Just a rant about a pet peeve of mine. It seems that more and more bands are referring to their gigs as a "Tour". I have a friend who plays oldies at retirement homes, senior citizen centers, outdoor festivals, all of which are within a 10 miles of his house. I also see many cover and original bands on social media promoting their local club dates as a tour. To me, a tour means you are actually going somewhere for an extended period of time. Maybe it's just for a week or two, but at the very least you are leaving your local area. In my opinion, driving 30 minutes to a club and then driving home after the gig a couple of times per month does not constitute a "Tour". Just curious how everyone else feels.
I guess I don't care the one way or the other, but it seems to me if you slept at home you weren't on a tour.
A tour, to me anyway, means being paid to play (or at least the intention is there), not being home for several days, taking clothes, etc., and multiple engagements.
Everybody gotta have a dream brother. Why you want to go and rain on someone living their dream? While i tend to agree that a tour should involve iffy food in iffy places, trying to sleep on a tiny bunk bed on a bus, or worse in half a van bench seat, a shower twice a week whether you need it or not, and the joy of knowing you are finally on the home leg. If someone wants to call their 3 night weekend stand at a knife and stab club that’s just far enough away from home it requires staying at the $22 a night poopiehole (bed bugs provided at no extra charge) down the street a tour, why you want to kill that buzz? But no worries mate, i doubt tour will ever enjoy the level of misuse and abuse as vintage does these days. I mean really, a beat to hades 78 P is vintage? Spare me the BS drama and just show me the piece.
I think everyone pads their resume to some extent. I see no harm in calling a self-produced demo “studio work” or a string of local gigs a “tour”. There are all kinds of reasons people represent pro experience they don’t have yet, and the reasons aren’t all bad.
Assuming that one is playing at least one show every one or two nights, I’d further this argument by stating that 3-6 nights away from home could be considered a “run”, and anything 7 nights or more may start to be referred to as a “tour”. That said, most non-musicians seem to think that all of us “tour” in “tour busses” and “live the rockstar life”. I guess there’s nothing wrong with a group going out to play several hours from home for 2-3 nights indulging said fan’s fantasy a bit.
You are not on tour unless you leave the state You are not a rock star if there are no limos or private planes involved You are not a musician unless you can play Your ego is the most valuable member of the band
If you have to leave your zip code, it's a tour. If your parents come to hear you, that qualifies as a fan-base. If power is provided via a HD extension cord from the pool house, it's a venue. Riis
Assuming we are not all rock stars with our own planes, this is closer to actual touring- - You finished the last three weeks of the tour with your shoes held together with duct tape. - You have pushed your van to the club. - You've all been on half rations since the coupons ran out. - A great gig is the one with no stairs. - Explaining to the front desk guy how 6 of you are going to sleep in a single room.
That cuts out most actual tours in my view. Most of my buddies who hit the road in a van for three weeks going up and down the east coast come back way more broke than when they left. They actually have to save up for the next tour. @Kmonk I agree 100%. The term is mostly used by those who are not on tour. In fact, most people I know who play actual tours with big name acts never EVER tell people they are "going on tour". So just the fact that one is telling people he is "on tour" tells me all I need to know.
Amen, I went on "tour" with my band last year. I when I took off work they were concerned that I was going to quit. I had to assure them this was a fancy bro's vacation.
Well when we "TOURED" it was for months at a time away from home...we'd leave for 3 months playing almost every nite thousands of miles away from home...come home for a week and go back out for 3 or 4 more months...home for another week then back out on the road again for months....that's what i refer to as touring...a 3 gig weekend at a club 75 miles away with a hotel stay is just an extended weekend gig as far as i'm concerned...jus sayin"...
This is exactly how I feel. When I've toured it meant being on the road for several weeks or months. Maybe coming home for a few days and then going back on the road. I've also done the extended weekend gigs.
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