Going on tour and breaking even.

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Tucci

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I live in the state of Washington. The other night I saw a three person country-punk band perform in this tiny hole-in-the-wall place. They were fairly tight and they were fun to watch because they were having a good time. After the show I talked to them.

They were on the thirteenth day of a tour all the way from Pensacola Florida. They had played every day of the tour so far and twice on one of the days. They had three weeks to go.

They said it had taken them about a month to make all the calls in preparation for their tour, but they had managed to book themselves a show just about every night of the tour. They and their gear were all riding in the same vehicle. I asked them if they were breaking even. They said yes.

Isn't that the coolest thing? I am nineteen and am in a band. We aren't a punk band. We play a wide range of styles and in all honesty I think that my group is at least as good and entertaining as that little band from Florida that I saw. I've always wanted to drive around the country and play music. I don't care if I don't make any money at it. I just want the experience.

Talking to that band was sort of a revelation to me. I never knew it was possible to go on a trip like that and pay for it by playing music.

Have any of you done this sort of thing? Was this a rare case I saw? Do most groups lose money on this sort of trip? What is the best way to go about planning a tour?

Tucci

BTW - the name of the band was
This Bike is a Pipe Bomb
 
No Prob... Get the yellow pages and the phone book. Get Demo tapes of your band, good posters and all the other marketing material you might want. Then just start phoning and sending info about your band to the places you want to play. The reason I think few ppl do this is because the work, or are students and they cant be away from their responsibilities (or wives) for too long and cannot take the gamble with the income. If you and your band have no such holdbacks, just do it.

The trick is to find the right places to play!!!
 
Unfortunately, I don't think breaking even would suffice for most of us...
 
i'd recommend checking into some local DIY booking "agencies" (usually 1 or 2 people throwing shows in their spare time) because, although they may be small, they could probably help by either booking the tour themselves, or, by hooking you up with some contact numbers
 
I toured for 10 years. Normally a regional tour for 6-8 weeks and then played locally for several weeks.
You can make a reasonably decent living, however you need a well thought out business plan (plan on a big phone bill). As discussed you need to have quality demo material and press packages. You need to be extemely organized and business savvy. You need to make sure your gear and more importantly your vehicle is in top working order. It is very helpful (make that crucial)to know how to repair gear (and vehicles).

You need to be mature and healthy - limit the amount of party time and eat right (hangovers or real illness ain't fun in strange places with no money for treatment). You need to have very dependable people in your group, and don't trust anyone outside of your group.

Touring is hard and sometimes very lonely. Living in motels (or in the truck or on someones floor) gets very, very old. However, that being said - it is a great way to see the country and meet many great (and strange) people. Make sure you enjoy the music you're playing and the musicians you're playing with - many times that's all you have to make it worthwhile.

Oh yeah, 1) do it while you're still young 2)make real sure you have an education or other skills to support yourself if/when you decide touring ain't fun no more.
 
You can break even, but...

1. Playing that much usually burns people out.

2. You need to make sure you are going back to the same areas that you played before and doing things other than just playing; interviews, promo, and new songs are will important.

The good news:

1. You will become really tight on stage.

--
David Hooper
Kathode Ray Music
http://www.indiebiz.com/
 
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