# Is your band currently gigging? Post here!



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Hey guys,

I'm the lead guitarist in Arkham Dispatch (www.reverbnation.com/arkhamdispatch). We're currently working on our full-length debut album, due out in September.

I plan to book us a short tour at the end of the summer season. None of us have ever toured before, and it will be an exciting experience for all of us.

I'm hoping to gain info from fellow rock players, but all styles of music on the road are welcome! This thread is to gain info before our first venture out onto the road. The band has played out of town shows before, but this will be the real deal.

Hopefully we can meet forum members when we hit the road!

Cheers


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

We're gigging regularly. Typically about 3 times a month but this month we're a little overloaded played the past two Saturdays, 3 times this weekend and twice the next, then the Friday after that. My wife gets a little less than supportive if I play too much ........ middle of next week she may start saying things that are less than flattering ............


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I gigged rather heavily in the mid and late '70s. Sleeping in cheap motels, on the gear in the van, getting blind drunk and sleeping in strange women's beds...wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Going home every night suited my personality better anyway so I only took local gigs, with few exceptions and only ones that paid very well. As I got older, acoustic gigs were more likely, though I usually also had an electric bass gig. Multiple bands meant I could play more, travel less, and make almost as much as touring.

Now I only gig a few times a month, from small cover band Legion and bar type gigs to church, nursing home, and community shows, to folk festivals.

All that aside, several things have paid off for me:
1) Negotiate meals into your pay. The $10 burger platter actually only costs the bar (or whatever) very little.
2) Negotiate rooms too. If half the rooms in the place are empty anyway, it's easy for the establishment, especially if you're respecfull and low impact.
3) Stay clean, physically, in hygiene, sexually...
4) Stay clean, no drugs, booze,...
5) Stay clean...go to the laundromat 
6) Get contracts as often as possible. Pay in advance is good too but not often likely.
7) Communicate with family and friends so they don't worry about you.
8) Be on time.
9) Soundchecks are essential.
10) Keep the band vehicle(s) in good working order.
11) Bank as much of your earnings as possible.
12) Get enough sleep. Not at the wheel.
13) Share the grunt work and pull your own weight.
14) Don't sponge of bandmates.
15) Don't sleep with band members or their significant others.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

Mooh said:


> I gigged rather heavily in the mid and late '70s. Sleeping in cheap motels, on the gear in the van, getting blind drunk and sleeping in strange women's beds...wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Going home every night suited my personality better anyway so I only took local gigs, with few exceptions and only ones that paid very well. As I got older, acoustic gigs were more likely, though I usually also had an electric bass gig. Multiple bands meant I could play more, travel less, and make almost as much as touring.
> 
> Now I only gig a few times a month, from small cover band Legion and bar type gigs to church, nursing home, and community shows, to folk festivals.
> 
> ...


Great post, Mooh and excellent advice. I toured continuously from the early '70s to mid '80s and, if everyone in the band(s) had followed this advice, it would have been much more enjoyable. Now that I'm back playing again (every Friday/Saturday for the last month), a lot of this stuff is re-surfacing. Musicians can be such flakes, LOL. Our current frontman is continually making off-colour, sexist, profane comments between songs...very un-professional and unacceptable in this day and age.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Big_Daddy said:


> Musicians can be such flakes, LOL. Our current frontman is continually making off-colour, sexist, profane comments between songs...very un-professional and unacceptable in this day and age.


Thanks. I've encountered that before, it drives me nuts. These days I have no problem telling a band member to knock it off, but it should be done graciously. Others will thank you for it. 

Peace, Mooh.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Boy Mooh,did you ever hit the nail on the head. All great advise from someone who obviously been there and done that. When your 18 everything is an adventure and thrilling. I would not change anything from my touring in the late 60's but if I would have had the advice that Mooh is passing on to you, it would have been much better for all of us. Go out and experience it all and may the good Lord protect you like he did most of us.





Mooh said:


> I gigged rather heavily in the mid and late '70s. Sleeping in cheap motels, on the gear in the van, getting blind drunk and sleeping in strange women's beds...wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Going home every night suited my personality better anyway so I only took local gigs, with few exceptions and only ones that paid very well. As I got older, acoustic gigs were more likely, though I usually also had an electric bass gig. Multiple bands meant I could play more, travel less, and make almost as much as touring.
> 
> Now I only gig a few times a month, from small cover band Legion and bar type gigs to church, nursing home, and community shows, to folk festivals.
> 
> ...


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I forgot to mention:

16) Don't let your gear out of your sight. If it is, secure it. Lock your vehicles, park them against walls, outside your motel door.
17) Insurance. Yours, your parents, doesn't matter, insure your gear.
18) Previous items notwithstanding, see the sights, meet the people. I've spoken with lots of touring musicians who never absorb the local culture. From time to time we've billeted musicians, it's a great experience for both parties.
19) Have lots of product with you. It's pretty lame to talk about your CD when you have none with you. Some additional swag like t-shirts, stickers, etc can be good promotion or trade fodder for meals and a bed.
20) Set your ego aside and don't identify your vehicles with the band logo. It's like a welcome mat for crooks.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Cheers guys! I'm wondering how different it would have been to tour in say '85 as opposed to 2005 in terms of being able to get paid by the venue etc. I know some people have very poor opinions of promoters and that bands get ripped off etc. The gear insurance is definitely a big one! Our vocalist took Music Industry Arts and learned various things about the music business, but the rest of us just have common sense haha.

I'm just really hoping to have fun and at least break even. We do have shirts for sale and need more merch ordered before we go on the road. I'm hoping we'll have an E.P. we can sell since the tour will take place the month before the big release.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Budda, you may want to join the union (American Federation of Musicians) to get a fantastic deal on insurance. As you know,it is not cheap to insure your gear when its out of the house.
I think back in the 90's for us it was 3% of total worth through the musicians union.Your house insurance will not cover your gear on the road most of the time. Other perks of the AFM is, guaranteed pay(if the scum skips town before the end of the night) it will be scale pay witch is better than no pay at all(been there,done that) Also there is a pension plan if you do this for a while.I am not trying to sell you on this just pointing out all the benefits and the cost is really minimal. Promoters will respect you more and think twice before jerking you around.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

marcos said:


> Budda, you may want to join the union (American Federation of Musicians) to get a fantastic deal on insurance. As you know,it is not cheap to insure your gear when its out of the house.
> I think back in the 90's for us it was 3% of total worth through the musicians union.Your house insurance will not cover your gear on the road most of the time. Other perks of the AFM is, guaranteed pay(if the scum skips town before the end of the night) it will be scale pay witch is better than no pay at all(been there,done that) Also there is a pension plan if you do this for a while.I am not trying to sell you on this just pointing out all the benefits and the cost is really minimal. Promoters will respect you more and think twice before jerking you around.


I was going to suggest the union route. I was a member of the union from 1960 to 1985 when I retired as a member in good standing . Believe me the Insurance part makes it worth your while to give this consideration. Also carefully read Mooh's suggestions, been there done that. Good Luck and hope you have a very successful tour.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Thanks very much for the AFM tip as well as the book!


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