QOTD: Touring. Necessary anymore?

[Deeps]

I just read this on Douglas Coupland's blog.

"The economics and necessity of touring are rapidly shifting. I have a hunch that soon enough touring will be an anachronism along the lines of crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary — People used to do that?"

He was obviously referring to book touring, but I was wondering ...

What relevance does the above comment have with regard to music touring?

[color:purple]And also ... does God need to tour or is He just there ?

[NewRider]

I think bands will always tour. Still the best way to spread the word about your music in my opinion. Also, I sure as shit ain't going down to Georgia everytime I wanna see Drive-By Truckers!

[Schwa.]

bands touring - yes

me touring - no

god (lower case) - sold me bunk acid in a Phish lot back in '98

[Deeps]

Hmmm.

I've thought from time to time that an upstart band might spend their time better bolstering their web presence or getting local malls to play their music over the PA system's rather than driving 6 hours to play on a Wednesday night.

The paying of dues (playing clubs on off night) vs. working smarter and picking your spots.

[ollie]

Don't most musicians *like* to play live, and hence, tour?

[phishtaper]

god (lower case) - sold me bunk acid in a Phish lot back in '98

antelope greg?

[c-towns]

I don't think I'd be into a band that hasn't/doesn't tour, I believe it adds a lot of character to bands to experience the ups and downs of the road.

[Deeps]

Don't most musicians *like* to play live, and hence, tour?

Yes they do, but is it the path to success on a large scale? Is it efficient?

Also note: The Beatles did not extensively tour...their early popularity was largely due to the marketing that went along with them. You could get Beatles lunch boxes, pencils, and other schwag in North America before anybody had even heard a note played by them.

[shainhouse]

slogging around playing the same places doesn't help.. playing proper supporting slots and festivals, picking your battles essentially, is essential. More income is derived from off-stage sales, especially in a merch-heavy style like metal or punk.

[AD]

an environmental twist, from Radiohead

(December, 2007) Earlier this year we asked an Oxford company called Best Foot Forward to look at the carbon and ecological footprints of two recent Radiohead tours, with the aim of reducing our carbon output. Touring is very important to us, a large part of the joy and passion of what we do, and we are committed to finding more responsible ways of doing it.

We asked Best Foot Forward to compare two different kinds of tours we’ve done recently in America: an out of town ‘big gig’/amphitheatre tour, and a smaller theatre tour in city centres.

We wanted to find out which kind of touring has the lowest carbon and environmental impact ‘per person entertained‘. We had lots of information to work out our own carbon footprint, but we had to make some assumptions about the fans’ footprint; how they travel, and how much beer they drink when they get to the show!

This is what we found:

* Fan travel and consumption made up 86% of the Theatre tour and 97% of the Amphitheatre tour.

* Of the band’s touring impact – Travel and energy use accounted for 60% (Theatre tour) and ~40% (Amphitheatre tour)

* International travel accounted for a further 34 – 40% of impacts.

Short of no-one coming to see us, we’d like to share with our fans some ways of reducing this – our early research suggests that how you come to our shows can significantly reduce the tour’s carbon output. To help achieve better results, we’re trying to play as many shows as possible in city centres because of their better transport links. From the Best Foot Forward report, the rough figures below give you an example of how much of a difference you can make.

For the big shows:

* If average car occupancy increased from 2.2 to 3, the whole tour’s overall CO2 output would be reduced by 22%.

* Halving fans flying would reduce overall CO2 consumption by 5%

* And if 10% of car users travelled by bus it would reduce CO2 emissions by 7%

Where we can, we will be reducing our own carbon emissions, starting with sea freighting our gear. It’s 93% more efficient than air freighting, and if we ship our equipment to and from America, we save 47 tonnes of CO2. We will be doing this for touring in 2008, along with travelling as little as possible by air, avoiding chartered flights, and investigating more efficient road and rail transportation.

You can download the whole report here.

We’re aware that this study is tentative and partial, but it’s a start, and we’ll share with you more information as we get it.

Love

Colin

[MarcO]

The concert industry is thriving while the "record" industry goes down in flames, and it's exactly the mid-level attendances that are doing well (say 1000 - 10000).

Sure, the days of the Stadium Rock Act may be over, as are the days of the Mutli-Platinum Album Seller. But with the advent of DIY marketing through sites like myspace and independent music blogs and sites (not unlike this one), it's quite possible to do what Ani DiFranco figured out years ago. You can market yourself, manage yourself and maybe gather a modest audience all while cutting out the middle-men.

These are the days where the slate has been wiped clean and new models and paradigms are being created. Interesting times.

[Deeps]

The concert industry is thriving while the "record" industry goes down in flames, and it's exactly the mid-level attendances that are doing well (say 1000 - 10000).

Sure, the days of the Stadium Rock Act may be over, as are the days of the Mutli-Platinum Album Seller. But with the advent of DIY marketing through sites like myspace and independent music blogs and sites (not unlike this one), it's quite possible to do what Ani DiFranco figured out years ago. You can market yourself, manage yourself and maybe gather a modest audience all while cutting out the middle-men.

These are the days where the slate has been wiped clean and new models and paradigms are being created. Interesting times.

Single tear.

[bouche]

If you can one day experience the sound and light show of a radiohead concert without leaving your home and sit anywhere you want by simply immersing yourself in a virtual concert with real live footage and music feeds, then there is no need.

[Dr. J]

No question things are changing. Still very much a transitional time. Not all middlemen have been eliminated nor should they be. Not all musicians are management people with the time, the skills, the desire etc. to make the contacts, do the legwork etc

Right now the best middle people are the ones who see their relationship with the artist as a partnership and who share a common vision with and for that artist and who understand how to use their skills, as well as the new technologies/models, to advance that vision.

For example, one effective way for a lesser known band to tour is to open for a well known band. Straightforward – get good, get an opening slot and hit the road. Sounds easy, but difficult for a DIY artist.

Generally, most well known artists still have an agent and some form of management. If you know someone in the band that has some leverage with them that may help, but still won’t guarantee a spot on the bill. By bringing on a DIY artist, the agent has effectively reduced his/her fee and although most would like to give new bands a break, they need to make a living. Agents generally choose openers from their own rosters thus drawing a fee from both artists, as well as hoping the investment in the lesser known act eventually pays off. Agents still prefer to work with other agents/venues/managers etc. knowing the favour will be returned, rather than directly with an artist.

Just to say, it’s not impossible to be a DIY artist, but it’s still very difficult, even these days.

[Northern Wish]

If you can one day experience the sound and light show of a radiohead concert without leaving your home and sit anywhere you want by simply immersing yourself in a virtual concert with real live footage and music feeds, then there is no need.

Sorry Mike but I could not disagree more. For me the concert experience is about 1/3 the actual sights and sounds. The rest is the getting there, being a part of something, and connecting with humanity in a more primal fashion that most other events in life. There are some things that will never be truly real in virtual reality IMHO.

Touring as a band will always be neccesary, and I think it is even becoming more neccesary in these times (just ask Lefsetz!). But more responsible/ thought out touring will of course be neccesary. Imagine Thoms face if he was presented with Phishs summer tour from 98 or 99?!?!?:

"Yeah Thom so on 7/31 you'll play Columbus, drive clear through Indiana to rip one off in Wisconsin, then back to Indiana to the 2nd and 3rd, we'll skip a few days to head down to Hotlanta and then we'll Peter Pan those fucking hippies up the coast for 12 more days through summer construction season- to the middle of nowhere in Maine. All in all, it should be around 6,000 miles x about 4000 fume spewing microbuses- not to mention the patchouli, my god the patchouli.... Wait I got sidetracked, Thom- Sound good?"

[wavinginthewind]

I agree with what Marco said. There is a lot of new and exciting opportunities for musician right now. You just need to have some creative vision, gumption (motivation,drive etc.) and some good fucking tunes.

[MarcO]

You just need .....some good fucking tunes.

ding ding ding!

I mean, when I say "DIY" I don't really mean it's the musician's job to do EVERYTHING. A band needs a manager - but it's not ideally anymore Joe Schmo from the William Morris Agency who just takes on a band like a lawyer does a file. No, it would be the buddy, the person who believes, who will sleep on the same floors and travel in the same beat up van and doesn't care.

I'm just saying the wholepremise of breaking into the music business seems, to me, to have turned from vertical access to a horizontal model. What even is the pay off in getting a deal with a major label anymore?

[Northern Wish]

What even is the pay off in getting a deal with a major label anymore?

I think bands are finding that the 360 deal is a payoff, Paramore and Linkin Park come to mind, because the record label has a direct stake in the entire package, not just the album sales. The 360 deal for those who don't know, is basically selling everything you do to the record company from album sales, to ringtones, to tour merch and licensing of songs. Its a big payoff up front, gets your name out there with major publicity dollars- but caveat emptoir I suppose- because if you end up huge you sold your soul already. But in the case of LP they got $100 million and I think they are geniuses for it. Their career was essentially done, but they got their payday.....

I wish I had more time to fill in the details here, but I think you get the idea. Gotta ruN!

[YearsAlongTheSea]

It's just silly. Of course bands have to tour. How else are you going to see them? Seriously, I don't even know why we're talking about this...

[Thorgnor]

gaupd (pronounced Gah-d) died years ago...

He was an anole.

Bnads can tour so that people don't need to travel as much but the decision will be made by feasability not hope, unfortunately.

[The Chameleon]

Touring will always be essential. Music is meant to be experienced live. That kind of energy only translates in a live forum.

[LXQ42]

In the age we are in, with music practically free, Bands are making less money from record sales. Not only do they NEED to tour to make money without a day job, the onus is put on them to present a kick ass show. That's what people are paying for. they want to see a live performance of the song they stole off the internet played live by the band they just paid 40 bucks to see. It used to be, that bands would tour to promote thier album, nowadays albums are the hook to get people out to see em.

[bouche]

If you can one day experience the sound and light show of a radiohead concert without leaving your home and sit anywhere you want by simply immersing yourself in a virtual concert with real live footage and music feeds' date=' then there is no need.[/quote']

Sorry Mike but I could not disagree more. For me the concert experience is about 1/3 the actual sights and sounds. The rest is the getting there, being a part of something, and connecting with humanity in a more primal fashion that most other events in life. There are some things that will never be truly real in virtual reality IMHO.

Touring as a band will always be neccesary, and I think it is even becoming more neccesary in these times (just ask Lefsetz!). But more responsible/ thought out touring will of course be neccesary. Imagine Thoms face if he was presented with Phishs summer tour from 98 or 99?!?!?:

"Yeah Thom so on 7/31 you'll play Columbus, drive clear through Indiana to rip one off in Wisconsin, then back to Indiana to the 2nd and 3rd, we'll skip a few days to head down to Hotlanta and then we'll Peter Pan those fucking hippies up the coast for 12 more days through summer construction season- to the middle of nowhere in Maine. All in all, it should be around 6,000 miles x about 4000 fume spewing microbuses- not to mention the patchouli, my god the patchouli.... Wait I got sidetracked, Thom- Sound good?"

dude. you are not the part of this market of fantasy technology that I'm talking about.

[SaggyBalls]

In these days of increasong isolation (condo lifestyle, home shopping, media on demand, fear-based-society, martial law etc.) there will be an ever-demanding need for people to get out and be involved in their communities or events. Until we have effective civic and poliical leadership the focus will be more entertainment and less helping IMO(bleak for now...just for now, people)

And in that, we are seeing more people going out to Pay Per View sporting events, supporting their favourite team in Euro 2008, Mixed Martial Arts/UFC, and more and more big music festivals around the country.

Although our schedules at work (if we're fortunate enough (in one perspective) to be gainfully employed) may be increasing and our time at home may be tighening up, the advantages that maNY PEOPLE have to focus their media experiences (your tube, myspace, messageboards, etc.) also allow us to effectively plan and manage our experiences to do the things we want even more effectively.

From the comfort of our own living room we can plan trips around the globe or our own back yard...if of course we want to make sure to get into the show, have dinner reservations, and a room at the hotel after show for the big party.

All this scrutiny also leads many of us to try to get people onvolved and attending events with us, or at least the information to...you can of course select 'maybe' when you RSVP on Facebook.

And what does all of this do for touring? It implants our weekend getaways into solid plans rather than whimsical happenings.

As we as a society evolve with these tools, we will see that the potential isolation that we can succumb to will leave us craving community and meeting in person more and more.

On the flip side of that, the human experience demands inclusion and interaction. People want to be a part of something, and we're seeing this more and more with the Obama Campaign, summer tours, Facebook and other online tools, and even things like Prince's Fan Club.

Touring is entirely important to foster that side of the human condition and to give us a real band to see at our local bar.

It's totally crucial if a band is really good at using these medial tools to network and have enough money to pay for their promotion and album production instead of touring. But we're in a strange spot here in Canada. The country is huuuge and touring is costly and difficult...so that essentially turns a tour into a tax shelter holiday.

If a band can tour and play parties across the country, then breaking even isn't probably very tricky, but most musicians want to play credible venues that they can list on their myspace page and not worry about retribution from the DEA...

But if an act can get financial backing and some credibility, then touring is a bit easier.

With more great musicians getting local notoriety around the globe, touring can be seen as more difficult...why see the guy coming in from Hamilton when we can support the awesome local talent?

So in a short answer - touring is not essential

It is appreciated and a great tool to bring people together and get us together, moving forward for a positive purpose.

[SaggyBalls]

makes me want to get a bunch of songs and a vehicle to tour...