Q&A with Tour Manager Rebecca Travis

About Rebecca Travis

I’ve been touring since 1999 with many acts in roles such as assistant tour manager and production coordinator before becoming a tour manager in 2005. Artists I’ve worked with recently as tour manager include James Blake, Paolo Nutini, Chvrches, Ellie Goulding, Florence + The Machine, Arcade Fire, and Basement Jaxx.

How do you create a cohesive and positive dynamic within the touring team, including crew, band, and other staff? 

Building and motivating a team is a major part of [a] tour manager’s job — it’s so important to have a happy and motivated team. Encouraging a friendly and kind environment is important — making sure everyone is working together to create something special we can all enjoy and be proud of. This really has to come from the artist also — them showing gratitude to their team is the most motivating thing they can do. Everyone likes to feel appreciated!

What advice would you give an artist who is about to start their first tour?

To start, often the habits we form at the beginning of a tour are what we continue to do for the whole run. It’s a good idea to plan how you might eat and what exercise you might do.  Plan walks/runs, look at local places where you can do your favorite yoga or spin class, or take a folding bike if cycling is your thing.

What practices, routines, and tips help artists stay energized and excited on the road?

I work with a few older artists now and it’s clear that as we get older, we realize that we have to take better care of ourselves — not only at home but on the road — as the travel and hours take their toll. People have different strategies, but key points are sleep, diet, and exercise, so as much as possible we try and build these things into our schedules. Gyms in hotels are important, day rooms when traveling overnight by bus are a good thing to top up on sleep, and [we try] to take a break from the venue and trying to source quality food as much as possible.

What’s gotten easier and more challenging over the years with touring?

Easier I would say communication — we have so many more tools now to make touring and general information sharing so much more efficient. Touring apps as well as messaging apps make things a lot more straightforward than they were back in the old days! I’d say the biggest challenge these days is budgeting and making (particularly the smaller) tours add up. Hotels, flights, and fuel prices (among other things) have increased substantially over the last few years (post Covid) and that means making finances work is harder than it once was.

How do you manage artist burnout or stress on long tours in your role?

Generally tour managers are presented with a final schedule and don’t often have a say in what happens, but it’s our job to manage what has been planned. Liaising with management to make sure there is some sort of downtime for the artist is important. Making travel as comfortable as the schedule and budget allow — those extra few hours in bed in the morning can make a big difference, as can a more comfortable seat on a plane.

How can artists take care of their mental health before, during, and after a tour?

Trying to get rest as much as possible on tour is important. Alone time in hotels is good, to get some peace and rest. There aren’t many days off on the average tour — most people make the most of those precious travel days/evenings off by having a good meal, taking a walk to explore the city they’re in and getting a good night’s sleep that isn’t on a bus or a plane. In general getting some exercise — taking a break from venues and having a walk and some fresh air can do wonders. We also sometimes book a massage therapist at a venue for people to have a treatment if their schedule allows. I’ve also been on tours where the artist has asked for a yoga teacher every show day so anyone who has time can join in. Before and after tour, sleep is key — stock up before and in an ideal world, take some time after tour to recuperate and get back to normal life.

How do you personally measure the success of a tour, and what do you do to prepare for the next one?

There are many measures — did lots of people come to the shows? Did we make money on behalf of the artist? Did the artist enjoy it? Did the band and crew enjoy it? All these factors come into it, but if there is some sort of balance of these things and the band and crew are sad when it ends, it’s been a good run! Ideally there is time at the end of a tour to wrap it up, rest and prepare for the next tour. That’s the ideal but in reality it’s usually straight on to the next one!