Putting together the details of a tour can suck… big time.  There are lots of details that you have to pay attention to like making sure everything is ready to go wherever you’re playing, dealing with hotels, food and transportation and making sure everyone shows up for the gig and isn’t too wasted to play. That’s why most big name bands tour infrequently and why all of them have tour managers.

We here at MusicMarketingCenter.com say that if your budget can handle it, get a tour manager.

A tour manager is like a counselor at sleep-away camp. They make sure your bunk is in good shape before you arrive and they make sure it’s not a disaster when you leave. They organize your field trips and make sure the trips go as smoothly as possible. They make sure you get food to eat and listen to your problems when everyone else is asleep or “on a date” at night.

Unlike a camp counselor however, they handle the money. Your money. So you must hire someone you trust.

The best way to find a tour manager is through word of mouth. There isn’t a company that supplies them. Talk to everyone you know that’s ever used one and be sure meet this guy/gal before you hire them. Remember, you’re going to spend many hours cooped up together and she/he is going to see you at your whiny worst.  So, it’s important that you get along. By the way, did I mention the the tour manager takes care of the money?

Also, you do not want to fire your tour manager mid tour because you and your band mates will end up taking on those responsibilities and that’s a lot to worry about. All you want to worry about while on tour is putting on a good show and promoting your music.

There’s another problem as well, everyone (the band, roadies, promoters, venue managers, etc.) bonds with the original tour manager and the new one will have difficulty gaining their trust. Plus there’s the issue of people being loyal to the first guy. That’s why you must pick the right one and stick with your choice.

Finally, a word about tour managers themselves. They are an interesting lot. They rarely speak in public about what they’ve witnessed and they should be very loyal to the bands or musicians that hire them.  They are considered part of the band family and use the same people every time they tour.

You probably don’t even want to think about being a tour manager if your career in music doesn’t work out. It’s a difficult, grueling job and every tour manager I’ve ever met ends up either having a nervous breakdown or pneumonia by the end of the tour.  Keep your sanity and flip burgers at Micky D’s instead.

A good tour manager is worth every penny you don’t want to pay them.

This entry was posted Wednesday, January 28th, 2009, 10:58 pm and is filed under promoting your music, tour managers, touring. You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed. Comments are open. Pings are open. You can use this trackback URl.

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