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Like most people who are into music either playing for personal entertainment or pro, the thought always goes through your mind about becoming a rock star or hitting the road. Lets just say as long as you are in the right situation being on the road is a great thing and all you have to do is put in the time and effort to get it started working with the right agents, management, and most of all band members.

The way most bands start is doing all of their own booking and being the weekend warrior, which is fine if you don't have the time. A full time musician play 250-350 shows a year either on cruise ships, road work, or corporate gigs. These gigs are produced by agents and as long as you find the right one you are on your way. We started doing the cruise ship route for about 3 yrs and then once that gets old you want to move on but still have the steady income. Next we moved on to our new agent and management who books us on the road for months at a time doing casinos, hotels, and coporate gigs. Doing these gigs you have to make sure you are on time and ready to go being that everything is under a strict contract. If your agent is good at doing the management then you will be on a close course instead of driving around the country in circles.
The most important thing about a good traveling band are the people you work with. The ideal situation is hiring people you know and trust and who are hopefully your friends. The quote that I can't say enough is "If you want good people you have to deal with a little bologna." This is my drummers favorite phrase and it's the truth. If you can't deal with someone for more than a gig at a time this is the wrong place for you to be. The typical situation is if you're driving from Boston to start a tour in Nebraska which is 35 hrs away and you don't get along, GOOD LUCK.
As you can see touring isn't an easy thing. Touring is for a person who likes to travel around the country with a good head on his/her shoulders.

Learn more about this author, Greg Mancuso.
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