Touring Internationally: Part 2 (feat. R. Ariel)
We’re concluding an excellent guest spot with R.Ariel today! Make sure to check out her great work here:
~~
Touring during off-seasons is key to not spending much (ie why y’all see me freezing all the time). It is also more likely that venues will work with you if it is your first time in their country, because it is their off-season. You can get a round trip ticket to Tokyo from LA for 500 bucks on off-seasons. Phoenix to Paris off-season round trip can be as low as 600. Etc.
Plus side, a lot more ppl are willing to come out to a show, cause not many other bands are playing, so that’s tight too.
Searching for Airbnbs and other house sharing platforms is a great way to find cheap housing. Also, talking to the bands you are playing with, plus the venues booking you. Sometimes they will have a spot for you to crash.
Gear is easy to rent, and/or asking bands if you can borrow some of their equipment is great. [If you borrow someone else’s gear, obv treat it with respect and replace if you break something, I’m talking to you smashy cymbal drummers out there-ED]. Japan tho, for example, has almost all types of gear you would need at the venues aside from guitars.
Renting a car or taking a train depends on how many ppl you have with you, and what is going to be the most efficient. Japan seems a lot smarter to take trains, cause they are faster and cheap. Europe, however, tends to be easier to rent cars. Renting from sites like “oui car” in Europe is great because you don’t even need a credit card to rent (like Airbnb but for cars).
Buying food from grocery stores will save you hella cash, and looking online for cheap restaurants works too (so u not just eating fast food the whole time).
~~