How can bands tour so much?

[rust_in_peace]

What I'm getting at, is how does a band stay on the road 10 months out of the year and not run out of places to play? Let's say you're a national touring act, signed to a major label, doing pretty well but not selling out stadiums or anything. How do you manage to stay on the road all year without running out of places to play. You figure you do 5 shows a week, you're going to want to play cities were you can pull a decent croud, and you're not going to want to play the same city more then once a year at most. Were are these guys playing?

[Help!I'maRock!]

college towns. there's thousands of them. and each one has someplace to play that holds at least 500 - 1000 people.

also, hitting certain cities twice a year isn't necessarily a bad thing. that's how you build a following.

[cram]

I think it's as simple as, if people will show the tour can function and bring in a profit.
I also think going out of a region on tour opens up the frequency of repeat performances. If you were only in a region, it would not be the case.

[Bluzeboy]

first of all. 5 shows a week for 44 weeks is a bit optimistic in these economic times. Used to be the case but I fear those days are over. Try more like 3-4 with travel days and I think you're more on the money. Second, playing someplace twice a year is not really a bad thing. As someone else pointed out it's all about draw. The way this used to work (not sure since I haven't done it in a while) you start with tertiary markets, move to secondary markets then primary markets. The amount of time you spend in each market is determined by sales. Plus there is always the "festival" circuit in the spring/summer/fall. As my road manager used to say "every day you're not working I'm losing money"

[chucke99]

Between December, 1975 and December, 1976, I saw KISS five times in New England, New York and New Jersey. Bands just keep cycling through the areas where they are popular.

[LSGoCards7]

It's also a lot of fun to tour, IMO!

[TheRockDoc]

Between December, 1975 and December, 1976, I saw KISS five times in New England, New York and New Jersey. Bands just keep cycling through the areas where they are popular.

I'd have to imagine, computer spreadsheets and databases can help keep track MUCH more effectively of profitability, than let's say... the drunk and drugged tour managers of the 70's :)

[razorbladeSD]

I'd have to imagine, computer spreadsheets and databases can help keep track MUCH more effectively of profitability, than let's say... the drunk and drugged tour managers of the 70's :)

Yeah, but spreadsheets can't threaten you with a cricket bat when you are being lazy and unproductive.

[rust_in_peace]

first of all. 5 shows a week for 44 weeks is a bit optimistic in these economic times. Used to be the case but I fear those days are over. Try more like 3-4 with travel days and I think you're more on the money. Second, playing someplace twice a year is not really a bad thing. As someone else pointed out it's all about draw. The way this used to work (not sure since I haven't done it in a while) you start with tertiary markets, move to secondary markets then primary markets. The amount of time you spend in each market is determined by sales. Plus there is always the "festival" circuit in the spring/summer/fall. As my road manager used to say "every day you're not working I'm losing money"

I suppose you're right. I was just looking at a couple of bands tour schedules and it seems to be about 2-4 times a week they play. Do the bands go home the rest of the week or do they just drive to the next location and hang out?

I know there's a lot of college towns in the country, but many of those are near major cities where the band would likely play.

I just know some bands that it seems are ALWAYS on the road. They can't even go into the studio to make an album without having to go out a play a few shows.

[marcher5877]

Also keep in mind that days off on tour arent really days off. They are spent doing a lot of work, getting gear in working order, visiting reps, doing radio stations interview, press interviews, there are always a ton of things that need to be done, and being in a different city without knowing anyone just makes it that much difficult, ie. take longer.

Most working musicians know that most of thier work happens offstage.

[Stike]

Also keep in mind that days off on tour arent really days off. They are spent doing a lot of work, getting gear in working order, visiting reps, doing radio stations interview, press interviews, there are always a ton of things that need to be done, and being in a different city without knowing anyone just makes it that much difficult, ie. take longer.

Most working musicians know that most of thier work happens offstage.

Don't forget driving. Unless a tour is booked really far in advance you have to do some pretty stupid driving. Sometimes you'll have a show in town A and the next day you have to drive 5 hours south to town B and then day 3 have to do a show in town C that's 3 hours north of town A.

[germs]

there are entire offices full of people dedicated to figuring out primary logistics at record companies.

there's really no easy way to answer the question. at a major label, people are paid to figure out these things for you. you get handed a large black binder (or a hard drive or .pdf these days...) and it's got everything you need on it. not only does it have your tour schedule, travel schedule, contracts, rider, and emergency info in it - now it's got all your spreadsheets and financial information as well. just fill in the blanks, and submit via email by such and such a time. easy, right?

average bands like this are SCHEDULED to play 7 days a week. they probably only end up playing an average of 3-4 due to cancelations or whatever.

most guys who aren't super-mega-stars AREN'T out on the road for more than 3-4 weeks at a time. productivity and work-effectiveness are still key, and that starts to drop after a certain amount of time. usually 4 weeks on, 10 days off. just IME.

the guys packing arenas AREN'T touring for a year at a time anymore. not that i'm aware of anyway. there's not much economic support to pay their salary like it used to be...unless you're Iron Maiden, that is.

[Bluzeboy]

Do the bands go home the rest of the week or do they just drive to the next location and hang out? Honestly.. It's a matter of time/money. Lets say for example.. you're from St Louis..
You play Kansas city on Thursday, Tulsa on Friday, DFW on Saturday and the next gig is New Orleans on Tues.. then Nashville on Thursday.. What do you do? Drive back to St louis on Sunday 600 miles or 10 + hours to St louis or go to New Orleans 550 miles or about 10 hours.. See the deal here?
Also Stike is right.. As is Germs.. it's all about the support you have and the level you're working at.

[sinner]

Just don't let anybody poop in the bus!

[The Golden Boy]

also, hitting certain cities twice a year isn't necessarily a bad thing. that's how you build a following.

Creed played here (Milwaukee) so often I thought they were a local band.

Seriously.

[germs]

Creed played here (Milwaukee) so often I thought they were a local band.

Seriously.

right before they broke big, i was old enough to have my first job in a nightclub. they must have played there every few months, as did another unknown band: Nickelback.

[fredgarvin]

I toured for three years and ended up so worn out I moved into a commune and quit playing at all for at least a couple of years. I don't see how people do it year after year.

[germs]

I toured for three years and ended up so worn out I moved into a commune and quit playing at all for at least a couple of years. I don't see how people do it year after year.

it's a fine line to walk. i did it with a hardcore band (real independent) back in 1999-2000, and that resulted in the dissolution of the band.

but a few years later, when i got my first real break - the actual structure provided by the label...it was like a long vacation!

[Bluzeboy]

when i got my first real break - the actual structure provided by the label...it was like a long vacation! Funny.. Mine was never like a vacation when I was at the label. Up at some ungodly hour to do a 30sec radio "hi" during drive time, off to a Rack Jobber to "meet and greet" then to an in store then sound check, then intense boredom and back stage wannabe's and really stoopid questions until 10 minutes before show time then massive panic, then back to the wannabe's while I'm trying to change clothes then off to do it all again in a different city. yeah... life being part of the dawn patrol.

Exaggerate the win's forget the losses and in the end you have a lot of debt, canceled credit cards, people being sarky with each other but hey.... I'm a signed guy with a label tour.. pffffffhhht.

[rust_in_peace]

Alright, I found a good example of what I was talking about. Was flipping through Rolling Stone and saw on add for the band Paramore and their upcoming tour. They're doing a 35-date tour throughout the US, lasting from July 23 to Sep 19. So, two months they're on the road. What the hell are the doing the rest of the year?

Say they do another 35-date tour in Europe that same year, then go to Japan for a week, then Australia/New Zealand for a week. That's less then half the year that they're touring! Do bands of that level only half to tour half the year or do they do like some have suggested and go on subsequent tours, playing in smaller towns/venues?

[PVH5150]

Perfect example.

Last week, Ted Nugent was in town.

June 16th: Boston, MA
June 17th: Providence, RI
June 18th: Hampton Beach, NH

From Boston, Providence is 50 miles south & Hampton is 50 miles north.

I'm sure if I was a big regional, but not yet national act, I could probably spend 3 months touring New England, 4 nights a week & not run out of places to play at, theres a ton.