MUSIC INDUSTRY FACT SHEETS

NSW Regional Touring

If you are thinking of heading off the well-worn original live music track and into regional areas it’s important to become aware of the differences and also to be prepared to get more involved in the whole process.

Regional Arts NSW has a network of Regional Arts Development Officers (RADOs) that can help you get acquainted with the different regions. Contacting the RADO in the region you are hoping to tour will ensure you communicate with the right people in the right places. Remember, most regional areas don’t see many original music touring acts so you will need to ensure there is community awareness well in advance. Get advice and get to know the local venues and bookers, events coordinators and youth groups. Community is extremely important in regional areas and it is important to make sure you include as much of the community in your event as possible.

Where to go…

A regional tour needs to be carefully planned and identifying how, where and when to go is extremely important to its success. The need for partnering with the local community is the key to success. To choose where you are going you will need to do your research - the concept of original live music may be new in some areas so its always good to be prepared to play a couple of cover songs as well as your original set – old favourites can be crowd pleasers as it is something familiar.

Another factor that could be considered when planning is the location of regional universities – this can be a great starting point for a tour but make sure you have researched when students are actually around and not on term break or study break. You can obtain university calendars quite easily either online or by phone. You may also consider planning a community event to make the tour even more successful by involving the whole region. Involving youth centres and schools can be excellent things to consider and could possibly open up opportunities such as student-based events or workshops following by an evening public show. This can make your visit more worthwhile both for yourselves and the local community.

You can check out the Australian Music Industry Directory for some regional venues but many venues won’t be listed as they could be halls, youth centres, clubs or simply just not functioning as live venues all the time. The VROOM can help identify many of these other venues but also remember that you can find out more information by contacting RADOs and the local community events organisers and bookers.

Think about diversifying and setting up a show that is an event rather than just a regular gig … contact the youth groups and find out the event coordinators in the area. Make sure you check out Indent, the youth entertainment network in NSW and found out who’s who and what’s going on when and where and get involved.

Before you go…

As with all touring your budget is your guide to the financial success of the tour. However, with regional touring you may need to factor in a few extras. Petrol costs are rising everywhere but the cost of petrol in regional areas can be higher again and you will also be travelling increased distances so that will take the petrol costs up even higher.

Often venues are not set up for regular live music so you will need to make sure all is in order as far as sound and production is concerned – this may, or may not be a cost to you but you will need to check on this from the start. Clear communication of what’s required and what’s available will ensure smooth running. So keep in touch with whoever is in charge of the venue to make sure everything is organised in advance – never expect to just turn up and have an in-house PA and production team waiting.

Accommodation may often be provided by regional venues but you can never assume this is the case. Find out early and if you require accommodation ask your contacts for local affordable accommodation options. Motels in regional areas can sometimes end up being quite expensive and blow the budget.

Make sure all your gear is in working order before you leave for the tour and take spare leads, guitar strings, tools, etc as hiring or buying gear isn’t going to be as easy as a phone call or drive down the road.

Mobile phones don’t always work in regional areas so factor in landline and phone card costs.

You may want to consider funding assistance for your tour - Arts NSW offers the Performing Arts Touring Program with grants available for projects as well as Guarantees Against Loss (GALs); the Contemporary Music Touring Program is also an option offered by the Department of Information Technology and the Arts; and Regional Arts NSW also has various grants on offer for Arts projects.

Spreading the word…

You will find that most regional towns have their own radio stations so it’s a good idea to make sure they know who you are and what you are doing. Find out the who’s who of the local media and get involved by supplying them with your music and as much information as you can about who you are and what you will be doing when you come to town. Do this well in advance to allow time for the community to identify with you. You can contact AMRAP to identify the radio stations in the area that are relevant to your tour and the RADOs can help you identify other media that could be contacted.

Word of mouth is also a key factor so remember to get as much of the community involved as possible.

Getting there…

Driving times between regional towns can be deceiving as you won’t be on highways all the time – road conditions can vary and service stations can be further apart. Make sure you have landline numbers for the bookers, accommodation or contacts in the regions you are visiting and also leave these numbers with a manager or contact at home. And remember you can’t rely on your mobile phones – so be prepared to make calls to and from landlines in case of emergency – take change and a phonecard.

Take a recent and detailed road map for the area you are touring to – large state maps will not show many of the roads you may need to take. A detailed map will also tell you how far it is between towns so you can calculate approximate travel times – it is often a good idea to ask locals how long it really takes to get from point A to point B.

Safety issues…

Remember you will be travelling longer distances so you will need to make sure your vehicle is in good condition and you have all emergency road assistance contact numbers with you. Be aware of changing weather conditions – temperature variations can be very extreme in remote areas. Check before you leave so you’re aware of the temperatures you can expect to experience. It is important to always have spare water on hand both for the car and for drinking. And always keep a first aid kit in the vehicle just in case.

Further Information

NSW Ministry for the Arts
http://www.arts.nsw.gov.au

Arts on Tour
http://www.artsontour.com.au

Regional Arts NSW
http://www.regionalartsnsw.com.au

Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
http://www.dcita.gov.au

VROOM Online Venue Guide
http://www.vroom.musicnsw.com

Australian Music Industry Directory (AMID)
http://www.immedia.com.au/amid

AMRAP
http://www.amrap.org