour service provider

 

5/ Years on the road? 

8

 

6/ First band you ever worked for? 

Kimbra

 

7/ Favourite AUS venue? 

Going to gigs at the local Bruns pub is always a treat, but if I’m working I do love a show at the Forum in Melbourne.

 

8/ Favourite AUS Bar or Restaurant? 

The Napier Hotel in Melbourne is always a great spot for a cold beer and a hearty meal.

 

9/ When and where was your first OS tour? 

Flight Facilities in Asia.

 

10/ Favourite OS country to tour?

As unimaginative as it may be, I really do love touring through the US. From the truly picturesque drives through area likes Montana, Utah and Wyoming, to the early hours at a Truck Stop, and the world of Instacart, Amazon Prime and every-restaurant delivery app under the sun – it’s always a great time.

 

11/ Favourite OS venue? 

The Fillmore in San Francisco. It’s a beautiful venue with an epic history, and the load in with the forklift/steel cage combo is good for a laugh.

 

12/ Favourite OS Bar or Restaurant? 

Dino’s for a cold Bud and a quesadilla or Rolf & Daughters for a fancy dinner, both in Nashville.

 I’ve really gone in on the US here, so I should probably throw some love Europe’s way. I’ve had a blast at some of the campgrounds we parked the bus at, which I highly recommend instead of heading straight to into the city if you have a day off or travel day. They’re relatively inexpensive, and you can lie in the grass, go for a bike ride, have a bbq, and all that jazz.

 

13/ Last three bands you have toured with? 

Flight Facilities, K.Flay and Golden Features.

 

14/ What three tools are the most important to your role? 

My phone, laptop and a notebook.  

 

15/ What are the three things you can’t leave for tour without? 

Power Bank (portable charger) with extra USB leads, pedialyte or hydralite sachets and ArmaForce.

 

16/ What’s your drink of choice after the truck is packed?

A little bourbon on the rocks is generally welcomed.

 

17/ Who’s the most played artist on your ipod? 

This month I’m listening to a lot of country, like Kacey Musgraves and Nathan Rateliff.

 

18/ Whats your favourite band / album of all time? 

Oh yikes! Alt-J – An Awesome Wave, Paul Simon – Graceland, Cat Power – Sun, Bonobo – Black Sands, Neil Young – Harvest, J.J. Cale – Naturally… ok I’ll stop.

 

19/ Whats your favourite book / Podcast?

Listen to the Henry Rollins interview on the Joe Rogan experience. He’s the best. 

 

20/ Any great websites out there for people to check out? 

I’m going to cheat here and recommend a couple of apps instead. Rain Parrot, Headspace, Tabata and Dropbox.

 

21/ What do you do when you are not on the road?

The motto for Bruns is ‘simple pleasures’ which defines me to a T. Swimming, fishing, adventuring, reading and trialing my new obsession with pickling.

 

22/ Words of Wisdom? 

Try to have fun and drink more water.

 Oh and if you’re a photographer reading this, buy a black t-shirt.

 

23/ You can contact me on? 

 @sophiekirov or sophie@badlandsgroup.com

 

Probably the most unwell I've ever felt on tour, but on the plus side i got a great tan that day. 

W/ K.Flay at the Zoo Amphitheatre in Oklahoma City. 

Pre-take off w/ Flight Facilities at the Forum in Melbourne. Pre-show ritual on this tour was singing the jingle from a TV commercial so we’re probably mid 'happy little vegemites’. 

Making solid use of a day off in Colorado with a hike up to St Marys Glacier (*Not in picture but had the best vegetarian meal in Denver at City o’ City)