Touring is MEGA HARD. |

Touring is MEGA HARD.

August 6th, 2009 by Hexfix93

The pain agony. So talking to a lot of people, I have come to the conclusion that if I hire a booking agent, and don’t make the merch myself, So many hands will be in the little and yes its little profits that I will make from the venues and the merch sales, that I will not make much money for myself. I have to pay Todd and Heidie at least 300 to 400 as a min a week to cover the time they are away from work. I have to pay a light and sound guy, i think this mark passmore guy will do it, but i have not talked to him yet. That will cost me more than paying todd and heidie. I also need a merch person another person I will have to pay. I will have to pay for motel rooms, food and gas and for the van rental or tour bus. this is a shit ton of money folks. Now I have to figure out the rout and the times, the travel time, and all, I have to find transportation to tour, what sucks is this, without a night liner, not being able to sleep while you are driving to the next gig means that you cannot play a show every night, and this really eats at your profits. I can not afford to not make money on this tour, It has to pay for me to live or i need to get a job. This is the problem. So If I hire a booking agent, and a company to do merch, it means way less profits for me.

So what I have to do is figure out where to play. The problem this year, Is I am out of time. And winter will be here soon. So I was thinking of only playing the south this winter, and maybe hitting the north next spring with 16 volt maybe(not in stone). This is just a thought though. I really need to play the whole USA. Winter will be brutal to travel though and that scares the shit out of me. I don’t know what to do with europe, because to get the investment and all those hands doing the booking it means i will play at a loss and for free, and my band will not come if there is no money. So europe is looking dire. The cost of travel over seas is so high now. I would have to rent all the gear over there too. Shit. This is so much work, i have to get a tech rider ready, I have to talk to venues and do the booking myself, and figure out dates based on a tour. This is way harder than I imagined it. So I need to figure it out.

I want to play alone and just have local acts open. Good local acts who draw crowds, not doing favors for fans and friends, I need to make smart business decisions that makes it so I can afford to tour.

What I need from you fans, is, seriously, what venues are good in your area, that would cater to this kind of music and scene, that would be profitable? Think about recent shows and how many people showed up. I will even need you guys to help promote the shows because most venues don’t do a good job. So tell me please, what venues? Give me addresses and contact info so I can start making calls.

[?]

26 Responses

magenticka Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I still feel it’ll work out in the long run. It’ll be so worth it it in the end. The band are welcome to crash on my floor if you make it to London, and I’m sure there will be other fans over the US that will do the same, if you wanna save some money on hotel fees. As far as venues are concerned, I know all the best places in London, but obviously the european shows are a long way off. I really believe you’re going to be pleasantly surprised by the number of people that flock to the US shows.
[aaroN] Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
The Marquee in Tulsa is where i always go, and depending on the shows, it can be half full or sold out. it’s not too far from you’re area, especially if you’re already planning to come to the southern areas of the US. it’s a club type venue, and pretty intimate, meaning you can have a lot of easy crowd interaction. It’s pretty known by the underground music fans, and is across from the Cain’s Ballroom venue (which is usually used for larger acts). but i know the guy who is in charge of booking shows for the Marquee, and i can talk to him. there are usually metal shows and electronic shows here. they have an Assimilation meeting for electronic fans each month or so, and also small release parties for artist cds. they have tribute nights to Skinny Puppy, VNV, Joy Division, The Cure, DJ nights, and they also have booked bands like Combichrist in the past and are hosting a date of the “In The Flesh Tour” ft. SLICK IDIOT (ft. En Esch of KMFDM) / SYSTEMACHINE / AXIS, and GRENDEL / MODULATE / OBLYVAEON / DJ DEATHJEST / DJ STIGMATIK as well. we have some local bands who could play support. here’s the myspace http://www.myspace.com/themarqueetulsa there are links to different area promoters on their ‘top friends’ space.
[aaroN] Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
also, the myspace for that venue i gave you once had ‘Slut’ as one of it’s profile songs. i found it by chance one day, and was pleasantly surprised.
HeavySausagE Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
For Hollywood

http://www.henryfondatheater.com

Saw SkinnyPuppy there twice, Goldfrapp once, Haujobb there as well, but they didn’t have a drummer and it sucked. My Favorite Venue. There is also Orpheum theater in downtown LA right across the street from where I live. But the sound there sucks!! They have no bass.

http://www.laorpheum.com/
bobbydoll Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
if you come through the north east, please come to providence!

large venue:
http://lupos.com/

small venue:
http://as220.org/
Rob Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
17 Irving Place
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-6800

expect a few hundred people, the venue likely houses around 500 people comfortably and is clean and respectable

BB Kings
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
237 West 42 St.
New York, NY 10036
Telephone: 212-997-4144

expect a few hundred, the venue only houses around 300 comfortably and is a bit upscale

you can try the roseland ball room or nokia theatre for ny as well. there are many others you can look up, try to stay within 40 blocks or so from port authority when choosing a venue. i think you’ll lose some of the tri state crowd otherwise. skinny puppy are allegedly planning a tour as well so it wouldnt hurt to contact them if they’ll coheadline a few dates
Rob Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
this place prints quality t shirts at a reasonable price, i believe they customize general merch too, i.e. posters and patches etc. http://www.punkstuff.com/

give them the designs and have them professionally print everything. when youre on tour simply keep everything in totes and have a table set up before and after your set. handle it personally and talk to your fans while selling your merch. this might be chaotic at times but it works best and you do not have to pay someone to handle it. being available for an autograph also entices people to buy things. keep in mind that some venues you play at actually have their own staff sell your merch. this is shitty in a way becuase they either take a cut from your set price or jack it up so they make a profit. if you book a gig at a place like the fillmore you’ll be able to handle all of your own shit and still have a nice venue to perform in, a place like bb kings i believe has their staff handle merchandising though. so ask many questions when you do make your calls so youre not surprised by anything on the road.
frozen Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
If you decide to do Dallas, try http://www.thechurchdallas.com/ I haven’t been there in a while, but I think you’d draw a crowd there. Alternately, http://www.granadatheater.com/ would be a good choice. I saw Ohgr there, and the place was packed. It seems to draw a lot of electronic acts, and it could be profitable.
Image Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
I live in Oregon, so it will be awhile until I see you It seems. But good contact info for Portland is Derek. He handles all these types of shows. Good thing to keep in mind.

http://www.myspace.com/corrosionrecords

My favorite venue is the Bossanova Ballroom, but I don’t know much about tech stuff in the venues. Berbati’s Pan is another one, although it is a bit small.
Days in Exile Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
The Tabernacle
52 Luckie Street NW,
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 659-9022

The Masquerade
695 North Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
(404) 577-8178

Das Bunker Atlanta
736 Ponce de Leon Ave,
Atlanta, GA 30306
bookingtheunicorn@gmail.com

Purgatory
1423 S. Tryon St,
Charlotte, NC
(the location may have changed)
Booking: aaron.p.berger@gmail.com

Saw Ladytron and Shpongle at these venues:

The Orange Peel
101 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801-3640
(828) 225-5851

Club Nashwa
38 N French Broad Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 252-1522
spektrum Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Philadelphia has a huge industrial scene, being the home of Metropolis Records. Try the following venues:
-Theatre of Living Arts
-Starlight Ballroom
-First Unitarian Church
-Shampoo (a club with gothic nights which has hosted many ebm acts)

Good luck.
What? What? Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
The Recher Theatre in Towson (just outside of Baltimore). It’s a small venue, but packs large crowds when bands like VNV Nation and Combichrist came. You can get the Baltimore and DC fans there.

http://www.rechertheatre.com/
deadsoul Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
AZ is below CO!!!!
Check out the The Marquee Theater in Tempe(Phoenix), AZ. http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/locations/marquee-theatre-9485/ or http://www.luckymanonline.com/venues.aspx
skinny puppy, combichrist, cradle of filth, and such performed there. employee’s are stupid as shit or asses though.

another, Clubhouse Music Venue http://www.clubhousemusicvenue.com/ my fav rock band ‘cold’ was just there. they’re north of Marquee Theater, nice bar like atmosphere. all ages. lil, smaller than above.

real nice one, my fav of all but smaller.
Martini Ranch (Scottsdale, AZ). http://www.martiniranchaz.net/ real nice ppl, in local hangout area, kinda college type area. gets great turn outs. ‘cold’ played there and i believe Funker Vogt was recently there.

all in the big pot of Phoenix, would mention my Tucson, AZ area… who knows.
Rialto Theatre http://www.rialtotheatre.com/
Tucson’s best venue without going stadium. Just smaller than Marquee Theater. Snoop Dogg coming, just had LadyTron, Mindless Self Indulgence came last year.

Hotel Congress http://www.hotelcongress.com/club/ very historic place (John Dillinger arrested)with great look and style. fetish balls happen here. small stage area but gets packed. right across from Rialto Theatre.

last Tucson,
The Rock – http://www.rocktucson.com/
small yet packed house. recent, Combichrist show was packed, Apocalyptica sold out. big crowds come, ppl travel from Phoenix here. sounds bounces and looks run down.

local band’s to choose are excellent!!
stellar stage presence and have a following.
http://www.myspace.com/elementa440 (please strongly consider them)
http://www.myspace.com/erot (different, yet amazing stage presence)

i hope this helps and isn’t over bearing.
we’ll need fliers when date’s set. gotta spread them around. will help out :)
Kaustikutt Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I saw MSI at Harpos last year and it was packed. Harpos in Detroit would be great if you go to Michigan, which you really should, I would definitely go to the show.

http://www.harposconcerttheatre.com/
(313)779-9278
paris_hilton Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Jaxx Concert Hall and Night Club
http://www.jaxxroxx.com/
6355 Rolling Road,
West Springfield, VA 22152
(703)-542-5656 (office)
(703)-569-5940 (club)

Mostly metal/goth/rock acts here- Cruxshadows/Ayria, Bella Morte, and Mindless Self Indulgence were all shows which had good turnout when I saw them. Good sound quality.

The only other place I know of in the area that works with the scene- Spellbound DC- probably isn’t worth your time IMO because they are small and haven’t drawn particularly large crowds in my personal experience. Still had a good time at their shows.
Link:
http://www.spellbound-dc.com/

Hope this is helpful!
Rawhyde Says:
August 6th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Ground Zero in Spartanburg,SC would be cool. check it out.Be good to catch your show,I just saw Combichrist and some other bands there
UNDERDARK Says:
August 7th, 2009 at 12:20 am
—————————————-
http://www.theglasshouse.us/v1/home.html
—————————————-
http://www.theglasshouse.us/v1/tour.html
—————————————-
The Glass House is located at:
200 W Second St
Pomona CA 91766
Information Line: (909) 865-3802
—————————————-
KMFDM
with Angelspit
Legion Within

Saturday, October 17
Doors: 7 pm
$23 adv / $25 dos
—————————————-

HexFix93:

Please consider this venue as it is very
popular locally, and draws audiences with
every week, with dependable consistency.
Great sound, can hold at least 1000 people

Also, Many EBM, Goth, & Industrial acts
play there regularly. KMFDM is playing
there soon. Manson is playing the newly
renovated at:
http://www.foxpomona.com/thenewfox.php

I saw The Birthday Massacre at the Glass
House recently, and they killed it. It
was a sold out crowd, and lots of merch
sold as the band did a signing session
after their set. Something to consider.

Also, you can get the local college radio
station to help promote your event: http://www.kspc.org/program.asp. There
is also a publis radio station that can
help: http://kpfk.org/programs.html.

Offering a couple of tickets to the EBM
show audience can yield serious dividends
in terms of free promotion and marketing.

Ill donate my services,for free.

Email me if you’re interested in my help.
Ian Says:
August 7th, 2009 at 2:31 am
First of all, I have a lot of respect for Velvet Acid Christ, but that’s probably not what you really need to hear right now! Down here in Florida we have a few great venues. There is a club in Ybor City called the Castle which caters to goth/ industrial subcultures. Jannus Landing in Saint Pete has hosted Combichrist and KMFDM is coming on Halloween (damn good day to go to an aggrotech/ electro industrial concert if you ask me!). Club Firestone in Orlando has hosted Misfits, Combichrist, and even a few black metal acts like Mayhem. If Mayhem can play a successful show there, I’m sure you guys will do great! Hope this helped, and I would love to see VAC in Florida.
Sumez Says:
August 7th, 2009 at 4:32 am
Eh.. cost of travel overseas is cheaper now than it has ever been before. I can get a return trip to NYC for less than most places in Europe.
Rory Says:
August 7th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
The Fun Haus in Toronto Great Scene would get TONS of people to come.
http://www.toronto-goth.com/clubs/funhaus.shtml

reverb in toronto
revolting cocks is playing there in october with the jim rose sideshow
http://www.thebigbop.com/
ViddyDrone Says:
August 9th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Filmore in NY is nice, saw Siouxsie & Combichrist there, both drew large crowds!

The Starlight Ballroom, First Unitarian Church, and Club Shampoo in Philly are also very good and draw large crowds in general, Shampoo a large goth/industrial/EBM/etc. scene in particular. I saw Voltaire on Halloween at a sold out show.

Also:
The Trocadero Theatre
1003 Arch Street
Philly PA
215-922-LIVE
http://www.thetroc.com/

I saw Sisters & Leaether Strip w/ Babyland there with large crowds for both, not to mention the upcoming black/death metal shows to appear there. Live Nation seems to sell tickets for all the troc’s shows and has a large e-mail database with weekly letters promoting upcoming shows.

The Sterling Hotel
343 W. Hamilton St.
Allentown PA (near Philly)
610-433-3480
FOR FASTER BOOKING CONTACT SKIP AT: http://www.pametalshows.com or call 610 704 8719
http://www.myspace.com/sterlinghotel

Funker Vogt played here. I couldn’t make the show, but I heard from some people that attended that it sold well and was crowded.

Tinks
519 Linden St
Scranton, PA 18503-1605
(570) 963-0725

GWAR played here to a full house, seemed near capacity, but I don’t have the actual numbers.
e.g.: Says:
August 12th, 2009 at 12:34 am
I’m gonna hafta give +1’s to all of the Philly mentions. I’d like to add the Electric Factory. I’ve seen Puppy there on their last two tours. I’ve also seen some good shows in Baltimore at Sonar.
skammie Says:
August 18th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I would avoid Ground Zero in Spartanburg, SC. They do not promote shows. The club is nasty, has crummy parking, and a crummy staff. Sorry to the person that recommended GZ, but face it, VAC will NOT draw a large enough crowd there even with better promotion than GZ normally puts out there.

I would contact the Orange Peel in Ashville, NC, listed above by another user, as it is a great venue. Again, I’m not sure you could draw enough to pack it out, but it is a college town.

You should have no problems with either the Tabernacle or the Masquerade in Atlanta, GA. Those venues are well established and somewhat cater to bands in your genre.
Eric Velarde Says:
August 31st, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Honestly in NC the best place for you would be The Orange Peel in Asheville…the uterus of Moog
TwistedSyntax Says:
September 24th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Austin has always been a haven for bands that are looking to help push their name out but do it with minimal impact on their wallet and time. It pulls together to help out bands more than any other city I’ve ever lived in (Seattle, Portlan, LA) and it has a dedicated venue for pretty much any kind of musical fancy you might subscribe to whether it be Industrial, Goth, Punk, Psychobilly, Death Metal or whatever. I can completely understand about depressing it is right now to try and invest so much time and money into something you love (music) only to see the greedy a$$holes in corporate America not really care about the artist and only the return of investment to them. However, there is something to be said for trying. Here in Austin, we have provided floor space for countless bands that have come through as well as countless rides, free food, beverages, promotional materials. With all that being said, I’m positive that I could definitely get enough assistance here in the city to help your experience be one with minimal negative marks as I’ve done it before for other bands. Below is the contact info for the venue I work/DJ at and I’m sure that TX in general would be VERY receptive to VAC playing there. Elysium has hosted some of the best shows around (even exclusive ones) and has been a fixture for bands looking to tour through TX.

Elysium Nightclub
http://www.elysiumonline.net
705 Red River St
Austin TX 78701
DJ Parasight Says:
October 9th, 2009 at 11:06 am
I handle booking for all of the industrial shows at The Marquee in Tulsa (Mentioned above)
Please get in touch. We would love to have you!
remissionentertainment(at)gmail.com