How to Book a Tour: Unconventional Advice

There’s plenty of advice out there for booking a tour. In fact, I’ve written on it a few times (including this step-by-step guide). People generally talk about the same kind of stuff: how to approach a venue, where to book, promoting, etc. However, I want to cover some of the territory that people don’t talk about, the pitfalls that you’ll come across along the way.

When the Promoter Wants You to Fill the Bill
Some promoters/venues prefer that you pitch them an entire show (with locals) before confirming the show. It makes their life easier (they don’t have to find bands for the show) and local acts make booking a touring/unknown act a safer bet. So if you don’t have any contacts in an town far away, who do you find band?

Three easy solutions:

1. See who is already playing the venue on a weekend
2. Look up bands in the city’s alt-weekly paper
3. Post an ad on Craigslist.

When you can’t fill in a date or run out of venues to ask
Sometimes it seems that everyone in town is booked or no one is interested. You don’t have many options because you’re on a tight tour route or have dates/before and after that are already confirmed. These things happen. When they do, this is what I usually do:

1. Use Google, Google Maps, Yelp, City Search, or Four Square to look up “live music” and the city name. Sometimes, there are places that host bands that don’t pop up in the usual venue databases. You might also try contacting a store or organizations that would suit your ideal, target audience. Examples include: skateboard shops, youth groups, non-profit fundraiser, goth clothing store, music store, independent record store, etc.
2. Contact: breweries, wineries, colleges, and fans in the area.
3. Use Craigslist and search in the “Gigs” section. Often times, new bars/venues will post there looking for live music, as well as people throwing house parties, fundraisers, or events looking for a band.
4. See what shows are booked and ask the bands on those bills if they’d be willing to add you to the bill. Be sure to pitch how you will get them new fans, make more money, or bring people to the show.
5. Consider doing an acoustic version and do some busking. I know some acts who busk in Santa Monica, CA and make $200-$400 per day in donations and CD sales. You can also contact the local Occupy Movement encampment about working with their cause by performing (if there’s one there).

When You Don’t Know Anything about the Venue that You’re Booking

It’s always a good idea to know what kind of situation you’re booking into: Will they have an adequate stage? Will they have a sound system and engineer? What kind of audience is there? If you’re booking a venue that you haven’t worked with before, do a quick search online about them. Check out their website, see what kind of acts perform there normally. Look up reviews on Yelp. Ask bands that are on their calendar.

 

These are just some of the areas that few people talk about when giving advice about booking a tour. What have you run into that you’d like advice about? What areas can you speak to for other bands?

Quick tips for Touring Bands: #tipsforbands

I’ll be dishing out some quick tips for musicians using #tipsforbands on Twitter. Feel free to chime in. You can also follow my twitter @SimontheTam

Have a great weekend!

Radio Interview on Holly’s Advice 4B2C

I’ll be doing a live interview about Niche Marketing lessons that I learned from the music industry on the W4WN in about 55 minutes (7:00 PST, 9:00 EST).

Tune in online here: http://w4wn.com/hollys-digital-advice-4b2c-monday-thru-thursday-9-a-m-cst-on-w4wn-com/

How to Get the Opening Slot for a Major Tour/Band

There are a few ways to make sure you get to open for a major artist in town:

1. Develop a consistent reputation with promoters in your area that you can pack out whatever venues you play. Part of getting this great buzz about your music is getting into local press or radio stations (usually with the help of a publicist), being proactive about promoting your shows, and demonstrating that you’d make a good fit for the show.
2. Buy your way in. Either you’ll be asked to sell a minimum number of tickets (and pay the difference if you are short) or pay the performer up front.
3. Enter a random contest that you have no control over (sometimes local promoters or radio stations have a contest for local artists to enter), but the results usually have to do deal with option #1 (how much of a buzz do you have).

The first option takes time, energy, and hard work. In the process, you’ll gain the respect of the local music industry. You’ll build true fans that will come to other shows, buy your merchandise, and support your career. It’s the equivalent of a business building solid, regular customers. If the act you’re opening for likes you, you’ll be invited to do future shows with them and they’ll probably encraouge their fans to support you.

The second option requires money. You won’t gain respect in the industry (most managers, booking agents, and labels smell a “buy on” act a mile away). You might make new fans if people show up to the concert early (many people skip the opening acts), are paying attention, and you blow them away. These fans might or might not buy your merchandise and the probably won’t come to your future shows unless you really developed a rapport with them. The band you’re opening up for probably won’t watch you and doesn’t really care about you.

It’s odd: people are so reluctant when they encounter “pay to play” models from promoters yet they’re so desperate that they’ll throw thousands of dollars down in order to open for a touring band they admire. The pay off usually isn’t there. I’d only recommend it if you weren’t losing money on the deal (you’ll have no problems selling all of the tickets). Same thing goes for people who “buy” friends on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, or Myspace (there are companies that sell a “like” service); one look at any of act’s pages and you can tell that there is no true engagement. Your time, money, and energy would be better spent elsewhere.

I forgot to mention a fourth option: be the promoter yourself. Rent a venue, book the band, put yourself on the bill. I’ve done it myself a few times, I know other promoters and bands who do this. If you know how to run a show, it’s a lot different than when you’re at someone’s mercy for the terms.

How to Book Your Band’s Tour, Step-by-Step

I believe that good information should be spread and even though I do booking for bands, I’m not afraid to share, step-by-step, how I go about this process. That’s what this music blog is all about, partnering up with artists to take the next step. I hope this helps your music career.

This is a more concise version of an earlier post which you can read here. I recommend you read that one too.

Once you’ve decided that you want to and are able to tour (and you’ve figured out the why’s), it’s time to plan the how, when, and where’s. This is what I do.

1. Decide on a Date Range. I strongly recommend that you plan, at minimum, 4-6 months in advance. Booking a tour requires months of contacting, follow-up work, and filling in gaps. Some venues book at least 6 months out in advance, some only one month at a time. You’ll also need plenty of time to market, promote, and contact local press.
2. Choose Your Tour Route. Decide the general direction where you’d like to go. Chances are that you will probably have to make adjustments along the way. Some cities are easier to book than others. Decide how much you want to drive per day (I recommend spacing venues out 50-400 miles apart, depending on the region).  and if you want any days off. Big cities have more venues to choose from but often times require a “pay to play” option or will hardly pay you at all. Smaller towns outside of the city tend to pay more and are sometimes easier to book. I also recommend sticking to major highways (such as booking along I-5).
3. Begin Contacting Venues. Start by looking for venues along your tour route. Websites like Indie on the Move, byofl.org, and onlinegigs.com are free, searchable databases. You can also buy more details (and sometimes reliable) information from Billboard Music (they offer a touring guide for about $20), The Indie Venue Bible (about $100), and more. Most promoters prefer email. Some still use Myspace, some use the phone, some have their own contact form. Whatever it is, find out their preference and stick to it. Don’t use one generic message or method (nobody like spam) and answering the question on their mind: How will you make the venue money? How will you bring people in the door?  No venue cares about how “good” your show is if you’ll be playing for an empty room. Nearly every venue would rather hire the crappy local band that can sell the place out over a touring, professional band that can’t even get their guest list to show up.
4. Follow Up With the Venues. Most promoters are inundated with messages and are constantly juggling dates, bands, rentals, and other events. Get a confirmation, make sure you are on their website. Check in to see if they want posters mailed to them, see if there are local media contacts you should be following up with. If a promoter gave you a “hold,” find out what you need to make it a confirmed show. Follow-up again one more time before you leave for tour.
5. If You Have Gaps…and chances are, you will…have a back-up plan. If a show doesn’t pan out and if want to fill the date, start thinking creatively. You can contact nearby towns, check Craigslist to see if someone wants live music for their party or corporate event. If you’re out of venues, try doing a search on Yelp or Google Maps for live music. Contact local radio stations, record shops, bookstores, skate shops, church groups, roller skate arenas, restaurants, malls, any place where you might make a good fit. Hot Topic used to allow touring bands to do an acoustic set (some stores still do). Ask your friends/fans in the area if they want to do a house party. Or, begin contacting all of the venues you already reached out to and see if something opened up. Get in touch with bands in the area to see if they can help do a gig-swap.

The most important thing to remember is that this takes patience, consistency, follow-up, and a little bit of salesmanship. Keep at it everyday. Set up an appointment with yourself to contact venues, promoters, etc. for at least 1-2 hours per day (and more as you get closer). Never miss that appointment.

If you are consistent and tour often, you’ll begin building relationships with promoters and it becomes easier and easier. Then who knows? Maybe you’ll begin booking for other bands. That’s how I got started.

Social Media Metrics for Bands

Everyone seems to be so focused on getting more Twitter followers, more “likes,” and more YouTube subscribers, that they are forgetting the most important part of it: engagement. Would you rather have 5,000 “likes” on Facebook from fans who don’t interact, comment, or share your content or 500 die-hard fans who like every post you make and respond to your every request?

Several years ago, when Myspace ruled, promoters/bands/every day people got so swept up in this idea. Even though people knew that a band could literally sit in front of the computer all day adding fans (or bought pre-programmed bot software that would add fans automatically), they still thought the number of fans was some kind of indication of the band’s success. The reality is: not everyone is the next Tila Tequila. When traffic and interest in Myspace died out, what happened to the band’s thousands of followers? Most obviously didn’t “follow” the band to the new trends: Facebook, Twitter.

The most important social media metrics should not revolve around quantity, but quality. If you follow enough people on Twitter, a good number will begin following you back – but that doesn’t mean they’re paying attention to your Tweets. Instead, find more ways to get fans engaged: ask questions, listen, tap into their interests. You have to create your own niche, your own conversation.

And please, bring them back to areas where you have complete control over branding: your website and your mailing list. Social media sites rise and fall but you want to be the enduring brand, the primary object of engagement, the place where fans turn to again and again.

Touring Quick Tip: Laundry on the Road

If you have back to back shows and little down time on tour, you’ll want to get your laundry done quickly and inexpensively. The best way to do this is picking up a box of Dryel or Woolite dry cleaning cloths. With these, you can do a load of laundry in twenty minutes by using a tumble dryer. No washing machine is required.

The best part is that it will dry clean more delicate items (ties, suits, vests) as well as clean your normal stock of shirts, jeans, and socks. I recommend picking up the Dryel starter kit because it comes with a fabric protection bag that can also double as a laundry bag. You can get coupons on their website here: http://www.dryel.com/get-free-coupons/

When Things Go Wrong on Tour

In an intense sports match or battle, things often come down to mistakes and how you can recover from them. It’s no different when you’re touring in a band. Things happen: the van breaks down, shows get canceled, someone gets sick, equipment gets stolen. It’s being prepared for those moments and how you respond to those situations that define who you are, your level of professionalism, and will often determine your ultimate success. Here are a few common scenarios:

Your Show Gets Canceled

If you arrive at the venue to find it closed down or learn that the promoter has double booked the show (which happens more than any of us in the industry would like), you’ll want to make the most of the situation. If you want get paid/sell merch/gain exposure, you’ll need a plan to get in front of some people and book another gig ASAP. Get on the internet or grab a phone book and start calling everyone possible: live music venues, restaurants, bars, strip clubs, book stores, record stores, etc. and see if you just can get on a stage somewhere in town. But there things you can do too:

• Busking – Play on a busy street corner, open guitar case for tips, and promote yourself. Many musicians have made fulltime careers from this. If anything, some pay and exposure than nothing!
• Taking a Night Off – If you’re playing every night, maybe you just want a break. Take care of yourself, rest, etc.
• Online Performance – You could spend that time catching up with fans online. Set up an account on ustream.com and host a live online concert (probably just acoustic) and asking fans to support you using a PayPal donate link.

Nobody likes a cancelation but you might as well make the most of every opportunity. It’s better than throwing a fit and damaging the relationship with a local promoter or being bitter all night.

Your Van or Trailer Breaks Down

This is where roadside assistance comes in handy. Look at plans for your cell phone; it’s generally less than $5 per month but you get the level of service from AAA gold: long distance towing, roadside repairs, etc. You’ll want a long tow option in case you break down in-between cities. The best part is that you can activate it for the months you are traveling and then just turn off that service when you’re not on tour anymore.

Just remember in emergency situations to stay calm, make sure everyone is safe, and then call for help.

Your Music Equipment Gets Lost or Stolen

In a recent entry, I talked about documenting and creating an inventory of your gear incase it does get stolen. Have that information handy and call the police to file a report, then call your insurance company. In addition, you’ll want to:

• Post on the local craigslist. Musicians are usually great about supporting each other on this and will help keep an eye out for stolen goods. You’ll also want to check Craigslist or Ebay to see if your gear ends up there for sales. Same with local pawnshops, though that’s usually the responsibility of said shops and the local police.
• Let the local media know. Often times they’ll help with getting the word about the stolen gear (and might even some press for you)
• Find a way to finish your tour. You might need to borrow gear every night for your remaining gigs – check with promoters/venues to see if a backline is available or ask the other bands that you’re sharing the bill with if you can use some of their equipment. In a worst case scenario, you can buy some used gear or finance some new stuff.

Your Band is at Each Other’s Throats

It’s pretty common for a group of people to begin annoying each other at some point when they’re around each other non-stop. Take some time apart. Be sure to have some time to yourself – either walking around town, reading a book, or whatever you like to do. When arguments arise, take a step back and give each other some air and then talk to each other like grown adults rather than doing things to hurt feelings or ego’s.

Tour Sickness: Eastern Medicine Remedies and Tips

Let’s face it. Touring in a band is not the best, safest, healthiest thing to do. You’re stuck in a van with people and germs abound, you’re probably not getting enough rest, and you might be drinking way too much alcohol every night. At the same time, you’re depending on your good health to have strong vocals, be able to put on a killer show, and make it home in one piece. Here are some touring tips from the East on getting quick recovery:

Sore Throat? Congestion? Use Loquat Syrup!

Loquat Syrup (especially the Nin Jion Pei brand), is the absolute best thing out there in soothing your throat. It has been made especially to help a dry throat, which can be caused by too much drinking or smoking (or just abuse on your vocal chords from singing too much). Everyone in my band swears by it, even our singer who coats the inside of his mouth with it before breathing fire.

You can find it in any Asian supermarket, Whole Foods, or most natural food stores. It’s also known as Pei Pa Koa and should run between $5-$8 per bottle. Way better than any other over the counter medicine out there!

 

 

 

Upset Stomach, Acid Reflex, Ulcers? Try “Po Chai Pills”

Po Chai Pills are an inexpensive remedy for most stomach ales. They’re very popular for tourists and travelers who are get sick because they aren’t used to regional foods and who suffer from indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, and bloating. A box with 10 vials (5 doses) will run you about $3 or so and it is available at most Asian chain markets, natural herb stores, or on Amazon.com.

In the United States, supplies are from Prince of Peace Enterprises, a reliable and reputable herbal supplement company. Just take two vials with some water when symptoms occur…and next time, try not to eat so much greasy fast food!

These pills have been around for over 1,000 years and are still very popular all over Asia. If you can’t find some when on the road, try using some natural remedies like peppermint or ginger root (you can find candied ginger at Trader Joe’s pretty easily or Canada Dry Ginger Ale just about anywhere).

Balance

The biggest thing you can do is prevention. By focusing on balance: getting enough rest, eating well, drinking plenty of water, etc. you can prevent some of the more common illnesses on the road. I’m not sure if vitamin supplements like Emergen-C or Airborne really work (the FDA won’t approve either), but I’m sure taking a shot of vitamins can’t hurt. Also, be sure to keep your van clean and have people do basics like wash their hands, not share food/drinks, etc. You’ll be surprised at how much these litte things can go a long way.

What are some of your tips for staying healthy – Eastern, Western, or other?

How to Protect Your Music Gear (and insure it)

You see it on the news or tweeted on the net all the time: touring band’s trailer (or music gear) stolen. You probably know some friends who’ve had their equipment damaged or taken while on the road. Here’s how to take some basic preventive measures that will protect your instruments so you can avoid costly repairs or replacement:

Before You Leave For Tour

• Take an inventory of everything you have. Be sure to list make/model/year/serial numbers and keep copies of receipts. If you bought it used from Ebay or a friend, make your own receipt and keep with your records. A great way to do this for your entire band is to have a Google Doc spreadsheet so everyone can keep up with their own gear (and you can access from anywhere).
• Take photographs of all of your music equipment for your records.
• Use identifiers such as labels/contact information in case your gear was misplaced but also hide a tag in case it was stolen and someone tries to remove the serial number. For example, I like to take off the pickguard and stick an address label with my name and contact information on it, because it is unlikely that the piece will be removed and checked by thieves.
• If you’re using a trailer, invest in a “puck” styled lock that can’t be cut off (while you’re at it, buy a lock for your hitch and locking pin too).
• Get collectible or high-end instruments appraised.
• See if your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance covers music instruments. Better yet, purchase insurance that is specific for musicians (such as Music Pro Insurance). See what conditions apply (if they cover water damage or only in certain areas, etc).

While On Tour

If you’re touring in a van and trailer, chances are that people will suspect you have valuables inside. Always assume this and protect yourself by doing simple things such as double-checking the locks. Here are some other tips:

• Back it up! Back your van and/or trailer against a wall whenever possible so it’s harder to get access to your gear.
• Cover your windows. Invest in some pieces of fabric and pin up to cover windows so that people can’t see inside.
• Consider installing an alarm or anti-theft device.
• If the place is sketchy, consider having a few people sleep inside the vehicle to watch it. If you don’t want to sleep in the van, set up a “dummy” in one of the seats by stuffing a sleeping bag and make it look like someone is inside.
• If you’re extra paranoid, you can use a cable lock and tie up all of your amps, speaker cabinets, and guitar cases together so even if someone was able to break in, they wouldn’t be able to move anything out.

By investing some extra time and a little money, you can protect yourself from every touring band’s worst nightmare. Be street smart and a little paranoid…it can save you a lot of money and heartache!