Bands and artists have the need to
tour to perform for their fans as well as gain prospective ones in the
process. To make that all possible,
however, requires a lot of planning and organization. Tour managers are the people that execute
many of the tasks that put the tours into motion. From managing the costs of daily expenses, to
confirming the locations set throughout the tour, to ensuring the needs of the
artists and crew are met, the job of a tour manager includes many
responsibilities.
Even before the tour is set to
begin, the tour manager is already busy making proper arrangements. While it is the booking agent’s job to secure
venues for the artists to perform, the tour manager will be confirming many
aspects before making any permanent agreements.
Tour managers make sure the venues can accommodate the bands’ needs with
regards to sound, lights, staging, rehearsal times, location, and many other
areas. From personal experience, this
aspect of the tour manager is extremely important. If the venue is not even suitable enough for
the band to perform in, whether it involves inadequate power, not having an
ideal mixer, or poor location, the show will be a failure. A few years ago, The Human Abstract were
scheduled to perform in Pensacola. At
the time, this was where I was living and was surprised they would even play in
a small town like Pensacola. I was more
surprised because I knew the venue they were supposed to perform in…it was
basically a small bar located in the basement of a hotel. I was expecting a really amazing show because
I tend to enjoy smaller venues; it feels more personal with the band playing
right in front of your face. However, it
was clearly not suited for a production like The Human Abstract and they
cancelled their part of the show. Because
the tour manager did not confirm the venue’s amenities ahead of time, the
cancellation disappointed many of the fans…including myself.
During the tour, the tour manager is
there to make sure operations run smoothly each day. The tour manager ensures everything happens
at the predetermined time without delays.
The acts need to be at the venue on time to conduct performance
rehearsals along with the crew, and if the show involves a lot of lights,
pyrotechnics, or special effects, then a technical rehearsal will also be
done. Managers also oversee promotional
activities that can happen during the tour, such as television and radio
interviews. Confirming the venue has the
available resources to produce the show is always helpful (refer to the last
example). Once the shows are done for
the night, the tour manager makes sure the band and crew are properly paid in
accordance with prior agreements with the venue.
Even when the tour is reaching its
end, the tour manager still has much to do.
All travel accommodations need to be confirmed so all people involved
can return home once the tour has finished.
Receipts need to be cleared and any other tour business needs to be
conducted at this time. And if the tour
was a huge success, the possibility of extending the tour can also present
itself. The tour manager needs to
determine well ahead of the scheduled end date of the tour to do some last
minute planning to add more dates and locations.
