I do a ton of tour press, and it's probably 65 or 70% of our business. So I know that the media outlets in each touring market are sticklers for details, and well they should be. If they are going to announce a show, let alone write a preview or feature about it, they need the details of that show.
Too often bands or artists post partial information on their websites or itineraries, and I'm always left to scramble when asked for that info by a journalist.
So here are a few good rules of thumb, for when you're gathering tour information for your publicist, or if you are a band who is blasting the info out to the media yourselves.
1. In addition to the basics, like date and venue with address (and preferably a phone number or web link to buy tickets), newspapers and websites listing shows need three key things--time, ticket price and ages. I can't tell you how many times I hear back from music editors or calendar editors that they cannot print show info without time or ticket price. And ages is just that...is the show all ages, 18 and up, or 21 and up?
2. Make sure your bio is up to date. If it's not, or if you don't send them one, they (newspapers or even venues) will often search the web for a bio that could be woefully out of date, and print something you may not want them to.
3. Make sure your photo is up to date and that all venues you're playing at have one. Just like with a bio, I see venues or newspapers pull one from the web that could be 5 or 10 years old, and have band members that are no longer in the band. If you want to ensure that new photos are being used, make sure your publicist has the new shot(s) and make sure you hammer home the fact that you want the current shot used when you book the show.
There is way more I could tell you about these details, but that's a good start, and plus, we have plenty of space and time on this blog. Please visit often and spread the word!
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