Must-Read Book Recommendation: "The Musician's Guide To The Road"

Subtitle: A Survival Handbook & All-Access Backstage Pass to Touring by Susan Voelz

I saw this book while I was at the Univ. of MO bookstore yesterday and thought it looked interesting. I stayed up until 4:30 AM reading it! This is a must-have for any music fan or musician. Great info for playing shows, keeping harmony in a band, traveling, tips on getting paid, what to pack for shows, keeping order, what the roles of different people involved in putting on a show are, so much good info, and very clearly written and funny, too. Covers everything from how to say goodbye to your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend to avoiding substance abuse on the road to packing a van to tour bus etiquette and what it's really like to travel on a bus for 5 weeks - even the best things to look for when you're shopping at truck stops, what to eat, etc. Even if you're not planning to tour yourself, this is such an interesting read about what life on the road is like. Highly, highly recommended.

P.S. I have no relationship (personal or financial) with the author or publisher of this book. I just loved it and want to pass along the recommendation to my bassy brethren. Check it out!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Musicians-Guide-Road-All-Access-Backstage/dp/0823077764

 

I have that book, and it's quite good, although too jazz-oriented for any of the specific advice to be useful to me (advice about booking clinics at colleges where you're playing, for example). Some of the more general advice about budgets is great. It's a very different book from the one in the first post: This one is a lot more business/financial survival; the first one is a lot more interpersonal survival, tips & tricks as far as taking care of yourself and keeping peace with your band so that you're not all exhausted, pissed, or tardy. Both are useful for what they're designed to do, and I think that you really should know the info in both if you're a (traveling) muso.