The gigs are booked and the important contracts have been signed and returned. You will need to get a couple things done before you leave. At a minimum you should prepare a tour itinerary that outlines all of the details of the trip for your whole team. Keeping your manager, publicist and band members in the loop is going to ultimately cut down on your own stress level. Let everyone have a copy of each gigs address, phone numbers, set times etc. Seeing as someone is going to have to get directions from each gig to the next, you might as well include those in with the itinerary.

Once you get on the road, someone can use the itinerary to advance your shows. Every venue needs to be called a week or so before the gig to confirm any last minute details. Getting into the habit of advancing your shows is the only way to eliminate any surprises. Sound systems blow up, venues close down, and licenses get pulled. The alternative is more frustration than it is worth. Every band has someone that can take on another easy task or two. This one is simple but important.

In next month’s issue of Onlinegigs Booking Advice Newsletter: The All Important Band Website.

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Once you enter tour date information into your Onlinegigs account you automatically have a tour itinerary created for you. You can even generate driving directions from any gig to any other contact in the database. For example you can schedule an on air-interview with a radio station, book a gig at a college and make a hotel reservation and the generate directions from one destination to the next. From any contact record, just click Schedule Meeting, and select Show On Itinerary. Now the itinerary will be generated with driving directions from your gig to your interview, your hotel, then your next gig and so on.

Select the tour dates that you want to include on the itinerary and click View Itinerary. Be sure to double check the directions and make sure every location has a valid address. Every single detail from every gig will be inserted into a chronologically formatted document with turn by turn driving directions from one location to the next.

It never hurts to have more contacts now that you have Onlinegigs to help you manage all of them:

Want to sell more CDs? Find a booking agent? Looking for a record label? Discover thousands of places to promote your music and get the contacts you need in the music industry with the Galaris Musicians Directory 2004 Edition. This is an incredible resource for anyone looking to take that next step.

Check It Out: GMD 2004