Whats touring??

alembicguy · #1 01-28-2009, 11:24 AM

I dont think I understand the term touring anymore and maybe some one can explain it to me.

I always thought touring was you were out there for long long long periods of time doing shows and making money to survive and promoting an album not playing a free show once every 15 days and going back home and sleeping in your own bed.

Can somebody help me see why everyone calls that touring

Bard2dbone · #2 01-29-2009, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alembicguy

I dont think I understand the term touring anymore and maybe some one can explain it to me.

I always thought touring was you were 1.) out there for long long long periods of time doing shows and making money to survive and promoting an album not 2.) playing a free show once every 15 days and going back home and sleeping in your own bed.

Can somebody help me see why everyone calls that touring

I vote for choice number one. But a lot of times without the whole album thing. Mostly it was all about getting the bands name out in front of more people, so when you DO have an album to sell, more people will be interested in it.

SuperDuck · #3 01-29-2009, 06:16 AM

'Cause people want to sound hip and say things to their friends like "Oh, I can't go to the movies this weekend - I'll be out on tour". That means they might be sleeping at a friend's house two towns over instead of driving back.

Also, when talking loudly about "being on tour", you have to mention that you slept on someone's floor. Hotels aren't core.

Also, be sure to talk about all the zzzzzaaaaaaannnnnnnyyyyyyy antics and mad drinking/partying that happens on this epic tour lasting from Friday 5:00 PM to Saturday 10:00 AM.

Bruce Lindfield · #4 01-29-2009, 06:36 AM

Well - aren't most "musicians" these days creating programmed music using their PC in their bedroom and then making downloads of their music available on their MySpace page..?

In this context "touring" - might stretch to creating a new avatar and visiting some new places on Second Life -maybe playing a virtual gig...

Steve · #5 01-29-2009, 07:04 AM

If it doesn't involve a Prevost or Silver Eagle, IT AIN'T TOURING!

Sorry, it's just not.

IMHO

Bard2dbone · #6 01-29-2009, 07:15 AM

Actually it was usually a van and a trailer for us. I only ever had one job where the band had a bus.

But it was a gospel group, so the road stories were much less wild than I'd always pictured on the bus.

etoncrow · #7 01-29-2009, 07:26 AM

Yeah, for us it was a modified two ton panel truck. Logged over a 50,000 miles a year; thought we were 'touring'....guess not, huh? I remember seeing "Pearls Before Swine" in Huntington, WV, back in the '60's in an old station wagon pulling a trailer. They were based in NYC; but I guess they weren't 'touring' either.

Back to the OT. I've noticed the same references. I guess now days tours are a week-end and can even be 'virtual'.

alembicguy · #8 01-29-2009, 09:19 AM

Yes I have done the 1 ton van and trailer or the old school bus and be out for weeks doing 5 and 6 nights every week and sleeping at some horrible band house or somebodies house after the gig but thats all it was we never called it touring that was what the big pros did.

alembicguy · #9 01-29-2009, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MotownBass

What?? You mean the 15 shows I did for my 6yr old sister's friends' birthdays this year wasn't a tour?

Thats funny

Bruce Lindfield · #10 01-29-2009, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MotownBass

What?? You mean the 15 shows I did for my 6yr old sister's friends' birthdays this year wasn't a tour?

Has she got friends all round the world..?

etoncrow · #11 01-29-2009, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alembicguy

Yes I have done the 1 ton van and trailer or the old school bus and be out for weeks doing 5 and 6 nights every week and sleeping at some horrible band house or somebodies house after the gig but thats all it was we never called it touring that was what the big pros did.

We were on the same circuit as Peter Rowan, Doug Kershaw, Freddy Fender, the Dixie Dregs, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Arlo Guthrie, etc. We played warm up for all of them. The defining factor of the term touring is because they got paid better and traveled better? Well, what were we doing then? Damn, felt like touring...

Steve · #12 01-29-2009, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by etoncrow

The defining factor of the term touring is because they got paid better and traveled better?

Pretty much.

I've been "on tour" and I've been "on the road". Two entirely different experiences no matter how much we'd all like to convince ourselves otherwise.

IMOHO.

etoncrow · #13 01-29-2009, 10:16 AM

I guess I don't cut it as thin as you guys. I have found myself deluded by greater issues through the years though so I should not be surprised....

I submit to your greater wisdom...

bongomania · #14 01-29-2009, 10:27 AM

Yeah, it seems to me logging a lot of hard miles for the money over an extended period of time has got to count as "touring" even if you hitchhiked or biked the entire distance. All this business about a larger vehicle versus a smaller vehicle seems pretty silly to me.

Bard2dbone · #15 01-29-2009, 04:29 PM

Does it have to be nationwide? We mostly stayed in North Texas and neighboring states. Although a couple of times, we 'arranged buzz*' between the east coast and back.

*Get a band with friends of ours in another state to pass out several of our CD and play it as their between sets music. Then have them talk us up incessantly. Do the same for them. Then arrange gigs from our h ome city to theirs and back, while tehy do the same.

It was always cool to show up at a town we'd never played in before and have a huge crowd go nuts over us. And the farther from home we got the better the crowd response, as long as the other band had done their part. By the time we got to Virginia, the crowds acted like we were REM doing a local show. That's probably the most I'll ever feel like a rock star.

DJAP101 · #16 01-29-2009, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Has she got friends all round the world..?

I think it counts...but only if you slept on the floor

MadMan118 · #17 01-29-2009, 06:17 PM

Yeah I did the whole panel van and trailer, sleeping in weird places, slumping around in waffle houses at 4 a.m thing.
But I guess it wasn't touring eh? Well dang cause that was the excuse i gave to my girlfriend for going out with the guys and playing some pool.

alembicguy · #18 01-29-2009, 07:07 PM

So I have to do a gig this weekend (2 nights) and it is about 60 miles round trip if my truck breaks down and I have to spend the night at some seedy place and I sell said owner of the seedy place a CD and a T-shirt and then fix my truck and make it home sometime on Sunday would this then qualify for a tour?

KJung · #19 01-30-2009, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alembicguy

I dont think I understand the term touring anymore and maybe some one can explain it to me.

I always thought touring was you were out there for long long long periods of time doing shows and making money to survive and promoting an album not playing a free show once every 15 days and going back home and sleeping in your own bed.

Can somebody help me see why everyone calls that touring

+1 When I see someone post they are 'going on tour' or 'doing shows', for the most part it's kids playing for the door in the next town over

Bard2dbone · #20 01-30-2009, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MotownBass

Neighboring states don't count for me

Either you tour a whole nation or continents, otherwise you're just on the road.

But hey, nothing is set in stone that's just how I see it.

I guess it depends on how far away the neighboring states are. I think a gig that is more than an eight hour drive from home should count. Southern Oklahoma? Not so much. Baton Rouge or New Orleans area? Definitely.