PerformerMag : West Coast : Tour Diary : Uni and her Ukelele : September 2008


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Uni and her Ukelele

“See Your Face Again Europe '08 Tour”

April 30 – June 2, 2008

In 2007, I quit my job at Amoeba Music, booked a three-week tour to Europe and have been a full-time performer/musician ever since! I wanted to go back to Europe this summer, but stay longer and go to more countries. First thing’s first!

Step 1: of Uni and her Ukelele’s DIY Touring: Know where U want to go and how long U want to be there.

Originally, I was going to tour Europe in April 2008, but I was contacted by Lionel Hubert, the curator of the Paris Ukulele Festival, who asked me to move my tour to May so I could play the festival. I always say yes to AWESOME!, so I did.

Step 2: Be flexible.

Step 3: Use what you’ve got.

That means FREE STUFF! The internet has loads of free sites that are helpful for making a big deal about yourself. Use what’s best for U! Once U have a rough plan of where U want to go and when, U can start letting people know what U are going to do and how they can help.

Step 4: Make money before and during your tour by fundraising.

Ask people to buy your CDs, t-shirts, tote bags, stickers and such. This will make U money for your tour AND promote the tour! I suggest mailing your merch to people U know you’ll be staying with before U leave. It’s less baggage for U, and if U tour punk-rock style like I do, U will not want to get to customs with a ton of merch and say U are just on vacation. Merchandise is your ticket to survival on tour, so make sure U have a lot of it!

Step 5: Stay with people instead of at hotels.

This will save U money and U will experience where U are staying so much more. Use Step 3 to find these people, or U can always announce at shows that U need a place to stay. If this is hard for U to do, then U will have an even harder time touring and your credit card bill will be ugly. Use your charm and make friends!

Step 6: Do stuff when U aren’t playing a show.

Hang out with the locals, see sites, make friends, pass around tour flyers, get on the local radio and BUSK! Busking is a good way to make a little money and let people know who U are.

Step 7: Blog and take lots of photos.

This is a great way to let your fans know what U are doing and seeing. Also, U will be archiving your journey for people to view after the fact. Oh, memories!

These are the tools I used for touring Europe – and all of the States for that matter! I am using these steps right now for my tour of Australia and New Zealand in November 2008. It all started with a plan and the New Zealand Ukulele Festival in Auckland. For more information, check out www.unimusic.us or email me at unimusic.cu@gmail.com.

If I can do it, so can U!

Paris, Part I

The Paris Ukulele Fest was scheduled at the end of my tour, so I thought it would work best to start and end my “See Your Face Again Europe ‘08 Tour” in Paris. I would say having one big gig is essential for a tour. It looks good as the focus and normally festivals pay pretty well, so that is a sure thing money-wise.

Uni and Bertrand busking in front of Montmartre. (Who is Bertrand? He is an amazing ukulele player and he hosts an online ukulele forum called “King David Ukulele Station” www.ukulele.fr)

Uni and Marie Darling on musical saw performing at Theatre De L’ogresse.

Germany

Busking on the bridge in Würzburg. Whenever I have a hole in my gig schedule, I like to busk! It’s super hard on the emotions, most people ignore U, but I feel it makes U a better performer. I like playing in situations people don’t expect to see me. I also like playing in windows!

German radio in Frankfurt – Radio X Scrambled X Show with Ian and Christoph. Ian is actually making eggs in this picture!

Show in Frankfurt at Café Andrea Doria. Cafes in America are a little different than cafes in Europe. When I think of cafes, I think of coffee shops that have hippies hanging out talking about life and playing with their hacky sacks. Or Starbucks. But in Europe, cafes are more like lounges that sell food, beer and wine.

Top billing in Berlin.

Finland

Uni live at Bar Mendocino in Helsinki, Finland.

Scotland

Uni performs at Borders Books in Glasgow, Scotland. Bookstores and record stores are great day gigs to get for promotion and reaching a different audience.

My Glaswegian fair ladies! After my show at The Twisted Wheel.

Ireland

One of my favorite shows on the tour was in Derry, Ireland. The people poured into the club to see this glittery girl from the States who rocked the ukulele. They loved me. I pretty much sold out of my merchandise that night. Reminder: always bring a lot of merch!

England

While I was in Hastings, I did a family matinee performance at The Eat for the kiddies. (I ended up playing on two tables put together, that was my stage, and the kids got on the stage with me.) That night I played with the Bohemia Ukulele Band – their kids made me cupcakes!

Then I was off to Brighton. I had only one show there this

time (last tour I stayed longer). I performed with these

lovely folks at the Birthday Club.