Booking Tour Dates

bbass75 · #1 12-25-2008, 12:28 AM

Hey Janek,

Huge fan of your music! I noticed your booking tour dates pretty often and I was wondering what you go through to actually book these dates. Do you have a booking agent or do you do your own booking? What steps do you take when you decide to book a tour from start to finish? It'd be great to get some insight on what a working professional goes through when booking a tour especially in the jazz setting as well as playing their own music. Also, do these tours turn out to be generally financially successful?

Thanks for any insight, you've been a huge inspiration so far!

James

janekbass · #2 12-25-2008, 03:01 PM

James,

There are a bunch of different factors that go into booking a tour. I'm actually right in the middle of booking one right now so it's pretty fresh in my head.

I normally start by deciding who I want to play with on a tour which maybe be determined by which album I'm promoting, what music I'm going to play, and perhaps where in the world I'm touring. I decide on a time period that I want to tour and then put that to the cats I want to take with me.

Sometimes the time that I tour is determined by an offer for a good paying gig and then I'll build other dates around that one good gig. Sometimes it's literally just the time I want to go and play and then I'll do what I can to book dates in the time frame that I give myself. The tour I'm working on now for instance came together because a long time friend and collaborator and I have been talking for years about touring together, and finally decided to do it this coming spring. He hooked up a good gig in Norway, and something in Spain, and then we have been working to fill in the rest of the dates in the time period we set ourselves. I've filled two nights in Scotland, two nights in London, and we currently have three nights still to fill to make it so that we play every night for 9 days.

You have to make sure you book travel as far in advance as possible. Some bigger gigs may pay your travel, some might now. For my spring tour I'm doing travel myself so I have to make sure book flights from the US to europe at least 2 months before we leave so they aren't way too expensive. Now besides international flights from the US to Europe I also have to book one way tickets between each city which means we'll be flying every day pretty much, and then taking just one train between London and Edinburgh. I also have to make sure that there is backline in every venue that meets the specifications of all the musicians I have traveling with me. This tour I'm taking Jojo Mayer, Oli Rockberger, and Audun Waage. So I really want to make sure there's a Rhodes in each venue, and that I work with all of Jojo's companies to make sure there are drums at each gig too. I also have to check in with my companies to make sure I'm all set with amps throughout the tour.

I do all the booking myself, there is no booking agent or manager. I approach both people I've known for a while with venues I've played at before, and many people I have never met. I send a proposal outlining who I am, what music we play, and when we would like to be booked at the venue. Sometimes I get replies, sometimes not. But I can normally add at least two or three new venues to a tour each time I go back to Europe.

Touring in different parts of the world make for many other variables too. You have to consider greater costs for travel when flying to asia or south america, and Australia and New Zealand are incredibly expensive to get to from the US. Especially when you want to take 4 or more musicians with you.

Other things that you have to take into consideration include hotels, food, car rentals, train tickets, and any emergency aspects that arise while in the middle of a tour.

The scheduling is probably the hardest aspect of it all as you have to line up say 4 musicians, all the venues, all the flights, hotels, and and audience. You can't forget about promoting the tour otherwise it will be a total flop. Some tours can make good money, and some can be a total disaster. I would recommend getting guarantees for all shows you play on a tour and not taking big risks on the door. And even better is to get a guarantee from the promoter to a certain figure and then take a split of the door after a certain amount. That way you know you're going to make a certain amount and you have the option to really pack the venue and make some good money on top.

Don't forget about merchandize either. Selling your CD's on the road can help out in a huge way. If I'm in Europe I know I can sell at least 1 CD' s a night, and sometimes up to 30, so I know I'm going to be getting anywhere between 120 and 360 euros a night extra which helps out with food, gas, travel, hotels etc.

I basically put a string of dates together, hire the musicians, make an overall total for what the tour is going to gross, and then make sure I can pay everyone in the band well, and cover all the costs, and then make some money for myself at the end of it all.

Easy,

Janek

bbass75 · #3 12-27-2008, 03:06 AM

Janek,

Thanks for the thorough response. As far as booking transportation (flights, trains, buses, etc), is there any easy way to go about it or do you generally just have to research your destinations, find what you think is the best way to travel, then book everything seperately?

And as far as promotion, what lengths do you go to to promote your tours and what would you say is the best way to get the word out when touring countries and areas that may not have been exposed to your music (or do you just generally try and avoid those areas altogether)?

Thanks for everything so far, you've been a huge help.

James

bbass75 · #4 01-02-2009, 03:21 AM

Bump just incase this thread got lost in the mix. No rush though, thanks.

James

janekbass · #5 01-04-2009, 01:36 AM

sh*t, totally missed this question.... DOH!. been running round like a madman booking tour dates!!!

for flights I use www.kayak.com best site I've found for lowest prices.

I have a tour coming up in April and I have to fly from LA to London, fly the keyboard player from NYC to London, Jojo Mayer from Zurich to london, and the trumpet player from Barcelona to London, and that's just for the first gig......

I fly almost only star alliance so I collect miles with united and use some of those for big flights sometimes. Can save yourself a grand here and there by using miles. But then everything else I have to buy upfront. We have to travel from London to Edinburgh, edinburgh to Paris, paris to Zurich, Zurich to Bergen, and then Bergen to Barcelona. And THEN.... everyone has to get home. NYC, LA, and Barcelona. It's probably around a $3000 investment at least before we've played a single gig. It's all pretty much booked separately. I wish I could book all the flights in one go... but it always works out best if I do it all one at a time. Book at least two months in advance. In my experience that's normally a good time to get the best rate. You do get some freak low prices last minute, but I wouldn't bet on that.

I don't try to avoid countries that I haven't played in before, I actually go after those places more than anything to widen the exposure. I do as much online promotion as I can, and make sure I have some promotion from the venue or promoter in the contract for the show.

Easy,

Janek.

bbass75 · #6 01-04-2009, 03:55 AM

Janek,

No problem, I figured you've been busy with the tour and all. Thanks for all the insight so far.

I checked out Kayak.com, great site! I did some research and I was wondering if you book all of the transportation with flights or if you use alternate methods like trains, buses, rental car, etc. The total cost to get 4 people to and from all those destinations seem like it could run upwards of $5000 just for flights! =/ Seems like it's really tough to keep the cost down if your touring in other parts of the country without your own method of transportation. Let me know your thoughts, you've been a huge help so far. Thanks again!

James

bbass75 · #7 01-07-2009, 01:03 AM

Little bump just incase

janekbass · #8 01-07-2009, 07:33 PM

I have used rental cars in the past, but it's really expensive and can be a pain in the ass. I try to do only flights and trains now. And yes, it's a lot of money, no way around it. You just have to make sure you're getting a good return on all the gigs you're playing. It's a big balancing act.

Easy,

Janek