| The Zone Tour Manifesto by Aaron Weber First and foremost, the key to growing as a band is to PLAY OUT! A band that plays only in it's hometown will soon grow stagnant and wither away until it's on par with oh, say Shooting Star. While out-of-town gigs very rarely follow a gold-paved road, you don't have to have a gargantuan record company to book, promote, or support a tour. You can do it yourself, and bully to anyone who thinks differently. Like all good things in life, scads of books have been written about touring. My personal recommendation has to go to "Book Your Own Tour" from RockPress. This book is available just about anywhere, and the nice folks at RockPress see fit to update it semi-regularly. I don't want to suggest that without this book you will die, but as Kill Creek can tell you, you may come close. The reason "Book Your Own Tour" is such a necessity is that not only does it have a list of nearly every decent bar/venue in the U.S.A., it also gives great advice on how to survive as a band on the road. And rest assured, this book was not written by some square who wanted to make a buck. It's written by professional musicians who know exactly what to do and what to avoid. Go buy it. Really. I'll wait. For those of you who prefer more immediate assistance, I'll run through the key points of touring. Here's the breakdown: Booking: There are two schools of thought on the first call to a venue. The first is that you just make a cold call and introduce yourself and your band without any prior information. While it's nice to start off with the personal touch, most bookies won't give you the time of day without first having seen a bio, press-kit, or whatever recorded material you have. The second school of thought is to just send the kit to the venue, then give it a week or so before the first call. That gives your material time to arrive and hopefully time to have been seen or listened to. Rest assured, the bars you want to play at receive gaggles of submissions from new bands so don't feel put out if the individual you speak with isn't immediately familiar with your life's work. More often than not, the first time in a new city/venue/etc., you're going to be playing on the worst day of the week and you'll be opening for a local band that is 180 degrees from your own. However, if you state that you are planning a tour and have confirmed dates in such and such cities, you have a better chance of asking for a specific date. It's not guaranteed, but bars are usually pretty helpful along those lines. Bear in mind that a lot of bars will offer the rough equivalent whatever money it costs you to get there. Sorry, but there ain't much you can do about it. (For more on that, read my column on playing out.) However, it is important to get that monetary figure laid out in stone. It's also fairly customary for bars to either provide food or give some kind of a food allowance, which may or may not be taken out of your take. Be sure to have the venue clarify all the perks that go along with playing in their sandbox. There's nothing worse than getting to a gig and finding out that not only do you NOT get free drinks, you can only have one bathtub mint Julep. *shudder*. Along those lines, you might ask if the bar has a standard contract or ten commandments type list that you need to be familiar with. Some places have some odd rules, so be sure to ask in advance. If the answer is yes, have them fax or send you a copy of it. 99% of the time, it won't require any signing or whatnot, but it'll let you know what you're in for. The other side of that coin is the much loved "rider". Most signed or national acts have them, and quite a few lesser known bands use them as well. It's smart to have a contract for the venue to agree to, not only to ensure that you get paid the correct amount, but to let the venue know that you're a professional outfit as well. While it's possible (and legal) to write up your own contract, it's usually best to have a lawyer do it for you. Check the resources page in the upcoming weeks for a list of entertainment lawyers that specialize in pandering to your every need. Anywho, the rider is usually a condition or requirement of the band to be met by the venue. Some of these are pretty tame such as "such and such amount allotted for foodstuffs" or "a sound check will be performed" , but sometimes you come across some strange ones. I've had great success in having bars support my nicotine habit by including a rider that the bar will provide a couple of packs for the band. It's quite the money saver and most venues are nice enough to comply. My personal favorite rider belongs to Spacehog, whose contract specifies that the bar will provide "one eightball and two Asian hookers". Whether or not the venues ever come through, I have no idea, but I'm certainly not ruling out the possibility. Once you've got the gig, the next step is ensuring adequate promotion. People like to see out of town bands, so unless you're saddled opening for the worst band on earth, you can expect at least one individual to show up. It's usually a smart bet to include a promotional shot of the band with your press-kit, but feel free to send along any posters or blank flyers that you have. Unless your creative side balks at such an impersonal notion, you should come up with a standard flyer template that has the name of your band, a photo, and some blank space at the bottom that the bars can fill in. Your other options are to either let the bar handle the flyers (another nice thing to ask about) or to make your own customized flyers and send them along. If you've got a CD or DAT of your band's stuff, you might consider sending it to whatever applicable radio station is in town. College stations are great, but don't discount the more mainstream or commercial stations. If you've had a single in your own town, other stations may play it as well, so don't hesitate to ask the bar for any stations that play local or regional music. The same applies to any local weekly or entertainment newspapers in town. If nothing else, they usually contain a concert calendar, so give 'em a holler and let them know your coming to town. Send a full press kit and with some luck, you might finagle an article, interview, or review. If you know someone in town, it's a good idea to see if they're up for a little flyer work as well. College towns are great places for flyering, and if you know someone attending a local college, give them a holler and ask them to put up some notices on their dorm or student union bulletin boards. If you have a mailing list, send out a postcard with your show dates on it. One, it's nice to know that a mailing list isn't just so you can collect a bunch of names in a book, and secondly you never know who might be willing to drive out and see the show. It's a nice feeling to see familiar faces in an unfamiliar town, believe me. So you've got the gig, and you've ensured that the entire town will be flooded in a deluge of information about your show. Now what? Well, as the date gets nearer, it's absolutely essential that you call the bar and FOLLOW UP. Make certain that the shows still on, and that the bar hasn't mystically moved locations or whatnot. It's not unheard of for a bar to cancel a show without notifying the band. They'll assume it's your responsibility to do check up, and they are absolutely right. Save yourself some heartache and make a phone call in advance. You'll thank me later. If it's an area you're unfamiliar with, get detailed instructions on how to get to the gig. As any traveler can tell you, a mere address is never enough. Let the bar know from where you're coming and they'll give you (hopefully) fairly easy directions. Take the time to plan your route, and remember that a band without a road atlas will soon be a band that is very, very lost. If playing on an extended tour (or even just a couple of dates), be sure to plan your route and allow for any delays. Try and figure out where you need to be and when you need to leave to get there beforehand. And for god's sake, don't make one person drive the whole time. Rotate accordingly. Even if you have a road manager or roadie (see below), take your turn at the wheel. It'll cut down on boredom, as well as potentially dangerous road trance. Other key planning points include transportation (see below) and money. Don't think you need to empty your savings account for a tour, but do take along a bit more than just enough to cover gas and a couple bags of chips. It's not unheard of for the band mate in charge of the band-fund to only bring so much along. Think about how many dates you're playing, how many miles you'll be travelling, make a rough guess on the needed foodstuffs, then add about 30-40 dollars. You don't ever know what may pop up along the way, so be sure to take some emergency funds. This is not to say that you can't take the money you'll be getting from the shows in account, but it's smarter to assume that you'll make less than you may expect. One of the nice benefits of touring is that it allows some great opportunities to lost weight. You really should stick to only the minimum amount of food on the road, as not only does it help the money situation, it's never a good idea to bloat out on Easy Cheese and pork rinds. Byron Huhmann from Exit 159 swears up and down that touring is the best way to lose weight. He also was nice enough to mention that by keeping the food money and non-essentials to a minimum, he once took $150 on the road with him while he was in TV Fifty, and brought home about $8000. (This was a three week tour) You'd be surprised at how easy it is to spend money on the road. So think ahead and don't let yourself be unpleasantly surprised. The final planning point in a tour is accommodations. It's a good idea to cultivate a cat-like ability to sleep anywhere. If you have the money, it's nice to sport for a motel stay, but it's not something you want to make a practice of. More often than not, you'll meet people at the gig who will be nice enough to let you take up some couch or floorspace. (God bless those giving souls with guest bedrooms!) Other bands know what it's like to travel, and the nicer ones will let you crash at their place. Bar folk are generally a pretty nice bunch as well, so you may get the same treatment from them. And who knows? You might meet a new fan in the audience who'll offer as well. However, don't ever discount the possibility that you may be sleeping in your van/bus/whatever. As it applies to either situation, It's smart to bring along a sleeping bag or a pillow. they don't take up much space and believe me, you'll be glad you did. There is one fact that you must be absolutely certain of before heading out on the road: Make sure that your particular vehicle is capable of making the trip. It's incredibly unpleasant to be stranded somewhere between Augderville and North Haverbrook at 2:45 in the morning with a small fire coming from under the hood. Regular maintenance is a good idea for any car/van owner, but in your case, it's something that ranks right below breathing. It make not make your wallet particularly happy, but you can be assured that you'll be happy for it in the long run. While this may seem like common sense, it's important enough that it dictates being repeated. TAKE CARE OF YOUR VAN. Truly. Some other nice things to take along would be a regular set of tools. Socket wrenches, pliers, etc. A set of jumper cables is a must as well. Any and every small tool that may come in handy should be seriously considered for a permanent place in the vehicle. And while we're on the subject, make certain that your vehicle has a full-size spare tire. Mini-spares and doughnuts are not meant for extended driving, and in your position, you can hardly afford less. If you're vehicle isn't equipped with a full-size spare, you had best seriously consider finding a way to accommodate one, or getting a vehicle that does. That's really it for the transportation. The only other things I would recommend is that you have a tape player/CD player in the car. If you don't have a built in tape deck, you should consider getting a small portable one that can be powered with a cigarette lighter adapter. Not only will it allow for a CD Walkman, it will keep you from facing the bleak abyss that is rural radio. You will find that hissing static is more enjoyable listening. I'm not kidding. If you're really looking to explore the dark side of human nature, try listening to AM radio in the middle of nowhere. I got one word for it: SPOOKY. Along the same lines as your vehicle, make certain that your gear is in good working order. Make a thorough check before you depart. Also be certain that you pack smartly and eliminate any chance of your gear shifting or settling as you travel. If you have a cargo style van, it's also a good idea to install some kind of partition between the gear and the seats. While I've never had it happen, I can't imagine getting hit the head with a flying bass head is any great fun. Not only will a cage or partition keep you safe in case of accident, it will provide some stability for your gear. As with any gig, be sure to take along extra strings, picks, sticks, etc. While space is limited, you should certainly invest in a small footlocker type box for extra cables, batteries, etc. You never know when you'll need them, and you can't always rely on other bands or a late night music store to come through for you. This holds true for any musician, but if you don't have an extra guitar, GET ONE. Instrument theft is something that most touring musicians will encounter at least once in their career. (A good safety measure for your vehicle is curtains. Leaving your gear in plain site is never a good idea, and with curtains, you'll eliminate some temptation, along with the harsh glare of the sun.) While this may seem like another expensive precaution, it's something that you have to deal with. While you might be able to get by on borrowed equipment, its just plain smarter to have your own backup. Once you've arrived at the venue (on time!), the only thing left to do is play your little heart out. As pointed out in my aforementioned column, the first thing you need to do is introduce yourselves to the appropriate people and find out who you need to be dealing with. Many times, you'll find that the person that booked the show is not going to be there, and it's a smart course to get the right people up front. And of course, say hi to the sound guy/gal. Once that's established, find out where they want you to load in from and try to do some in an unobtrusive manner. Talk to the sound person and find out any special setups or arrangements they may have, and try to accommodate. It's not a good idea to insist on anything to a sound engineer. If they decide not to mike your amps and run a straight line instead, deal with it. While they are technically under your employ, they are in complete control of how you sound. Try to be pleasant and accommodating and you'll find that everything will go much smoother. Sound Engineers have mystical abilities to make you suck on stage in ways you can't imagine. Think not? Try playing a gig when your monitors have a tendency to lose vocals, guitar, etc. It's not fun, and it's certainly not funny. (Well, to you anyway. The sound person is probably cackling with mad glee.) Do your soundcheck and trust/hope that the individual knows what they're doing. The other pre-show preps should be on your merchandise. If you've got it, find out if the bar has a designated site for you to use, or if you need to appropriate some tables. Sometimes bars will actually have someone who will handle the selling of said items for you. While you can't assume everyone's a saint, it's a safe bet that the individual in question is trustworthy. So don't fret too much about it, and be thankful for the assist. Oddly enough, some people are more likely to buy a shirt, CD, whatever while you're playing as opposed to after the show. Don't ask me why, but I see it all the time. The only on-stage advice I would offer is to make certain that you let everyone know who you are and where you're from. As strange as it may sound, I've seen bands go an entire set without once mentioning the name of their band. It's rather rude and presumptuous to assume that everyone knows who you are, so take a minute whilst you tune and say hello to everyone. Some other minor mention should go to thanking the bar and the patrons for letting you play, as well as any other bands on the line-up. It's just good manners. On the subject of talking on-stage, while it may seem fairly obvious, some bands don't seem to understand that people like to have a band interact with them instead of just playing in front of them. I'm not talking about just saying "thanks" when people clap. It's a good idea to banter about with the crowd between songs and the like. Even just the standard "How's everybody doing tonight?" type talk goes along way towards improving your stage presence. Don't be afraid to chat. Of course, time constraints should be kept in mind, but certainly make an effort to talk to the crowd. You know what you're doing otherwise on stage, so we'll just skip to after the show. Once you're off stage, don't feel bad about taking a few minutes to regroup after breaking down the equipment, but unless you absolutely have to hit the road after playing, it's a good idea to mingle with the audience. This can usually be accomplished by just hanging about the merchandise, but don't limit yourself to it. Not to shamelessly plug my own work, but for more on that, check out my July column. (I'll spare you yet another link) Here's where we deal with some other non-essentials, but certainly things worth thinking about. The first would be a road manager or roadie. While not every band budget allows for one, it should certainly be considered. While the obvious benefit of someone to cart your gear around exists, it's also nice to have someone along that can deal with the bar, handle the merchandise, handle equipment problems, etc. It's a good thing to have someone there to string your guitar or bring up drinks and the like. If nothing else, they'll be a familiar face in the crowd when you play. You'll get used to it, believe me. Most likely, a simple cut of the proceeds is enough to cover their expenses and very rarely will they require any great amount. The actual figures should be figured out by the band, based on the amount made, band funds, etc., but try to keep it a consistent amount. It's really not hard to find someone to fill those shoes, but it's best to have someone whose friendly with the band as a whole. That of course, brings us to the question of the traveling sound engineer. If you can afford it, great. Usually, they can fill in the road manager duties as well, but keep in mind that they're lending their particular skills to make sure you sound good, so bear that in mind come payment time. It's really just another facet of the above paragraph, but for some reason, I thought it warranted it's own, however brief. Every good traveling band needs some road rules. And no, I'm not referring to the show on that channel that used to show videos. These should be be decided by the band as a whole, but some good suggestions would be:
As I said before, any rules should be agreed upon by the band. (Preferably not half-way through the tour.) Other than that, I think we can say we're done here. So without further ado... In Conclusion: I'm not arrogant enough to assume I covered all the bases here, but I'm fairly comfortable in the knowledge that I at least hit the bigger ones. If you've any additions to this, feel free to drop me a line and share. I'll update this as needed. Hopefully, this little guide will give you some pointers on the intricacies of touring. If not, read it again. It'll sink in eventually. Enjoy, and happy touring.
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