[Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Advise on touring

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

 Simply delete if not interested,

I hope somebody is keeping copies of all my ramblings so they can ghost 
write a book for me one day. :))
I am not going to remember this stuff much longer if the Old timers 
disease speeds up on me. :))
Now where did I put that beer?  damned dog must have sneaked it away 
when I wasn't looking, or one of the band guys is here and stole it 
again.   They all quit when they join Saint Gabriel's   buying that is, 
 certainly not drinking.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins



Sent: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 14:44:38 -0700
Subject: <no subject>

     RE:here's some advice re: touring
  
  Touring is a very difficult part of being in this business, but almost 
totally necessary to continue expanding your audience and hopefully fan 
base.  Not touring is like trying to win the Lottery without buying a 
ticket.

  Almost all record labels will insist that their acts tour to support 
all the promotional activities they put behind you if indeed they do 
so. :))

  That should be the primary reason for any act to to sign a contract 
with a record label other than their own, and any such contract should 
spell out minimums for promotion of the artists and in what forms the 
promotion will be done.

  Traveling as a soloist or songwriter can be lonely but is not as 
difficult as trying to maintain multiple personalities of band members 
for sustained periods of time on the road in strange surroundings day 
after day.  We do tend to get on each others nerves on the road and 
this is true for almost anyone even married couples who tour and play 
in the same group.

  Everyone needs their space from time to time, and when you are forced 
to live together in sometimes some pretty funky places especially for 
rock bands and blues bands at the bottom of the economic income ladder 
when starting out "PAYING THEM DUES" so they say.

  I find that about 40 days out on an International basis is about the 
breaking point for most normal players, any longer than that nerves 
tend to fray and they become quite testy with each other no matter how 
good a friends they are.

  Touring take it's toll on your mind and body and especially so when 
you are going from one climate and culture to another sometimes on a 
daily basis dealing with different languages and sometimes currencies 
and foods. 

  Life on the road is not and should not be treated like a big 
continuous party of Sex drugs and ROCK AND ROLL, It will take you out 
and has done so to many a potentially great artist.  It has also worn 
them out well before their prime and taken far too many of them from us 
before we ever got to hear their best stuff as it was abruptly brought 
to a halt.

  If you wish to be a touring artist and succeed and keep your sanity ( 
if you have any before leaving ) :)) you need to keep reminding 
yourself that you have to make it to the end of the tour so you don't 
want to have Too much fun and burn yourself out from the git go.  :))

  Now I never heard of too much Sex ruining anybody's show before or 
after, :)) but too many long nights of Booze and Candy and other 
substances can take it's wrath out on you if you do not practice due 
diligence in moderation techniques.

  I find it amazing to go see and hear artists at this time in their 
lives that I once toured with that were impossible and should have been 
dead long ago from what they were doing day and night.  Some of them 
now perform without the aid of anything at all and have not practiced 
those old habits for years and they sound better than ever and will be  
the first to admit it not to mention how much better they feel every 
morning when it's time to get up and go catch that tour bus or train or 
plane to the next gig. :))


  The Two happiest days in an artist's life is the day they leave on 
tour and the day they get home. "    :))

 Then they can't wait to go out and do it all again.

 Cheers,

 Tom Wiggins
 Soon to be "On the Road Again, making music with my friends"