"TOUR TALES” OR WHAT NOT TO LEAVE BEHIND

“Wait! We gotta go back! I forgot my wooby!,” said no serious touring musician EVER. OK, that’s not completely true but it should be. Just getting to tour takes a lot of grunt work (see previous entries).  In order to have a successful tour the band needs to run like a machine and that means a tour manager. This position can be separate and distinct from the band or a job assigned to one particular band member. Either way, there’s a ton to think about. So I talked with some of my touring musician friends and let them do the thinking for me:

HAVE A PLAN

With well over 100 out of town shows a year, touring musician, John Taglieri (left) has things down to a sweet science. Touring is not a fun road trip with your buddies. It’s a business trip, only you’re not accountable to some home office, you have to live up to the standards you set. “Have a plan,” says Taglieri. “Cover the basics, food, sleep, set up, play.”

Plan when to stop for gas – so the van doesn’t make that decision for you. Plan where to sleep and what to eat.  The less surprises the better. “Make a driving schedule and make sure everyone sees it. That way you know when you can sleep it off and when you need to be alert.” Have the name, address, and contact information for the venues, hotels, promoters, etc. Have their websites and calendars bookmarked. And most importantly – know when load in and sound check are. “Load in can be your first impression on a venue. Don’t screw yourself by being late or disorganized.”

Aside from getting the gigs and having a plan to conquer the world if not a simple invasion of a handful of cities along the nearest major highway, there are some personal items a touring entertainer should not be without. Matt Santoro of Super Bob says, “I don’t go anywhere without a weapon or three.” With security taken care of, here are 5 things other touring entertainers found invaluable while on tour.

1.    GET THERE (GPS): There are many GPS programs and apps. Some will get you there. Some will get you lost. Everyone thinks theirs is better than yours. Designate one everyone agrees to follow. It will avoid confusion and infighting. My own GPS is a British dominatrix I call Mistress. She says “When possible, make a U turn.” and I comply.

2.    KEEP GOING (Have a really good car kit): Don’t wait around for someone to give you a jump. Mentalist Jonny Zavont suggests, “Get something to jump yourself (gigity). Make sure it has enough power to jump a huge truck and you’ll always be good.” Be sure the things in the kit are working and accessible. Indie musician Oren Barak (right) made sure his touring van, named Tiny Elvis, had a spare tire and a jack. Unfortunately, both were held securely under the Ford E150, needing a special hex key to free them up. A key they had lost. “So there we were with a flat, a spare, a jack, and still waiting for roadside assistance.” Oh yeah, Get roadside assistance.

3.    GO FORTH AND MULTIPLY (outlet/USB splitters): “Having outlet splitters helps anywhere that outlets are prime currency,” says Jonny Zavont, “It’s also a great way to make new friends (and fans).” Oren Barak says, “Have splitters for both regular outlets and car outlets. That way everyone can charge their stuff and no one complains.”  Having outlet splitters means each band member won’t get a dozen calls from the drummer’s girlfriend because she can’t reach him because he ran his battery down collecting all Boba Fett jet packs in Angry Birds Star Wars.

When will car outlets just be USB ports? Or actual outlets for that matter?! Not even smokers use that outlet for cigarette lighter!

4.    SELF CATER (Hot Plate): Food can be the last thing on a budget but when

blood sugar drops, tempers go up, bands fight, they have a bad show, get a poor reputation, never get booked there again, have to take a job as back up guitar player for the Wiggles, get fired on the road for still being grumpy, and have to hitchhike back home, doing unspeakable things to truckers to pay their way. This common scenario can be avoided by eating sensibly every day.

Matt Santoro (left) appears mostly shirtless for every show and his female fans thank him.  But he can’t put on that show and not think about what he eats. “[Super Bob] grocery shops every day.” They stay in hotels so he’s able to cook for himself. John Taglieri says, “Avoid fast food. You feel like shit and if your job is to look good onstage, a double cheeseburger will do nothing but give you a double chin.” Oren Barak suggests having a few boxes of snack bars. “Hungry? Stuff a snack bar in their mouth and keep driving. Tiny Elvis stopped for no one but himself!”

5.    PUT THE LID ON (bring a hat): Even when living in the touring vehicle, a touring entertainer often wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings.  It’s easy to leave behind personal items, or waste travel time hunting for a St. Anthony necklace. While on a show choir tour in Europe, I once left behind a family item whose value would be apparent only to me. I didn’t realize it was missing until it was too late to go back. It was likely thrown out and I didn’t speak enough French to call and ask for their lost and found. I might still have it if I had a hat. Mentalist Jonny Zavont is never without a hat. “Put all your keys, sunglasses, phone, etc. inside it. That way you have it all in one place when you’re ready to get back on the road. You don’t have to hunt it all down. Just grab the hat and go.”

It’s not an exhaustive list. Its contents are not amaze-balls. But these items have been invaluable to the touring entertainers who’ve been there and back again. Help grow this list and share what you find to be invaluable while on the road at Q@QEntertainmentLaw.com.

A Musician’s Guide to Retirement: From Their Day Jobs

The secret to a successful music career is free, easily available, and most artists want nothing to do with it. That statement is surmised from many industry professionals sharing that the questions they get asked the most are music business basics. Without getting the basics, the dream of making a living doing playing music will remain a dream.

The best illustration of someone who learned the basics and continuously worked the steps like he was earning chips is singer/songwriter John Taglieri (J.T).  The current tally is 10 CDs selling over 20,000 copies and he hasn’t seen a day job since March 10, 2005. This New Jersey native resides just outside of Boston but spends every other month performing in Key West, FL.  When he’s home he either gigs locally and/or puts on his producer hat for clients he books in his studio. In this series of articles, I try to tap into his firsthand experiences in hopes of finally cracking the hard nut that is the human ego and to get more artists fruitfully working toward their own “retirement” from their day jobs. 

Put the Ego Back in the Box

At some point, every musician wonders why they’re not successful yet.  The answer is simple. “The simple things are the hardest…and I finally figured out what the problem was – me and my ego” said John Taglieri (Wiki).  Ego fuels the entertainment business but it is best served on stage. Off stage, artists need to make good business decisions. They can’t make good business decisions when their egos make all their choices.  “You just set yourself up for failure.”

John Taglieri’s shows make every bar and backyard he plays, a party. It’s a mix of known favorites and original music.  But he was once scoffed at by other bands for being ‘a cover guy.’ “I bought a ticket played The Rock Boat for 8 or 9 years just jamming everywhere i could and meeting people.” Many artists have a chance to get booked on land gigs after performing on the Rock Boat. “But a lot of guys didn’t take them because covers were beneath them. I always say yes.  And the way I can do that is to put my ego away.” Now those bands who passed on the gigs he took are asking him for advice on gigging so much. “There was just a lot of work between then and now that their ego just didn’t want to do.”

J.T is the first person to say that he’s not the world’s greatest musician. But he is very successful and very good at what he does. “I do what I need to do.  If anyone does what they need to do, eventually they can get what they want.” Don’t wait for the easy path to come down from the sky, light up with a giant arrow pointing the way to a new tour bus driven by Clive Davis. That doesn’t even happen in Spinal tap. 

Wanna Retire? Work For It.

Put the work in where the want is. If the majority of thought and effort goes into getting a good annual 360 review for that coveted 2% raise, then it’s not going towards playing music. Ozzy Osbourne used to pack his gear and wait outside clubs in case a band canceled and his band could play. Harrison Ford was a carpenter on a movie set before he was Han Solo. Follow their lead and get involved in the business. 

Although he wanted to be a touring musician, he left a full time day job to work 3 days a week touring with a sound company.  It wasn’t exactly what he wanted but it was in the business and gave him a chance to use all that schooling in audio engineering.  But that left 4 days a week he could use to work on his music while keeping a hand in the business and making connections the other 3 days. The better he got getting music gigs, the less he needed his sound gig. “So I got my boss to fire me. I never looked back.”

It should be noted that J.T is a solo artist and plays with a band for select gigs. Is it easier to set off on a musical adventure for a solo musician than a group act? “Nope. A group means more people are working towards the goal.” Everyone in the band should have a job. A real job. A band related job. Assign jobs to each band member: booking, promotion, finance, etc. No one is above the grunt work. 

“The practices I use are Business 101.” While playing music to crowds is addictive and the party life is really the fun it’s made out to be, those are for the ego. Success in the music business is the science (yes – science!) of selling. Sell your product. “And find a way to outsell everyone else.” Don’t worry about fame or being a big rock ‘n roll star, that’s just ego. Leave the id on stage. 

When ego is finally put aside, you can finally do the work you need to do to get where you want to go. Then artists can finally retire to their own little paradise. 

[Watch this spot for a continuing talk with John Taglieri and his Tips for touring and why Sweet 16 parties rock more than bars with Goldschlager ice slide.]

WWDMD? Or What We Can Learn from Orlando's Jam Band Scene

WHY ARE THEY STILL ON THE COUCH!!??  Music fans’ awareness of shows has never been higher – with social networking event posts, evites, and tour apps. And can you tell me why my Google calendar has imported every single event by every act I have ever liked and sends me constant push notifications?  Despite rising awareness of shows, it is still a challenge to get fans off their couches and into a venue on a consistent basis. Central Florida musician and scene veteran, Dave Mann reveals the wisdom he’s learned as both founder and organizer of the ever popular Jambando Concert series and band leader for the perennial purveyors of flavor rock, funkUs.

BIGGER MIGHT BE BETTER

Playing live is where it’s at! Everyone now has the opportunity to create super slick polished yet home studio produced album. Protools and its counter parts are like video games; spend enough time playing around and the player can become the conquering hero. But step into the real world and the princess they saved onscreen won’t talk to them, ‘cause their live game still sucks. 

It is during live shows that fans can see the talent and professionalism that separates real artists from studio content creators. But to get people through the door, rely on a basic principle of sales and make them want it. “If you want people to come, it has t be something special.” Said Mann. His band, funkUS, consciously decided to cut down on the number of shows they play. They also changed the types of shows they play, opting to focus more on festivals and large venue shows. When planning an event type show don’t just look at the band calendar. Know the target audience and plan an event at a time that doesn’t compete for their attention. Be the best source of fun for them on that day or evening.

GET A ROOM

Where can be as important as When, when it comes to throwing down. “It’s important to have a good working relationship with the venue.” When a good foundation has been laid with a venue, you can book and plan much farther in advance. More time to plan gives artists a greater likelihood that things will run smoother or they’ll have time to grease the inevitable squeaky wheels. There’s always one. “I like to plan shows 6 months in advance. But I start thinking about them a year in advance.”

When choosing the right venue there are several things to consider. Is the venue easy to get to? Does it show up in the average GPS device? Is there enough parking? Will fans have to pay to park? Every dollar they spend on parking is a dollar lost on merch and bar tabs, both of which can effect an artist’s bottom line. Pick an appropriately sized venue. Too small and fans experience a bad kind of crowd funk. Too big and any empty space can kill the excitement.

LOOSE LIPS ARE ONLY BAD FOR SHIPS

Making any show successful takes a TON of hard work. Best get organized. Dave Mann shares, “I do it in segments to make sure I have time for everything.”  Spend too much time promoting, inviting, reminding, tweeting, and instagramming pictures of how hard you’re working and that can leave little time for efforts that have a bigger payout. 

Dave Mann has made a name for himself in Central Florida.  He’s the kind of musician other musicians love to share the stage with.  Venues love the draw his band brings to their bars.  Fans love the festivals he puts on. He’s not just one part of the music scene, he ingrained himself in it. And his advice for any artists wanting to follow suit is, “Go out. Be a part of your scene. When you’re there, talk about your shows.” The power of a facebook event page is to be able to see the shows your friends recommend. A personal recommendation is still the best way to get fans off their couches. The online promotions should flow from that concept of personal recommendations. “Be your own press.  Word of mouth is the strongest social media.”

THE WHOLE AUDIENCE ISN’T LISTENING

“The first step in building a fan base is to recognize it.” Mann continues, “You can’t hope to appeal to everybody. Find that 1% that really digs your music and focus on them. [A fan base] spreads that way.” Unsigned acts fortunate enough to enjoy the longevity and dedication of its members have another consideration when it comes to getting fans’ attention – fans get old. 

For the aging fans, the passage of time somehow makes a midnight start time a nightmare. They don’t bounce back from the party as quick as they used to (So I’ve heard). Weeknight show attendance depends on if they have early morning meetings.  Babysitters must be gotten and returned unharmed back to their own homes at a decent hour. Fans get old. Their priorities change. “You gotta respect that.  It just means you gotta keep getting new fans.” If the music is good, people will share it. If they move away, they share it with their new neighbors. If they have kids, they pass the music along. Every fan won’t be at every show. “But with a little buzz, it’ll work out”

With show awareness so prevalent these days, bands need more than just infrequency to create demand. They need to keep it different. Variety keeps fans interested. funkUs shows happen at camping festivals, charity fundraisers, even cruise ships. Jambando does more than offer an extended line up of Central Florida’s best jam and funk artists. Fans just have to go to each Jambando because each one is different from the last and won’t be anything like the next show. 

In December, Jambando presented ‘What Woodstock Jambando ‘79’ where fans can to discover what would happen if Woodstock had been in 1979. Local acts put on shows paying tribute to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Black Sabbath.  Fans enjoyed the added elements of food trucks, glass blowers, and local vendors.  The effort raised what could have been an average local music show to a head turning event. 

HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR SCENE?

Success is magnified when it’s shared with others. With the death of A&R departments and the expense of management companies still out of reach for many emerging artists, a music scene itself has an obligation to develop its own. That means artists need to help each other out. When bands get better, the scene gets better, the fans have more fun, and they get off their couches.

“We showcase a lot of up and coming bands.” Said Mann. Getting on a Jambando bill is a big deal in the scene. Even with a guaranteed audience, the hardest work isn’t done.  Playing bigger events can mean big opportunities. “It is up to [the bands] to make the most of those opportunities.”

Before anyone spends the next 5 days getting the mix just right on their latest single, consider recorded music’s place in history. Recorded music has not been around too long in the grand scheme of musical history. When labels and ‘industry insiders’ point to low album sales and declare that music has no value anymore they discount centuries of the thriving success of music scenes everywhere. Music is a part of our lives not because we can buy singles from the dashboard of our cars but because it connects us with community. 

Live music is where it’s at. Always has been. Always will be.

SHOWING OFF BY FITTING IN

SHOWING OFF BY FITTING IN

 

A confetti cannon to the face can sure ruin a good night of local music. Live shows are a chance for a band to give their fans an experience. It should be more than a chance to hear the band’s CD played live. But developing and pulling off a great stage show takes time, practice, and thought. 

A stage show can be as simple as being consciously spaced out to fill any sized stage or include choreographed waives goodbye and t-shirt cannons filled with jell-o. Emerging acts often face the tough task of playing on the floor of a neighborhood bar one night and trying not to get swallowed up on a 50’x30’ stage at the House of Blues the next. A band could, and should, put as much thought into their stage show as they do mixing their songs. Nothing kills months of laboring over the music faster than a poorly executed performance.  Ever see a band who thinks they’re in Las Vegas putting on the rock equivalent of Zoomanity but they’re really just four overweight shirtless dudes? Avert your eyes! Face the bar and order some rum!

GIVE THEM A REASON

Central Florida calypso, punk, reggae group, Johnny Cakes and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso (JC) knows how to balance the idea of a stage show with the reality of performance constraints. They have 10 band members but that can vary by show.  Their goal is to bring the party to any sized venue. But it takes some thought to pull it off. Ostrich (vocals and steel pan) said, “We can play with members [off-stage] on the floor. But it’s more important to make sure the P.A. system can handle that many [members].”

 

A Johnny Cakes show can get quite elaborate under the right conditions. They’ve been known to have jelly fish dancers, cartoon pre shows, and other elements. They want people to think their show is worth leaving a warm and comfy couch for. No one wants to hear a CD they already have, played by drunk musicians.  And very few will come out just to support.  Tough times. We would all like someone to support us. It’s not a reason to spend money on a local music show. Give the people a reason. 

IT’S TIME

Before a band breaks out the welders and starts to create their own A-Team style grand finale or rents out the Haus of Gaga, there are a few details to consider. How long is the set time? When is load in? Is there a backline? How much time between bands? “If there are a lot of bands, we scale it back. We don’t want to interfere with another band’s time slot.”  If a band has extra materials onstage Ostrich suggests they ask friends to help them with the load in/unload process, and practice ahead of time so everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing. “Our goal is to give people something interesting without causing problems for others.”

A band that’s been together for a while will naturally incorporate more and more elements into their show, whether that’s dance moves, projectors, audience participation segments, a blood volcano, or a chain saw (keep reading).  What works on one stage is not guaranteed to look good on another. Just simple even spacing may look professional at a coffee shop stage but it can look bare bones and downright sad at the Hard Rock. What killed with an audience of 800 can look a hot jumbled mess at the 250 occupancy local dive bar. “We can be too big for some venues but it can also be exciting to watch us try to pull it off.” Bands should consider the performance space ahead of time, if need be, practice in a similar sized space, and visit the venue before hand to be sure of the parking, door sizes, and to confirm any technical needs.

BIG STAGE - BIG PROBLEMS?

A big stage can make it harder for 4-5 band members to make exciting. “A good light system can make a real big difference, especially for instrumental bands.” But lighting systems can be expensive and a band must always check to see if it’s compatible with the venue’s system. 

At the local/touring level, a stage show can and should change with each new venue. While that may seem daunting, it’s a good thing. Really! It’s a reason for people to come out and pay to see you again and again. Fans might have seen a show 2 weeks ago but they will pay again if they know all 10 members will be playing on the drum riser…

GET IN THE GAME

“People can expect a wild, high energy show. There is not a typical Night for Johnny Cakes and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso.” Being conscious of having a stage show can start with what each member of the band intends to wear. Do you have a color scheme? Is it ok for a member to wear whatever they wore to their day job?  When it comes to dress, the style of dress must fit the style of music and the personality of the band. T-shirts mat look out of place in a jazz trio and a suit may look odd on a metal front-man. Johnny Cakes do not dictate what each member wears but they do often have themed shows.  At a benefit to raise money to help a local animal shelter, the band dressed in animal costumes. “Once, the entire band dressed as batman, except for the bass player. He was Robin.”

Benefits, charity shows, and holiday shows are great excuses to try out new elements of a stage show. If it works, great! Then incorporate it into other shows. If it fails, never speak of it again…unless interviewed by Quinton J Sheer, Esq.

IT WON’T WORK ALL THE TIME

Not every ‘Best Idea Ever’ will seem so once the rum has worn off. “We have a song [Super Black Death Cloud] about zombies. Our sax player took an actual chain saw and fired it up. The chain was removed but no one, not even the band, knew he was going to do it. I could see fear in some people’s eyes. A few ran out the back door.” 

Clear any out of the box ideas with the rest of the band and especially the venue.  Having to retool the show to accommodate the venue’s rules is better than being blacklisted from that venue and others. Elaborate stage shows can be very entertaining but are not always necessary. Just be conscious of putting on a good show for the people who come and the venues who allow it all to happen. Be exciting and easy to work with and there will be more shows and more chances to try something new. That way, the grand finale doesn’t end with giving the 50 people in the audience paper cuts in their eyes from an overzealous confetti cannon.

** Johnny Cakes and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso can be found at www.GutterCalypso.com.  Join the adventure and be their friend at http://www.facebook.com/guttercalypso.