Music Union : Live Your Music

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

by Gerard Egan
In these though economic times, one thing seems certain: people still need to get out and enjoy themselves, forgetting their worries if only for an evening.  While some claim the music industry is failing, the resourceful musician can achieve new levels of success.  The old model of the music industry is rapidly becoming extinct, replaced by one where music is traded freely on the internet.  Power is moving from the hands of large labels into the hands of the artists themselves.  With the advent of affordable, yet high quality recording equipment, it is easier than ever for musicians to record their own albums and get out and perform in front of people.  Indeed, while album sales are slow in today’s free sharing internet world, the surest way for a band to secure a steady income and win over new fans is simply to get out and tour.  For the last few years, my band, Boss Tweed, has done numerous tours of Europe, the States and Canada.  Below is some simple wisdom that I’ve gained from my experiences that might help musicians who may be new to the touring life.

First and foremost- stay healthy!

I cannot stress this enough, especially if you are a singer.  If you are not feeling well, you will not preform well.  Remember, the hour you are on stage every night is the reason you are touring in the first place.  For the other 22 hours a day, you are preparing for those few precious moments.  We always take copious amounts of Airborne, Advil and daily vitamins on the road with us.  A preventative Airborne can keep that scratchy throat at bay.  It is also wise to be good to your stomach. In my experience, one of the upsides to touring through foreign countries is that you are often fondly regarded as a curiosity.  Many folks will go above and beyond to impress you with the best their city can offer.  As such, while staring at a menu written entirely in German, someone may insist you try a local “delicacy.”  Beware, friends!  A pseudo-vegetarian such as myself might be hugging a toilet for dear life after such a meal.  With that in mind, be smart about the kinds of foods you eat in general.  Light and healthy seems to work for many of my musician friends.  Almost all my friends, however, will agree that they eat less food on the road.  You spend a lot of time driving to the next gig and therefore using very little energy.  Beer will fill up a lot of those calories, so if you drink, do yourself a favor and plan on ways to move your body every day.  You will be happy you did after a run of 30 shows.  Finally, be sure to drink plenty of water.  It may mean more frequent stops on the road but it will flush you out and keep you hydrated.  There will be lots of opportunities to indulge while on tour so choose wisely.  Depending on your persuasion, alcohol, drugs and bizarre foods can be the perks or downfall of any touring musician.

Second- take care of your gear and it will take care of you.

I have always taken a vested interest in knowing how my guitars work and how to maintain them so they can allow me to play my best.  There is a lot that can go wrong during a live show.  When you are on the road, you may have other people handling and loading your equipment who may not treat it with the same respect you would.  Things can get damaged easily so it is important to know how to troubleshoot common problems because believe me, they will come up.  To head out on tour with confidence, have your equipment looked over by a qualified repair person before you leave.  If you have a burr in the saddle of your guitar and start breaking strings every night, your shows will suffer and you will be unhappy.  While the occasional onstage incident can make things interesting, repetitive equipment failures are bush league.  Your equipment should enhance your performance, not take you out of the zone when you’re on stage.  During the second show of our first European tour in 2007, the spring to my guitar’s Bigsby tremolo arm came loose and shot across the stage at a club in The Netherlands.  It was something I was completely unprepared for but luckily was easily fixed.  Without that spring properly loaded into the guitar, however, it would have rendered the instrument unplayable… not good when you’re looking at four more weeks of shows.

Bring back ups and replacements when possible.  How many drum sticks do you typically go through during a show?  How long do your bass strings last?  Figure out your basic ‘wear and tear’ equipment realities and bring more than enough back ups with you.  I go through 2-3 Fender medium guitar picks a night but plan on going through twice as many.  Better to have it and not need it than… well, you get the idea.  If you have never toured before, seek out someone who has, someone who plays the same instrument as you, and ask their advice on gear maintenance.

All musicians should know how to set up and run a PA, especially solo performers.  You never know when the duty of “sound guy” may fall on your shoulders.  When it does, you had better know how to run your own sound.  Drummers seem to have been born with a knack for this stuff.  When Boss Tweed toured through southern Italy last year, we played a “social club” for some “respectable businessmen,” none of whom knew the slightest thing about running their in-house sound equipment.  These were not the kinds of people you want to piss off.  Luckily our drummer was able to set up everything so we could rock the house.  Crisis averted.

Thirdly- merch is your best friend and in certain cases, a “get out of jail free” card.

While it’s true that CD sales have been plummeting over the years, one of the best ways for musicians to make money on the road is through merchandise sales.  You can get as creative as you want with your swag.  Obviously CDs and t-shirts come to mind, but shot glasses, posters, bandannas, thongs, stickers, patches, yo-yos, magnets, sweatshirts and sombreros all make for eye catching gear that your fans can take home and advertise to their pals how much they love your band.  My friend and local merch man, Tommy Rockstar, will print a band’s logo on just about anything you can dream up.  If you’re a band traveling with a small or non-existent crew, you’re going to have to hustle.  Make yourself available before and after the show to meet fans and sell merch by hanging out at your merch table.  (BTW- The merch table is an excellent opportunity to meet, greet and network with music fans, promoters and anyone unexpected who might be at your show.  Keep some business cards on you at all times for just such a meeting).  Keep your table orderly with prices clearly displayed.  A set of rope lights can do wonders for a merch display, especially if club owners insist that you set up in a dark corner of their club.  A mailing list is a must.  A pickup gig on an off night can turn into a profitable experience with just a few customers.  In our case, our merch saved us from an exorbitantly pricey traffic ticket while we were on tour in Serbia.  Our tour manager was pulled over and during his conversation with the local authorities, it was made clear that we were an American rock n’ roll band touring through their country.  Upon this revelation, the cops became very excited and simply asked us for some CDs and t-shirts.  They let us go, promising to see us at the show that night.

Fourthly- have your itinerary squared away ahead of time.

When we’re on the road with our Belgian tour manager, I like to look at the map each morning just to orient myself, have an idea of where we’re going and how far we’ll be travelling that day.  It’s a good idea to have a couple people on top of the directions to the next gig as well as accommodations that night, should one of you drink too much of the locals’ home brewed moonshine.  There are a variety of GPS systems available which are a relatively inexpensive investment that can make traveling a breeze.  Tour planning involves calculating daily travel times so that your band arrives at the venue on time to sound check, eat a decent meal and rock.  The more organized you are with this information, the smoother your tour will be.

If you are of the DIY school, look ahead at your tour schedule and do some research into local media outlets that may be interested in covering your band.  There are tons of college radio stations, music magazines and websites devoted to covering local music.  Coverage by these local institutions can give your band the necessary credence needed to get people interested and bring out new fans to your show.

Lasty- enjoy it and take it with you.

While your main responsibility on tour is to put on a great show night to night, you’re also there to enjoy yourself.  Touring can bring you to places in the world you might have otherwise never gone to or even heard of. Keep a journal, blog about it or email stories to your fans, friends and family.  Bring a camera.  There are some who find touring a lonely, isolating experience.  You’re out there night after night, meeting new people who you may never see again.  On the other hand, some may welcome the touring experience as an opportunity to just drop off the face of the earth for awhile.  Regardless, a lot will happen to you, some of which is easily forgotten.  I’ve always thought that if life is worth living, it is worth documenting.

The current world of music is in a heavy state of flux.  Through the downsizing of major labels and the increased ability of musicians to retain control over their own careers, a kind of “middle class” of musicians is emerging.  While many of these bands many not be a household name, they are earning a decent living playing music.  Live music will always be an in-demand experience.  As long as there are musicians out there willing to tour, our concert venues will be full.  Hopefully these tips will help you out when you hit the road.  Good luck out there!