One of the primary responsibilities of a tour or production manager is advancing shows.
These performances could be one-offs or part of a larger tour.
Advancing is a time-consuming process, but if done properly, it can reduce potential headaches and make for a smooth day of show.
There is a myriad of details that go into a show advance, and it’s a good idea to ask lots of questions to ensure that the needs of the touring party are met.
In this article, we’ll explore what advancing is, who you advance with, when you should start, and best practices of how to advance a show or tour.
What Does Advancing a Tour Mean?
Advancing is when the tour and the venue get on the same page regarding day of show details and technical requirements.
It’s a process that begins long before ever arriving on site.
If done well, it’s as if a magic wand of scheduling has been waved.
Hospitality shows up to the dressing room on time and stagehands are ready and waiting at the dock for load-in.
However, things don’t just happen to run smoothly. Every single piece of a show day is coordinated by someone.
Who Do You Advance the Show With?
Typically, a tour manager is either advancing with a promoter representative or a venue production manager.
Generally, the tour will start the advance process, but if the venue hasn’t heard from the venue they will attempt to get in touch with the contact listed on the deal memo.
Contact info for the venues, along with individual deal memos and itineraries can be provided by the booking agent of the artist you’re working with.
What Do You Need to Advance a Show?
To properly advance a show, you will want to have your advance template email put together, along with all of the necessary attachments.
This includes your technical rider, stage plot, input list, hospitality rider, pass sheet, and any financial documents associated with settlement.
In addition to this, you’ll want to have a copy of the deal memo as it will likely contain a lot of the information you’re looking for. You’ll want to reconfirm with the venue that the information is accurate.
Advancing is normally done via e-mail but is increasingly being done with various tour management software.
When Should You Advance a Show?
An advance for a mid-sized club or theatre tour typically begins about 3 to 4 weeks out from the show date.
This allows time for both the tour and the house to express needs and address anything outstanding.
As a tour manager, it’s imperative to recognize that the world does not revolve around only your tour.
Last-minute requests will happen, but do yourself, and the house a favor by starting early to reduce last-minute stress.
Sometimes you need information from one show’s details in order to make decisions about another show.
Cast out those e-mail lines and wait for nibbles from the local production crew.
Understanding the Different Parts of a Show Advance
There are essentially two main categories when it comes to advancing shows; production and everything else.
On the production side, this involves anything involved with the actual production of the performance.
This includes but is not limited to load-in, parking needs, labor, audio, sound, lights, and the list goes on.
On the other side of the equation, you’re dealing with dressing rooms, hospitality, dietary restrictions, settlement, and so much more.
How to Advance a Tour
When starting to advance, it’s important to keep in mind that this is the first point of contact you’re making with the venue.
It helps to set the tone for show day for both the tour and the house.
You want to make sure you get off on the right foot when you start advancing all the information.
Follow these steps to improve your advancing efficiency.
Step 1: Before Starting the Advance
These are all things you’re going to want to prepare before ever sending out an initial advance email.
- Create an advancing template that fits the needs of your tour. At the end of this article, you’ll find a template you can customize for your own tour.
- Update all of your advancing documents. This includes technical riders, hospitality riders, and settlement information. Ensuring documents are up to date will reduce introducing mistakes and save you the time of doubling back to fix mistakes.
- Create an advancing spreadsheet that includes all dates of the tour. Think of this as a tour management dashboard. You can include when the advance was sent, what has been marked as done, and what is outstanding and needs attention.
- You can also include items that go beyond the scope of advancing such as the status of hotels and flights needing to be booked.
- Add in drive times between cities to help identify any logistical pain points in your tour routing. Make sure to highlight any differences in time zones as well.
- Zero out any cash floats or road reports to start the tour fresh.
Step 2: Organize Tour Documents
Create a folder structure that mirrors the routing of your tour.
Include the date, the name of the venue, and the city. There isn’t a right or wrong way to do this, as long as you know where to find things.
When you receive attachments that pertain to certain shows, you can now file them away in the same place, every time.
This could include deal memos, tech packs, parking maps, or invoices and receipts that pertain to a show day.
Step 3: Properly Label Advance Emails
Creating a repeatable naming structure that is easy to scan quickly and find in your inbox. An example is:
ARTIST NAME – DATE – CITY, STATE – VENUE NAME
You can even go a step further and add a label to emails that will automatically add them to the folders that you’ve assigned.
The goal is to create a system to help you stay organized.
Step 4: Add and Adjust the Advancing Template
At the bottom of this article, you’ll find a sample advancing template.
Feel free to copy and edit it to your heart’s content.
Each show is going to have unique considerations, so while an advancing template will get you 95% of the way there, make sure to take the time to customize any particulars.
Step 5: Receive Responses and Update Advancing Spreadsheet
As responses start to roll in, file away any show documents, and check off items that have been completed and no longer need attention.
Most venues will respond with a tech pack that corresponds to their venue.
Once parts of the advance start to firm up and confirm, you can start to share that information with the rest of the touring party.
Festival Advances
It’s worth noting that advancing a festival date will have a slightly different approach.
They are typically done via an online portal simply due to the volume of bands the festival is dealing with.
Tour Advancing for Support Bands
Generally, the TM or PM of the headlining band will get in touch with support to gather any necessary technical documents.
They will then handle the advance with the venue, set production schedules, advance hospitality for support, etc.
With that said, it’s still a good idea for support to do due diligence and get in touch with the venue to confirm everything is accurate.
It ultimately depends on your unique situation. If you are in a supporting role, and feeling a bit lost, communicate with the headliner’s TM or PM to figure out what will work best.
Sample Show Advance Template
Below you’ll find an advancing template for a mid-sized tour that you might find in a club or theatre.
ARTIST NAME – DATE – CITY, STATE – VENUE NAME
On copy is:
- TM & PM – PHONE NUMBER
- FRONT OF HOUSE
- MONITORS
- LIGHTING DIRECTOR
- MERCH & VIP
We look forward to working with you on this upcoming show. Please let us know if there is anything we haven’t covered or that needs to be discussed.
Travel
- Artist will be traveling in (1) 65′ bus + trailer and (1) 26′ box truck.
- Support is traveling in (1) 15-passenger van w/ trailer. Add support contact information here
- What is the earliest vehicles can arrive at the venue?
- What is the latest vehicles can stay parked at the venue?
- Do they need to move immediately after load out?
- Please provide a parking map.
- Is shore power/water available?
Load In & Load Out
- Arist gear will be traveling in (1) 26′ box truck w/ lift gate. A few production items are in the bus trailer as well.
- How will band gear get on/off stage (loading dock, truck ramp to stage, forklift, etc.?)
- How many stagehands are budgeted for this performance?
- Please advise if this is a union stage and if you have any dark stage requirements.
Soundcheck
- We require a closed sound check. Only personnel with working credentials are allowed within the venue. Please remind your house crew, bar staff, ticket takers, etc. that photography or any type of recording of the band while on stage is not allowed. The use of social media to discuss the band’s pre-show routine is prohibited.
Audio
- The tour will be carrying FOH and MON consoles (SD9), 100m (330’) FOH snake, FOH/MON split, 2 powered monitors, a wireless system containing IEMs and vocals, hard-wired microphones, microphone stands, XLR, and sub snakes.
- FOH footprint: 60″ x 45″
- MON footprint: 60″ x 45″
- Shared stage rack: 31″ x 23″
Lighting
- Tour requires a minimum of 100A 3-phase power. Where is power located?
- Tour traveling with ground-supported fixtures & projector, pipe & base, radiance hazer, lighting distro, and grandMA2 lite.
- (3) 23’h x 10’w WHITE SUPER VEL – Pleated, Grommets & Ties, Chain
- Backdrops will need to be hung via an upstage truss, lineset, or fly bar.
- Certificate of flame retardation available.
- Please provide a lighting plot if not already in the venue tech pack.
- Please make us aware of any considerations with haze.
Staging / Risers
- Tour will require (1) 8′ x 8′ x 2′ riser positioned upstage center at 45-degree angle.
- Tour travels with (4) 2′ legs that fit into pipe pockets and (2) 4′ x 4′ x 2′ stairs.
- Tour travels with 9′ set piece that will live on upstage riser. 11′ total clearance from the deck to top of set piece. The set piece comes into the house disassembled.
- What is the trim height?
Support Production
- Support is traveling with…
- “We’re fully self-contained with consoles, mics, stands, cables, etc. We’re bringing a FOH Console (M32R, maybe a Waves Package), Monitor Console (M32C Rackmount), and everyone is on IEMs. No stage wedges are required at all. I might borrow a sub snake from the house, but probably not.”
VIP
- The tour is running a VIP Meet & Greet for 50 guests prior to doors.
- Specific timing TBD, but would estimate 1 hour prior to doors for staffing.
- VIP CONTACT will be in touch to advance.
Merchandise
- We travel with all merchandise AND a merchandise manager/seller.
- Who is the best person to advance merch with?
- What is the best shipping address for your venue?
- Where is the merchandise area?
- What is the wifi network in the merchandise area?
- We require 2 – 6’ or 8′ tables for merchandise.
- Any questions or concerns can be directed to our road merchandise manager NAME HERE who is on copy.
Band and Crew
- 19 total in Artist traveling party:
- 4 band
- 6 crew
- 1 bus driver
- 1 box truck driver
- 7 w/ support
Dressing Rooms & Production Office
- How many dressing rooms are available?
- Is there a touring production office available?
- What is the backstage wifi network and password?
- Are the dressing rooms and tour production office(s) on the stage level?
- The tour travels with a wardrobe case that needs to be placed within the dressing room area. Please advise if this area is NOT at stage level.
Showers & Laundry
- Does the venue have showers available? If so, please provide twenty (20) bath towels at load-in. Please be prepared to keep the venue open at least 45 minutes after load out to accommodate showers for touring personnel.
- Is a washer and dryer available at your venue? If not, is a fluff and fold service available nearby?
Hospitality/Runner
- Who is the point of contact to advance hospitality with?
- TM will send a detailed shopping list for dressing rooms 72 hours in advance. Dressing room hospitality should be set at load-in. Our shop list will be different from what is on the contract.
- Do you all have a kitchen in-house?
- Is a runner budgeted for this show?
- Please pass along the runners’ contact information when available.
- If the runner also shops for hospitality, please have the runner shop before load in.
- Arist TM/PM will also advance support’s hospitality.
Photo Policy
- We are traveling with a tour photographer who will have access to all areas.
- Professional photography will be limited to the first three songs, no flash, no stage, and no backstage access – unless otherwise specified.
- Please make us aware if there are any origination fees for your venue.
Security
- TM/PM will present a printed color pass sheet (see attached PDF) to venue/event security manager and asks to be included in the pre-show security meeting.
Settlement
- Check settlement preferred.
- Artist W9 is attached.
- Who will TM settle with?
Proposed Schedule
9:00a – Venue Access (what’s the earliest we can get venue access?)
10:00a – Load In
3:00p – Crew Linecheck (30 minutes)
3:30p – Artist Soundcheck (60 minutes)
4:30p – Support Soundcheck (90 minutes)
5:30p – Start VIP check-in
6:15p – VIP Entry Tier 1 (Q&A)
6:45p – VIP Entry Tier 2 (First/Early Entry)
7:00p – Doors
8:00p – Support (30 min)
8:30p – Changeover (30 min)
9:00p – Artist (75 min Set Length)
10:15p – End of Show
TBD – Venue Curfew (Is there a hard curfew?)
Conclusion
The ultimate goal of advancing is to iron out any wrinkles in an upcoming show day and mitigate unwanted surprises. Everything flows so much better when everyone is on the same page.
When advancing a tour you are juggling a huge amount of information that is coming at you. Setting everything up properly from the get-go will go a long way in helping you to stay efficient during the advancing process.
Communication is the key to tour management and advancing is an integral part of that. Good advances lead to good show days. Let’s have a good show!