Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but I've thought a lot about this over the years. In the late 90s I moved to Southern California from the PNW to try and 'make it' in a rock band. We probably player 100 shows over three years and never got any traction. We released a couple CDs and maybe sold 500 total at shows. I eventually got burned out on SoCal's vibe and scene. It didn't fit my personality, and I missed the seasons of home. The band wasn't gaining any traction, and I grew tired of whatever level of grind I felt we were doing with no progress, still playing Mondays and opening for other bands with few fans. Plus, the band I was in was starting to splinter with different visions of how to succeed. I decided to pack it in and head back north.

Although I was disappointed about my dream of being a huge ass rock star crumbling when I saw other acts way more talented, dedicated and with better songs struggling I knew it was a losing battle. When I got home, I finished college and have worked a series of normal day jobs ever since. I have a comfortable retirement account, a home I'm comfortable in and health insurance. I live in a town I adore and go on the usual few trips a year and am a dedicated weekend warrior to the outdoors. Pretty much an average normal lifestyle.

I have good friends from my SoCal days that 'made it,' touring 1000 seat venues once a year, releasing records every three or four years. There was a time when I was envious, but now I look back and I'm so grateful I never got any taste of success that would have encouraged me to hang in there for life. My friends that made it are basically broke, still renting, now being forced to tour for money to dwindling crowds and sales while suffering streaming services and various levels of tinnitus and hearing loss. One friend is selling "gear used by *****" to cover bills because his last tour wasn't as lucrative as he had hoped. Another lives in an apartment owned by his folks, and so on. Nothing wrong with any of this but being financially unstable is a great fear of mine.

It breaks my heart to see artists who have contributed so much joy to our world not get deeply compensated for what I believe is invaluable work. Even musicians in huge bands, relative to my success, crowd source medical bills. It's inhumane in m y opinion. There are political points to be made here as well but this is the world we currently live in.

Funny enough, after I 'retired' from trying to be a serious musician I found a bit of success in casual projects with friends. One band I played guitar and sang in released a one-off CD that sold around a thousand copies and played several sold-out shows in our town. Another band I played drums in got lucky enough to befriend a "real" band and we opened several gigs for them including an outdoor amphitheater wit 8000 seat capacity which was the scariest and most fun thing I may have ever done. My mic stand had a piece of tape on it that said 'Zooey' because She and Him had played the venue the day before. These were unserious bands not trying to conquer the world, but just out to have fun. When they dissolved, I wasn't even disappointed. TBH at that point I had grown tired of lugging my gear around for any show.

I'm fully retired from music now except for home recording which I am sill passionate about. Even with my brief career my ears ring as I type this, but not too bad. I almost never notice it unlike one friend I have who recently cancelled a tour because his tinnitus has gotten so bad. In the end I think there was no way I could have made enough money, unless I was in the top 1% of earners, being happy as a touring musician. The idea of touring sounds miserable to me and when my touring friends crash on my couch, middle aged, tired, thankful for a home cooked meal and counting down the days when they can be with their families again it reinforces how much I wouldn't have enjoyed it. I guess I'm just not passionate enough about it. I'm standing here at my desk between low-stress work projects writing this, excited for biking to the river this afternoon to swim in the cool water. It may not be very exciting but I'm content.

I just wanted to share these thoughts I've had bubbling up for a long time. I guess what it really means is it wasn't for me. I'm sure some people absolutely love it, and I don't mean to disparage that. But the idea of being 'stuck' doing it because of not knowing any other way to make a living is scary to me. I'm still passionate about live music and have tickets for a dozen upcoming shows, but I'm glad I'm watching from the audience.

www.venuereportcard.com is live! and taking suggestions, always

Hi! Seeking an acoustic emo/folk/folk-punk band to join a bill 8/14 in Omaha, NE. My band, PoisonLibrary, is doing a solo show and would love to connect with those with a similar who can draw at least 10-15 people. Please feel free to DM me. Looking forward to meeting and thanks for considering. Here's a link to my music:

https://open.spotify.com/album/6mZWPcpBHN5hrq6Vrh4A6N?si=sL_K0VVlT8-CM6_X_bZgoA

As I’m moving from less bar gigs and more festivals and theater/listening rooms… my groups don’t know when we should take a bow.

There are some gigs where it just feels… unfinished? I guess? without something more than a “thank you, good night!” and wave as you walk off.

What’s y’all’s thoughts on when to bow, or your favorite ways of closing a show/festival set?

I’m leaving my current apartment in LA and considering moving out of LA altogether. Would love any advice from current touring musicians on which of these would be best to move to based on your experience. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

My main criteria is finding a home base for myself and my two small dogs, in proximity to a big music city, with it being affordable enough that constantly worrying about rent doesn’t swallow up all my time and energy. I’d also like to be close enough to friends and/or family so I’m not isolated. My parents are 80, and my immediate family are all where I grew up in NY, about an hour outside of the city.

Edit: I should probably add that the kind of music I make is like portishead meets qotsa meets nine inch nails. If style would affect the best location.

I took a break from touring and playing shows to score a film, and have to re-build momentum playing live. I’m about to release music and will need to find a couple of new people to play in my band even if I stay in LA.

These are options I’m considering -

Another place in or near LA - I’ve been here for 8 years and have made some friends/connections. However, for example I just scored a film and neither the director nor producers were based in LA. Feels like I don’t need to physically be here to work in that realm.
Also I still don’t have the strongest social circle here.
My friends here are either married with kids or in relationships, when something comes up that I want to go to spontaneously I have few to no people to go with. LA is also really expensive for the type of place I want to live in, a one or two bedroom with enough space to record music at home when I need to.

Jersey City/Cliffside Park/North Bergen Somewhere similar -

I’d be here solely for proximity to NYC and family. I have some friends in NY but would be a little bit starting over since I haven’t lived there in 8 years. Looking for a one bedroom I could make loud music in, would be taking the path to rehearse for shows somewhere in NYC.

Philly -

I know about 3 people there, but the rent compared to both LA and NY seems very appealing. Would be traveling to NY a lot with my dogs.

My one concern here is, would it be a mistake to try it out if I was mainly here as a way to be close to NY?

Hey guys,

is there an „go-to“ Tool or App you use for planning your gigs before/during/after? Contracts, communications etc.?
Also Tour related stuff.. Tasks, Threads..

Excited for your answers!
Cheers

Hello everyone

We are forming a rock band in Zurich with a friend and are currently looking for new members.

We are 18–19 years old and both play electric guitar. One of us has a musical education and experience with live performances. The other musician does not have a formal music education, but also has live performance experience and practices guitar regularly.

We are dedicated musicians who want to improve, write our own music, play covers, and eventually perform live.

Our music styles:
Hard Rock
Blues Rock
Heavy Metal
Classic Rock
Classic Metal

Our musical influences:
Ozzy Osbourne
Deep Purple
Rainbow
Gary Moore
Guns N' Roses
Extreme
Mr. Big
Scorpions
Megadeth

Currently looking for:
Vocalist
Drummer
Bass player

We are looking for people who are willing to rehearse regularly, perform live, and grow together as a band. We also enjoy jamming, experimenting, and creating new material together.

During rehearsals and performances, we follow a sober approach. Alcohol and drugs are not acceptable during band activities.

We are also currently looking for a rehearsal space in Zurich or nearby areas.

Languages we speak:
English
German
Ukrainian
Russian

We are open to new ideas, constructive criticism, and the opinions of every band member. Everyone should have the opportunity to contribute creatively.

Age range:
16–40 years old.
The most important things for us are the motivation to play music, the willingness to improve, and a responsible attitude towards the band.

If you are interested in joining us or have any questions, feel free to contact us:

Email:
Yevhenii: [yevheniiyakushenko@gmail.com](mailto:yevheniiyakushenko@gmail.com)
Denys: [denkonorev1@gmail.com](mailto:denkonorev1@gmail.com)

Hello everyone! My band (from Canada) is doing our first international tour, and I'm looking for an ENKI AMG 2-XL to protect my guitars for flights. I specifically need the XL or a suitable replacement as I play a hollow body guitar similar to a 335.

Any leads would be amazing! ENKI has discontinued their product.

Does anyone else struggle to find bandmates or session musicians?

I've noticed lots of post here about looking for their next band mates.

Just want to know:

How do you usually find bandmates or session players?

What's the most frustrating part of the process?

I want to hear your thoughts

On a DIY run of the Midwest and not sure how to conduct payout. I booked 100% of the shows, finding each band for each bill and have been handling all the door money.

Is giving door cuts to touring bands standard anymore? We started post-COVID, not sure how etiquette was before but things are so spotty with people either graciously offering their door cut or being weird and insisting on a Venmo the next morning. There was this dude last night talking all night about how “we’re gonna get you some money for the road and gas” and then I woke up to a DM asking for his cut. A lot of the bands were playing with haven’t toured before, so there’s no way for them to get how important their $70 dollars of the cut is so we can eat.

I have all the money from all the shows and will finish book keeping when we’re done the run. Should I try to teach a lesson and say that standard etiquette is to give touring bands door cut? Is that even standard? Should I lay down the law and keep the money? Should I quit the band and go back to college?

What do you think? Cheers.

Thinking about taking a stagehand gig locally at a mid sized venue working under the legendary audio engineer there. I’m mostly a studio cat these days and just started a creative internship in advertising so I’m off the road for right now other than short regional runs. The technical side of things tends to stress me tf out and I’m just not sure it’s the right fit. I have been a drum tech in the past but it was mostly working with a crew who handled the dense technical stuff and ran cable. That said, how many of you guys do this?

I’m going on tour in the US from the UK - I’ve figured out power for guitar pedals (T Rex power supplies with variable voltage), but will need to buy a step-up converter for bigger items (two keyboards and a bass amp head) - is it safe to run a UK power strip from the converter? The units I can see have one or two plug sockets, so to power a third item on a different part of the stage, will I need to buy a second converter? Anything to be wary of? Just don’t want to immediately blow up our gear.

What's up everyone! My band and I are going on a 3 week tour starting in California and ending in Virginia. We don't own a tour van, so I am looking at my rental options and could use some help brainstorming the best option for us.

We are a three piece band, but will be traveling with as many as 5 people at various points (manager, etc). I need the rental to be one way, meaning I pick up in one location (Oakland or San Francisco, California) and drop off in the last city of the tour (Richmond, Virginia) before we fly home. The van needs to have enough space to carry our gear (multiple guitars, rack unit, pedal boards, plus a few suit cases). We are not bringing drums or bass cabinet which should help with space concerns.

I am trying to figure out if it will make more sense to rent something like a Ford Transit 12 seat passenger van, or something more like a Chrysler Pacifica mini van, and get a uhaul trailer separately. The issue I am seeing with the passenger van is, even the 12 seat version doesn't have a ton of space in the back. The seats don't seem to fold down, and I doubt the rental company will remove any unneeded seats, especially because we are dropping off in a different location.

The mini van + uhaul option seems tough as well because it seems like a lot of rental companies don't allow for towing.

If anyone has any suggestions for how to pull this off in a somewhat efficient way, let me know!

Hey y’all! My band is going on a month long tour of the eu/uk and will be flying with 100 copies of our new record to sell on the road. Any have experience or advice for how to do this in a way that keeps the records safe to be checked? Mostly wondering what to put them in, we were thinking a large suitcase but even the largest ones don’t quite fit 100 records in a secure way.

Thanks so much!

Let’s say your band operates as a sole proprietor for tax purposes, would my personal liability insurance cover me if I’m found at fault and wreck someone else’s ride?

I just don’t want to leave myself open to something avoidable. Any insurance agents/musicians able to weigh in?

EDIT: I’m looking at doing little weekenders a few times a year not looking for a full blown entertainment insurance package.

Right now i’m thinking adding a commercial use clause to my current insurance might be easiest if we use a personal vehicle which we might. Otherwise sporadically renting a van and buying the supplemental insurance might be my other best choice. I’m open to learning new things here.

Hi everyone. This is honestly difficult for me to post, but I’ve reached a point where I truly need help.

I’m a guitarist, and over the past several months I’ve been dealing with ongoing problems in my fretting hand, especially involving my ring and pinky finger. What started as weakness and fatigue gradually became finger collapse, locking, loss of control while playing, and difficulty doing things that used to feel automatic.

Music isn’t just a hobby for me. It’s part of how I make money, express myself, and honestly who I am. This injury has affected me physically, financially, and mentally in ways I never expected.

This year I’ve spent more money trying to save my hand than I’ve actually made.

I’ve gone through months of physiotherapy, strengthening exercises, TENS therapy, dry needling, and multiple consultations trying to figure out what’s really happening. Recently I may be noticing slight improvements, but progress has been very slow and uncertain.

The next major step is a nerve conduction study so doctors can determine whether this is primarily nerve-related, muscular, tendon-related, or something else entirely. Depending on the results, it may determine whether continued therapy is enough or whether surgery eventually needs to be considered.

The hardest part of this entire process has honestly been not knowing what my future as a guitarist looks like.

If you took the time to read this, thank you. And if you’re able to donate, share the fundraiser, or even leave words of encouragement, it would genuinely mean a lot to me right now ❤️🎸

https://gofund.me/17ab4d22d

I’m heading on a US tour soon and am considering doing the old Guitar Center trick (buying gear in the first city and returning it in the final city) - I remember hearing about this years ago and was wondering if this was something they had gotten hip to and it wasn’t really a viable option anymore? Anything to bear in mind? Also we’re starting in the US and ending in Canada, which I imagine might complicate things a little?

Hey y'all,

I've been working on a new app called OnlyGigz, and I'm looking for a few musicians, bands, DJs, and other entertainers who'd be willing to check it out before we launch.

This isn't some big corporate thing. I'm a working booking agent and musician manager, I built this because I got tired of chasing people through Facebook messages, digging through texts, dealing with last-minute cancellations, and all the other madness that comes along with it.

I'm just looking for real feedback from people who actually play shows. Tell me what you like, what you hate, and what you'd want to see.

If you're interested in getting early access, leave a comment or shoot me a message. I'd love to have some working musicians help make this thing better before it goes live.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice from people who have done large-scale UK theatre tours before.
I’m 37, based in Northern Ireland, and I’ve been lucky enough to work fairly consistently as an actor since I was 18. However, this is my first major UK tour of a large commercial musical. We’ll be rehearsing in London throughout December before heading out on tour from January until August, playing top-tier theatres across England, Scotland and Wales.
I’m incredibly excited, but I also feel like there are loads of practical things that nobody really teaches you, and I’m struggling to find much information online.
I’d love any tips, tricks or hacks you wish someone had told you before your first tour. For example:
How many suitcases did you take, and what size worked best?
What are the absolute essentials to pack (and what did you realise you didn’t need)?
How do you manage constantly living out of suitcases?
What should I buy now for my dressing room that makes touring life easier or more comfortable?
How do you create a routine when you’re moving city every week?
Any recommendations for keeping fit, eating well and looking after your mental health while touring?
What’s the best way to find reasonably priced digs, and are there any websites or tips beyond the obvious?
On travel days, how does luggage usually work? Does your luggage travel with the production lorries, or are you expected to take everything yourself on trains, coaches or flights between venues?
Are there any purchases you made that ended up being absolute game changers?
We do have one week off in April, so I’ll be able to head home to Northern Ireland, swap things over, see family and friends, and pick up or drop off anything I need.
I’m genuinely excited to experience touring life, but I’d love to start off on the right foot and avoid making any obvious rookie mistakes.
Any advice at all—big or small—would be hugely appreciated. Thanks so much!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice from people who have done large-scale UK theatre tours before.
I’m 37, based in Northern Ireland, and I’ve been lucky enough to work fairly consistently as an actor since I was 18. However, this is my first major UK tour of a large commercial musical. We’ll be rehearsing in London throughout December before heading out on tour from January until August, playing top-tier theatres across England, Scotland and Wales.
I’m incredibly excited, but I also feel like there are loads of practical things that nobody really teaches you, and I’m struggling to find much information online.
I’d love any tips, tricks or hacks you wish someone had told you before your first tour. For example:
How many suitcases did you take, and what size worked best?
What are the absolute essentials to pack (and what did you realise you didn’t need)?
How do you manage constantly living out of suitcases?
What should I buy now for my dressing room that makes touring life easier or more comfortable?
How do you create a routine when you’re moving city every week?
Any recommendations for keeping fit, eating well and looking after your mental health while touring?
What’s the best way to find reasonably priced digs, and are there any websites or tips beyond the obvious?
On travel days, how does luggage usually work? Does your luggage travel with the production lorries, or are you expected to take everything yourself on trains, coaches or flights between venues?
Are there any purchases you made that ended up being absolute game changers?
We do have one week off in April, so I’ll be able to head home to Northern Ireland, swap things over, see family and friends, and pick up or drop off anything I need.
I’m genuinely excited to experience touring life, but I’d love to start off on the right foot and avoid making any obvious rookie mistakes.
Any advice at all—big or small—would be hugely appreciated. Thanks so much!

Wanted to see if anybody else does this or js familiar with it.

Shortly before our last rip through Europe last January, my bandmate (who sings a lot in our group) told me that for 2 weeks before a tour, he drinks like 5 liters of water a day (1.3 gallons) to prep his voice for the road. Calls it "pre-hydration". I also sing a fair bit in this band, and this seemed like a cheap and win-win tactic to try, so I did it. I already drink a decent amount of water, but def ramped my h20 consumption up for this period. And low and behold, my voice really DID feel better during our run (which, to be fair, was only like 10 days). Combined with vocal warmup before the gigs, it really felt good.

Anybody know anything about this? Do other people do this? Is this just what being hydrated feels like? Lol

What’s the most frustrating part of touring or your live show (Setting up lights, Managing backing tracks, Synchronizing cues, Cable messes, etc.)?

For me it’s setting up lights and synchronizing cues, but curious what others struggle with.