GOD FORBID’S DALLAS COYLE ON THE TOURING GAME
The Touring Game
Touring is a rough animal. Last week I went into a tirade about a promoter who stiffed us on cash. It may have been a little harsh but fuck it. Eventually we will be paid because there is a contract when we play. We get guarantees unless we’re doing bar shows where we do door deals. In all honesty, unless we’re getting a 3,000 and up guarantee, door deals can be fruitful.
Some of the comments about my last blog were eye opening because there is no ‘one’ way to promote a show. In our contracts it says we play and you give us X amount of dollars. There are options for percentage after a certain amount of money is made but usually if we play we get paid. If we don’t play, we don’t get paid. If you’re a promoter who’s done shows before, don’t act like you know our game because you don’t. The promoting game is just as rough as the touring game because it’s like the stock market. You win some, you lose some.
Case in point, we did a show on this tour where the promoter lost about a grand. He’s a guy we’ve known for years and he LOVES us, so we’re always welcome back. Our tour manager went to him and said, ‘Sorry about the show man. We know it was a loss!’ The promoter goes,’ Are you kidding me, we did Jimmy Eat World last week and I lost ten grand! That’s a loss!’ Look at that little equation. It’s a win some, lose some game. Sometimes you win big and sometimes you lose big. But imagine this: if you can lose ten grand and laugh about it, promoting could be a great way to do business!
When we do tours we usually have a package tour that consists of three to five bands. Opening bands usually get 100-150 bucks a show. The second band usually gets 300-500 depending on who they are and the third and fourth bands can get anywhere from 1000 a piece to 5000 a piece depending on who they are and where they are playing. If you add all that up it’s a lot of money but if you have 20 dollar tickets and you put 500 people in a room the math is undeniable.
The thing that sucks with today’s scene as far as GF is concerned is the fact that we’re neither small nor huge. We are as middle-class as you can get when it comes to being in a band. We pay our bills doing this, but barely. With the cost of gas going up and the fact that a tour bus runs about 1200 bucks a day because of gas going up, the business these days for a band in our position is not profitable. Bus drivers even get 250 a day. That’s a lot of cash going in but not necessarily coming out. This tour has been great for us with money because we are going to break even. But we’ve lost up to 10,000 dollars on some tours. We weren’t laughing.
This business is as rough as it can get. I wish people would buy more records but I don’t expect them to. There aren’t enough good bands out there that deserve their records to be bought so I understand why people don’t buy records. Most records are shit.
I’m happy as hell our new DVD is coming out in a couple of days because I think it can turn our band from middle-class to upper middle-class . I think one reason we haven’t become a bigger band is because of who we are. We’re a hard band to get into if you see our picture next to Lamb Of God or Slipknot. Usually people love us after seeing us 5 or more times. We’re an acquired taste. The good and bad thing about that is our ability to attract people to our music is our business. It relates to our guarantees and our overall business model in general. It’s no surprise why so many bands wear make up. It’s theatrics and it sells records. They have a good business plan for their band. It doesn’t work for us. We’re still trying to find our business model. Please buy the DVD. You’ll get to know us as you never have.
To all you newer bands, remember this is a BUSINESS. Yeah, you may want to play music because you love playing music, but love doesn’t pay your electric bill. It doesn’t pay for your bitch’s dinner. Always think business first because your art is your business.
Check out our tour blog at www.netvibes.com/godforbid
There’s a cover of Death Angel doing “Seek & Destroy” with a bunch of guest vocalists. I do the first verse!
Pick up Beneath The Scars Of Glory And Progression on June 10th or at a show before then!
HORNS!!!
