Touring Together?

Hiya -

I'm the lead singer and manager for a Galway-based originals band. We've recently launched our debut album, and are now in the stage of booking tour dates in Ireland (and hopefully beyond) over the next couple of years.

As we all know, it's difficult enough to get paid gigs for original bands. It costs an awful lot to play for free, and an awful lot of places expect an up and coming band to do just that. Also, many venues don't want to take a risk on an original band they might've never heard of, when they can pay a covers band to play songs they know everyone will sing (and drink) along to.

So then you have to look at renting a venue, and charging in, and that also is risky, because even though you might be a publicity genius, people still might not come to see your band. When you are a professional working band and not on the dole, or playing for a hobby, the contacting of venues and trying your best to get a few bob to pay your band enough to cover gas food and lodging quickly becomes a daunting, depressing thing. Especially as many many venues don't seem to check emails at all. Maybe that's because they get so many emails from independent bands they just ignore them, I don't know.

Anyway, keeping all of this in mind, I had an idea to possibly combine forces with another one or two or even three original bands across the country, bands whose music has the same "vibe" as our own. Book a tour together, selling the idea to venues that way. Three or four bands on the bill for the night, the bar makes money, we make money and get our music heard by new ears.

Instead of us competing, why not work together? Share expertise, venues possibilities, fan bases, media links, send a package of CDs to radio, saying look at our cool idea, play our songs, and do radio interviews together? In the 50's and 60's this is what everyone did. Lets do it again.

What do you say? Is this even possible? What harm in trying?