Jobs when you're not touring??

[notagain]

I work with a band that tours alot, varying from month-long tours to week-long tours. In all, they're probably on the road for at least three or four months a year, but not consecutively. They all have unique situations where they're able to manage this, career-wise. I'm not in their situation, though, and if I tour with them in the future, I'd need to have a steady job for the times when I'm home.

So I'm wondering: if you're in a band that tours frequently, what do you do for work when you're home? It seems almost impossible to find a steady job that lets you take off so much time. What do other bands do for work when they're not on tour? Are there any particular jobs that are flexible for touring? Any advice?

[remoteCONTROL]

dude. Medical studies!As long as you don't mind needles, that's definitely the way to go for short stays at home. The way they work is you go sign up online, go to the clinic for 2-5 days depending on the study, they'll give you like a sleeping medication or alergy medicine or something and then draw your blood like 50 times and pay you $2000. It's the best way to legally make quick money without putting your savings all on black. I just got a job transporting patients at a hospital tho and started at $14 an hour and I'm "per diem" so I make my own schedule and can takes months at a time off. Google the nearest medical study place or nearest hospital and ask for a per diem transporter job

[OveriseFan]

Restaurant (cheaper) type places, Pizza guys (either cooking, clerking or delivery), etc.

Music lessons, too, although in your case - I guess that might not work?

[Nobodyhearsyou]

Donating seman. In fairfax Va, apparently they will give you $75 per donation and you can donate every two days. As long as your cool with the though that you might have little you's running around in 10 years without you knowing, it'll probably be good money.

There are jobs where you can work from home (or anywhere with an internet connection). Either tech support or sales. look into it.

[The Boathouse]

I'm an automotive mechanic. Boss lets me come and go as I must, pretty cool. Not sure how it is everywhere. I work for a small business though, none of that pep boys shit.

[Twizx]

Donating seman. In fairfax Va, apparently they will give you $75 per donation and you can donate every two days. As long as your cool with the though that you might have little you's running around in 10 years without you knowing, it'll probably be good money.

This sounds completely unethical on so many levels but definitely something I see myself doing, $75 per donation is insane.

[TheSkyline]

This sounds completely unethical on so many levels but definitely something I see myself doing, $75 per donation is insane.

Hahaha, that's exactly what I thought.

It may be weird, but it's worth it. haha

[OveriseFan]

This sounds completely unethical on so many levels but definitely something I see myself doing, $75 per donation is insane.

er... not really.

That's (at best) $262.50 a week (assuming 3.5 donations per week, which is the most you could do.); not bad money, but it's still not very "livable". I guess it depends on your area though.

Plus, the two positive comments I saw are from a 17 year old and a 15 year old (not criticizing you - I myself am 16), but you hardly know what it's like to live independently (having to pay rent, food, cell phone bill, etc.), let alone imagine donating your semen for money...

[Twizx]

Take into account the amount of time you have to spend working for that $75 though. Actually I don't really want to think about that. Nevermind.

[TheSkyline]

er... not really.

That's (at best) $262.50 a week (assuming 3.5 donations per week, which is the most you could do.); not bad money, but it's still not very "livable". I guess it depends on your area though.

Yeah, but it's easy work if you know what I mean. haha

It's not like your doing anything difficult. I would love to get paid $262 a week for jacking off every two days. haha

[Twizx]

It's not like your doing anything difficult. I would love to get paid $262 a week for jacking off every two days. haha

Exactly, that's like something you could do on top of another job too since I'm assuming you can show up whenever you want to donate.

[miketrondson]

It may cost you some money up front, but get a silk screen for shirts. A pin-maker would work too.

Do some band merch, yo!

Or get in good with a smaller business or resturant and work there part time.

[hero_dujour]

If I were a dude I'd do the semen thing. Definitely tops getting paid minimum wage working your ass off at a restaurant or wherever lmao. I mean you're in, you jack off, get paid, and you're out!
edit: also, not many places are gonna wanna hire someone who can only work occasionally, they'd rather pay someone who can regularly.

[The Boathouse]

The problem with sperm banks is that they have very strict requirements for donors, at least in the NY area. College degree, things of this nature required. Trust me, I'd be all over it otherwise.

[Theher3tic]

dude. Medical studies!As long as you don't mind needles, that's definitely the way to go for short stays at home. The way they work is you go sign up online, go to the clinic for 2-5 days depending on the study, they'll give you like a sleeping medication or alergy medicine or something and then draw your blood like 50 times and pay you $2000. It's the best way to legally make quick money without putting your savings all on black. I just got a job transporting patients at a hospital tho and started at $14 an hour and I'm "per diem" so I make my own schedule and can takes months at a time off. Google the nearest medical study place or nearest hospital and ask for a per diem transporter job

Would these be possibly harmful tests? cuz that sounds kinda decent

[EndSerenading]

had to choose a steady career over touring as much as I would have loved to keep doing my band full time. Had my degree luckily so im working as a mechanical engineer right now. Wish I could be out playing music full time but a good paycheck is hard to turn down when thinking of the future. And I actually do enjoy what I do as an ME.

[remoteCONTROL]

Would these be possibly harmful tests? cuz that sounds kinda decent

they don't test you with stuff that could seriously harm you ahahhaha i think. you just look like a heroin junky when your done because you've gotten a ton of shots. it's mostly blood pressure medication and sleeping pills and stuff. really minimal. you go through a screening process to make sure your not allergic or anything to any of the testing. the worst part is having to sit there watching dvd's all day and the internet gets boring after about an hour. it's like being on house arrest but the rewards are worth it.

[johnh5304]

they don't test you with stuff that could seriously harm you ahahhaha i think. you just look like a heroin junky when your done because you've gotten a ton of shots. it's mostly blood pressure medication and sleeping pills and stuff. really minimal. you go through a screening process to make sure your not allergic or anything to any of the testing. the worst part is having to sit there watching dvd's all day and the internet gets boring after about an hour. it's like being on house arrest but the rewards are worth it.
I would spend the majority of that time playing video games.

[notagain]

thanks for the input, guys.
i've thought about doing medical studies. i'd be willing to do the ones that don't involve taking medication, like ones where they test your sleeping habits or do an MRI. but taking medications for a study doesn't seem safe.
i think per diem work makes the most sense for me. if i work as a per diem employee for a few different employers, i think i could manage to work full-time when i'm home.

[EndSerenading]

just to clarify, im confused why someone listed an hourly rate and said they are per diem. Im just being nit picky I know but real per diem means a set total amount of money per day. If it is tied to an hourly rate in any way then it is not true per diem. :)

sounds like you are on a flex schedule that your employer just incorrectly called per diem - unless they do in fact pay you one lump sum per day you work.

[tbirdted]

had to choose a steady career over touring as much as I would have loved to keep doing my band full time. Had my degree luckily so im working as a mechanical engineer right now. Wish I could be out playing music full time but a good paycheck is hard to turn down when thinking of the future. And I actually do enjoy what I do as an ME.


hey! i'm an ME, also. where did you go to school? what do you do at your job?

i'm actually about to do the opposite, haha. i've been working full time since graduation, but have recently spoken with my boss about flexibility and my desire to play music. hopefully, it will work out. if not, i've been looking into substitute teaching and/or tutoring.

[untitled94]

i deliver pizza & pump gas on my downtime. most people i know that tour do stuff like that in between tours -- or work with friends/family who will be flexible

[untitled94]

they don't test you with stuff that could seriously harm you ahahhaha i think. you just look like a heroin junky when your done because you've gotten a ton of shots. it's mostly blood pressure medication and sleeping pills and stuff. really minimal. you go through a screening process to make sure your not allergic or anything to any of the testing. the worst part is having to sit there watching dvd's all day and the internet gets boring after about an hour. it's like being on house arrest but the rewards are worth it.

i think some dudes in my band met you guys in washington this summer when we were on tour -- somehow i ended up with your guys' cd in my car, sounds really good haha

[EndSerenading]

hey! i'm an ME, also. where did you go to school? what do you do at your job?

i'm actually about to do the opposite, haha. i've been working full time since graduation, but have recently spoken with my boss about flexibility and my desire to play music. hopefully, it will work out. if not, i've been looking into substitute teaching and/or tutoring.

cool man :)

I went to school at NC State in Raleigh, NC. I work for Fluor Corporation. We do design and construction for all kinds of places like power plants (nuclear, coal, natural gas, etc), biotech/pharmaceutical plants, oil refineries, etc etc. Anything that can be built we can design and construct it haha. So its been pretty cool to see physical existance of your design in the end :)

[remoteCONTROL]

i think some dudes in my band met you guys in washington this summer when we were on tour -- somehow i ended up with your guys' cd in my car, sounds really good haha

hahaha thats tight. we spent our summer in hoboken nj at water music tracking that. glad you like it. feel free to burn it and pass it on

[tbirdted]

cool man :)

I went to school at NC State in Raleigh, NC. I work for Fluor Corporation. We do design and construction for all kinds of places like power plants (nuclear, coal, natural gas, etc), biotech/pharmaceutical plants, oil refineries, etc etc. Anything that can be built we can design and construct it haha. So its been pretty cool to see physical existance of your design in the end :)


that sounds awesome. i graduated from georgia tech last december and was looking for a job working with acoustics, but when i decided that i wanted to make music my priority, i decided to just stay where i'm at doing hvac consulting.

[EndSerenading]

oh word, thats my main priority where I am is the HVAC design plus air quality and controls.

[withonevoice]

most retail jobs are pretty flexible with touring. i've been using a temp agency since i've been home (which has been quite a while since my band has been writing and now recording). i also do graphic design...but who doesn't lately?

[acor]

thanks for the input, guys.
i've thought about doing medical studies. i'd be willing to do the ones that don't involve taking medication, like ones where they test your sleeping habits or do an MRI. but taking medications for a study doesn't seem safe.
i think per diem work makes the most sense for me. if i work as a per diem employee for a few different employers, i think i could manage to work full-time when i'm home.


I actually intern at an MRI research center. Just from what I know it's a pretty cool way to make some cash. They don't really pay out a huge amount of money on the other hand.

[djUbilla]

had to choose a steady career over touring as much as I would have loved to keep doing my band full time. Had my degree luckily so im working as a mechanical engineer right now. Wish I could be out playing music full time but a good paycheck is hard to turn down when thinking of the future. And I actually do enjoy what I do as an ME.I'm precisely in that same transition period right now. Just got done with music, and interviewing for that EE position. I agree with you completely, man.

[djUbilla]

hey! i'm an ME, also. where did you go to school? what do you do at your job?

i'm actually about to do the opposite, haha. i've been working full time since graduation, but have recently spoken with my boss about flexibility and my desire to play music. hopefully, it will work out. if not, i've been looking into substitute teaching and/or tutoring.Hey, this is Dan from Last Car in Alaska. We played a show a while back. Loved you guys. I remember commiserating over our engineering and musical backgrounds. Hope all is well.

[EndSerenading]

you're at clemson? I live in greenville, sc now. I moved there after I graduated from state. If you like Empire Empire (I was a lonely estate) they are playing in greenville this wednesday :)