Hey, guys! Thanks for checking out part 2! (If you haven't read part 1, check it out right here.)
Touring has been ... awesome and crazy! I won’t get into detail on the awesome that much, but I will definitely speak on the crazy. Hopefully bands that are planning their first tours (or bands that have experienced what we have on this tour) will enjoy this read!
OK. If you're a headlining band (whether you're on a big tour or not) and you have a guaranteed set time and start time, make sure you hound the sound guy or promoter to keep the other bands in check with their time.
There is nothing more annoying than going on three hours after you are supposed to and have half of your set cut. Not only is it a slap in the face, but a lot of your fans might not be able to stay that late. Frustrating, but as long as you kill it onstage, you’ll still have fun.
Something else to think about is getting band pre-approval for openers. Yeah, you'd think the venue would want to make a show successful (not just for the band) and would set up a show with “like bands."
By this I mean bands that fit the style (even remotely) are ideal. If you're a death metal band, you want a good metal band to open for you, right? Even a power metal band would work. Folk rock? Not so much. A classic rock cover band made up of 7-year-olds? Probably not the best in any situation except maybe a family fun "oldies"-themed recreational festival thrown by your local Kiwanis club.
Something we found to be really helpful on this tour was to over-estimate our touring cost. Always rounding up and adding a couple extra hundred for emergencies is a good start. Under-estimate your merch sales as well to be more than sure you'll be ready to destroy faces on tour! Having that "extra" merch money is another way to ensure you'll be set. Managing your expenses overall is important, but I think that just goes without saying.
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I think the most difficult thing we as a band have had to deal with on this tour is basically a management issue. Time management, specifically ... When you hit a really sweet beach, and you only have an hour to thrash around in some waves-- I was ready to quit music and devote my life to Poseidon. I don't want to say having days off is a good thing, because honestly it's boring and expensive ... But if you have to have some, try to have it near awesome beaches or good areas!
Hope this information is helpful to at least a few of you! Be sure to check out part 3 next week!
