And apologies if this is vague and not helpful as a jumping off point for conversation; it's one of those things where I need to know a bit more before I can really narrow down what my questions would be, y'know, beyond "Hey any advice you can give?"

Hey guys,I figured this might be a good spot to ask for some actual advice; unlike other music forums I've been on, people here seem to have their stuff pretty straight. my band Thirty Silver is coming off the road in a few days after our first legit tour(two weeks on the road vs. weekend tours, which we do like as well). My drummer and I agreed that while it's been challenging, we can see doing this again multiple times and don't want to kill each other, and we're going to plan for more in the future.Like I said, I respect the opinions of people on here; I mostly like to lurk and read, but I'm here reading pretty often. But I wanted to see if there were any tips, advice, words of wisdom, anything you guys might have to offer as far as making tours run smoother, pay for themselves better, etc. for a band that is still starting out.Thanks guys.

Go where you are wanted.

And take lots of pictures. Touring may be fun and miserable at the same time. You will be dealing with lots of stuff and seeing lots of stuff and meeting lots of people. But don't forget to take pictures. My only regret from the Superconductor tour of the US in 1993 is not taking any pictures.

wotown wrote:Do whatever you can to set up or promote shows for bands touring through your town. Help those bands find a place to crash, or better yet, get your place set up for letting 5 touring musicians crash there. Cook them a meal, or order them a pizza.In my 20s, most of my best shows on tour were via band people repaying the favor I did them in my town.Man! that's still the case for me.Er... except that we're friends now.Great advice upthread, linked and otherwise.Going to second, third... etc. The suggestion to not skimp on a touring vehicle. Also: get and maintain AAA. Be aware of changes in traffic laws for different states too. Where you can not turn right on red for example.There are all kinds of small minded little gotchas that some states and cities like to play on out of towners and it is usually used as an excuse to roll the touring vehicle for suspected drugs. A serious annoyance, or potentially more.Attempting to NOT eat the worst food ever is advisable. Stay hydrated.The best advice is to make sure that the whole band is on the same page and have as much fun possible on the great adventure you are going to be on. You will play to nobody, you will meet strange and freakish people. There is nothing like it. Try to turn the experiences into something cool, don't let the bad parts where you down.

I have some Band Rules that I have written down elsewhere that apply to touring and other aspects of band life. You may find these helpful and you may not, but here's what I've decided after 20 years of doing this:Here are the Band Rules (they go to 11):1. You should be playing. Working on the website, promoting your event on facebook, doing whatever people do on Instagram, drinking and talking about playing- These are not being a band. These are distractions. Playing is the bricks, this other BS is the mortar, but if you re playing less than you re doing this other crap, you re not really a band.2. Your gear needs to work. If you can t get through a week of shows on your amp/drumkit/guitar, you re an instrument owner and hobbyist, not a musician. Also, if a string isn t the same note at the 12th fret as it is when it s open, it doesn t work.3. Respect sleep. If a band member falls asleep and you draw on him with a Sharpie, kill yourself. If a band member falls asleep and you move your chair between him and the dressing room door so that you can protect his sleep, you re comrades and soldiers together. If someone in the van is sleeping and you turn the music down, ditto. Sleep and water are your best antibiotics. Protect each other.4. Never say œAll your songs [x] or [y], ever, unless it s to say œ ¦ are amazing . Otherwise, you re probably trying to say some passive-aggressive bullshit. Always try to talk about the exact thing that you re talking about. If you re not sure what you re talking about, shut up and think about it.5. With regards to the above: Boredom is anger and anger is fear. See also: œIf you re not sure what you re talking about, shut up and think about it. 6. Your bandmates are the most important people in your life, after your family. That s why you get so angry with them. You ve only got so many years to pour into your art, and that s what the fear is about. Make sure you trust the people you re working with not to waste your life and you will find that the fear becomes manageable. When fear/anger reasserts itself, do your best to remember this.7. The most important person at a show is the guy who paid full price to get in. Ultimately, that s who will define your success.8. Bands get the audience they deserve. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but ultimately you will find yourself playing for exactly who you should be. Ask Third Eye Blind. Or Dash Rip Rock.9. Music may be your first choice to make a living, but it s not the only way to make money. You being broke isn t helping anyone. 10. Any significant other who asks you to choose between them and your band doesn t love you, no matter what you think or they think.11. Seriously, though, unless your name is Art Blakey or John Bonham, no drum solos.Also, here are some tips on staying alive while driving in what may be substandard vehicles late at night:1. The driver must be sober: Like, really sober. If the driver has even had two beers and everyone else in the van falls asleep, he s going to be just a hair more relaxed and likely to fall asleep. Hotel rooms aren t that expensive compared to van accidents.2. Stay in the right lane except to pass: Two reasons- 1. You get an extra fraction of a second to react if someone crosses the median, and 2. Every now and then some drunk asshole comes down the wrong side of the highway. They ll usually try to look sober by keeping right on what they think is their side of the highway. 3. If you can follow a semi-truck at a safe distance, do it: If someone crosses the center line and hits the semi in front of you head-on, you live to tell the story. It s that simple.4. That said, stay out of packs: Stay out of big clumps of drivers. One person in a car digging for their phone to find something better on Spotify can start a chain reaction accident. Cutting down on the number of other drivers around you cuts down on the odds of a bad driver taking you out.5. Driver picks the music, and it needs to be something lively: No Coltrane ballads after midnight. Iron Maiden, Black Flag, Whores, Public Enemy, Buildings, Hawks, Motorhead. SING ALONG. Fuck everybody, this is their lives you re protecting.6. Co-pilot also needs to sing along: The person in the passenger seat also needs to be awake and acting as hype man. If you can t have two people awake, pull over and let everyone sleep. 7. Use your hazards the way they do in the EU/UK: If you have to use your brakes because traffic is stopped in front of you or because there s a deer about to dart out onto the highway or because someone in front of you has had a blowout and they re trying to get to the shoulder, use your flashers. This is how they do it on the other side of the Atlantic and it s eminently civilized. It s a rare enough behavior in the US that it s bound to get the attention of the drivers behind you.8. Windshield wipers are the second most important part on the van: Maybe third. #1 is brakes, #2 is either wipers or tires. If you can t see, you shouldn t drive, and wipers are SO CHEAP.9. Take advice like a grownup: If someone says you re driving too fast or you re not checking your mirror enough before you change lanes, don t be a giant baby. They re not questioning your masculinity, they re trying to keep everyone alive. Also related: If there s someone in your band who can t drive with everyone s safety in mind, they don t drive. Period. Staying alive: It s luck and it s not luck, y know? I realize that the forthright tone I have taken here may make me sound like a dick. This is because I am a dick.Be safe out there.

Maybe I posted this in an older thread, but:Always keep an ear open for possible openings on bills along your route, because many booking people are disorganized and double book shows, tell you the wrong date, bump you for no reason, or any other thing that gets your show cancelled somehow. If you like to drink booze sauce and will be in the south or various Jesus land states, take note of whether you will be staying in a dry county. And buy the booze sauce upstream if so. Also jam econo.

tidalcast wrote:Hey guys,I figured this might be a good spot to ask for some actual advice; unlike other music forums I've been on, people here seem to have their stuff pretty straight. my band Thirty Silver is coming off the road in a few days after our first legit tour(two weeks on the road vs. weekend tours, which we do like as well). My drummer and I agreed that while it's been challenging, we can see doing this again multiple times and don't want to kill each other, and we're going to plan for more in the future.Like I said, I respect the opinions of people on here; I mostly like to lurk and read, but I'm here reading pretty often. But I wanted to see if there were any tips, advice, words of wisdom, anything you guys might have to offer as far as making tours run smoother, pay for themselves better, etc. for a band that is still starting out.Thanks guys.Congratulations, getting off of tour without wanting to maim is a great thing! I see you're new-ish, so you might not have seen some previous threads we have on this.One of the longest:viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7037Also:viewtopic.php?f=4&t=35195And:viewtopic.php?f=4&t=43779 There are probably more if you search. Good luck!