Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

Well, I gotta say that for a guy with less than 50 gigs under his belt, you're sure shooting biggly.

You need to put some of your music up on your profile, cuz I have no idea what kinda places would want you until I hear you.

College stations will help in college towns, if your music attracts college students & townies in those areas.

I need to know more about you before I could help, but from what I've seen so far, I dunno if I'd try a nationwide tour first, simply because you seem unprepared if you don't have music posted, & have so few gigs' worth of experience. Try a 100 mile radius & see what happens there.

nomadic_sun wrote:I have another concern though...if my tour is three months in advance and I'm playing college towns, won't all the students be gone for summer break?

Um...yeah...that would be one of the things that make me wonder if you're prepared. Still, the ppl in college areas are usually more open to new music, so you may do well in spite of it, provided you can generate enough interest with radio play on the college stations & news releases in the local papers with the proper bio.

I'm listening to your stuff.

"If Things Don't Feel Right" is a pretty good tune. I like the arrangement, but wonder how you'll pull it off as a solo without looking karaoke-ish.

"Be Love" is a nice hippie-sounding thingie, with 'lectro stuff tossed in, but I could have done without the horns. Again, I expect you'll have to end up playing these with sequenced backgrounds, which turn a lot of ppl off & reduce that "live" feel.

I like your songs & your arrangements, nomad. You have some good world-beat & traditional influences (which you should list in your profile, btw) that seem to be coming together pretty well for you.

Planning your tour of the seaside towns during the summer is a good idea. The college towns should be done during times students are there, but not around big events like homecoming or finals, imho. It takes some pretty good planning to assure your audiences will be present, & that they'll be of a type to appreciate your sound. I wouldn't play these two in a country bar or blues venue, for obvious reasons.

How have you set up your tour? Have you used the various towns' Chambers of Commerce? They're always helpful in getting you in touch with the right venues, if you know the right questions to ask. They can also help get you into the community festivals, which are great for playing single sets for great money, without having to carry in all your gear. I love doing the festival circuits, cuz they have built-in eager audiences that SPEND on your wares, & there's very little set-up/break-down time involved.

Make sure you have adequate amounts of merch to sell to help finance your tour, while you're at it. With a moderate amount of cash outlay, you can make some pretty good bucks, & get more exposure, too, as more ppl listen to your CD's & look up your website for more info & such.

Play locally (smaller venues) and see if you develop a following. If not then "touring" is a waste of time. You've got to have something to tour with. Prove yourself locally first...