Martin Atkins: Touring 101
Learn how to succeed in the touring world from Martin Atkins -- he literally wrote the book on it!
With the challenges of the new market place - from physical distribution of your music to connecting with fans - touring has become the deciding factor in any success story. Done right it’s the most positive reinforcement you can achieve. Done badly - the results can be anything from embarrassing to catastrophic and life threatening. It only makes sense to take the time to learn about this side of the business.
You should fail because your band is crap or because you don’t have the guts. You shouldn’t fail because of a lack of some basic advice and a bit of planning. Your music, your band, might be important to some people, very important to a few, mildly important to a few others, but it will never be more important to anyone than it is to you. Apply that principle to everything. It is ugly. It is difficult because there are so many things that need to be watched and nurtured. But at the end of the day, even if you are totally justified in blaming a bad agent who booked you in the wrong club or a slacker manager on a tour where the only thing blown was your cash, it is YOU, your band, and your music that is going to suffer the worse consequences.
About the teacher
Martin began his career as a drummer for various English bands before joining Johnny Rotten's Public Image Limited in 1979. After six years with PiL (including appearances on American Bandstand, Old Grey Whistle test, and more), Martin left to play with and manage Killing Joke and to tour with Ministry. He also played with Nine Inch Nails and formed his own band, Pigface. Martin made the move to the business side of music in 1988 when he formed Invisible Records and then Mattress Factory Studios. Over the last 20 years, Invisible has released over 350 albums including recent releases from Beijing China.
From 2003 - 2009, Martin taught “The Business of Touring” and wrote his book Tour:Smart in 2007. Since then, he has spoken around the world at the Midi Institute in China, Drumtech in London, NAMM, SXSW, By:Larm in Oslo, New Music Seminar, and many more.
Now, you can take the opportunity to learn from Martin in the exclusive online offering of Touring 101 at Madison Media Institute. The class will cover (in addition to current events, case studies, and real world examples):
- Why it is essential to tour
- Data Driven Decisions
- Transportation
- Routing
- Management
- Booking
- Itineraries and day sheets
- Excel basics
- Budgets
- Contracts
- Revenue streams (other than guarantees – which don’t exist anyway – and merchandise)
- Marketing
- Creating your own event
- The human element of touring (sex, drugs & rock ‘n roll)
- "Atkins' lectures are gateway drugs to a larger education" - Brett Emerson, Second Supper (La Crosse, WI)
- "With their chic spectacles and slick audio-visuals, [Jarvis] Cocker and [Martin] Atkins joined a list of rockers who have made the transition from the stage to the lecture circuit, including David Byrne, Lou Reed and Brian Eno." – Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune
- "Having been a part of seminal bands like Pigface, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Killing Joke, Public Image Limited, when Atkins talks about the business of music, people listen" – Richie Corelli, Soundscet.com
- "Tour:Smart and Martin Atkins probably just saved my band's life." – Tristan James, Proletariat Productions
- "One of the best and most knowledgeable professors I've had." – Ashley Johnson, Columbia College Chicago student
- "[Martin Atkins] prepared me for this industry in a single semester." – Michelle Cho, PETA