So You Wanna Tour Europe - A European Touring Overview

SO YOU WANNA TOUR EUROPE?
(published and printed in Toronto Blues Society Newsletter January 2009)

I’ve had some great European touring adventures. I just returned from my 7th European tour, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, working mostly in jazz clubs. I’ve done tours with Big Rude Jake where we got onto a tour bus and enjoyed the ride through Europe. We played at the Louvre and opened for Ray Charles in France. Boy, I’ve got stories! I’ve also toured in Europe completely on my own stream, putting together bands and finding gigs. In Europe every gig is a concert. People are listening. You have to live up to what they expect from a visiting North American artist. What about blues? Along with having an appreciation for artists in general, Europeans audiences certainly do like North America music, jazz and blues, and swing. Chris Whiteley and Diana Braithwaite, just returning from a tour of Russia, the UK, the Channel Islands and Germany concur, “The blues seem to be going strong internationally, in all countries, and in all languages.” Shakura S’Aida, currently touring all over Europe with the Chicago Blues Festival 2008, says Europeans are “amazing audiences who have a true love and knowledge of blues and appreciation for artists”…”…there is no faking or half way with European audiences.”

The travelling process can be stressful and challenging. So here are some Euro-centric (and a bit guitar-centric) tips for the touring musician of 2008 and beyond. You can find the full blown version of this article with detailed info in all areas at my blog at www.roadstarmusicbiz.blogspot.com.

HOW DO YOU GET GIGS? One way is to work with agents. You can connect with European presenters at events like the upcoming TBS Blues Summit. If agents pass you by, you can plan your own tours. Start working on it a year in advance. Working with European musicians is a good way of developing a network and scene. This is what I do. Myspace is a great tool for doing this. Brian Blain, blues artist and frequenter of European stages, has similar advice. “… your best bet is to hook up with a musician who already lives there or tours there regularly.” Where to play? Look for venues that suit your style and make contact. Tip: Make sure your online presskit/webpage is complete. You only get one shot at having them look at you.

THE AIRLINES AND TRAVELLING WITH GEAR. Travel light. Checked luggage should weight under 20kg (including instruments). Your carry on, less than 12kg. For carry on instruments, policies vary and are unpredicable. Check the baggage restrictions online before buying your flights. Beware of cheap flights with 15kg limits. If you carry on a fullsized guitar, or travel with 2 guitars have one instrument in a hardshell case, just in case. A polyfoam hardshell gigbag is a excellent lightweight option. Don’t tour with your favorite instrument but do have insurance. Tip: Complete global coverage ($50 deductible!) is available to AFM members. I currently tour with a compact travel electric guitar. On his recent tour, Chris Whiteley travelled with a Blue Ridge acoustic guitar as checked luggage, with trumpet and harps as carry on. Chris says “I also purchased an electric over there, which was cheaper than paying to bring an extra guitar on the flight. I left it with a musician friend in England , for our next tour.” Brian Blain says, “I bought a cheap Johnson resonator guitar which served me well and again on two more successive tours.”

How much peripheral gear? Should you take a laptop, pedals, cables, recording gear, practise gear, entertainment devices? Limit yourself to 10lbs. My recent touring arsenal: a Line 6 Pocket Pod, a couple of other pedals, various cables, a 13” laptop, a small recording interface, a Zoom recording device and a video camera. It is common to see amplifiers and even drum sets in the clubs in Europe. Try to arrange for backline. If not, rent or borrow.
How do I take my sound on the road? Chances are you won’t be able to, unless you’re touring in the roadies/tourbus scenario. Find a compromise that works for you.

AIRPORT CHECK IN. The extra load that musicians carry and the inconsistent policies for instruments make the process unpredictable at best. You may have to repack to make them happy. Or maybe not! Tip: show up more than 2 hours before your flight.

GETTING AROUND EUROPE. Chris and Diana, “If it moved we were on it. Planes, trains , ferries , vans, trams , cars and feet!" Lots of options. I fly between cities and use trains and the metro. Shakura is travelling mostly by train and van. Trains connect cities very well in Europe and metro systems will get you anywhere you want to go within cities. Taxis are expensive. Eurorail is expensive but so is flying. Trains take longer but they take you to the centre of town, so you don’t have to get in and out of airports. And you will see more of Europe. I did a whole tour on the eurorail. Despite the increased schlepping (lots of staircases in Europe!), it was an excellent.way to go. That trip down the Rhine was amazing.
Tip: Find out your options for getting in and out of the airports. You’ll be thankful you did. Language doesn’t seem to be a barrier anywhere in western Europe and most signs are also in English.. Have contact info handy including directions to venues and accommodations. Use google maps.

ACCOMMODATION. Accommodation in Europe is expensive but there are affordable options. On craigslist you can find affordable guest rooms and apartments of all sizes easily. They all offer wifi now and some even offer free calls to Canada and the US (a new thing in France). Hostels with private rooms are cheaper than hotels and are just as good. Whenever possible, have access to a kitchen. If you always eat in restaurants, your euros will fly away.

TAKING CDS. If you are in a position to mail boxes of 50 beforehand and have the means to carry them and sell them all, then great. However, if you are carrying your own CDs go with lightweight compact packaging. I discovered a great cheap way to repackage jewel case cds for touring and I’d be glad to share the idea.

DOING BUSINESS. Start planning a year in advance. Make contractual agreements and get confirmations by email. This is binding. A few general things about work permits. Presenters and clubowners deal with foreign artists all the time. So when you are looking for gigs, talk to your employers about how they are used to dealing with foreign artists. Many Europeans countries allow you to work as an artist for a period of time without a work permit. In Germany it’s 6 months, but your employer (the presenter or clubowner) must still remit tax for you (26%). You can do gigs in the Netherlands for 4 weeks without a work permit. [read more here]. You will have to get a work permit every time you work in the UK, however. There are also fees which may come out of your pocket. In Spain, live music venues are encouraged to hire foreign artists. No matter what kind of gigs you’re going, make sure you check with your presenters/clubowners about how they are used to handling foreign artists and give yourself lots of time to work out the details.

MISCELLANEOUS TIPS:
- Take some kind of entertainment device (I load my iPod up with old movies)
- Pack your instrument tools in your luggage, not in your case.
- Try to get a new credit card with a “chip”. European credit cards have chips now and sometimes cards without chips are rejected. Use cash to avoid currency conversion fees. Many shops and restaurants in Europe don’t take credit cards. Keep a record of your spending.
- Cell phone? The cost of a prepaid SIM for your GSM phone varies by country. They often don’t work outside the country. On my last tour I used my Canadian cell phone, roaming and ready to use anytime, for texting and the occassional call. It was cheaper than buying multiple European SIM cards.
- Publicize your gigs and try to get some press.
- Take a camcorder. Get some video!
- Exercise. Touring can actually be an excellent chance to shape up and get fit. You’re going to do a lot of walking, so if you eat well, your body and mind will be in peak condition for the many challenges, and stresses that go hand in hand with the joys of touring in Europe.

Touring Europe (and beyond) is above all else a life enriching experience. Chris and Diana, “Work hard, but don't forget to enjoy the tourist aspect of other countries. It is a great opportunity.” Shakura, writing from Monaco, says “the only negative thing (about touring Europe) is that I don’t spend enough time here!?!?!”.

Ditto to that.

Margaret Stowe