In our third of five excerpts from the new book Reality Check – A Common Sense Guide to Breaking into the Music Industry,
author Matthew Walt, a booking agent who has seen first hand why some
bands s
Artists are always quick to assume that touring early on is the only way to succeed, and there are several seemingly reasonable arguments in favor of this. It makes the band tighter the more they perform, gets their name out in markets where they otherwise wouldn’t be, puts them in front of an audience that otherwise wouldn’t see them play, and creates the impression that they are on the up-and-up. It’s also a source of pride and a feeling that they are “doing something,” as opposed to standing still.
But for every sound argument in favor of touring, there are equally sound counterpoints worth noting. For
instance, while touring can make a good band grow tighter, it can also expose avoidable flaws to an audience who may take a less-than-favorable first impression away from their experience. What’s worse, without a buzz in anticipation of a performance, the odds of a good crowd attending in the first place are significantly less than they would be if said artist decided to wait. Finally, performing to a small crowd night after night has a demoralizing effect on one’s psyche.
I believe it’s better to create the impression that a band is on the rise by focusing on the few performances they play, in the most well thought-out, targeted venues in the region where they reside. Furthermore, I suggest going all out promotionally each time a band performs, thereby increasing the chances that the audience will grow, which will prove the most compelling evidence that a band is “doing something” that anyone could possibly seek.
Start in your backyard, and build your base there. If you are from Chicago, then set your sights on your immediate surroundings, and don’t sweat your first New York City show. Create an event out of each performance, employing the best marketing initiative that zero dollars (or as close to it) can buy, pulling out all the stops that you have learned, and making sure your street team enacts the most effective viral brand marketing campaign you now know how to create. For those truly exceptional nights (such as CD-release parties), reach out to area press, telling them what makes this date special.
When you are finally ready to start building outward, consider adding one new market per trek, so you aren’t breaking too many new places at once. If you are lucky, and promote yourselves well, the buzz will start to precede your arrival. When that happens, you will know it’s time to start adding more new markets with every new run, and over time a long weekend will become two full weeks, then three, then six, and so forth.
Touring is an inevitability, to some degree, for most artists. After all, unless an artist has a string of commercial hit records, developing a touring base is the only way to sustain a lasting career. But it’s not something to rush into simply because it sounds like the thing to do. Want to try it, every so often, just to see what it’s all about? By all means, do. There is a lot to be learned on the road—some good, some bad, and some ugly. Not every band can handle it—no matter how advanced they are—so finding out sooner rather than later may be well advised. Nevertheless, I personally have learned to oppose touring for the sake of it.
I have been a part of several ill-conceived touring plans in my day, as have most industry professionals when they first cut their teeth. The tendency to get out there and do it while you are young is overwhelming at first. It’s a lesson most artists learn the hard way—which is why I fault no one for failure to heed my warning. But in time they learn the value of building their backyard so they may always have something to come home to after making their next foray into the unknown.
