International touring
With
Sister Bliss
What's in the course
20 lessons (1h 18m) · 1 free
01. Make electronic make sense live
12:56
02. Expanding the studio tracks
7:24
03. Creating space
6:12
04. Synthesised vs. live
4:17
05. Sound designing the show
7:28
06. Rehearsals and preparation
8:56
07. Working with session musicians
7:50
08. Working with musical directors
Free lesson
09. Incorporating stage filming
3:24
10. Visual design
7:59
11. Adapting your setlist
5:18
12. Importance of the crew
13. Front of house engineer
3:30
14. Live broadcasts
3:03
15. Recording quality
16. International touring
You are here17. Time keeping and logistics
18. When things go wrong
19. Auditioning
20. Stress and personal health
Lesson transcript
Touring in a Post-Pandemic and Post-Brexit Era
We are in an unprecedented era of touring. Having just gone through a pandemic, and perhaps still feeling its effects, makes touring seem very risky and scary. There's a lot of risk assessment that needs to go into planning.
Additionally, we've emerged from the other side of Brexit in the UK, meaning we are no longer members of the European Union. This situation significantly impacts touring and our capacity to undertake it.
Key Considerations for Touring
Risks and Planning
- Commit budgets and people power to put your bands on the road.
- Understanding that this is a fraught time is crucial, it's no lie.
- The more experienced people you have on board as a band to help navigate these pitfalls, the better.
Legalities and Requirements
- To tour Europe now, you need a carnet, which is a detailed list of all your gear. You will be stopped at various borders and required to sign in and out.
- Previously, crossing borders was fluid and easy; now, it's a completely different kettle of fish.
- Visas are also necessary. While there is ongoing work to create a pan-European visa for traveling artists, musicians, and entertainers, progress is still unclear.
Touring as a DJ vs. Band
- Currently, I'm only touring as a DJ within Europe; working as a band feels exceptionally stressful until things settle down. For a successful tour, you really need:
A Knowledgeable Tour Manager
- Someone who understands all the legalities and visa requirements.
- Ensure everyone has an up-to-date passport for the countries being visited.
Multi-National Band Challenges
- Issues arise when band members come from different countries, leading to different queues at passport control.
- A tour manager I work with had difficulty transporting a band with members from the US, UK, Colombia, and other countries.
Passport and Visa Management
- Tip: As an entertainer, you can have two passports. This way, while one passport is being processed for a visa, you can still travel with the other.
- Jabs and Insurance: Be aware that you may need vaccinations for certain destinations. Make sure to have medical and equipment insurance. Research insurers who specifically cater to musicians to ensure you're covered.
Protecting Your Equipment
- Avoid the nightmare of theft while on the road. If your gear is stolen, it's as if all your life savings have vanished overnight. With insurance, you can hopefully replace that equipment.
Backups and Digital Safety
- For troubleshooting:
- Save everything somewhere on a cloud, offline, and back in your studio.
- Backup Equipment: If you're relying on Ableton through a laptop, have a second one available.
- Duplicate Rigs: If you're an electronic artist with minimal equipment, duplicating your rig is worth the investment.
Data Protection
- Keep all your files and USB drives protected. Look for drives with sturdy casings to safeguard against drops or X-ray machines.
- Ensure someone has a backup of all vital information. For example, I once had a keyboard tech who kept all my custom keyboard sounds on a USB key that never left his neck, so there was always a backup in case of a malfunction.
By being well-prepared and taking necessary precautions, you can mitigate risks and ensure a smoother touring experience.
20 lessons
1h 18m of structured video lessons
Advanced video features
Slow down, loop a passage, follow along
Mobile, tablet & desktop
Practise wherever you are
100% satisfaction guarantee
30-day money-back guarantee
Meet your guru
Meet your guru
'Sister Bliss never stopped writing music. She's an accomplished composer for film and TV, a club DJ, and an advocate for the creative industries'. Billboard
One of the most successful British dance music artists of the past 25 years, Ayalah Bentovim AKA Sister Bliss is the musical force behind Faithless.
Together with iconic front man Maxi Jazz and producer Rollo Armstrong, she formed Faithless: one of the most successful electronic acts of their generation, with a career spanning more than two decades that included 8 albums (3 at number 1) and six top 10 singles. To date, Faithless have sold in excess of 15 million records worldwide and have played live to millions across the world, headlining festivals, stadiums and arenas. The band have collaborated with artists such as Jazzie B, Boy George, Cat Power and Dido, never conforming and moving effortlessly across an eclectic range of genres.
Over a 25-year career that took her from the underground UK club scene to sold-out arena shows and festival headline slots around the globe, Sister Bliss has become one of British dance music's longest-standing and most influential female electronic artists.
She comes off the back of releasing Faithless' first studio album in ten years, the highly anticipated 'All Blessed' - Faithless' love letter to electronic music that presents them at their very best. The album reached number 6 in the charts and the singles, along with their premiere remixes, garnered extensive support across BBC Radio 1, Radio 2 and BBC 6 as well as Kiss FM and Capital.
A classically trained multi-instrumentalist, she has also scored numerous TV, film and theatre productions. Credits include 2012's film Knife Fight starring Rob Lowe and directed by two-time Oscar winner Bill Guttentag, commissions for Sex & The City 2, Chasing Amy, Danny Boyle's The Beach, A Life Less Ordinary, acclaimed British film The Hide, Crossing The Line and the BAFTA-winning TV dramas Life Begins (ITV) and The Poison Tree (ITV).
For theatre, Bliss has written music for The Black Album and The Emperor Jones at The National Theatre in London, as well as composing an original piece for the London Sinfonietta, which was performed at Fuse Festival, UK.
She recently had a lead role in major prime time BBC1 show 'This is My Song', mentoring the contributors and producing their final recordings.
She released a new collaborative album with Rollo and Dido in 2019 under the moniker 'R PLUS' - 'The Last Summer', following a jam-packed summer of festival headline DJ sets throughout the world including sets at Bestival, Exit Festival, Glastonbury, Creamfields, Ibiza and beyond.
Her hugely successful weekly radio show and podcast 'Sister Bliss in Session' is syndicated to over 100 stations and 43 countries worldwide. She recently guest presented Gilles Peterson's acclaimed show on BBC 6 Music and regularly stands in for Ana Matronic on the Dance Devotion show on BBC Radio 2.
She has also presented a 5-part series on Bauer Media's Scala Radio station joining the dots between classical and electronic music, which won the Bronze prize at the New York Festival Radio Awards, competing against 30 countries.
She currently teaches at Tileyard Studios' Masters MA course, including modules on songwriting, production and writing to commercial brief, and mentors individual Masters students - the same hands-on knowledge she shares in Studio to Stage, breaking down exactly how Faithless turned their records into a stadium-filling live show.
