Live & Touring

How National Tour Packages Are Ruining Music And Artist Discovery

2-stroke-hardyGuest post by Nick Hardy, first published on Sinizine.net.

I grew up in Memphis, Tenn. and was involved in the punk scene from my first Rancid tape stolen from my high school. I had my crappy ska band and many of my friends had just as horrible punk bands. During the mid 90's Memphis was booming with amazing punk and indie shows coming through venues like Barristers, The Antenna, New Daisy, The Map Room…the list goes on. You could bet your balls there was going to be local support for a national tour coming through town. While the national bands were picking up stream on MTV and college radio, they still couldn't hold a night by themselves with their tour mates. All the local bands would claw at the promoters and venue owners to


open each show.

This was the locals' time to prove themselves to the city.

The ones who put in hard work and could work a crowd prospered. This cycle of starting a band to be hip, make what you think is interesting music and to hopefully open for your favorite bands created a very healthy music ecosystem of rivalries, camaraderie, ideas, power…MOVEMENT!

Some of those bands were noticed by their heroes, who they were opening for and went out to fulfill dreams of touring, putting out records, finally playing in front of people other than your friends and possibly making a sustainable living off music.

Now, living in Nashville and managing a couple artists, I comb the internet weekly looking for new touring acts coming through town that my artist might pair well with for an opening slot. I go through the motions: contact the venue, find the promoter, contact them, give them my pitch…wait…and get the same reply every time.

"I'm sorry but this tour package won't be allowing local support."

SERIOUSLY!?

You wouldn't want the option to add a local to the show to boost ticket sales? A 25-minute slot and 50-100 extra tickets sold is not worth your time? I feel bad for these high school kids who drool at the chance to open for their favorite band at Rocketown to only find out they can't because they've built the tour package six bands deep, all running around in huge tour busses while none of them can fill the room in which they're playing.

Nashville does have a ton of great bands, some who are being given national attention and some waiting to be discovered. The local acts that are always being given the opening slots are the ones in the national light. Yeah, that's tickets sold for now but how long can you rely on those fans? Our society's interest changes at a faster rate than ever. Promoters and venues should be cultivating younger acts and guiding them on how to build their following around town.

And shame on these bands with the power of choice. Were you not in your basement wishing to be "famous" a couple years back? Didn't you just want that big break? You'd have killed for it! And now you're playing your shows with two-band packages killing people's dreams.

Here's an idea: use picking a local for each show on your tour as branding alignment and social media to bring awareness about the show and the potential local band. Build a sub-community behind every show; have fan voting and contests that create your band-centric content. On the bigger scale you've just added an extension to your brand and you're cultivating your social media outreach; you're promoting the show, your band and you're getting tickets sold.

This problem might just be in Nashville. Is it as bad nationally as it is here?

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10 Comments

  1. This is often the case in Boulder. As the booking agent for my own band, the clubs and theater usually have a tour package. Many times they are clamoring to get another national act on the same evening (because they are going for the sell-out, not promotion and support of a local music scene so if they can sell the rest of the tix instead of 50 to 100, that is what they will do). And finally, if there is a band looking for local support, the nationwide bookers pick one of their own bands to open. And there is a revolving door for the few bands who pay out for the contacts. Don’t get me wrong, I am always looking to try and get a booker to help us out, but I do think a local venue should be there to support local music as well as bring in the best from around the world.

  2. What is the big deal? This is nothing new. I remember back in the 70s & 80s it was tour packages with no local bands. You are writing this like it’s a new thing that has never happened before.
    While it’s great for local bands to get a shot, headliners often like to have continuity between shows, without surprises (good or bad).

  3. This is an ongoing thing. I grew up in the San Francisco bay area then lived in Colorado, now Oregon for 10 years. Though the music scenes are entirely distinct in all three places, your observation holds true throughout them. Many of us wish desperately that someone would give us that shot because “my music is the best” or “it’s like nothing you’ve heard before”, but alas, you’ve got to fight for your rite to party!

  4. @iticus75 – Never said it was a new thing. Growing up in the punk community there’s was always a sense of camaraderie and everyone was very supportive of others art. Everyone one from the band members to the venue owners. As I grew up out of teens and now in my late 20’s, I wanted to take my core value that I got out of my youth and use that as I guideline on how I did business with others.
    I fight for the independent musician. As income streams diminish, the touring aspect for the artists I have worked with has always been the one stream to keep the bands afloat. One in particular toured the U.S. for 4years and amassed an amazing and supported fan base. But trying to get them on a opening slot in their home town of Nashville was heinous, even with a track record of past shows with 300-500 walkins on a headline show.
    I admire venues like the 9:30 club in D.C. that are creating opportunities for the local scene to flourish. I hope their model will be influential elsewhere in the U.S.

  5. Oh sorrrry. @fletcher batts…..I hear ya man. Macon is a tough city…..I’ve booked many of shows in the area. The Hummingbird and I have used the Blue Indian talent buyers to get all age DIY shows. I’ve had some success at Mercer University as will as Bragg Jam. Even still – it’s pulling teeth every time booking in Macon even with a good track record.

  6. i think it’s good to have a whole package tour, especially when you’re asking fans to pay $15+ for a ticket. you want to make sure that the entire show, start to finish, is solid. but, i know the other side of it can be frustrating – makes it important for bands to build up their own following and make relationships with the local promoters, so when a promoter has an opportunity for a local band to open a show, they have your band in mind already.

  7. Most urban acts allow for 1-2 regional openers…actually the promoters prefer it bcuz they charge them up the ass for being able to get on the flyer/marquee

  8. Nick, sorry to hear that you and your acts are having such trouble. I’m in Nashville and have seen a couple of shows (Handsome Furs at 12 & P as an example) in the past year with local support acts. Honestly, I was surprised because I have gotten used to seeing a full package when I see nat’l acts. But there is hope!

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