The logistics of touring are complicated, and a successful tour
requires a great deal of advance planning. Once on the road, a band
must be prepared to handle the myriad difficulties that can arise
along the way. Although agents typically handle the actual booking,
artists' managers can help ensure that things run smoothly, both
before and during a tour.
But what if your band has no manager, and you're handling those
responsibilities yourself? Here are some important things to
consider.
FOR THE RECORD
First of all, a band probably has no reason to tour unless it
has a record to promote. Preparing for a tour — as opposed to
a series of gigs close to home — requires a great deal of
time and effort; without a product to support, it's generally not
worth the hassle. In fact, most venues worth including in a tour
won't be interested in artists whose careers haven't reached the
stage where they're making records. The more an artist has toured
in support of previous releases, the easier it will be, because he
or she can build upon past experience.
More often than not, preparations for a tour should begin four
to six months in advance of a record's release date. This is
especially true when an artist is a baby act on a label or will be
releasing products independently. If you have a booking agent, he
or she should be involved from the very beginning. Whether you're
working independently or with a label, you'll also need to
coordinate prerelease promotion, marketing, publicity, and your
road crew and management. Your tour will not succeed, either
financially or from a visibility standpoint, unless these elements
work in harmony.
Obviously, you can't just load up the Econoline van and wander
off aimlessly, hoping to find gigs. You'll need a schedule, and
that schedule must be based on an understanding of what sort of
lead time is necessary to accomplish individual tasks. Let's take a
closer look at each of those tasks, starting with those that take
the longest.
150 TO 180 DAYS OUT
If your budget allows, get a competent road manager to take care
of the band's day-to-day living and business needs. In the best of
all possible worlds, that person would also be an outstanding sound
technician.
If you've got a manager and an agent, keep in touch with them
while you're on the road so that the inevitable updates and
schedule changes that occur won't take you completely by surprise.
If you don't have a manager or agent, pay special attention to your
contacts at the venues you'll be playing.
Contact music retailers in the markets where you'll be touring
and convince them to stock your product. By the time you reach
their area, you'll want your record on the shelves and ready for
purchase by your expanding legions of fans. It's smart to have
distribution in place before you hit the road.
Plan on producing merchandise to sell at your gigs (see
“Merch Madness” on p. 24). Contact and contract with
merch suppliers at least six months in advance of your first tour
date. It takes time to place orders, inspect your merch (make sure
it's what you've paid for), and correct any mistakes vendors have
made. You should plan on having the obligatory T-shirts, stickers,
buttons, and posters. It's not a bad idea to have some standalone
displays and bin cards for retailers. You'll also need CDs, of
course: about 300 to 500 should do the trick.
90 TO 120 DAYS OUT
Make a list of the gear you'll need while touring, and make sure
it's road ready. You should repair or replace anything that's not
in good working order (including cases for all of your gear) as
necessary. And don't forget the most critical piece of equipment
— your transportation. Don't assume the van you've beaten
nearly to death will last another 12,000 miles before it falls
apart completely.
Stock up on spare parts and bring along backup gear in case your
equipment fails. Also make sure you have Internet access so that
you can locate suppliers along the route in the event you need
something you haven't brought.
Promote yourself. If you have prerelease demo CDs available, you
should send them (accompanied by media kits) to the venues where
you'll be performing. Also send kits to radio stations in the
cities or markets where you're going. You have a better chance of
attracting people to your gig if your record is in rotation.
(Independent acts are most likely to get airplay from college radio
stations.)
30 TO 60 DAYS OUT
Make sure you've received your retainer (normally 50 percent of
the negotiated performance fee) and a signed contract with a rider
from all the venues on the tour. If you do not receive these two
items from a club, don't play there.
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Do not go out unless you're ready
to blow your audience away with your artistic virtuosity and
compelling stage act.
BAD ROAD AHEAD
A tour will help you build name recognition, generate sales, and
schmooze with the public and music industry. However, be prepared
to encounter a variety of common misfortunes. The most frequent,
and perhaps the least preventable, are those resulting from the
inevitable manifestations of Murphy's First Law: if anything can go
wrong, it will … and usually does when you least expect it,
can least afford it, and are least able to deal with it. Even the
most resourceful manager (or band member acting in the role of
manager) is no match for acts of Murphy, but you can limit the
consequences by anticipating and preparing for as many problems as
possible.
Make contingency plans that deal with breakdowns in equipment,
vehicles, and personnel (road crew and band members). Have a list
of good attorneys and doctors along the travel route, and the phone
number of that mom-and-pop shop that carries the spare parts for
outdated and busted-up equipment.
CLUB OWNERS WITH ATTITUDES
Another potential road hazard involves trying to get your money
out of a recalcitrant big-fish-in-a-little-pond club owner or
manager. While taking a chain saw to the club's $25,000 mahogany
bar might yield the most emotional satisfaction, you're more likely
to succeed (and stay out of jail) by employing a more rational
approach. Start out by asking politely for your cash. If that
doesn't work, get progressively nastier. (If you have a manager,
it's best that he or she handle this part of it.)
-
Remind the responsible party that a contract is in effect, and
that breach of said contract would cause attorneys to become
involved (a nightmare for anyone with common sense).
-
Threaten to sue — and be ready to do it.
-
Promise the offending party that you will get on the phone and
call every artist, manager, and agent you know and tell them this
operation screws the talent (this can be very effective; no one
wants to play a venue that doesn't pay people).
-
Let the agent who booked the gig handle it (aka passing the
buck).
-
Calmly explain to the bonehead that if he or she does not pay
up, the artist will be unable to continue touring, because the
money owed is the only thing that will keep the artist on the road
(aka begging).
-
Blow the whole thing off, take the tax deduction, and let bad
karma catch up with the louses (believe me, it will).
Unfortunately, this situation occurs more often than it should;
it makes one wonder why some people lack the capacity for
reasonable and honorable business dealings with others.
WISDOM OF THE ROAD
You can minimize the risks by doing your homework. Getting an
agent who has solid relationships with the venue owners and
managers can help. It's also wise to call the club in advance to
get a feel for how it operates. Accommodate the person responsible
by providing a few freebies (CDs, shirts, posters, autographed
photos, and so on). Treat the venue owner or manager with respect.
These people are human, too; they have their own quirks, faults,
desires, and requirements, all of which you need to take into
consideration.
It's important not to let ego get in the way of common sense. An
artist on the road needs to maintain the highest level of
professional behavior. This cannot be overstated. Troubles with
club managers and owners frequently go back to an artist's
unprofessional conduct — for example, insulting the
individual or a member of the venue's staff. It's easy enough to
avoid these misunderstandings by simply thinking before you act or
speak.
If you plan properly and maintain a professional attitude,
touring can be one of the most rewarding aspects of being a
musician. Hopefully, these tips will make the process easier and
more enjoyable.
Jake Jacobson is president of Jacobson Talent
Management and has more than 30 years of experience in the music
business as a musician, booking agent, concert promoter,
indie-label executive, personal manager, and consultant.
onstage•hotlinks
www.cdbaby.net/articles/tourtips.htm
Tips from touring musicians posted on the IndieBiz list, presented
by CD Baby.
www.steve-lawson.co.uk/touring.htm
U.K. site offering seven touring tips.
