Reddit reviews Tour:Smart: And Break the Band
We found 3 Reddit comments about Tour:Smart: And Break the Band. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
This 600-page book by Martin Atkins(member of PiL, Pigface, Killing Joke, etc) contains chapters on everything from routing and geography, to drugs, merchandising, and how to get a better live sound. In addition to deposing Martin's 30 years of experience as a touring musician, label owner, and tour manager, Tour:Smart also contains contributions from over 100 industry professionals: musicians
Former touring artist here. Sorry in advance, this is harsh and good advice. Godspeed bro, you picked the wrong half of the country to tour, all the cities are hundreds of miles apart. If I were in your position, the best advice I can honestly give you is scrap the tour now and replan it for the northeast where cities are closer. This will save you 50%+ minimum of your overall costs due to transpo. Read this book immediately, it's LITTLE dated about internet stuff but is otherwise the best tour management guide ever written, the former drummer of Nine Inch Nails is the author: http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Smart-And-Break-Band/dp/0979731305
Also I would kick everyone out of your band. Literally every person but you if you can. I know that sounds crazy, but they massively add to cost at this scale. 4 people instead of 1 is $80 for food instead of $20, per meal. Goodbye merch profit and door takes, but hey you all partied.
Also don't use hotels whenever possible. couch surf as often as you can.
When you're selling merch, ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS. You'll sell 20% to 30% more merch. Use square or something on your phone.
Also have a big merch spread with lots of price ranges, from less than $5 (buttons, etc) to $100+ (high quality clothes, signed custom editions, etc). This way you'll appeal to more people.
Have as few size XXXL t's as possible, and buy more mediums and larges. And babydolls for girls.
Also, ONLY if you're playing colleges, sell FLASH DRIVES preloaded with your content, the students need them for class and would rather have yours than from Staples.
Also, get the bands you are opening for to split the cost of your promo with you, have them take the other side of postcards and then you promote them every time you promote you in club bathrooms or whereever. You'll double your amount of postcards this way.
That's a start. Now seriously stop fucking around or you will die starving and angry and probably addicted.
Best thing you can do is pick up a copy of this... http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0979731305/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/192-2889574-1257027
Good luck!
Read Me
If you're coming through Philly, maybe we can book a show together?