mathematics THE IMPORTANCE OF TOURING by Rap Coalition’s Wendy Day www.WendyDay.com
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ne of the most effective ways for an artist to support his or her career is to get out in front of the fans by performing (touring). It is important for the fans to hear the music and to see the artist (to see thier image) in person. Tupac always said that every fan he touched was a fan for life. He felt that if fans had personal interactions with an artist, they’d support the artist through good times and bad, because they’d always remember the personal connection they once had (if it was positive). After Pac passed away, it was amazing to hear how many people he touched and how many people had a story to tell about when they had met him. David Banner took this philosophy to heart, and when he is on the road he interacts with his fans heavily. After most shows and public appearances, he is almost always the last one to leave the venue. He talks with fans, advising them about the music industry, signing autographs and posters, and posing for photos. He gives 100% of himself at every show both on stage and off. A promotional tour can really benefit an artist’s career. Aside from putting the artist in front of the fans, it also allows the artist to get out of their hometown to learn what fans prefer in areas outside the home region, and it gives the artist a chance to see what’s hot in other areas. So often, the music changes from the first release to the second one, because the artist gets outside of his own market while on the road and is influenced by more things. The artist also gets to interact with other artists that they meet along the way. They do collaborations with other artists, both signed and unsigned, and build relationships that last throughout their career. The downside of this is that there are less-than-ethical artists out there who hear local songs and decide to take parts, ideas, samples, or whole songs from unsuspecting new artists naive enough to pass off a demo in hopes of getting a deal. The outcome is usually that the word spreads quickly through the industry as to who the thieving bastards are, and they either get sued repeatedly, or called out on mixtapes by their peers angrily on a diss song. Every artist remembers who stole their shit. Artists make a large portion of their income through touring. In fact, Blue Williams, who manages Nick Cannon and OutKast (up til recently) explained to me that as a manager, he is interested in representing artists who have the ability to tour. This means it’s important for an artist to have a good and entertaining show, material worthy of showcasing, and probably some hit radio records. A manager usually receives 15% to 20% of an artists’ show money. The importance of touring occurs at every stage of an artist’s career. In the early stages of a career it’s important to tour to build awareness and spread the music as quickly as possible. It promotes the artist and directly impacts sales. It’s also important for artists to hone skills through showcasing as much as possible regardless of whether there is pay involved (usually there is not). At the mid-stage of the career it helps the artist stay grounded to the streets. Once an artist has some degree of fame and popularity, it becomes difficult to hang out in the same places and keep up with the streets. Busy schedules prevent the necessary attention to the streets, and with mobs of adoring fans constantly approaching the artist, public appearances become security nightmares. Let’s face it, Jeezy can’t pop into McDonald’s for lunch without getting mobbed by fans. Touring gives artists access to the streets, feedback from fans about the direction the music is going, and income opportunities. It also increases the likelihood for endorsement deals since more eyes will be seeing the artist publicly. At the height of the artists’ career, touring is big business. For acts like Eminem and Jay-Z, touring carries multi-million dollar sponsorships, DVD sales, and endorsement deals. Touring becomes a large part of the artists’ income at this point. They rarely have access to the fans because of their hectic schedules and interviews, so it doesn’t help keep them grounded with the fans, but it does give them feedback as to which songs work best for which crowds. I once heard Killer Mike break down the levels of a career for a rapper. A rap18
per starts out as the hottest artist on the block, to grow into the hottest rapper in the neighborhood. The artist then becomes the hottest artist on that side of town (south side, north side, etc), and grows into being the hottest artist in the city. Once a certain level of buzz is achieved, the artist becomes the hottest rapper in the state, and that grows into being the hottest artist in the region. If the career progresses properly, the artist can become the hottest artist in the country. This is true for rappers, singers, DJs, producers, etc. Most artists stall at the first few levels. Some of my favorite rappers are the hottest rappers in their area, but that’s just not enough to attract an international record label to sign them. Touring, or getting out on the road, helps an artist expand from being just a local rapper or a local producer. A smart artist has stuff to sell on the road - t-shirts, mix CDs, DVDs of his or her life, etc. And certainly, once an artist is signed to a record deal, expanding their reach beyond their hometown is priority number one. A promotional tour consists of going from city to city, doing interviews on the radio, visiting retail stores, attending local events, and doing video and press interviews (newspapers, magazines, internet sites, etc). A smart artist meets as many industry people as possible in each town so that he or she can build the necessary relationships and connections to succeed, separate from their label. This is especially helpful for an artist who plans to put out other artists himself (especially if using the label’s budget to promote them). Follow up notes, thank you notes or calls, and keeping in touch with industry people that are met on the road are important for success. This is what separates an average artist from one who stands out in the minds of people within the industry. I, for example, have met thousands of artists over the years. Some stand out in my mind because they have done things that set themselves apart from everyone else. Most are a blur. How will you stand out? An experienced road manager can make the artist’s life easier. Aside from knowing how to maneuver on a tour, they are skilled at collecting money and diffusing situations that can easily turn ugly. They also have relationships already in place that can help the artist, and they know whom they can trust and whom to avoid on the road. They know which booking agents are full of shit and which promoters are notorious for not paying. They know which security at which clubs are good at their jobs, and which clubs are just an accident waiting to happen. Some folks hire friends or family to fill this position for trust reasons, or just because they are cheap, but this is a tremendous disservice to the artist. Not everyone is right for this job; in fact, inexperienced people will end up costing you more that they save you in salary. This is not the right industry for pinching pennies. Lawsuits are costly and happen regularly on tours. The right tour manager can diffuse bad situations ahead of time. A booking agent is also an important player on an artist’s team. An experienced booking agent can set up profitable tours (hopefully) and even match artists who have similar audiences. They excel in putting together packages of artists who will sell well on a ticket while routing them profitably. Another plus to having an experienced and well connected booking agent throughout a career, is that when the artist is no longer in his or her prime, they will still be able to book dates due to the long term relationship they have built. Not every rapper becomes an icon like Slick Rick, able to continue performing every weekend. Most are relegated to rare appearances and “whatever happened to…?” speculation. A good booking agent will be an asset to a career long past its natural prime. Booking Agents receive half of the performance fee for the artist when booked, and the artist collects the other half just prior to going on stage. Booking Agents receive 10% of the performance fee and are paid from the first half received. Touring is a key part of any career, and the most successful artists are the ones who work the hardest and make the most of their time on the road. As the artist’s popularity increases, so do the perks. The hotels get a little nicer, the vehicle goes from wrapped van to luxury tour bus, and even the groupies become more attractive. It’s all worth the effort, if you are serious about building a successful career. Who can complain about making anywhere from $1,500 to $150,000 a show for 20 minutes up to a few hours of performing?