Tour Manager Jobs

About This Music Career

The Tour Manager, who is also called the Road Manager, is the group's management representative while the act is on the road, responsible for handling problems that may occur while an act is traveling. Their main function is to get everybody and everything where they are supposed to be and on schedule, regardless of the circumstances.

Depending on arrangements made in advance, the Road Manager works under the Tour Coordinator, the group's Management, or the group itself. Many times, the Road Manager also works as the Tour Coordinator, where he or she would be responsible for any and all the problems on the road and for supervising the equipment, sound, and light personnel, along with the Tour Publicist, the Tour Photographer, Musicians, Security, and pretty much anyone else who is working on tour.

The Road Manager must ensure an act is on time to any public appearances, interviews or TV/radio spots. The same goes for making sure the act is at all rehearsals and concerts on time. All of the equipment must arrive and be set up properly, and this is also the responsibility of the Road Manager. He or she then supervises sound, light, and security checks for each performance, and acts as the liaison between the act and the concert promoter.

He or she has the responsibility of collecting any monies owed to the act before and/or after the show, and is usually in charge of paying the entourage and keeping up with paying all bills on the road. While doing so, the Road Manager must keep all receipts, vouchers, etc., from the tour to give to the group or its management – pretty much all of the money must be accounted for.

If a problem arises between entourage members, the Road Manager often has to deal with the problem. Long road tours put a lot stress on most people, making it very difficult to perform day to day tasks. The Road Manager is the one who must keep a level head no matter what happens. Because of this, Road Managers must like travel and must be open to being away from home for weeks or even months at a time. Road Managers might work more than twenty hours per day, and they are always on call.

Salaries
Depending on the popularity with the group with which they are working, Road Manager salaries vary. Due to the nature of the position, Road Managers are usually paid weekly salaries starting from $400 per week for a touring group, and can range from $15,000 to $2,500 per week for a recording group (plus bonuses and expenses). However, they may be paid a flat rate for each tour they complete, along with a per diem for living expenses while on tour. Depending on the act, the Road Manager's room and board are paid for in advance and the per diem is used for personal expenses. When they are not working Road Manager salaries are often reduced by a percentage, in order to keep the Road Manager under salary with the group. If this is not the case, some Road Managers may work for other groups.

Employment
It is common for the Road Manager position to be filled by nonmusical friends of a group. They must be the one at the right place at the right time and need a lot of contacts in the business to find open positions. Individuals who have a proven track record in road management for major tours will have a better chance of landing a gig.

Advancement
To advance, the Road Manager usually finds a job with a more prestigious musical act. They can also look to become Tour Coordinator. To gain "promotion," the Road Manager needs to show that they are reliable, responsible, and effective while on the road.

Education and Training

To become a Road Manager, you do not need a formal education, as there are Road Managers who have not completed high school. But, the more successful road managers have completed high school and might even have a college degree in anything from business to psychology.

Experience, Skills, and Personality
Most Road Manager begin as roadies, with some as Equipment Personnel or Tour Publicists. They must be deal to effectively deal with any problems that arise, while working under extreme pressure. The Road Manager needs to be able to supervise everyone in the road crew along with everyone in the union crew at some concert halls. Responsibility is the number one trait a Road Manager must possess, ensuring that all personnel and equipment get to where they need to be, when they need to be.

Unions and Associations
There are no major associations specific to Road Managers.

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