alowhum

Please download now, it’s free (if you want it to be) or you can make a donation - or buy a copy of the book. http://www.alowhum.com/product/books/diy-touring-the-world-digital-edition

Some people have said some nice things:

“Finally someone being frank about the reality of touring outside of New Zealand. I wish we'd had this book when we were touring overseas in the Mint Chicks. If you're a musician wanting to venture outside of New Zealand you'd be foolish not to read this book first.” Ruban Nielson (Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Mint Chicks)

“Easy to read, well laid-out, and every page includes at least one ‘gotcha’ moment, where Blink tells you something indispensably useful that you can’t believe you never knew before. Totally essential reading for anyone touring anywhere.” *Bruce Russell *(Dead C)

''A New Zealand rock'n'roll classic! Would've saved me a lot of time and worry if I'd had this book in the late eighties'' David Kilgour (The Clean)

“Well filtered and full of thought Blink quickly moves between all options with abrupt and stern honesty. Narrowing down every nitty-gritty detail like this is a rarity though isn't that surprising considering it’s from someone who organises Camp A Low Hum, the most universally celebrated DIY festival.” Vice Cooler (Hawnay Troof)

“Blink's book should be a must-read for Kiwi musicians... It offers a warts-and-all reality of driving long hours, eating two-minute noodles and sleeping in cars - playing house-parties for tips and free beer, playing 35 shows in 30 days. The book is smart and easy to read. It's filled with passion. And knowledge. And insight.” Simon Sweetman for Blog on the Tracks

“BUY THIS GODDAMN BOOK” Michael McClelland for *The Corner *

Back in 2008, six weeks before leaving on tour around the US and Europe for six months with New Zealand band Over The Atlantic, I discovered that their booking agents have only booked a total of eight shows. Thrown into the deep end, cue my having to learn how to become an international booking agent in a matter of weeks. With no previous experience, I end up extending the tour to around 50 shows, including several festivals.

Not wanting others to end up in the same unfortunate situation, I decided to write a handbook on how to plan, book and manage an overseas D.I.Y. tour. Taking notes during the following few world tours I organised - I worked on writing something ridiculously simple to read and easy to follow, so that anybody could read in a few hours, put down and start planning a tour.

I released an early draft as a photo-copied zine a year ago before an 80 date tour with Disasteradio. Since coming back from that tour I've added a considerable amount of new information and I'm finally happy that this is ready to be shared.

This book is written principally for a band with minimal profile from New Zealand or Australia so they can book a fun overseas tour, but no matter what stage the band is at—or even if you aren't in a band and just looking for some tips on cheap travel overseas or an easy read, you'll still find much in this useful.

D.I.Y. TOURING THE WORLD The process in which I plan, book and manage overseas tours By Blink

Print Edition A5. 128 Pages. Avail through www.alowhum.com and very select retailers. $15 NZD incl. postage worldwide

PDF Digital Edition Releases July 1st through alowhum.com Pay-as-you-like. No minimum.

A review: http://thecorner.co.nz/2012/06/01/review-blinks-d-i-y-touring-the-world-book/

I'm a middle aged dude now! sigh!

same, i hate myself. ;)

but i don't think that the bands are being exploited as such -the ones that showcase get some good profile & exposure

curious. i've never really bought into that exposure/profile stuff, but hey, this is all coming from a guy accross the tasman - i have no real way of knowing what BS does for a band over there, you'd know way more than me - I assume some of your artists have done wel out of it - I'm just speaking very generally about these (pay to apply) style events - but hey, cool to see that people are fairly positive about it. If it works, that's rad. I was just so overwhelmed by the number of middleaged dudes wearing laminates, sunglasses, sporting record carry bags with no records that it grossed me out.

The difference between the NZ and OZ music industry is highlighted by events like that. (ie: the lack of an industry in NZ)

I was planning on arriving in Aussie for a month the week following BS this year...haha, i'm not quite convinced otherwise yet, but maybe I might check out the 2012 edition..

Interesting...I was passing through Brisbane on my way home after a tour during BS weekend last year and took a gander at the bill, looked pretty much same old same old..but ya know, the whole idea of these showcases is just a chance to leach money from those who have least of it and offer little in return.. they're the same the world over... exploiting artists yada yada.

But hey, if you're getting something from it, shit, power to ya. You're perfectly right, BS is totally commercially driven and that is the focus, but it seems that the patrons of the event are at a point well below which the panelists are accomodating for. I've been a panelist at many a conference and usually the first question I'll pose the floor is finding out who is in a band, who is solo, who is signed/independent etc, who has management/who is a manager... to get an idea of whom I'm taking to, and it's always people at the very early stages of their career (anyone else should have a manager or record label who already knows this crap) - but the panelists tend to be at high levels in the industry and totally out of touch with ''the common man''.

Ie: Some kid in Brisbane wants to start a record label - does it make more sense for them to hear from some other kid in melbourne who has been runing a kinda succesful label for the past couple of years, or some 50 year old bloke from the US running one of the biggest labels in the world? Some solo artist from briz wants to find out about how to play shows in the US. Does it make sense she hear from the biggest booking agent in the US who deals with massive acts, or hear from someone with a similar profile to her who has done it..

(very) generally speaking, the people who attend these events want to hear actual advice and practical steps on what that panel is about - there is only so much ''inspiration'' one can handle before you just want to get on about getting on.

I feel personally after attending/paneling at quite a few of these style things, the SS approach where you hear from your peers is much more inspiring and useful than hearing some bullshit anecdotal crap from some aging industry heavyweight who has little understanding of where you're coming from.

Even at BS 2009, I wasn't a panelist - but to have a laugh I checked out the ''How to Break New Zealand'' (or some other equally terribly named panel) and sat in the audience. I watched as all these young non-profile acts quizzed some industry cats who focus on larger acts about how to play in NZ. A couple of times the panelists even directed questions to me (in the audience) as they knew me and knew that I'd prob be able to answer their questions better.

Has anyone here even been to Bigsound?

I came from NZ to check it out in 2009, It was pretty poor, in Australia it ranks far below Sound Summit imo. The best bands I saw in Brisbane during BigSound weekend were not playing as part of the event, but just doing their own shows. Popped into a few panels and it was the same stuff that you hear every year on every panel at every other industry get together. Granted, the NZ attempts at these industry showcases are even worse, so, haha, I'm not tryna say we do it better over here. But i was in shock at the lack of industry attending the vastly superior Sound Summit compared to the BS that is BS.

Calling BigSound second rate is a compliment - I wouldn't even give it a ranking.

enjoy feedback regardless - i'm with ya registradus, i do find there to be many a weak post-animal collective act out there, it can get boring fast - though there are still some kids tryna fuck with that recipe a little, hopefully take it somewhere new.

chur knomadix. yeah, i love a song as much as the next dude, but i think yeah, i'm getting the balance right and with many of the bands I book, I don't even listen to their music till after 've seen them live and booked them - mostly its a gut reaction to a performance not hunched over a stereo analysing lyrics for their worthiness.

I saw all but 3 of the bands this year and it felt totally balanced as it did on my spreadsheets putting it together in the first place....except... needs more cowbell.

yeah, you're totally right about the ''songs'' thing, and this is very purposeful. My booking of camp this year was ALL about inspirational musicians, musicians I'd seen who make me wanna play. There were definitely artists I booked whose songs I love, but this was really secondary to live performance.

I think there was that much looping tbh, only half a dozen acts at the event used it extensively - as part of their schtick.

interesting to read this sort of feedback though. I definitely keep a limit on bands overusing floor toms/extra percussion - as yeah, it can get boring very fast, but I've never really cared if artists loop hardout or not, whatever they need to do to make their performance kick ass is fine with me.

So much tribal.

yeah? Haha, my extra floor tom seemed very lonely this year tbh. Only really 1-2 of the 70 bands I woulda put in that bracket.