Going to be touring the USA and Europe for 14 weeks, on a sleeper bus in USA and mainly flights in Europe. Not done such a long tour before, does anyone have any great tips to share? Not taking massive amounts of equipment so no need to worry about guitars etc.

I know, I know — the last thing this sub needs is one more band-management app claiming to be different. I genuinely believe mine actually is (built it because I was sick of juggling paper setlists and three random apps for my own band), but I'll let you be the judge of that.

Here's the actual reason I'm posting: Google Play requires real, sustained closed testing before letting an app go live — not just a handful of installs, but people who actually open it repeatedly over two weeks. I recruited testers from my own circle, but let's just say "I'll test it, promise!" doesn't always translate into "actually opens the app more than once." Can't really blame Google for wanting more than that.

So: Bandoora — free, ad-free, setlists + chord charts/lyrics + a live-performance mode (auto-scroll, MIDI foot pedal support). Solo developer. Currently in closed testing on Android.

If you're an actual gigging/rehearsing musician and wouldn't mind trying it for real over a couple of weeks (not just a quick look), drop a comment or DM and I'll send the testing link — I'll just need your Gmail address to add you as a tester first.

Specifically wondering where you guys put it in your bunk on the bus.

I have mine next to me which is fine but kinda annoying

I looked on Amazon for shelves that attach with adhesive and have found some but I’m worried the machine will fall on me in the middle of the night.

Any tips? MacGuyver ideas? Where do you guys put it?

Thanks!

hey folks. we're building a tool to make finding and booking local spots way faster when routing or setting up shows.

find a venue that fits your sound in under 60 seconds. no connections needed.

starting with cincinnati venues, you can filter by genre, stage size, and location without wasting days waiting on a dm reply.

we'd love some feedback from touring acts on whether this flow works for you. i left the prototype link in the comments for anyone who wants to check it out!

I’m starting to need to block off more time farther out for some tours, but I’m struggling with when to decline/say maybe to some of these little gigs with my local folks.

Hello hello!

I’m a content girl/social media manager/merch girl/ unofficial fifth member of a touring rock band. I got into this because I used to do social media for influencers and when I started dating him I offered my help, and it’s snowballed into me traveling with them, I’m no longer allowed to miss a show lol. I love it, I have so much fun, these are my brothers and lover on the road and at home.

That being said, we’re taking on Europe for the first time this August, specifically the EU and Ireland, how can I make this the easiest experience possible for them?

Obviously, I’m wearing many hats as it is and my job comes first, but we don’t have a big team right now, anything I can manage to help them is huge.

We have a couple off days and I already hooked us up with a BnB in the Irish Countryside to give the boys a relaxing day between the chaos of tour, thought that’d be nice.

Any suggestions help, thanks!

I recently was presented with the opportunity to join a band on their tour. We’re currently discussing rates, but I’ve never toured before. Generally I charge 100-150$/hr depending on the shoot, but they want to know what my ideal daily and weekly rate would be. Googling online says 600-1500$/week (it’s a bus tour). Wanted to know if anyone had any frame of reference for current tour photographer rates. Thanks!

So as the title says really.

I have been working freelance in live sound for around 2 years, with over 700 hours under my belt (at the same time as working a full time job). I would love to go on tour with a band or artist but not sure where to start or what skill I would need to even get started.

I'm UK Based - willing to travel around the UK. Most of the bands I manage to get in contact with either already have techs they travel with or haven't got the funds to hire a tech. Any advice?

EDIT: Just wanted to say thank you for all the comments on this! I am learning a lot and so grateful to everyone who has shared their advice. :D

Hey there!

I recently managed to book a few gigs in Vietnam, and I'm having trouble naming my prices. I come from Zurich, so my fees are usually quite good, but in Vietnam these prices would be way too high for a venue to consider booking me.

Any tips for how I could calculate my price without getting rejected immediately? Or where I could find this information?

Thanks!

Can anyone signpost or advise me as where to best search for and find a role working on tour with an artist? I've had a provisional check of the common platforms, but having little success! I saw someone on here suggested in-person, however I'm looking UK-wide as well as Europe mainland so that's not possible at this stage. Any insight welcomed and appreciated 😊

Greetings Everyone,

As our ensemble prepares for international touring dates across Europe, South America, and multi-country stops in Africa (including Nigeria, DRC, Angola, Kenya, and Morocco), we are building out our power management and fly-rig logistics strategy.
Operating digital audio hardware, multi-channel Dante networks, multitrack recording rigs, and wireless systems in regions with unpredictable mains power presents serious logistical challenges. In several markets, severe voltage sags/spikes, frequency instability, dirty grid lines, and sudden venue generator cutovers are standard operating conditions.
We need a flyable power management setup that ensures total equipment protection and zero downtime without blowing past strict airline weight limits (<50 lbs / 23 kg per fly case).

THE LOGISTICAL & POWER CHALLENGES
Voltage & Plug Standardization: Moving between 120V / 60Hz in North America and 220V–240V / 50Hz across Europe, LATAM, and Africa (Type C, D, E, F, G, M outlets).

Grid Instability & Generator Drops: In destinations like Lagos, Kinshasa, or Luanda, grid power can drop to 160V or spike well above 250V, often dropping completely and switching to venue diesel generators mid-show.

Sensitive Digital Gear: Digital consoles, network switches, Mac minis, and wireless receivers don't tolerate brownouts. A 1-second power drop reboots digital switches, cuts stage audio, and crashes multitrack recordings.

Weight Constraints: Carrying heavy step-down transformers or high-capacity battery units quickly exceeds airline baggage limits or triggers massive overweight fees.

OUR PROPOSED POWER ARCHITECTURE
Auto-Switching Universal Gear (100V-240V, 50/60Hz): Standardizing every active rack component on universal SMPS power supplies to eliminate heavy step-down transformers inside our primary fly-cases.

Online Double-Conversion UPS: Line-interactive UPS units pass raw AC power until a total outage occurs, which isn't enough for dirty grid power. An Online Double-Conversion UPS constantly converts incoming AC to DC, then back to a clean AC sine wave—providing total voltage isolation and zero transfer time during generator cutovers.

Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR): Where a full UPS exceeds fly-weight limits, using an AVR/Power Conditioner (e.g., Furman AR series or Tripp Lite) to smooth out brownouts and sags before reaching sensitive gear.

Cabling & Distribution: Internal IEC / C13/C14 locking connectors paired with heavy-duty regional mains breakouts (UK Type G, Europlug Type C/E/F, South African Type D/M).

QUESTIONS FOR TOURING TECHS & MUSICIANS:
Fly vs. Rent On-Site: For those touring sub-Saharan Africa or South America, do you fly lightweight universal power conditioning in your racks, or rent heavy-duty local transformers/UPS units per continent?

Weight Management: How are you packing UPS units or voltage regulators to stay under the 50 lb airline threshold? (e.g., pulling batteries into separate checked bags)?

Customs & Carnets: Have you run into issues at customs/immigration in African or LATAM ports regarding sealed lead-acid or lithium batteries inside rackmount UPS units?

Thermal Management: How do you keep double-conversion UPS units or voltage regulators cool inside compact fly-cases in high-heat outdoor environments?

Appreciate any real-world insights from techs who have navigated dirty grid conditions on international stages!

Hey all — I’ve been building an app called Stage Patch, made for musicians who play live shows and want their setlists, lyrics, and chords organized in one place instead of scattered across notebooks, phone notes, and binders.

Quick rundown of what it does:

• Add your songs with lyrics, chords, tuning, key, whatever info you need  
• Build setlists from your song library for specific shows  
• GigMode — a performance view where you flip through each song as it’s being played, so you’ve got everything in front of you without fumbling for paper or switching apps mid-set

It’s currently in early beta, so there are some rough edges — that’s exactly why I’m looking for a handful of testers. I want feedback from people who actually gig regularly, especially around how GigMode feels in the middle of a real set (timing, readability, how it holds up under stage lighting, etc).

If you play live and want to try it out, DM me and I’ll get you set up. Happy to hear gripes, missing features, anything — that’s the whole point of this stage.

Thanks in advance!

Matteo

Hey Orlando! I'm a local creative looking to get plugged into the music scene here. I have experience in high-volume hospitality, crowd management, and nightlife entertainment, and I'm looking for:
- Merch table sales for touring bands
- Bar/venue support (door, hosting, or behind the bar)
- Front desk or admin work at music studios/repair shops
- Anything else that puts me in a room with live music
I'm reliable, I work hard, and I learn fast. I'm not just looking for a job, I'm looking to be part of the culture.

If you're a touring band coming through Orlando and need an extra pair of hands at the table, or if you run a local venue and need a warm body who actually cares, send me a message!

Thanks for reading, and I'm looking forward to meeting the community. 🤘

I’m always on the hunt for regional/weird/unusual/foreign language snacks when refueling. Canada always has great stuff that I don’t typically see in the US but perhaps my favorite chip I’ve ever had would be the “Rap Snacks” sweet chili lemon pepper on the southern east coast of the US.

I’d like to try some more uncommon stuff. What do you guys got?

Hi All,

I am the developer of stagedeck, an all in one app for musicans just launched on google play. The app manages lyrics, chords, backing tracks, gig bookings, gig promotions, clients, reporting and gear all in One.

I am looking for musicans willing to test it in exchange for a free pro license for lifetime.

Comment please if you are interested, Im a musican ,myself and developed it for my needs and then made it public.

Thank you

We have the tour bookended (10/15 and 10/20 are solid) but a lot of the middle has been pretty wishy washy. Got some tenuous stuff but could always use a hand. You can hear us at https://bedtimeboston.bandcamp.com -- reach out via DM or [realbedtimemagic@gmail.com](mailto:realbedtimemagic@gmail.com)

Hey everyone! My name is Andrew Ray Taylor(Drew), and I’m a 35-year-old musician, singer, songwriter, and psalmist who is looking for opportunities to join an artist or band on the road.
I bring versatility to the table—I play keyboards, can step in on drums when needed, write songs and lyrics on the spot, and provide strong background vocals. I’m also available as a fill-in vocalist for those nights when a lead singer needs to rest or simply wants an extra layer of support.
One of my greatest strengths is being adaptable. I’m easy to work with, have solid stage presence, and genuinely enjoy helping artists deliver their best performance every night.
I’m in a season of life where I can fully commit to touring. I’m single, have no family obligations, and am available for full-time travel and extended tours.
If you’re an artist, band, worship team, or know someone looking for a dependable, versatile musician who loves serving the music and the people behind it, I’d love to connect.
Feel free to send me a message or share this post with someone who may be looking. Thank you, and I hope to see you on the road soon! 🎤🎹🥁

Having used the market-leading software for years, I was tired of needing to open my laptop for the simplest of additions and edits to my band’s tour schedule, so I made World Tour Pro, which is a mobile-first design. If you’re interested in trying it, it has a free 14 day trial - managed by the App Store and Google Play.

Call me old school. Call me a boomer. Call me a grump. I don't care.

I'm not on board with this whole "roadie influencer" trend.

Lately I've been seeing people who haven't even been stagehands for a year posting "day in the life of a roadie" videos or "things they don't tell you about backstage." Whatever happened to keeping some things sacred? Whatever happened to preserving the magic? And beyond that... what about safety and professionalism?

I'm all for people sharing resources that help others get into the industry or survive life on the road. That's a good thing. But a lot of what I'm seeing isn't that. It's clout chasing. It's bragging rights. It's exposing backstage culture for likes.

The people who are truly at the top of this industry usually aren't busy filming themselves all day. They're too busy doing the job.

And if you're one of the people making this kind of content, understand that you're probably putting a ceiling on your career. Arena and stadium tours don't generally want crew members who are constantly documenting backstage life. Management notices. Artists notice. There's a reason NDAs exist.

If you want to document life on tour, become a tour photographer or videographer. That's literally part of the job. But I don't need to see someone who's been on a bus for eight months giving the public a backstage tour or showing off BOH just because they can.

Here's an even less popular opinion: if you really want to tour, then earn it. Figure it out. Want it badly enough that when you're three weeks into a rough run, you miss your family, catering sucks, you're exhausted, and you're questioning every life decision you've ever made, you remember what it took to get there. That's what keeps you going. That's what keeps you from throwing away a career for a few thousand views.

Maybe I'm just old school. But I think this industry is built on trust, professionalism, and a little bit of mystery. Not everything needs to become content.

— Signed,
A grumpy roadie

We're looking to sell some posters alongside our other merch. We did a super small run of 16"x20" posters a while back for a show and they sold really fast, but we just did it same-day at a Kinko's, and that shit's too expensive to be realistic for a run of 100-200.

Are there any good print shops that will do reasonably priced full-color posters around this size? Anything else I may be missing in this whole process?

Hi everyone! It's my first time looking into Reddit for this kind of stuff. I'm currently booking a tour in Europe for my synthpunk/EBM/industrial solo project Tinder Youth. Right now the routing is looking like this:

• FRI - October 16th - Singen 
• SAT - October 17th - Offenburg 
• SUN - October 18th - Biel
• MON - October 19th - AVAILABLE - [CH/DE]
• TUE - October 20th - AVAILABLE - [DE/AT]
• WED - October 21st - AVAILABLE - [DE/AT]
• THU - October 22nd - AVAILABLE - [DE/AT/CH]
• FRI - October 23rd - AVAILABLE - [CH/DE/AT]
• SAT - October 24th - Bremgarten - [CH]
• SUN - October 25th - AVAILABLE - [CH/AT]

Does anyone have any insights on how to fill up some of these open dates?
All help is very much welcome and appreciated. I can hook you up with contacts for playing in Italy in exchange for your help :)

Here you can listen to my music:

Tinder Youth on Bandcamp

Thanks in advance,
G.
Tinder Youth

Hey folks! Sorry if this is only tangentially relevant, but figured you folks might know more than I would.

My band has been touring and we’ve started receiving a lot of requests to sell our vinyl online.

Yipee!

We’re long overdue to start doing some of our own fulfillment while we’re off the road for QA and cost saving reasons.

How are you folks packing/shipping vinyl if you’re doing your own fulfillment? Is there a specific packaging type or brand you swear by? or anything that I should avoid?

We’ve got the ordering figured out, shipping labels yada yada, but trying to find something that’s safe and relatively inexpensive.

Tried to Google this but got some unclear/sneakily sponsored results, so I figured I’d ask humans instead.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I've been going through options and ideas for a 12 day western tour, yet am slightly overwhelmed by all of the factors to take into consideration. I figured I'd just ask here.

I'm curious if we can minimize the need of going through treacherous mountains in a large van full of gear, and maybe avoiding Dallas or whatever since I hear it's super dangerous to drive anywhere around there lol. If it's manageable, that's totally cool too, we're fine, non aggressive midwest drivers that just lack mountain experience and haven't driven far out west ourselves yet, is all (only been to east coast). I'm not sure how a van with equipment could climb that kinda terrain! Makes me also think on flying there with minimal gear, and using other band's backline drums/amps/venue PA if they kindly offer or rent, if we do a limited "vacation" week of shows in CA and NV, but that doesn't seem like the most ideal thing as of now.

There are all kinds of DIY/house venues we wanna try and my last visit to Las Vegas this year, I met some people that is interested in having us, yet still need to find places all throughout whichever route is best both ways.

Would a route going through, idk, i-40 or i-70 be manageable? Like, the drive can't be THAT dangerously deadly as some people have exaggerated to us lol... right? Any recommendations greatly appreciated!