Touring Safely: Protecting Your Gear and Vehicle
Making money from live performances is both more important thanks to streaming and harder due to inflation and increased competition than ever. Now more than ever, doing it smartly matters.
Post-COVID, touring is once again becoming a significant source of income for artists; and in the current music industry climate, it might be your best shot at making a profit off your work. With streaming services paying a fraction of a cent for each stream and record purchases decreasing steadily over time, new artists aren’t likely to make a living off new releases alone. Touring not only provides an additional source of revenue in the form of ticket sales and merchandise distribution; it allows your band to establish a connection with audiences who wouldn’t have heard of you before and allows you to slowly but surely gain a greater following.
 |
However, if you’re a newer artist who hasn’t toured before, the amount of logistics that go into making a successful tour might surprise you. From finding the best way to transport and store your gear to selecting your mode of transportation, each step can easily become a game of chance, with trial and error determining how many speed bumps your group will have to overcome to have a successful performance. Nothing will kill a show like gear malfunctioning mid-set, important tech getting stolen before doors open, or transportation malfunctions delaying your arrival.
If you’re looking to make sure it goes off without a hitch, you’re in the right place. Let’s break down how you can iron out the logistics before setting off to ensure a successful slate of shows.
Taking Care of Your Gear
Firstly, let’s talk about how to secure your most important asset: your gear. Whether you’re looking to transport a veritable orchestra of classical instruments, soundboards and speakers, or staples like drums, guitars, and microphones, you’ll need to make sure you can get these items from point A to point B safely; regardless of the distance or method of transport involved.
Early in your touring career, you may be hitting the road in an SUV or a personal vehicle, as that’s a decent way to save money; but further in your career, you may be traveling overseas, and have to be more hands-off with regards to gear protection. Let’s briefly go over how you can get your gear where it needs to go safely and securely in both instances, preparing you for that eventuality while teaching you the skills needed for the moment.
If you’re traveling by bus or van, you may be at a higher risk for getting equipment stolen. To protect against this, try:
- Being discreet on the road: You don’t need your name in lights everywhere you go, especially when doing so makes you a nice, shiny target. Save the theatrics for the stage, and while on the road, act as if you’re any other group taking a road trip.
- Cage your gear: The more your gear is locked up, and the more complex the protective measures taken, the less likely you are to wake up and find it’s missing.
- Make it difficult to see inside your van: Something as simple as covering the windows at night makes it hard for thieves to see all that valuable gear you’re hauling cross-country.
- Hide GPS trackers: Putting an airtag on your equipment while in transit as well as storing one in your van or trailer are great ways to make sure nothing gets misplaced, and allows for quick recovery if something goes sideways.
If you’re shipping your gear elsewhere, you have a lot less control over its storage and maintenance. Proper packing is key to making sure your gear doesn’t get damaged during transit. Carefully consider:
- External crating: Which crate material you’ll go with will depend on the avenue of shipping, cost limitations, and the measurements of your gear.
- Internal packing materials: Utilize shock-absorbent packing materials such as bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and memory foam.
- Climate control options: Different climates offer different possible types of damage. Understanding what kinds of damage are likely to occur, and choosing packaging insulated against it, offers an extra layer of protection.
If something you plan to ship is particularly fragile, consider taking it with you instead. After all, for all the good that these options do, accidents happen; and the last thing you want is to be stuck without the vital materials you need to perform.
Choosing an Avenue of Transportation
Early in your touring career, you’re likely looking for ways to save money, as expenses like gas, food, and hotels can stack up quickly on longer tours. One way that a lot of artists do this is by using a personal vehicle for touring, as this way they can avoid expensive rentals. Using a personal vehicle for touring allows you to control your method of transportation, save a little money on expenses, and even get a tax break when April rolls around. However, personal vehicles also gain wear and tear, require different insurance when used for business, and impart increased liability onto you in the event of an accident.
You can still use a personal vehicle for touring if you deem it appropriate; but making sure your insurance is in order, that it’s properly maintained, and that it has all the storage needed for your equipment is necessary before hitting the road.
Touring as a new artist can be thrilling, but you want to make sure it’s exciting in only the right ways. Follow the above tips to protect yourself and limit your expenses on the road, and you’ll be well on your way to carving out your own musical niche with successful shows.
