Developing bands must be in control of their own destiny when it comes to playing live. Yet before booking agents come onboard, they will want to know a band has a budding fan base. An act, therefore, needs to be proactive in its quest to become a professional touring unit.These five tips can help.

• Weigh the pros and cons of tour support from the label, financial or otherwise. A band has to pay it back, so it’s best not to start off in the hole if such a luxury can be avoided.
• Rent a van, and invest in a Global Positioning System and AAA membership. If the band is far enough along to warrant a contract rider — and some clubs will scoff at baby-band demands — be realistic about what’s on it.
• Stay local, and create an online story before expanding into new markets. A band must inspire passion in its backyard before truly embracing its rock’n'roll dreams.
• And all of this local work can — and should — be done before a bona fide booking agent ever comes onboard. “I have this band, the High Strung, that booked their own tours and did over 250 dates a year for two years straight before I picked them up,” says agent Andrew Colvin at Ground Control Touring.

And don’t be afraid to lend a helping hand. “Last year at Lolla we had a local band in Chicago called Musical Outfits that even offered to help flier Chicago,” Attal says. “We put them on.