The Live Music Office have a handy map that shows you all of the music facilities in an area. For example if you searched for Ballarat it will show you all of the music venues, recording & rehearsal spaces, music education centres, production & backline places, agents and promoters and music organisations. So anything you could possibly need on a regional tour.
Some common regional touring circuits are:
As written above there are options for pubs and traditional live music venues through the Live Music Office Map, but it's a good idea to something think outside the box. Maybe try running an all ages gig in a town hall or at a bowls club? Try contacting local record or music stores. Even contact some high schools and see if you could incorporate them into your tour. Finally contact your local council to see if they have any spaces you could play or put on a show.
If your band savings or personal finances aren't enough for a regional tour you could look at applying for a grant. There is some more information on basic grants and funding FAQ here, but specific regional touring grants below.
FReeZA is an innovative youth development program that enables young people to enjoy fully supervised drug, alcohol and smoke-free events. Each year up to 400 FReeZA events are staged, with over 130,000 young people attending from across Victoria. The FReeZA program is modelled on a youth participation approach. Young people join a local FReeZA Committee and lead the planning, development and delivery of music and cultural events in their community. FReeZA committees also provide important performance opportunities for local musicians and young artists. FReeZA committees across Victoria organise drug and alcohol free gigs with live bands, dance parties and cultural events for young people aged 12 to 25, though most people who attend are between the ages of 14 and 18. All FReeZA events are organised by a committee of young people for young people. You can tell your parent or guardian that all FReeZA events are supervised and the venues are safe.
See more information on FReeZA here.
Music Victoria has a big directory with lots of media resources listed on it including print and radio. This includes regional radio stations etc. A good place to start is Forte Magazine, the leading regional music press which is delivered to Ballarat, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Geelong, Surf Coast and Warrnambool.
If you are booking a show in a regional venue or want to play a show in a regional venue the first place to start is by contacting the booker. They might have some suggestions of local bands to play with who would suit your style. If you have no luck see what shows they have had on there recently and look at the bands on those line ups to see if they are from the area. You can also look at local media (radio / print) to find out if any local bands have been featured recently, or check out JJJ unearthed to find some bands in that town.
There are many different ways to promote a show. You can:
For more information and FAQ's see our Musicians FAQ here.
