The writing
Unwritten Rules of the Road
What nobody tells you before your first run. Written by people who have done it, mostly the hard way.
November 3, 2026 · 7 min read
The Sudden Shifting of Gears
Tash on the tours the pandemic took apart, the venue that was locked when the van pulled up, and how a band finds another venue, another city or a good day off when a date falls through.
by Tash Cox
October 20, 2026 · 12 min read
Coming home with money!
Tash on the first tours that came home in the red, and the five things that changed it for AL1CE: a van you can trust, terms agreed before the show, a slow cooker in the back, and a place to shower and sleep.
by Tash Cox
October 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Show Etiquette: Kindness goes a long way…
The music community is smaller than it looks, and everyone in it, from the sound person to the headliner, deserves the same respect. Tash on the rules of the road AL1CE lives by: be on time, honor your agreements, be good to each other, and step around the drama.
by Tash Cox
October 1, 2026 · 7 min read
Who are you?
Before the first booking email goes out, a promoter needs to know what you sound like, what you look like and where to hear you. Tash on describing your sound, building a visual identity, the one sheet, and finding out how each person wants to be contacted.
by Tash Cox
September 22, 2026 · 8 min read
Where do I look to book a show?
The route is mapped and the cities are empty: where Tash goes to find venues, promoters and bands in a town she has never played, and how to ask without making anyone roll their eyes.
by Tash Cox
September 15, 2026 · 6 min read
What if they say no?
Sending the first ask is the scary part, waiting for the answer is the hard part: how Tash handles rejection, silence, follow-ups, and the dates that refuse to fall.
by Tash Cox
September 8, 2026 · 5 min read
Tour Chess: a game of logistics
How a tour gets plotted before a single show is booked: dates from the band, a long stare at the map, a stamina check, and the flexibility to move a city when it will not fall.
by Tash Cox
September 2, 2026 · 5 min read
How to advance a show
Advancing is the conversation you have with the venue before you arrive. Here is what goes in it, from a promoter, a headliner who runs her own bills, and a tour manager who does it from a spreadsheet.
by Tash Cox
September 2, 2026 · 4 min read
The day of show, in one view
A day sheet is the one page that says what happens today, in order, with the times and the addresses. What goes on it, and why it has to change when the day does.
by Tash Cox
September 2, 2026 · 5 min read
What a DIY tour actually costs
Nobody on the podcast has ever named the total, but forty-two episodes in, they have named where the money goes: the van, the hotels, the merch order, the days off, and the deal you did not ask enough for.
by Tash Cox
April 18, 2024 · 2 min read
The Importance of Creature Comforts: Packing for the Road
What to bring so that living out of a van still feels like living.
by Tash Cox
April 4, 2024 · 6 min read
Your Journey as a Touring Artist
Any artist can tour, even without a label. Where to start, why your reasons matter, and how the first run actually comes together.
by Tash Cox
Everything here assumes somebody is doing the planning.
Usually the member of the band who ended up with the job. Tourouter is the tool for that part.
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