I haven’t done an in-depth article about touring here in a while and it seems to be something that a lot of you are interested in so I wanted to make a point of going deep on it with you cats. Particularly, I wanted to talk about the eternal question of, ‘Should we go on tour with another band?’ This is a tricky one with acts on the DIY level. The question of course, is built around how this impacts the overall experience, the booking of the tour, how the promoters will want to deal with it and of course what the financial side of things will look like. Definitely a tricky question – so let’s go deep and investigate what it can mean for a DIY band.
4. How Does Sharing A Tour Impact The Overall Experience?
This is a big one – I really do think that touring with another band will dramatically help the overall experience. It gives you dudes to talk too who you didn’t spend all day in the van with. Furthermore, it gives you people who you can consult with about the day-to-day struggles of this particular tour. When you’re on a tour and have a rough show it’s also good to have some other dudes there willing to pick you up. On the flip side of the coin though is the simple fact that if one dude in the other band is being shitty – it can mean a shittier experience for everyone involved – so try and make sure that you are going on tour with stand up dudes. One thing that can’t be ignored is the possibility of sharing a van, trailer, and backline – this can save incredibly on costs and make the shows flow a lot more easily – if this is an option – go for it!
3. What Does Sharing A Bill Mean For Booking?
Ideally, if you’re booking the thing yourself then you are going to want to split the booking. One model, I see work really well is when the first band books the tour dates in their region and then the second band does the dates in their region. This way a band from Atlanta and one from Philadelphia can use their networks to complement each other and lead to greater success. If you’re working with an agent then you are likely going to get more love from them because a two-band bill usually means higher guarantees which means more money for basically the same amount of work that it is to book a one band tour. In these ways, it can be really helpful.
2. How Will Promoters React To A Two-Band Package?
This is where it gets tricky. Anyone who has promoted a show for a DIY band on tour knows that the real secret is having local openers in order to get some people coming out. If you can’t do that then you are kind of shooting yourself in the foot. Some promoters will see a two-band package and use that as an excuse to not book any locals. This is also why you don’t want to do a three-band package – at that point, there’s room for at most one local (Which is rough still on a weeknight) and that will make promoters leery eyed of what they can do. A two-band bill is pushing it even for some promoters. You want to make things as easy as possible for the people booking your shows after all. The other thing is that promoters are frequently concerned about draw and if both of your bands are fairly unknown well that’s going to negatively impact the show. Doing a two-band bill is much easier when at least one of the bands has a bit of a name so the promoter knows people are going to turn up.
1. How Does The Money Shake Out?
Ah yes – the money! Well, this is a tricky one, it really depends on the bands going on tour. Obviously on tours where one band is significantly bigger than the other and has a substantive draw then they will get much more of the money. Fans are there to see them, not the opening acts usually. However, if you are two bands on nearly the same level I encourage you to take the same amount of money. The issue, of course, is that on door deals, especially if you’re two smaller bands, you’re splitting the pot. This is obviously less than ideal. Furthermore, guarantees for packages are higher in total, but often lower per band. That is to say, while you might be able to get $300 for two bands with a good promoter, if one of those bands had come on their own (With an extra spot for a local opener!) they could have maybe been paid out a total guarantee of $200. Furthermore, fans looking to support the scene and buy merch from the touring band they maybe don’t know about are going to have to split their money between the two bands. These are seriously concerning factors and can really limit a lot of the upshot. However – if you’re sharing a vehicle and trailer the costs get so reduced that it’s almost always worth it.
Ultimately the decision of touring with another band should be handled on a case by case basis, but in my eyes, if you can find the right set of guys who positively impact your draw then it’s definitely worth it!
MATT BACON
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Matt Bacon is a consultant, A&R man, and journalist specializing in the world of heavy metal. Having worked with everyone from Glam Rock icon Phil Collen of Def Leppard, to post Black Metal titans Alcest, by way of legendary thrashers Exhorder as well as labels including Prophecy Productions and Ripple Music, he has dedicated his life to helping young bands develop. Having started his own blog at the age of 14 he views his career in artist development as ‘a hobby that got out of hand’. In 2015 he formed Dropout Media in order to better support the artists he loves. We sit here now, years later with countless tours booked, records released and deals signed, and loving every minute of it.
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