What Does a Concert Tour Manager Do – Part Two
Some years ago, Adam Driscoll, CEO of ATC Group PLC (artist management and booking agency) was a guest at the university where I was a lecturer. Speaking to my students on the process of launching a new artist, Driscoll stated that one of the first things he and his management company would do would be to “get the artist a good tour manager”.
Driscoll then explained the importance of gigging and touring for a new act; as recorded music revenues fall, ‘live’ is the only way to make money and promote the music artist. That is not news to anyone. But the realisation that tour management, as I always knew it, was now somehow going to become integral to the artist’s entire career, was an additional fact, and quite a shock. And what is a ‘good tour manager’, anyway?
The concert tour manager (CTM) traditionally had a limited influence on the careers of the music artists. The CTM is retained by the artist manager or booking agent, and paid for by the artist themselves. The job of the CTM is then to take over the tedious job of making sure the artist, the artist’s crew, and the artist’s equipment are in the specified venue on the right day and at the right time. All this to fulfil the contract and get paid. The CTM’s is a skilled job to be sure, but not one born of any recognised training or qualifications. I suspect that the recorded music industry looks upon tour managers as paid hobbyists whose reward is sampling the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.
I have written one guide to the work of a concert tour manager (CTM) here. The article is comprehensive and is prescriptive – it does not give you an insight into the inter-personal skills, knowledge, and ‘character’ involved in concert tour management. And it does not tell what makes a good concert tour manager. The following article will give you some guidance.
Concert tour management is a made up job
Concert tour management is a ‘made-up’ job – it’s one of those roles that exists as a response to a developing situation. (‘Prompt engineer’ would be a contemporary example of this – there are people who use this as their job title and, presumably, earn a living from writing instructions for generative LLMs.) A concert tour is a simple set of inter-locking activities. It should not need a ‘manager’ as there are so many people making important decisions (the booking agent deciding the routing, the artist managers working with the record company to secure funding etc). However, it has come to pass that there is a CTM who takes up the work-load from the artist manager. According to Adam Driscoll, it would also appear to be the first role filled on the team of a new artist.
And the CTM’s job is not just organising, administrating, and facilitating communication for all the people and companies involved with a concert tour. The CTM has become the by-word in the stabilising, ‘go-to’ person for all the inter-personal issues and challenges involved in concert touring.
The tour managers job is managing expectations
In answer to the question, ‘what does a concert tour manager do?’, I would add ‘manage expectations’ to the list of budgeting, advancing, going on the road and taking care of the post-tour administration.
The CTM must work with the artist and management to manage the expected work-load – especially if the artist is expecting the CTM to act as manager, parent, sponsor, stop watch, drug dealer, stylist, or taxi driver. The CTM should be hired to supply a specific set of services – overseeing a team, for instance, and not to help the artist abdicate their responsibilities – unless that role is agreed beforehand. This is hard to do in initial meetings in my experience. I think it would be unwise for a CTM to say, ‘I won’t do this, and I won’t do that’ when first meeting an artist. However, they could set out their terms of service (see below).
Abdication of responsibility
There is an abdication of responsibilities by the people on a tour, especially the music artists. What do I mean by this?
The CTM creates documentation to communicate the schedule for the tour, the day, and the concert. Printed and electronic itineraries (‘tour books’) and day sheets detail what is happening and when for every minute during the tour. At the same time, any issue or challenge is fixed or dealt with by the CTM or another of the touring crew. Music artists have very little to do with the ‘normal household tasks’ - deciding on schedules, dealing with issues or challenges, making decisions. It seems the more effective the CTM ( and crew) the more music artists become immersed in a ‘bubble’, simply waiting for instructions from the CTM. An this bubble can extend further - there is an expectation that the CTM will help the music artist with trivial actions - opening a beer bottle for instance - and that the artist can abdicate their responsibilities for the duration of the tour.
Obviously, a concert tour operates to a schedule. All tour members must observe that schedule, especially with catching flights or going on stage at a festival. However, the constant reiteration of the schedule, with Whatsapp messages and printed day sheets, ‘infantilizes1’ (Kielich, 2024) music artists to the point where the CTM spends more time reminding the artist of the schedule than is necessary. (Unfortunately, the opposite is expected for the crew. The crew are expected to adhere to the schedule and be early for every call. ‘If you are on time, you are already late’ is a popular saying uttered by old hands to rookie road crew).
I mention all this because this abdication of responsibilities increases the work-load for the CTM. A new entrant to the world of tour management may find herself frustrated, tired, and eventually burnt-out, by the increasing demands on her time and energy.
Terms of Service for a concert tour manager
A ‘good’ concert tour manager should set out their ‘terms of service’ (ToS). This could be stated verbally during initial meetings. The scope of a verbal agreement is difficult to enforce if there are disagreements between the CTM and the client (the music artist).
A better idea is to draft a document that states what duties are to be performed and duties and activities the CTM will not be expected to perform.
Here is an example of a few ‘clauses’ a good concert tour manager might want to include in their ToS:
Terms of Service (ToS)
Freelance Concert Tour Manager (CTM)
This agreement is made on [Date] between [CTM Name], residing at [CTM Address], (The Supplier), and [Artist Name], residing at [Artist Address], (The Client).
Contract Details
CONTRACT NO: [Insert your job No]
EVENT, PRODUCTION, OR TOUR: [Insert name of job/tour]
DURATION OF THE AGREEMENT:
• From: [Insert Start Date]
• To: [Insert Finish Date]
Expected CTM Duties:
• Creating and maintaining a detailed tour itinerary, including travel arrangements, accommodation bookings, and concert schedules.
• Managing the tour budget and ensuring all expenses are tracked and documented. The Client will be responsible for supplying the money to cover these expenses.
• Liaising with the concert promoter or venue representatives to ensure smooth operations at each concert, including soundchecks, backstage access, catering, and security arrangements.
• Supervising the load-in and load-out of equipment at each venue and coordinating with local stagehands or crew.
• Collecting payments from the promoter after each performance and ensuring timely payment to the artist and the crew.
Exceptions to CTM Duties:
• Carrying and setting up backline equipment and instruments. The Client should hire a backline technician for these tasks.
• Driving band vehicles or equipment vans. The Client should hire a qualified driver with the appropriate license.
• Selling merchandise. The Client should hire a dedicated merchandise seller.
• Providing personal care or assistance to the artist, such as laundry, cooking, or cleaning.
• Acting as a security guard for the artist or the crew. The Client should hire dedicated security personnel for these tasks.
The Client may request the Supplier to assist in the tasks listed under 'Exceptions to CTM Duties'. The Supplier may decline, as the ToS stipulates these tasks are not included in the scope of work. The Supplier may agree to undertake the tasks, but will expect to be paid extra for doing so.
Further Information
The CTM will require a functional CV from potential crew members and will expect to see testimonials from previous employers before the CTM offers work to these potential crew members. The CTM will also make sure that the artist understands the implications of tour support from their record company, if applicable.
The concert tour manager educates their client
I wrote about the abdication of responsibility. A CTM could leave it there and continue serving the artist, almost ‘picking up the pieces’. That does not help the artist achieve their career aims in my experience. If an artist does not understand the importance of what they are being told, or the need for them to act in a certain way or complete certain activities in good time, then they risk gaining a reputation. Now a reputation is merely that – an opinion based (usually) on hearsay. But reputations count towards our opinion of people2. If we have a low opinion of someone, we are less likely to want to help the, work hard on their behalf, or even trust them.
I’m going off topic there but you get the gist – a good tour manager should help the music artist client gain a positive reputation with their peers. The CTM can help mould the attitudes and expectations of younger artists. CTMs can help the artist understand the complexities of the live music business – the deals and the conventions. The artist who understands the live music business (and concert production industry) will appreciate the people involved. They will then communicate clearly and appreciate different points of view. Those around the artist WILL notice this and the think positively of them. And that is how great reputations come about.
This has been my experience. I have been lucky enough to work with several music artists at the very start of their career. I have unofficially ‘educated’ (with a small ‘e’) these ‘baby bands’. I have tried to point out the differences in time-keeping when on tour to that of being in a home or professional recording studio, for instance. A minor concern perhaps, especially when the artist has an entire team and technology dedicated to getting them to the right place at the right time. But an artist who absorbs that information, and acts upon it, will appear to be professional, a team player, and all that jazz. And this will do them more good in the long run than the CTM running around and rectifying issues and challenges caused by unprofessional behaviour.
The education goes both ways
At the same time a good CTM should be open to learning. A new client has unique qualities – both musical and inter-personal. A concert tour manager (CTM) can learn a lot from new clients particularly if they are just starting out in their career. Here are some of my experiences:
- Understanding the artist’s vision and goals: New artists often have a strong vision for their music and career. This may be at odds with the CTM’s appreciation of music and genre.
- Gaining fresh perspectives: New artists often bring a fresh perspective to the music industry through their innocence. They might have innovative ideas for staging, marketing, or engaging with their fans. The CTM can learn from the artist and incorporate that attitude; I was once told by an artist that “it can’t be done like that” usually means “no one has done it that way before”.
- Learning about new trends: New artists often emerge from the cutting edge of music scenes. They are likely to be familiar with current trends in music, technology, and fan engagement. Myself, and many other CTMs are older. We find it difficult to ‘keep up’ – working and learning from new artists is a benefit. Learning about new trends is also vital if the CTMs skills and experience is going to be deemed relevant by future clients.
- Being patient. New artists are still learning the ropes, so it’s important to be patient and understanding. They might make mistakes, but that’s part of the learning process. By learning to be supportive and encouraging themselves, a tour manager can help the artist to grow.
End
I started by asking ‘what makes a good concert tour manager’? I think its a combination of the qualities described in the how-to guides – good organisation, attention to detail, good with numbers, etc., and the inter-personal skills I have highlighted in this article. Managing expectations, educating the client, and setting out boundaries by using a Terms of Service document, help make a good, if not great concert tour manager.
I hope this help you? Please let me know by leaving a comment below. Thanks for reading!