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.
“You can make money two ways - make more, or spend less.” ~John Hope Bryant
Change from the merch tin
When I first started touring with my band Mankind is Obsolete, it was normal for us to come back in the red with additional weight to our credit cards. We were so happy and excited to tour that none of that really mattered to us. We just wanted to get out there, experience the adventure of touring, and have a chance to connect with other people. I remember on one tour having to use change from our merch tin on one tour to fill our gas tank just to make it back home when all our credit cards were maxed out. Talk about a wakeup call! I consider my band my family and thus feel personally responsible for taking care of my people. I think we all feel the same in that regard. So coming back and being able to pay ourselves was a really important goal for me.
Jason Corbett fronts ACTORS out of Vancouver, so a US tour starts with flights, visas and a rental on top of everything a van band pays. On episode 20 he was candid about how long it took to stop losing money.
From episode 20 · July 7, 2025
Jason Corbett of ACTORS
Jason Corbett of ACTORS on the tours that lost money hand over fist, the reserve you need up front, and the slow climb to breaking even.
“Up until the last couple of tours, we were losing money hand over fist on some of these tours, because there’s the flights, there’s the visas to get into the States, there’s vehicle rentals, there’s just the logistics of it. All it takes is for me to get sick and have to cancel the last seven dates of a tour, or have a couple of poorly attended shows, and you’re in the red. You need so much money up front just to get on the road. You have to have a reserve, because you need to put stuff on a credit card for a rental, and then you need emergency money, and everything always costs more than you think. We were losing money, losing money, losing. Then it’s like, okay, now we’re breaking even. And the last couple of tours, okay, now we’re starting to sell enough merch and hit this critical mass where maybe we can continue to do this.”
That is the whole arc of this post. The rest is what we changed so that the climb took fewer tours than it had to.
Know your expenses, starting with the vehicle
Some things I’ve learned that are vital for touring is to figure out your expenses and to also figure out income. Having a reliable vehicle is paramount for safe touring. I’ve toured in an SUV, a tour bus, a super beat up van, a 15-passenger van with the back 2 benches taken out, and now currently tour in a 15-passenger van with a trailer. Each band is going to vary in needs, depending on the size of your band and the amount of gear that you need to bring. Being in a 6-piece band with a sizable amount of gear and merch means that for us the most economical and comfortable way to tour is with the van and trailer. We initially tried renting a van and trailer but found that we spent so much money that we hardly were able to bring much money home. We decided to invest in a used van and trailer. We named our first van “White Rabbit” (of course!), but the first version cost us a lot of money in ongoing repairs. We’d do tour after tour only to come back and have to yet another repair that cost gads of money. We finally found a great used van that we’ve had minimal problems with and make sure to keep her well-maintained with her oil changed and tires happily inflated. We use the Gas Buddy app as we’re traveling to find the best-priced gas stations on our routes. Again, we have learned many of our lessons the hard way. I hope some of the things we’ve learned can save you some money and time.
The math does not come out the same for every band. Bellhead are a two-piece out of Chicago who cross the country on their runs, and on episode 38 they had just done the sums on their own van and landed on the opposite answer.
From episode 38 · July 20, 2026
Bellhead
Bellhead on adding up what a van costs to keep on the road, and why a rental started to look cheaper.
“We did the math, actually, and we were like, wow. We were pouring in so much money for maintenance, like every tour. We put a lot of miles on our vehicles, especially when we’re going from West Coast to East Coast. So it was all the repairs, all of that. Honestly, it’d be cheaper, believe it or not, to either do a rental or to work with a friend. It’s crazy how much money it takes to upkeep a van when you’re putting a lot of wear and tear on it.”
Six people and a trailer of gear pushed us toward owning. Two people and a drum machine pushed them the other way. Either way the repairs are the line on the budget that decides it, which is why the boring part matters.
Vehicle maintenance
-
Take good care of your wheels. Keep them aired and checked.
-
Change your oil! It definitely helps if someone in the band knows how to do it. We have the ability to do it, but we prefer to just take ours to a mechanic.
-
Keep your fluids maintained and checked
-
Vacuum and keep things clean inside. Mysterious smells from questionable food that has burrowed its way into the far-reaching crevices will only get worse. And then everyone will be in the bog of eternal stench forever…
Negotiating payment
Negotiating payment for your shows can definitely be a challenge for those who have trouble asking for money (hi, that’s me! ;) ) We have a system in the band where I negotiate the terms ahead of time, and Sasha, my bandmate, is the enforcer who asks for money at the end of the night. She has told me she finds great joy in this particular role, so it works out for both of us! I find that for the most part, venues and promoters are aware of the costs of touring and are more than happy to provide bands with some form of compensation. There are definitely exceptions, but I like to lean toward the majority here. When communicating with venues or promoters, they may ask you first what terms you’re looking for. People may give different advice in this realm, but I personally like to offer flexibility. I’ll give a range of guarantees and also ask if they can help cover food, lodging, and water. Some places will happily give you all of the above. In fact, I’ve even encountered people who offer more than I asked. Those people are treasures, and you should definitely treat them as such. Some people may see if you’re willing to do a door or bar deal. In rare cases we have encountered venues that don’t pay bands and in these instances, we rarely return to these venues. Some people may suggest that you use your merch as a way to make up your travel costs. However, we believe that if a venue is making money from their patron through bar sales and the band is providing entertainment to also help keep the patrons in the venue, we absolutely deserve to have some kind of payment that does not come from our own pockets, especially considering that merch costs money from your own pocket.
Adam Smith books and plays DIY shows from Albuquerque to San Francisco, and on episode 11 he described what a guarantee is for when you are routing a tour, and where the money goes once you have it.
From episode 11 · March 24, 2025
Adam Smith!
Adam Smith on guarantees as checkpoints along a route, and the small daily costs that eat a tour.
“If you’re able to get a guarantee somewhere, that can help you out too. I count those as checkpoints: okay, well, even if the show sucks, we get 250 bucks, so we can at least get a hotel, or we’re a little more in the green, depending on what green is for a band. For us, one of the key things is keeping our costs as low as possible, safely. You can’t be getting hotels every night. You can’t be eating out at a sit-down restaurant every night on tour. I have to be careful with coffee, because I love going to little coffee shops, but if I’m spending $10 on an oat milk latte every day of tour, that adds up real quick.”
A guarantee is the income side of the ledger. The latte is the other side, and it is where the next two sections live.
Feed yourselves
A really big way that we save money on the road is by bringing a slow cooker, rice cooker, and assortment of foods. In our band, we have an assortment of dietary needs and restrictions. I generally like to make plant-based food from food that has a long shelf life. I highly recommend “The Touring Vegan” by Jon Siren, our bandmate in Mankind is Obsolete who goes into great detail about how to cook for yourself on the road. We bring bags of rice, beans, lentils, pasta, and pasta sauce in addition to having coolers with various veggies and fruits that travel well. I find that carrots, celery, bell peppers, apples, bananas, and oranges are snacks in my band that go over really well with my troops. We also bring our own teas and coffee with a kettle and travel mugs. We buy our snacks in bulk as well. Granted, we do love when we’re fed the venue, promoter, or loved ones. However, it’s better to also have your own arsenal of food to be able to be self-sufficient for the rest of your meals. You wouldn’t believe how much money you can save from not eating out 3 meals a day with a whole band. Again, we aim to come back with money in our pockets, so we try to be frugal in that regard with occasional splurges.
Jon was the very first guest on this show. On episode 1 he said most of the recipes in the book come down to one appliance and a habit.
From episode 1 · February 19, 2024
Jon Siren
Jon Siren, author of The Touring Vegan, on cooking from a rice cooker on the road: throw it in, hit go, start your day.
“A lot of what I do cooking-wise now is just revolved around those devices, because I bring those things on the road with me. You have to be able to just throw a bunch of stuff into a pot and hit go and then start doing your day. I don’t have time to be super gourmet about things when I’m on the road, so often it is something like beans and rice with vegetables, done up in various ways. We’re going to use Indian spices today, or more of a Mexican vibe, or a Creole vibe. I’ll bring oats with me, I’ll bring rice with me, and I’ll bring lentils, just because lentils can cook just as fast as brown rice. Those end up being my staples, and from there I’ll get fruit and veggies.”
Half a dozen guests since have said they travel with the same two appliances, and John Giovanazzi said on episode 25 that he learned it from Jon.
Somewhere to shower and sleep
Lodging is another big factor to consider when touring. I’ll level with you when I share that when we first toured in MKIO, we definitely didn’t plan ahead in terms of where we would sleep. We had our share of nights where we’d ask over the mic if anyone was willing to house us….and I will tell you that we have our share of interesting adventure stories from those experiences. When I started booking for AL1CE, I wanted the band to be as healthy as possible while traveling, and sleep is key in that regard. We tend to book very stacked tours with some long drives and short turnarounds between shows. However, I try to make a point of having some kind of place where we can shower and sleep, even if it’s a short while.
Jason Corbett made the same decision from the start, and said so in the first few minutes of episode 20.
From episode 20 · July 7, 2025
Jason Corbett of ACTORS
Jason Corbett, earlier in the same episode, on the rule ACTORS set from day one: never sleep on the floor, always get a hotel.
“If you’re playing too many shows back to back, I find you just like, oh my god, I just need a good night’s sleep, because you’re in a different bed every night. The good thing about our tours is we’re at a level where it’s not crashing on people’s couches or sleeping on the floor anywhere. My motto from the beginning with the band was, we’re never going to sleep on the floor, we’re always going to have a hotel. So at least we try and get the rest we can.”
The Russian White go further than most bands would want to. Tom Rhymer and Michael Colon tour as a two-piece and skip the hotel most nights unless the weather forces one. On episode 17 Tom added up what that bought them, and had an answer for the question everyone asks about it.
From episode 17 · June 6, 2025
The Russian White
Tom Rhymer of The Russian White on what cooking and skipping hotels put back in the band account, and a $25 answer to the shower problem.
“We’re not only saving money on food, then we save money on hotels, and that’s more money for the gas tank, more money for merch, going back into our band account. In 2025, to be able to do US tours and come back at broke even or made money is great, especially for bands at our level. Another thing that we did, too: people always talk about, oh, what do you do when the venues don’t have shower facilities? We got the Planet Fitness Black Card. You can bring a friend. There were very few days that we went without showers, because we were able to find a Planet Fitness on the way to almost every place we went. I think the Black Card was like 25 bucks a month, but to be able to shower almost every day on tour, that’s a luxury.”
Van or hotel, slow cooker or drive-through, every band in this post that now comes home with money did the same thing first: they sat down and figured out what the tour was going to cost.