Touring With a Point

An article by Greg Vendetti

“So where are you going on tour?”

“We’re gonna hit up Lake Charles, then Atlanta, then Cleveland, then San Diego, back down to San Antonio, and we’re going to finish it up in Chicago.”

I find it troubling when artists do this. Just like picking a piece of notebook paper from a hat to win a prize, those who are not calculated with their touring strategies are just leaving things to chance. Every musician has the prerogative to gain new fans and build their support base, but what some don’t realize is that not everyone is going to like their music. The best part; however, is that this is okay.

Since the major labels have lost some traction, niche markets have exploded and have caused gigantic target markets to break down into smaller, more devoted ones. Because of this, it allows artists to gain easier access to exactly who enjoys their music and product the most and creates a sustainable business model for the future.

Now, touring is something that should be on most artists’ minds due to the fact that (1) you can’t attract many fans sitting at your computer, and (2) performances are the building blocks to a self-sustaining entity in this new and improved industry. However, there are basic principles that every band or solo act should think about before hitting the road. Not just as musicians, but competent businesspeople. With my clients, our progress together always revolves around the simple concept of calculation. Have a purpose for every move you make as opposed to displaying random acts with good intentions.

1. Set a goal.

No matter what you do in your business as an artist, have an aim. If your goal is to go out there and meet more people or just see what happens, you are doomed to fail. Now, if your tour objective is to increase your fan base by 20% on the Pacific coast by utilizing social media and initiatives surrounding your new album, you are on a much better path. Be as specific as you can and make sure that you are creating and mapping out specific actions to get there.

2. Have a social media strategy.

As my clients well know, I am a firm believer in this concept. Social media is a gift from God to independent artists. Some say it’s pointless because everyone else is doing it. Screw that! Be original then (a.k.a. No excuses, play like a champion!). Now is the time in the industry to be innovative and fresh. Social media is an incredible way to intimately get the people who love your music the most, emotionally invested in your success. That means your fans can feel like they have stock in what you have become and they’ll take pride in knowing that they helped you get there. Through an arsenal of online video, instant personal updates, photos, and audio, you can truly add new dimensions to your art through social media. That being said, use your tour as a reason for people to look in on you and follow your progress and even defeats. Come up with a plan of attack in terms of the content that you will be posting, how you will be posting it, and who you will be targeting.

3. Make it an event.

Utilizing social media and your overall objectives, create something special around your tour. In other words, make it something that is worth experiencing. Maybe it’s a weekly video diary of your travels or regular photo galleries of the beautiful landscapes out your car window, make it unique. Use the tour to capture the attention of those around you and avoid alienating those who aren’t lucky enough to be on one of your stops.

4. Gather Target Market Analysis

I know that musicians hate hearing their fans as a “target market” so excuse my terminology but unless you start realizing the importance of knowing as much as you can about who likes your music, you won’t be able to remain cost-effective. Just because a band you know went through Houston and had a great show, doesn’t mean you will have the same luck. By knowing as much as you can about your target audience, you can avoid visiting markets that wouldn’t be interested in your music in the first place. Go where there is demand but more importantly, go where there is growth potential. Therefore, to narrow your risks gather data on location, age, buying behaviors, and more from your online social media sites like your Facebook Fan Page, Myspace, Google Analytics, FanBridge, or anything else you have. On top of this, use your mailing list to gather information just adding an “Age” or “Zip code” line next to their “Email.” This way, when you revisit these cities you can return more confident about who is in the audience.

As you execute this strategy remember that in order to be effective, you should be calculated in everything you do. From the set list to the photography on your tour poster, ask yourself: What are we trying to accomplish here? Who are we trying to reach with this? Every artist feels like they are racing with the clock to get things done before they have to grow up and put their dreams on the back burner. In saying this, aren’t your dreams much too important to leave to chance?

–

Greg Vendetti is the Owner/CEO of GV Evolutions, an incubation company that specializes in giving artists complete control of their careers in an evolved music industry. Greg has a degree from Loyola University of New Orleans in Music Industry Studies and has been recording and performing professionally for over a decade.

www.gvevolutions.com

www.gregvendetti.com

Band Woes: To Tour or Not To Tour?

Much to my dismay, I feel a series of “difficult economic times” posts coming on.  Just a warning here.  Seriously though, I am a firm believer in adjusting to the reality of the situation rather than sitting around bemoaning what once was or could be.  I have had many a discussion with bands located in or around the New Orleans area who have been trying to figure out the best way to approach the whole touring situation.  These are no longer the days where one can carelessly hop in a van and make a pub crawl around the country.  There are several factors to consider now, including most venues’ inability to provide guarantees, the growing price of gas (we won’t get into the whole BP issue at this particular time), the sheer price of lodging, and the inevitable and despised “day job,” just to name a few.  I’d like to look at some of these factors and help you devise a plan, if I may.

First, it’s important to determine what your goals are as a band when considering a tour.  To my way of thinking, you have two options: Do you want to make money, or make new fans?  What’s that?  You want to do both?  Yeah, don’t we all, but let’s humor me and just pick one for now.  We’ll get into how to do both later.

If your main goal is to make money, then you have a few things to consider.  Bands who have more than 3-pieces are less likely to come home with a profit.  It is the sad, but simple truth to things.  Having more band members does not, in any way, guarantee you more fans, a bigger venue, or a higher guarantee.  Not to mention, more people means more possibilities for 24-hour car ride disagreements over Arby’s or Burger King and (of course) more mouths to feed.  If you have a 7-piece band, you seriously need to do the math on this.  First, decide how much money each person needs to make on each gig…then multiply that number by the amount of band members you have.  Secondly…make a guess at how much money you think your band might make on each gig.  If your estimated total is less than your desired total, you, my friend, need some t-shirts with your name on them.

Merch is a huge contributor to a band’s success on the road.  T-shirts are fairly in-expensive to make, as well as bumper-stickers and key chains, or what have you.  Of course, it is understood at this point that you already have a CD or two to sell.  Don’t even bother touring without a CD…people don’t remember you if they can’t bring home your music.  While an incidental $30 or $40 from merch sales may not seem like a big deal for one gig, it can be huge if you are playing for a percentage of the door or the bar.  In most smaller venues, that is money you keep and do not have to share with the sound guy or door man.  Do not under-estimate the amount of money you can make on what we professionals like to call “stupid crap.”

Alright, this is pretty basic stuff.  If you’ve already decided that your tour is going to happen, let’s talk about some ways to make it a successful tour.  Most of you have probably heard of the concept of touring in concentric circles.  Basically, start your tour by branching out to cities that may be an hour to two hours away.  Each time you set out on a tour, you should start expanding your circle by another hour or so, eventually working your way out to the neighboring states, and up the east or west coast (depending on where you’re starting from).  There is absolutely no reason to fly to L.A. for a showcase if you are located in Florida and the furthest west you have been is Texas.  No amount of “record exec appearances” is going to change the fact that you are not selling CD’s outside the southeast region of the country, and said record execs could care less how great your record is if it’s not selling in more than half the country.  This is not cynicism, it is simply the nature of the business.  Record labels want to make money, and they can’t do that if you’re not already showing pretty good numbers on your own.

If you are just in it for the ride, man, then I suggest trying to acquire a sponsor for your tour.  Ask your friends, family, local businesses, or interested parties at local music magazines to invest in your band.  Be sure you get into this kind of agreement with an understanding that “investments” imply that the investor will eventually be getting his or her money back, in some form or another.  Be sure you do the appropriate paperwork and that both parties are completely clear on what they are asking for and expecting to get in return.

Now, if your main goal is to just bring in the dough, I suggest you tour a pretty small area (within 3-4 hours of your hometown) on a regular basis.  Don’t be too concerned about expanding your touring area at first.  The further out you go, the more chances you are taking on your traveling expenses exceeding the amount of money you are bringing in.  Keep the circle small.  If you start making regular tour stops at certain venues or cities, you have a higher likelihood of securing a guarantee for your band and booking private parties with the local rich folk (that’s where the money is at).  Offer different band lineups (3-piece, 5-piece, etc.), and you can really open yourself up to a lot of different types of gigs.

OK, so you are an over-achiever and are hoping to be in the black and come home with thousands of new fans.  Good for you.  You need to be smart about your business and start treating it like a business.  Find a friendly lawyer and form an LLC or partnership with your band.  Open a band bank account or simply keep a separate stash of money with all of the income made from gigs, album sales, merch, etc.  Keep your personal money out of band affairs, and make sure that everyone has an equal interest in having a successful tour.  Book your stops out months in advance, and start your publicity ahead of time.  Make sure you hit all the local record stores for in-store appearances before or after the big gig, and set up record-signings.  Be sure your record is available in the local record stores BEFORE you hit the scene.  Get your name in the local papers and make a wave before you even set foot in the city you are playing.  No one is going to start taking you seriously until you start taking you seriously, so do the necessary leg work, and you will start seeing the kind of results you are looking for.

What do you need to make all of this work?  Well, mainly you need to be organized and treat your tour as a tool to get your band where you want to be.  It should not be the stopping off point.  This is where bands get lost.  Here’s my top 5′s for a successful tour:

1. A professionally recorded record in professional packaging (not made in your CD-R)
2. A mailing list (keep separate lists for each city you play, for more targeted advertising)
3. A website (this does not mean your MySpace or Facebook.  Look as professional as you want to be, and they will believe you.)
4. A reliable vehicle (the last thing you want is to spend all your money fixing your van when it breaks down in the middle of Arizona.)
5. A tour book (Keep all your contacts, maps, and tech requirements for each gig in one place.)

Don’t know where to start?  Here are some websites to help you out.  This is not all as daunting as it seems.  Get advice and support from your local band buddies, and hit the road.  Plan for the unexpected, and learn from each tour.  You’ll be meeting those record execs in L.A. in no time.

Moonfruit (simple, cheap, and pretty websites for people who like to drag and drop)

WordPress (for those who just want a very simple blog…a great place to start)

ArtistData (a fantastic tool for promotion, tour books, and updating your various social networking sites)

Reverb Nation (a facebook for bands, if you will…stream your music, get fans, and run your mailing list)

Constant Contact (a great, professional tool for maintaining large mailing lists…separate mailing lists into groups and choose from tons of templates)

Oasis CD & DVD Manufacturing (everything from basic CD duplication to fancy packaging and extra promotional tools)

Think this helped?  Thanks, I love you too.  Now leave a comment.

Listening to: Kasabian – “Cut Off”