This week we held a great seminar with two self-managed Kiwi artists who are not only well known for their musical prowess, but also their ability to organise a totally boss tour of New Zealand: Mel Parsons and Nick Atkinson.
Mel has been touring Aotearoa for many years - sometimes on her own, sometimes with a full band, sometimes with sidekicks. She's played theatres and woolsheds, living rooms and horse trucks, and has plenty of great insights into how you can make those tours not only great fun but also financially viable.
Nick is also a veteran of the road, having grown up touring the country with Supergroove while he was still a teen, tour managing acts like The Mint Chicks and Hollie Smith on occasion, and these days known for the adventurous tours he books and plays with Hopetoun Brown. Having played over 80 gigs across Aotearoa in the last 12 months alone, Nick definitely has a few tips on how to make a living through live shows.
They both had a truckload of helpful advice and tales born of experience. You can check out a stream of the seminar here on our Facebook page, and we've also pulled together a handy PDF of notes and advice.