You'll be doing lots of driving, predominantly along motorways and main connecting carriageways and thoroughfares etc., for long stretches of time. Your aim will be to locate the venue of your next performance, where you'll hope to play to the best of your ability, while entertaining any assembled audiences you may have attracted.Many, if not all, of these places will be lesser-frequented, smaller venues in obscure towns, where you will ply your trade as a band “ presumably this will take the form of a type of rock music, perhaps featuring guitars (rhythm, lead, and bass) and drums.While undertaking this task, bad things will happen to you. You will have things stolen. You will be physically attacked “ sometimes to the point of necessitating a visit to the nearest local hospital. It's likely that one or more members of your touring party may suffer fractures to limbs during these acts of aggression. You will have objects thrown at you with intent to wound.On top of this, you will be taken advantage of and treated duplicitously in matters of finance. Money you are owed will fail to materialise, excuses will be made for lack of payment for your services, and you can generally expect to be lied to and cheated out of any profits “ however meagre “ you are rightfully entitled to.My message to you is this: while from an outside vantage point the activity of travelling across the country making frequent stops to perform in music venues might seem straighforward and stress-free, appearances are deceptive. As you will learn if you attempt it yourself, doing this is, in fact, exceptionally difficult.The path to reaching the heights to which you aspire in your chosen field “ money, fame, worldwide adulation of fans, your work being universally known and recognised “ is a drawn out, arduous one.The road to success in the world of music is a tortuous, interminable journey.If you are of the opinion “ and you probably are “ that playing one concert after another ("touring") is a relaxing, undemanding pastime, then take heed: you will be comprehensively disabused of this misguided notion, should you ever attempt it yourself.The process of attaining your ultimate goals in the music industry is demoralisingly time-sapping.[*]You will stay in various, less than acceptable places of accomodation. The standards of these places, added to your general feelings of tiredness, homesickness, and increasing discomfort and dissatisfaction, will make you feel miserable and depressed “ sometimes to the point of tears.Prostitutes will solicit your business with a pronounced tenacity, knowing you are in a weakened, desperate state, longing for some company other than your over-familiar bandmates.As time goes on, you will keenly feel the effects of ageing. The stresses of the lifestyle you have chosen, as well as the natural symptoms of inexorably departing your youth, will begin to manifest visually, while you continue pursuing your desired position in the musical entertainment business, with an ever-growing desperation gnawing relentlessly inside you.You will continue to be tricked out of your deserved gains by unscrupulous, morally corrupt "business" people. Any compensation you do receive will be vastly less than the worth of the work and endeavour you have put in. You will be financially and creatively abused and exploited until you are no longer wanted or useful. You will ultimately be drained of your economic potential and discarded as a spent, exhausted commodity.This is the reality of performing live music with a group of your fellow musicians.It is not a quick route to the dream of living comfortably from your musical efforts. There is no end in sight to the travails ahead of you, should you decide to go on tour playing music with the eventual goal of unencumbered hedonism, inexhaustible riches, and comfort.If you have the desire to acheive financial and artistic satisfaction by these means, be warned that you will experience exceptional difficulty, trauma, and cruelty.It would have been nice if someone could have mentioned all this to me before I set out.[*] bagpipe solo

jimmy two hands wrote:Luckily the border guards were in a good mood or decided to take pity on us and let us go on without dealing with the problem. Those guys would have let a fully armed convoy flying ISIS and NAZI flags in. They had absolutely no concerns about anything. Do you recall we were in the short bus with the vegetable oil conversion kit on it. Weird tanks and tubing and all sorts of shit that looked like a bomb on the back. No problem.We should have written those goobers names down. Using them makes touring in Canada a non-issue.

tidalcast wrote:Definitely going to toss an atlas in the car for the next road trip; the GPS did indeed send us to a few wrong addresses. Probably a nice way to come to the end of our luck when we're playing house shows.Buy 2, you never know when you will find the first one shredded or the page you need on it has mustard all over it.

Don't eat at Mc Donalds, shit at Mc Donalds, Micky Ds does one thing well and that is keeping its bathroom tidy.

Don't carry drugsCount your money and keep track of it carefullyDon't have one person hold all the band moneyMake social media friends with people who liked your setIf the show has social media event page, post YouTube links of live videos, bandcamp, etc to that event page a day or two before the show to remind all the "maybe" RSVPers

chumpchange wrote:I have known of a Canadian border guard who had a broad palette of musical tastes, was familiar with the nature of indie rock touring subculture, and would have sized you guys up pretty fast. We encountered the U.S. version on one crossing to Seattle many years ago. There's probably more than a few out there.There definitely are going into Canada, too."Do the three of you always go camping together?"

run joe run wrote:You'll be doing lots of...Anyone who expects life to sustain them while they're playing music is likely going to be disappointed. Life owes you nothing. Touring can be fun as hell. Keep your perspective and your wits about you, do your best to jam econo and keep a journal. You'll be dead in 100 years and it's likely no one will really remember you. But sharing music you love with people gives you a moment of transcendence. So drink it in. It's one of the best ways to spend your time if you can do it.= Justin

run joe run wrote:phpBB [media][*] bagpipe solophpBB [media]