TOURING TIPS FOR INDIE BANDS (PART 1)

Promoter: ”Sorry guys we’re double booked tonight and we’ve given the spot away to these new local boys. Man can they play!”

Guitarist: "What do you mean you’re double booked? We had an agreement!"

After driving for hours on end, this is the last scenario that anybody wants to find themselves in! Take it from one who knows, that the road holds more perils than crazy groupies and flat beer! Whether you’re planning a world tour or just booking a couple live shows you need to have your wits about you. Always get things in writing! If it ain't carved in stone, your so called gig agreement is subject to change without notice! Trust me.

Now, this probably sounds a little doom and gloom, but don’t despair. There’s an easy solution to the problem! While you can’t prevent all booking mishaps, you can definitely stop the majority of problems from occurring by taking a simple five step approach to getting and retaining gigs.

1. Research all Live Music Venues in Advance

It's always a good idea to get some intel on the city and venue you're planning to visit. Do your research before booking a gig in a new city. Your best bet is to ask the locals! Not only will you get the low-down on whether or not the venue will pay you, but you'll probably get a good idea of what to expect from local audiences.

Don’t be shy! Make sure to ask local booking agents about draw expectation and what their crowd demographic happens to be. If you’re rockin’ out to Deathcore, you probably don’t want to be playing to a 40+ jazz crowd. So, do your homework!

2. Making the Call: Booking your Tour Dates

Alright, so you've done your research and you’ve found a few venues that you’d like to play. If they allow phone calls, give them a ring. Be polite, but stern about your demands. Try to develop a rapport with the booker and get a grasp for his/her expectations of you!

If the venue’s all booked up, ask to be placed on their cancellation list. This shows the venue that you’re serious about your career. Plus, a willingness to scratch their backs in the event that an event falls through will guarantee that you receive a phone call asking to save the day – welcome to the “A” list. You’ve earned it.

3. "It's Time to Represent!"–Selling Your Band’s Live Concert Experience.

Industry lesson 101: “Always make your band seem bigger than it actually is,” DOESN'T apply here. If you can't draw 1,000 people to the gig, don't tell the promoter that you can! You'll only end up disappointing the club and virtually guarantee that you get thrown into the local doghouse. Music circles are small and word travels like wildfire, so be reasonable and you're guaranteed to produce results.

“We were on our way to Edmonton to play at a local college venue that was billed as one of the city’s best live music venues. Our booking agent had told us great things about the club, so we were completely stoked about this show – our final tour date! The excitement faded pretty quickly upon arrival at the gig. Turns out, our agent sold us as a major label headliner that could pack the club to capacity. To make matters even worse, the venue, not normally open on a Sunday, opened its doors specifically to accommodate our band and make a few extra dollars! We were “fortunate” enough to play to thirty people in a five hundred capacity room! We played our hearts out, which was the only thing that saved us from the wrath of the hot-headed manager. But, needless to say, we didn’t get paid and were lucky to not get kicked straight to the curb!”

- Alex Whitcombe, Dreams of Treason

So what’s the moral of the story? Make sure that you and your team are perfectly honest about what you’re able to deliver!

4. Get it in Writing - Unsigned Bands are Expendable!

Once you've made phone contact with the venue, make sure that you follow up on your conversation in writing. While getting the promoter to "sign off" will not absolutely guarantee smooth sailing, it will definitely minimize the chances that you’ll be left high and dry on gig night.

5. Confirmation.

Always make sure that you phone the promoter/venue a day or two in advance of your show confirming the details of your gig booking. In many cases bookings are taken several months in advance, so if a mistake is made it's not always a malicious act. Be patient. It's better to know what you're up against than to get blind-sided on game day!

According to Taxi.com, touring and selling tons of CD’s independently is the best way for an unsigned band to attract the attention of music industry insiders. Do you want to get signed? You should probably tour. But, how far should you go? How will you get major label A&R people out to your gig?

Stay tuned for more Touring Tips for Indie Bands!