I tour solo and live in my vehicles. I started doing this in 2008 and have lived in a Nissan Micra, a Ford Mondeo and a Citroen Berlingo while out on tour. At the end of Feb 2012, I moved out of my flat, into my Citroen Berlingo. I now live in a camper van (Jan 2013), and tour constantly except for in January. Please check out my Blog “On The Road”, which you can find in the right column on this page. Below are my current bookings for the coming year.
Some musicians find it easier to have a full time job; others find more acceptable to be a full time musician. If you don’t have capital and don’t want to embrace the obscenity of debt (whether that be via a bank or a signing lable) you’ll have to run a business. I have accepted having to travel to gain a fuller diary. My system of touring overcomes the following problems:
1/ The fuel cost of having to return home after a gig or the cost of overnight accommodation.
2/ The need to share the profits from live performances with a band.
3/ Gaps in a diary with no means of generating an income while away from home.
The solution I’ve found is to:
1/ Tour solo
2 / Live in a vehicle
3/ Play open mics between paid gigs, to generate bookings and income from CD sales.
Having committed oneself to these decisions, they will interface with every aspect of one’s act and portfoloio of artistic output. Putting one foot infront of the other and learning by doing has been the best way of designing this business. The only thing that is generic and transferable is the process. The business model is specific to the original act that I have developed over the last 8 years (2013).
Below is a list of locations I’ve played in over the last six years of touring.
Glasgow
Edinbrough
Staveley
Barnards Castle
Bramton
Grassmere
Kendal
Lancaster
Preston
Fleetwood
Lythm St Annes
Morpeth
Redcar
Darlington
Hull
York
Leeds
Birstall
Skipton
Cullingworth
Keighley
Halifax
Heckmondwike
Todmoredon
Hebdon Bridge
Sowerby Bridge
Barnoldswick
Burnley
Darwen
Oswaldtwistle
Whalley
Rawtenstall
Bacup
Bolton
Manchester
Stalybridge
Port Sunlight
Rainford
Chester
Sheffield
Killamarsh
Worksop
Dronfield
Derby
Chesterfield
Ruthin
Wrexham
Buxton
Congleton
Bakewell
Ashington
Stoke On Trent
Newcastle
Werrington
Leek
Alton
Checkley
Sheffield
Killamarsh
Aughton
Ripley
Nottingham
Lincoln
Burton On Trent
Loughborough
Leicester
Stone
Yarnfield
Eccleshall
Little Haywood
Stafford
Abbotts Bromley
Newport
Wheaton Aston
Telford
Shrewsbury
Whitchurch
Brewood
Litchfield
Shepshed
Leamington
Hinkley
Coventry
Bedworth
Rugby
Sutton Coldfield
Walsall
Wolverhampton
Birmingham
Alcester
Stourbridge
Wolverly
Bewdley
Stottesden
Redditch
Bromsgrove
Worcester
Gloucester
Cirencester
Cheltenham
Stroud
France Lynch
Caldicott
Cardiff
Swansea
Chippenham
Swindon
Newbury
Maidenhead
Northampton
Shipston-On-Stour
Oxford
Peterborough
Norwich
Lowestoft
Woodford
(Place in Suffolk)
Hertford
Milton Keynes
Newport Pagnell
Wolverton
Bury St Edmunds
Bishop Stortford
Chelmsford
Colchester
Ipswich
Walton On The Naze
Sible Headingham
Burnham-On-Crouch
Maldon
Goldhanger
Braintree
Great Leys
London
Southend-On-Sea
Hockley
Leigh-On-Sea
Benfleet
Rochester
Gillingham
Sandgate
Whitstable
Hythe
Brighton
Cowfold
Horsham
Worthing
Alton
Southampton
Portsmouth
Bath
Melksham
Corsham
Trowbridge
Bradford on Avon
Nunney
Bruton
Queen Camel
Yeovil
Wells
Glastonbury
Bristol
Clevedon
Weston-Super-Mare
Watchet
Dorchester
Totnes
Exeter
Stokeinteinmouth
Ilfracombe
Plymouth
Plympton
St Austell
Mevagissey
Bolventor
Redruth
Truro
Falmouth
Penzance
St JustSt Ives