I’ll include a link to recent article in Billboard that
includes some great rock ‘n roll war stories. While not everyone has the
pressure of escorting Keith Richards through customs (can you even imagine?)
many indie-level bands do have someone on board as a designated tour manager. That person might even double at the
merchandise table.
Probable tasks include keeping track of the itineraries sent
by the booking agent, knowing how long of a drive it is to the next gig,
load-in time, sound check time – and oh yeah – how much is the band getting
paid?
As someone actively involved in tour publicity, I interact
with one specific tour manager in a very nuanced fashion. In addition to other
tasks, as I field press opportunities, the tour manager keeps track of the
interviews that I schedule - day and time of call, who initiates the call, etc.
Not that big of a deal, perhaps, but figure in time zones, the 8 hour drive to
the next city, pulling off to get cell reception, and . . . you get the
picture. It is one thing if it’s a
writer calling to advance a story, but it’s another if the interview is going
live to radio. Very quickly, the extra set of hands comes in handy.
Another component of tour publicity is the occasional radio
in-studio. I generally check with the tour manager before confirming. On the
day of the performance, I’m back in my office hoping that the phone doesn’t
ring (as that could only mean that something has gone wrong); and again, the
tour manager is the one with the GPS and the studio address, figuring the
distance from the station to the venue, and what time the band has to be out
the door to make load-in – perhaps even leaving time to find that vegetarian
restaurant the promoter mentioned.
So, unlike this article, you may not be bandaging Alice
Cooper’s head-wound, or carrying $100,000 in a brief case. But, even with an
indie 5-guys-in-a-van tour, there can be plenty of need for a tour manager.
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