International Bands @ SXSW: Managing Expectations and Making the Most of Your Investment - Part 2

Applications for showcases at the 2011 SXSW are open. Dart Music International's Dave Dart has some more wisdom for overseas acts looking to make the trek to Austin, or to other festivals in the USA.

Part 1 of his article is here.

If you've lined up the funding and are ready to come to the USA for your first tour or festival, getting yourself organized is key. The visa and festival selection process requires you to apply at least five months ahead of time. It's often helpful to think about a tour as several different components, then make sure you have each one mapped out. You can think of them  in broad categories like: immigration, venues, transportation, housing, rentals, publicity, and living expenses.

Immigration: You have to have a work visa. It will be either a P- or O-type visa, depending on whether you are a band or a solo performer. If you are bringing support personnel (sound engineer, lighting engineer, etc.) they will have to travel under an affiliated but separate visa.

The US government wants you to show that you are a serious musical artist, that you have an international reputation, and that you are not attempting to enter the country and stay here. There is a great deal of material required for a successful visa application, and experts in the field can help you gather the necessary documentation and put it together properly. So work with an agency or a nonprofit organization like DMI or Tamizdat to help you with the preparation. 

Venues/Festivals: Many festivals, like SXSW and CMJ, open their application process six/seven months before the festival. And many venues in the USA book as far as three/four months out. Booking a tour here obviously requires a lot of advanced planning. It also requires a good grasp of geography, knowledge of appropriate venues, and access to bookers. Like anyone who has done any tour booking, we've seen some hits and misses when dealing with booking agents. Currently at DMI, we are compiling a list of reputable booking agents who can work with international artists. Also, Sonicbids can be useful for finding venues looking for acts.  And check out indieonthemove.com.

Transportation: Getting to the USA (and back home) is one aspect of your travel that can be very expensive. Your best bet to save money is to book your round trip tickets as far in advance as possible. While in the USA you may also need to fly domestically. Many bands who come to the US want to play on the East cost  and West coast, as well as Austin. Check with your travel agent about a multi-city ticket. This affords substantial discounts for air travel within the USA. While on a regional tour you will also need to look at renting a car or van. During big festivals like SXSW or CMJ, this can be expensive and difficult to find, so make reservations well ahead of time.

Housing: This can be one of the most expensive parts of touring if you don't plan well. We use a combination of volunteers, services like betterthanthevan.com and couchsurfing.com, and hotel discounts. Many venues will also offer free or discounted billeting.  

Rentals: You obviously can't bring your amplifiers and drum kits with you on an international flight. We're lucky these days that we're allowed to bring a couple of suit cases! You should create a list of the equipment you want and the equivalent brands that can work if the first choice is unavailable or too expensive. Rental rates for equipment can vary wildly depending on the rental agency, brand, location, and duration of the rental. Here in Austin we work with friends and with Rock & Roll Rentals to get the best prices available.   

Publicity: Everyone knows that good publicity is key to having a well attended show. At home a band has their network of friends, fans, and even professional promoters who get the word out about their shows. Hiring a professional publicist in the States is ideal, but it may be out of financial reach for many bands. Whether you hire a publicist or not, there are a lot of things you can do to help your cause.

Of course, it all starts with planning your tour early. Be sure to let all your internet contacts know when and where you are playing. Email, Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace are some of the main tools for doing this. If you have any friends or contacts where you are going to play, ask them to invite their friends, put up flyers, and be your "street team". A few CDs and t-shirts can go a long way with helping this happen!

Send copies of your electronic press kit to alternative press, music editors, bloggers, and other music media people in the cities where you are planning to tour. Finally, arrive at each city as early as possible and hit the streets. Go to the local music stores, coffee shops, and campus hangouts to promote your show. Hand out as many flyers, postcards, or other materials as you can. Good publicity is a lot of work!

Living Expenses: This is a really tricky one. It's best to draw up a budget for each person in the band and account for daily expenses like food, medicines, phone, cigarettes, drinks, taxis, and other incidental expenses. You should also include in this budget any recurring bills you will have at home like rent, utilities, credit cards, etc. Some people are comfortable going really tight on this. A realistic amount is somewhere between $30 and $50 per person per day. That adds up pretty quickly, so you want to begin saving up for this for as long as you can.