The Cost of Touring

A friend (jokingly) suggested that I do a "World Tour" while I'm enjoying my unemployment. Nice idea...but....

A lot of folks have probably never really thought about how much goes into a tour. I know some folks that I've talked to over the years who think that someone else pays for everything and the band just gets paid to rock and/or roll. Don't I wish!

OK, there are some instances when a performer can get the promoter to foot the bill...but you better be one helluva draw to get that deal! I've had only a handful of those shows in my 30+ years of performing. For the majority of us, it goes something like this:

Figure out where you want to go...and why you want to go there. Is the region going to be open to what I'm playing? Example: you don't want to book a bluegrass band into a hip hop venue. It probably won't go down well.

Next, figure out HOW you're going to get there. Here's where the expense starts to add up. Say I want to tour Australia. I can always get gigs there...some nice paying ones too! But...just to fly my fat ass there is gonna be roughly $2000. And that's before I've even packed my bags. Factor in extra costs to fly my gear there. And what about the band? Figure an extra $2000 per man. Once there, we're gonna need someplace to stay. So there's gonna be hotel bills. I don't need to stay in a 4 star joint...but I do expect CLEAN. So that's gonna be at least $100 per man per night. Then I'm going to have to get from one place to another. Van rental! If you've ever rented a car, you know this can get pricey. So before I've played my 1st note of the tour, I'm looking at spending close to $10k. I BETTER be getting paid WELL for these shows.

Merchandise is a must! And you better hope the stuff sells! Its gonna cost extra to ship the stuff or fly it with you. We lucked out on our 1st tour of Australia and sold out in 2 days. That was a fluke. But remember, it costs money to produce merchandise (CDs, t-shirts, etc) so this is just one more cost to cover. Gotta learn to pinch pennies on production while ensuring a quality product!

Let's not forget work visas. They usually don't cost much...but they can...and its entirely up to the country where you plan to perform to decide how much you're gonna pay. You really don't want to fly 21 hours just to be put back on the plane and sent home. It happens. I know people it's happened to! And if you're going to lie and say that you're there for a different reason (which is a way around work visas) you better hope you don't get caught. You won't be going back there again.

If you're smart, you'll buy insurance for yourself, your band, you gear, etc. for the tour. There's one more expense. We all know, insurance ain't cheap. But sometimes, it's a necessity.

So the next time you bitch about how much it's costing you to see your favorite performer when they tour, remember...its costing them a LOT of money for the chance to play for you. They play for free. They charge for all the other bullshit. ;-)

Most acts when they tour will do weeknight shows. A promoter can usually get the act for less money on a weeknight because fewer people are going to come out (unless you're the Rolling Stones). For acts, these are usually referred to as "gas money gigs". We need to get from here to there, your city is on the way and we'll be heading through sometime on Tuesday...where can we play and hopefully make a few bucks. If you go to see a band on one of these nights, make sure to buy a CD or something. For a lot bands, that $15-20 for that CD may decide whether or not they eat that night (usually something nutritious like a drive-thru burger). While it's nice of you to buy the band drinks, all you're doing is increasing the risk of whoever driving getting a DUI...another unwanted expense.

As you can see, it costs a lot of money to be a musician on the road. Plus we need to buy gear, strings, picks, etc. And clothes. You really don't want to see most of us naked. Last but not least, my favorite road expense: LAUNDRY! Yep...even musicians need clean underwear! (remember that one groupies...kinda gives a new meaning to "funk") If you're on the road for 3 weeks, you'll hopefully get to do laundry once a week...in a laundromat or hotel laundry. Either way, its gonna cost ya a few bucks. But well worth it!!!! (To my friend Sooz in Australia and my friend June in the UK...THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!)

So get out there. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC!!!!! If no one shows...it's not worth it (financially at least) for us to play for you.