Buying onto tours

[xxero182]

Have any of you done this? If so, how did it work? Was it worth it? etc..

[Alex_Burton]

This is usually negotiated by management. It's also usually a silly idea. It's worth it if it's a good deal and it makes sense, but usually it's better to land tours the old fashioned way: by being awesome. My band was offered an opportunity to buy onto a Hanson tour once and it was totally nuts. If I recall correctly they wanted us to pay a lump sum as well as do radio buys in every market. The tour likely would've been in front of a good amount of people every night, but from what I understand Hanson fans are extremely loyal and really only their to see Hanson, and have little interest in the opening acts.

Honestly man, if your band is good and you can network and you have a following, you can get tours without buying in.

[Sal]

You pretty much have to hope you sell enough merch to break even.

[PerfectChaos337]

If you can pull it off, and it looks like its legit, then you might as well go for it. Don't most "real" bands just have their booking agents put in "bids" for tours anyway?

[Alex_Burton]

If you can pull it off, and it looks like its legit, then you might as well go for it. Don't most "real" bands just have their booking agents put in "bids" for tours anyway?

Usually this is the case, but when the headlining band doesn't have anyone that they necessarily WANT to take or if they're big enough that they don't need the opening support then often times it turns into a give us money or pay for our bus and we'll take you out type of thing.

Buying onto a tour is really something that should be decided on a case by case basis, taking into account the individual circumstances of that tour.

[xxero182]

thanks guys

[JLG_Matt]

It happens a lot, sometimes it's like, you have to pay for this this and that. Other times they'll just say give us 20k for 20 days. It blows but it is what it is.