By Kevin Razlog
Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of things happening in the music scene, especially when it comes to touring, that honestly should not need to be said.
Somewhere along the way, basic tour etiquette seems to have been forgotten by a lot of bands. What makes it even more frustrating is that when experienced bands try to pass down knowledge, offer advice, and show younger or less experienced acts how things are supposed to work, too often it goes in one ear and out the other.
Touring is not just about getting on stage and playing your set. It is a shared environment. You are working alongside other bands, crew members, venue staff, promoters, production teams, sound engineers, and merch sellers. Everyone is there trying to make the night run smoothly. When one band decides the rules do not apply to them, it affects everybody.
Trying to squeeze in an extra song or two just because there is a good crowd should not even cross your mind. Set times exist for a reason. Other bands are waiting. The venue has a schedule. Production has a schedule. The audience came to see a full show, not one band eating into everyone else’s time because they felt like having a moment.
Showing up early just to claim the best merch spot is not the move either. Neither is inserting yourself into conversations with production or sound engineers when you are not the headliner, not the tour manager, and not the person responsible for making those decisions. There is a chain of command for a reason. Respect it.
If you are told your gear is causing interference issues for another band, that should be a one-time conversation. Fix it. Do not let it keep happening. Technical problems happen on tour, but ignoring them after they have been brought to your attention is not an accident. That is just being careless.
And leaving a member of your crew stranded hundreds of miles from home is completely inexcusable. Whatever the circumstances are, that is not how you treat people who are out there working with you. Crew members are part of the machine that keeps a tour moving. They deserve respect, communication, and basic human decency.
I have seen these kinds of things happen repeatedly over the years. This is not rocket science. Use your brain. Be aware of the people around you. Have some respect for the bands, crews, venues, and workers who are sharing the road with you.
At the end of the day, you are getting the opportunity to play music night after night. That is something a lot of people dream about. But just like any other job, there are expectations. There are rules. There are professional standards.
Follow them. Be respectful. Communicate. Handle your business. Have fun.
That will get you a lot farther than acting like a petty little Rockstar.
