Touring bands rhymes with sleeping in vans. Well kind of. The rhyme aint perfect but the reality of it is something most touring bands have experienced. There has always been something disturbing about sleeping in vehicles. Although we all love our cars, vans and private jets, having a good nights sleep inside of them is rarely something we look forward to doing cause they’re so darn uncomfortable (even though we get along fine sleeping while the vehicle is actually in motion). An alternative is to pay for a motel or a hotel, but bands tend to prioritize eating food before getting a room for the night. A better alternative might be to couch-surf. It’s a great way to get a place to stay at night and meet potentially nice people, who might potentially bring more fans to your show. The concept isn’t new, and many websites put people in contact for the purpose of sharing a couch or a room. We have sites like CouchSurfing, HospitalityClub or the FaceBook widget CouchSwap that mainly focuses on individual travelers.
A new similar service just came out for bands and the musician-community called Better Than The Van. Certainly a big part of the community that will build itself around this website will be other bands and music fans, which is great for networking. Bands might even organise tour dates in towns where other musicians let them stay ,thus leading to more gig-swapping opportunities. Whatever the reasons, this is definitely something to look into because not only might you get a free comfy place to stay at night, you’ll also meet the people that support what you’re doing.
