Touring The Globe - Music Festival Preparations For Modern Bands

So you've gotten yourself booked to a music festival that's traveling the world. That's awesome. You'll be showing thousands of potential new fans your music in many different countries. Touring on a global scale is great for your exposure and a lot of fun, but it's also not something to get in to lightly. From the mundane to the extraordinary, there are a lot of things a modern band has to be ready for when they hit the road.

Get Ready Yesterday Do you all have passports? Do you know the visa requirements for all of the countries you plan on entering? Will you need to get a medical examination, shots, or any other checks? These are all things you need to know now, and get taken care of as soon as possible. It's sadly common for bands to have a tour booked and ready to go, only to be stuck at the border because there was a problem with their visas. Don't let that happen to you.

Plan Ahead Make sure you have an idea of where you'll be staying while you're on the road, as well as how you'll be getting around. For example, will the festival you're with provide lodging and transportation, or will you need to rent a van or hire a bus and get hotel rooms? Plan ahead for unexpected problems, too. This usually means cash on hand. If you miss your flight, make sure you can pay for a hotel room, taxis, or whatever else you need to do to get back on schedule. It's important to have the cash to cover emergencies.

Be Cautious Musical equipment is valuable and often easily stolen. If you have a van and/or trailer filled with gear, do your best to park legally everywhere you go and keep everything locked up. Look up common scams for the areas that you're visiting before you get there, and keep an eye out for pickpockets. It's not that people abroad are less trustworthy than they are at home, but the consequences of being taken advantage of out on the road in a foreign country are much higher than they are in your home town. Touring the world is an amazing opportunity to spread your music and see sights you might never see. Don't be afraid to look around, meet new friends, make new fans, and learn about the places you're going.