Crossing from the UK into Ireland with a Carnet in a Splitter Van (Feb 2023)

This is a little note about crossing by ferry in a splitter van from Holyhead (UK) to Dublin (EU), then driving to Belfast (Northern Ireland) and taking the ferry to Cairnryan.

Remember to pack a hi vis and carry a form of ID!

Assuming you’ve got your carnet sorted (we use ROCKIT Cargo), you’ll want to head to the Holyhead Interim Inland Border Facility (24 hours) to get your carnet stamped out of the UK.

When I visited the area was under construction, so I won’t post any photos incase it looks different in a few months. Head to the front gate and say you’re processing a carnet. Customs took about 20 minutes to process our carnet, it wasn’t very busy. I processed it the night before travel as I was staying in Holyhead overnight to catch the morning ferry.

https://goo.gl/maps/iNYvbswu391gvoMB6

Parc Cybi, Holyhead LL65 2YQ

When you arrive in Dublin, head to T11 customs office in Dublin Port (24 hours). They’ll stamp your carnet into Ireland.

T11 customs office 

https://goo.gl/maps/XVMtexgDRPgL357v8

9Q4Q+88 Dublin 3, Ireland

For export back to the UK, visit Yard 3 Customs Export. You’re looking for the small cabin next to the entry point. They’ll stamp your carnet out of Ireland

Yard 3 Customs Export

https://goo.gl/maps/bx67e12fonxNscj46

3 Promenade Rd, North Dock, Dublin, Ireland

If you’re travelling to Northern Ireland and then Cairnryan, you have two options on how to process your carnet. Cairnryan doesn’t have a customs facility, so processing is done by customs in Belfast on behalf of Cairnryan.

Option 1 is to visit Yard 3 Customs Export as above to export from Ireland, and then Custom Clearance Belfast to import into the UK.

Option 2 is just to visit Custom Clearance Belfast. They can process your carnet out of Ireland and into the UK (on behalf of Cairnryan as mentioned above) in one stop.

Custom Clearance Belfast

https://goo.gl/maps/MH6aNsWhJZsN9P396

21 Duncrue St, Belfast BT3 9AQ

That’s it! It’s all relatively simple and the customs staff I interacted with knowledgable and friendly. For reference I was travelling on Stena Line regular passenger service.

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Immigration Tips for Touring in Canada

Photo by Jason Hafso on Unsplash

If you’re a UK artist (or working with a UK artist) and are planning to tour in Canada, here are some quick tips to help you make a seamless border crossing.

You’ll need a carnet if you’re travelling with commercial goods. If you’re not sure what a carnet is check out our post on Carnet FAQ’s.

Valid Passports

Every member of the band will need to have a valid passport that does not expire in the next 6 months and has at least 5 blank pages.

In some cases American citizens can cross the Canadian border by land with an Enhanced Drivers License (EDL).

Letter of Invitation

The promoter or festival where the artist is playing needs to provide you with a Letter of Invitation. This letter is presented to the custom officials at the Canadian border to verify that you are travelling as a performing artist and are contracted for these shows.

To apply for this you will need to send passport scans of all members of the touring party to your point of contact at the promoters agency or festival. They will send you the Letter of Invitation digitally once completed.

For more information on this please read the official documentation here.

Crossing the Border

Print your Letter of Invitation and a Personnel Manifest (a list of names of the band and crew with corresponding passport numbers). If members are arriving on seperate flights / transports, make sure that they each have access to a copy of both documents.

Present these documents to the customs officer at your Port of Entry. They will check the letter against their records and allow you into the country to perform.

NOTE: If crossing the border by land, not all Ports of Entry can process a carnet. Make sure to cross over the major Ports of Entries (for freight), instead of some of the smaller ones

Selling Merch in Canada

If you’re travelling with merch, declare the goods at the Canadian Border. You’ll need a list of inventory of your merchandise and the wholesale price for each item. You’ll pay a sales tax of 5% to Canadian customs.

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Compact Mixing Console Solutions

Compact mixing consolesChuckwalla Touring LTD

Thinking of building a compact mixing console solution for your band?

Arie van der Poel and monitor engineer Justin Grealy discuss how to build a compact mixing console for touring artists. A small footprint can save money on transport, and provides artists with greater flexibility on the road.

In the video we describe how to setup up 2 Behringer X32 cores and an S32 Stagebox. One is used for monitors, and the other for Front of House (FOH), with dual tablets used for control. An Extreme Waves Server and X-WSG card provides connection to Waves Multirack for extra flexibility. The entire rig is build to fly, at a combined weight of about 23 kilograms.

This talk is from the PLASA Focus Leeds trade show in 2018. We use a similar rig now, but with one X32 Core operating monitors and Waves LV1 operating Front of House (FOH). We’ll do a breakdown on this rig soon!

Check out the video below for more info on our compact rig:

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Splitter Van Hire in London (UK)

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

[Updated 10/01/23]

Looking for splitter van hire in London?

Post Pandemic, a few of the usual characters sadly closed their doors. Here are some of our favourite companies that are operating at the moment in London (and Brighton) that can fix you up with a great splitter van hire for your tour.

If your tour is taking you to Europe, all of these companies can provide European insurance for their splitter vans. Make sure to check out our blog post on carnets and crossing the border from the UK to EU!

Vans for Bands (VFB)

Vans for bands offer a range of splitter vans, and tour busses (nightliners / sleeper busses) to suit your touring budget. Their main office is based in Oxford, You can either pick your van up there (which means a train from Paddington to Oxford, and then a taxi to the site: approximately £80 total) or you can pay to have the van delivered to a location in London, including Heathrow airport (approximately £150).

Their vans are good quality and come with tow hitches. You can also rent trailers from them.

Blacklight Tours

Blacklight tours operate out of Shoreditch, East London. Their splitter vans are great, and the company is very flexible. You can even book a splitter van rental with a driver to take you to and from airports / train stations to your shows or accomodation.

All their splitter vans are ULEZ compliant (saves £12.50 per day in London), and 9 seaters are exempt from congestion charge in central London.

Civilised Car Hire

Civilised car hire operates out of SE5 Camberwell in South London. They have range of splitter vans and cargo vans.

Riverjuke

Riverjuke is based in South London and Amsterdam and offers 7 seat splitter vans for £120 / day plus VAT.

Terminal Studios

Terminal studios now offer splitter van rental. They’re located in Bermondsey, South East London.

Oosh Tours (Brighton)

Oosh tours are located in Brighton and have a range of splitter vans, mini splitters and cargo vans. If you’re looking for a van last minute splitter van rental in London and everything is booked up, it’s worth giving Oosh. It’s pretty easy to get to Brighton and back from London.

H&H Van Hire

Based in NW5 North London. H&H do 6 seat splitter van rental, 9 seat minivans and cargo vans of all sizes for a reasonable price.

Stage Drive Touring (Bristol)

Stage drive have luxury and economical 9 seat splitter van rental. Starting at £75 / day + VAT.

If you have any other favourite companies in London for splitter van rental please drop a comment with the name of the company!

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Carnet FAQ’s

Brexit has changed the landscape of EU touring for UK artists. One of the questions we get asked the most is What is a Carnet and why do we need one? Hopefully this blog post can help answer some of your questions!

What is an ATA Carnet?

An ATA (Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission) Carnet is a temporary international customs document that facilitates the temporary import and export of goods. Essentially they are a ‘Passport for Goods’ or the equipment you take on tour, enabling you to import and export them without paying import duty or VAT.

The carnet consists of a book of vouchers and counterfoils. It has a front and back cover, inside of which are counterfoils and vouchers for each country you will visit.

Once a carnet is issued it can be used for multiple trips within a one year time period from its issue date.

The vouchers act as receipts for importation and re-exportation and are kept by international customs officials. The counterfoils are stamped by these customs officials and are kept by the carnet holders.

Covering Pages

These contain the information about the goods, registered users of the carnet, and notes on the usage of the goods.

General list

A list of all goods (or pieces of equipment) covered with this carnet, with serial numbers and approximate values.

Counterfoils

These are used as evidence for the carnet holders in case duties and taxes are claimed at a later stage.

Vouchers

These are used as receipts, and are detached from the carnet and kept by customs officials.

Yellow, white and blue counterfoils and vouchers

  • Yellow certificate sets (counterfoils only) are the Registration of Goods that will return to the country of origin. A yellow certificate set includes an exportation counterfoil and a re-importation counterfoil.
  • White certificate sets (includes counterfoils and vouchers) are used by foreign customs. A white certificate set includes a white importation counterfoil, a white importation voucher, white re-exportation counterfoil and a white re-exportation voucher.
  • Blue certificate sets (includes counterfoils and vouchers) are used by foreign customs to track goods that are within their borders but have not cleared customs. These goods are in transit. A blue certificate set includes two blue transit counterfoils and two blue transit vouchers.

For a nice visual of the carnet, check the official ATA carnet website: https://www.atacarnet.com/carnet-document

After you have finished with the tour, the Carnet must be returned to the chamber of commerce by which it was issued.

Why does my band need a Carnet?

The ATA carnet is now the document most widely used by the business community for international operations involving temporary admission of goods. The ATA Carnet system is used in 78 countries and territories.

The main benefits of a carnet are:

  • Simplifies customs clearance of goods in exporting and importing countries by replacing customs documents that would normally be required;
  • Provides a financial security for customs charges potentially due on the goods that will be used in the countries visited;
  • Helps to overcome language barriers and having to complete unfamiliar customs forms

Without a carnet, you run the risk of being fined, having your equipment impounded, and paying import duties.

What does an ATA cover?

There are 38 categories of goods covered by ATA Carnets. The most common uses are:

  • Commercial samples
  • Professional equipment
  • Goods for trade fairs or exhibitions

In short, guitars, audio and lighting equipment, electronics, wardrobe, set design, trailers, and anything else non perishable involved in the tour would fall into these categories.

ATA Carnets do not cover good to be hired out or sold for commercial gain, perishable or consumable items, or goods for processing or repair.

How do I get a carnet?

We use Rock-It Global for our carnet applications. To apply you will need a list of all of your equipment you will be taking on tour, and the value and serial numbers associated with each piece of equipment.

The price of a carnet is around £400 + VAT. Note that a carnet can be used for multiple trips during a 12 month period.

It’s my first time using a Carnet! What do I do?

See our post CROSSING INTO THE EU FROM THE UK for a case study on a recent tour with UK Psych Rock band Los Bitchos.

First up, armed with carnet in hand, you’ll want to visit the customs office of the country where you received the Carnet (the UK for us at Chuckwalla Touring!) before you depart. This could be an inland border facility in the UK if travelling by bus or van, or a customs office inside your departure airport if travelling by air.

The customs official will fill out a yellow counterfoil for exportation out of the UK.

In the goods section of the Yellow counterfoil, specify what pieces of equipment you are carrying with you on this trip. You don’t have to carry everything on your general list of goods each, just mark what you are carrying (eg. If you have 100 items on your general list, but are only carrying the first 20 mark 1-20).

When you arrive in your destination country, you will hand the carnet to a customs official. They will fill in a white voucher and counterfoil for importation into the destination country.

When departing to another country, customs in the country of departure will fill out a white re-exportation voucher and counterfoil, and in the country of arrival customs will fill in a white importation counterfoil and voucher.

If arriving back to the UK, customs will fill out a yellow re-importation counterfoil.

What happens if my Carnet is lost or stolen?

You should obtain written confirmation that says the customs authority where the Carnet was lost or stolen will accept a replacement carnet. Contact the chamber who issued your Carnet, who can then send a replacement Carnet on request.

Any questions, please leave us a comment or contact us by email / DM on IG, we’d be happy to help!

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Crossing into the EU from the UK – What you need to know post Brexit

Recently we went on tour with Los Bitchos, a London based psych rock band to Europe. This was our first trip to Europe post Brexit and there were some important changes to the UK / EU border crossing.

For this blog post we are describing the steps to make a Eurotunnel crossing from the UK to France and back, using the passenger service, travelling in a 9 seat splitter van (thanks Ricky from Blacklight Tours!).

To make this crossing you will need an ATA Carnet. An ATA Carnet is a customs document that facilitates the temporary export of goods overseas, and is valid for up to one year. Inside this carnet will be a list of all of the equipment you are transporting.

For more information about carnets, view our post ATA Carnet FAQ’s.

Also, pack a Hi Vis! Wearing a Hi Vis is mandatory at the UK Inland Border Facilities (IBF) so make sure to pack at least one in your tour kit. The wait times can be long, so best to pack a few extra if the band want to make toilet trips while you wait.

Exportation from the UK:

Sevington Inland Border Facility: https://goo.gl/maps/8rF2vqhMYzWhxNZZ8

To open your carnet, you’ll need to visit an inland border facility inside the UK.

On this trip we used the Sevington Inland Border Facility (IBF) located in Ashford, 20 minutes drive from the Eurotunnel entrance coming from London. To speed up the process you can book an appointment 3 days in advance here. This can help if the IBF is busy on the day you intend to travel. You can check how busy an IBF here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-there-are-any-delays-at-an-inland-border-facility

We arrived in a 9 seat splitter van and were ushered to the back side of the building, where the officials made a parking space available to us.

Take your carnet and a form of ID (passport for example) to the outbound (export) office. There are officials around that you can ask for directions if you are unsure of where to go.

If its your first time using the carnet, you’ll need to sign the Green front page and fill out a Yellow exportation voucher. If in doubt, ask the officer you are dealing with for assistance.

At the export desk you will fill in a short form with your vehicle registration, allocated parking spot number and phone number. The customs official will keep your paperwork and hand you a receipt. Head back to your vehicle and wait for a text.

About an hour later we received a text to collect our paperwork. Head in to collect the carnet (remember to bring your slip!) and drive to the Eurotunnel.

This process took about an hour in total. Note: Our equipment was not inspected, this could add significant delays so plan accordingly!

Importation in to the EU from the UK:

Aduanas Calais / Douane: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CrCX2ji9hJ8tVSce9 (Be aware, this office is closed on some public holidays!)

When you arrive in France, exit the Eurotunnel and follow the orange signs to French Customs (SIVEP / Douane). You can also use the above google maps link to make life easier, as the orange signs can be hard to spot!

Drive up to the gate and ring the buzzer. Say you have arrived from the UK and are carrying a Carnet, they will open the gate. Drive around the back to the truck park and then walk to the office with your Carnet and ID.

Fill out the carnet and sign it, then hand it to an official. They will give you a ticket and call you over when the process is complete.

This process took about 30 minutes.

Re-exportation and re-importation from EU to UK

France:

Calais Eurotunnel terminal: https://goo.gl/maps/pFucj2NPuXPzsz5e8

On the way back, the carnet can be stamped at the euro tunnnel passenger terminal in Calais.

Head to the Eurotunnel check in. After checking in, stay right and enter the tourist terminal (not the border control!). Park up and walk to the terminal. There is a small customs window in between WH Smith and the Toilets. Hand them your ID and the Carnet. The will process the white re-exportation voucher.

UK:

Stop 24: https://goo.gl/maps/fcQWj1tN7RG1YCBK7

On this trip I used the customs facilities at Stop 24 to stamp the carnet. To save time you can book an appointment here. 

Enter Stop 24. Go to the customs desk (see photo) and hand them your carnet and ID. They’ll text you when the paperwork is ready to pickup. This process took about an hour. Our good were not inspected.

Other notes

It is important to carry a Carnet, I wouldn’t risk a trip without one. We were pulled up twice by customs officers within the European union and asked to present our Carnet. I think there is a heightened awareness of customs officials when they see a band travelling in a UK van.

Summary

That’s it! To summarise, the process is not complex but can be time consuming. I would factor in an extra 2 hours on your trip from UK – EU for traffic and carnet processing, and 90 minutes on your trip from the UK to the EU.

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or reach out to us by email or IG. We’d be happy to help!

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Splitter Van Hire in Europe

Splitter van rental europeChuckwalla Touring LTD

While we mostly hire splitter vans in London (as we’re based there!), occasionally we will hire in Europe for a fly date or one off show. Here are some options for splitter van hire in Europe.

If you’re travelling to Europe and need a carnet, make sure to check out our Carnet FAQ’s!

This is accurate as of 30th of May 2022. We updated this when we can!

Netherlands

Dax Vans (Nijmegen)

Dax Vans have 7 and 9 seat MWB and LWB VW Crafters and Mercedes Sprinter splitter van hire available for €100 – €120 / day + VAT.

Pieter Smit (Amsterdam)

Pieter Smit have splitter vans of all sizes, rehearsal studios, nightliners and trucks available.

A luxury splitter is € 145,- per day, € 790,- per week and; € 2465,- per month. (200km free per day and after that; € 0,2 per km) Ex fuel and vat when needed.

Germany

Tourbo Drive (Hamburg / Bremen)

Tourbo Drive have a range of 9 seat MWB Splitter vans available, and also rent backline. Vans are €105 / day, trailers €25 / day.

France

Alternative Loc (Paris)

Alternative Loc have a range of 9, 7, and 6 seater LWB and MWB Vans for hire. A bit expensive compared to UK options with caps on miles / day, but are lovely vans and very nice folks to deal with. Alternative loc also do backline and cover endorsements for many major brands.

Belgium

Tour Support (Gent)

Tour support rent a range of splitter vans with tow hitches, and trailers. They also do backline and cover endorsements for major brands.

Other

Trux.be (Belgium)

absolute-touring.com (Cologne, Germany)

SubArt Vans (Ljubljana, Slovenia):

  • Van: €80 – €100 Euro / day (Opel Vivaro / Renault Traffic / Peugeot Boxer)
  • Driver €120 – €150 / day

If you have any other recommendations of companies to hire splitter vans from in Europe, please drop a comment below! We’d love to hear from you.

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Band Van Hire for Tour in the USA

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

Need a band van hire for your upcoming tour in the USA? Here are some of our favourite companies to rent from.

Some things to note:

  • Liability insurance is compulsory when driving in America. This is included in some USA residents motor insurance, but it might not cover vans used for commercial work. If you don’t have this insurance you’ll need to take out the companies policy, so make sure the company you are using can provide this
  • If you need to tow a trailer, be aware that not all van rental companies will cover towing under their insurance

For tips on touring in the USA, check out our blog post Quick Tips For Touring In The USA

North America

Bandago

Bandago is on of the best van providers for touring musicians in North America. They have 13 locations in the United States, which is a life saver if you have problems with the van (breakdown, chip in the windshield etc) you’re never too far from an office where they can get you a replacement van.

They have 12 passenger Mercedes Sprinter splitter vans and 15 passenger Ford Transits available. Vans can be fitted with a tow hitch for an additional $10 / day, and Bandago can also provide liability insurance for international drivers.

Green Vans

Green Vans have locations in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and service the Boston & NYC areas including all major airports via delivery.

They have a selection of 15 seat vans (without cargo space) and can be fitted with a tow hitch. They’re great value for money and come out cheaper for a longer tour than companies like Bandago.

U-Haul

U-Haul has hundreds of offices around North America. In our opinion you can’t go wrong with U-Haul if you’re renting a trailer for your tour (about $20 USD / day). They also rent cargo vans.

If you are towing with U-Haul, you may need to purchase a pad lock and a light adapter for the brakes / indicator lights on the trailer. Ask your van rental company if they have any spare light adapters and padlocks for U-Haul trailers. They often have spares and could save you $40 (cost of new parts from U-Haul)

Turo

Turo is the worlds largest car sharing marketplace (peer to peer rental). You can find great deals on vans here that will be cheaper that the usual suspects, and Turo also can provide lability insurance for your drivers.

Captain Morgan Touring (New York / Los Angeles)

Captain Morgan Touring supplies backline and vans (15 seater) in New York and Los Angeles. Ben (owner) is awesome and helpful, and can probably do you a better deal than the major players, so worth giving him a call!

Alamo Car Rental

Alamo are good for fly shows when you need to pick up and drop off at an airport. They rent 15 passenger vans, and 7 passenger minivans and can provide liability insurance.

West Coast (California)

Sprinter Rentals (Los Angeles)

Sprinter Rentals in Los Angeles can provide 12 and 15 seat Mercedes Sprinter and Cargo vans.

Slate Van Rental (Los Angeles / Las Vegas)

Slate Van Rental has locations in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. They offer 8, 12, and 15 person passenger vans as well as cargo vans.

Van Rental Center (Los Angeles)

VRC has 8, 11, 12, and 15 passenger and cargo vans available for hire from their offices in Los Angeles. They have weekly and monthly rental prices available on their website.

Los Angeles Van Rentals (Los Angeles)

Los Angeles Van Rentals have Mercedes Sprinters and 8, 12, and 15 passenger vans available for rent.

East Coast (New York)

VTI Van Rentals (Brooklyn, NYC)

VTI have a selection of vans and SUV’s available for hire. They do not support towing.

Sprinter Van Rental NYC (Queens / Manhattan, NYC)

15 Passenger and Mercedes Sprinter vans available for rent in Queens and Manhattan.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas on your next band van hire in the USA! Drop a comment if we’ve missed any of your favourite companies.

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Quick tips for Touring in the USA

First time touring in the USA? Here are some quick tips and gotchas from the Tour Managers at Chuckwalla Touring.

Looking to rent a van? Check out our blog post Hiring a Van for Tour in the USA

Advancing Shows

In your advance specify you want fees wired to your booking agent and include their details otherwise you’ll end up with checks. There’s a wire fee for bank transfers in the United States so promoters assume you want a check to avoid it but it’s a hassle for international acts.

Carnets

You’ll need an ATA Carnet to enter / exit the USA with equipment. It’s like a passport for your equipment to clear customs without paying duties and import taxes on anything that will be re-exported within 12 months.

Check out our blog post on Carnet FAQ’s and our case study on entry and exit with a carnet for more information.

Crossing into Canada

If you are travelling on a non USA / Canadian passport you won’t need a work visa to play shows in Canada, but the promoter for your first show on each crossing into the country will need to write you an invitation letter which you will print and present to the Canadian border officials upon entry.

If you’re driving, the border crossings in and out of Canada can get really busy during the day. If possible, we like to cross in the evenings or early in the mornings after shows. Typically the customs offices are less busy for your Carnet, and there is little to no traffic.

Travel Insurance

Get it. Health care costs in the USA are no joke! Often you can get a coverage for the whole band for the duration of the tour that might end up cheaper than individual policies.

Domestic flights / Airlines

Where possible, Southwest is a great airline to book your domestic travel on when touring as your first 2 pieces of checked luggage are free with your ticket.

  • Southwest is first come first serve, so make to sure to check in ASAP otherwise you might loose your seats or space for checked luggage
  • Early check in can be purchased. Often this is worth the extra cost as you will get priority boarding and be able to select the best seats for your band members before the plane fills up. Super important when your band are carrying instruments like violins / horns / guitars etc to make sure there is space in the overhead lockers

Travelling With Instruments

If your band is travelling with instruments that they do not want to check in the luggage hold, it’s good to know this FAA rule, called The Final Rule.

This rule requires that carriers must allow a passenger to carry into the cabin and stow a small musical instrument, such a violin or a guitar, in a suitable baggage compartment, such as the overhead bin or under the seats in accordance with FAA safety regulations.

In other words, the airline must try to fit the instruments on the plane in the overhead luggage lockers or wardrobes before they are allowed to force you to gate check them.

I’ve gate checked horns, guitars etc and touch wood they have been fine, but it’s always good to avoid if possible.

A good line to try if you’re having trouble taking instruments on board is:

“Sir / Ma’am I looked up the model of this aircraft online and noticed that it had a luggage wardrobe. Would it be possible to store my instrument in there?”

Driving

If you’re driving on tour in the USA, here are some fast tips

  • Looking to rent a van? Check out our blog post Hiring a Van for Tour in the USA
  • Always have cash in the van or bus for Toll booths, most do not accept cards
  • All states in America allow you to turn right on a red signal at a traffic lights, but watch out for New York and Montreal which are two major North American cities which ban right on red
  • You don’t need always an international driving permit to rent a car / van, see here for states that require an IDP
  • All van rentals require that you have a liability insurance. This is included in some USA residents motor insurance, but it might not cover vans used for commercial work. If you don’t have this insurance you’ll need to take out the companies policy, so make sure the company you are using can provide this
  • Watch your timezones! You’ll be driving across timezones so make sure to account for this when calculating your drives
  • If you see a police officer in a lay-by on a highway, you must change lanes to give them one lanes gap. Apparently this is a traffic offence!
  • Bandago are great for van rental on longer tours as they have van stock in lots of cities around the country. If you break down or smash a window they’ll be able to get a replacement van to you faster than other companies
  • Watch out for caps on miles / day on your van hires. It’s rare that a hire comes with unlimited miles in the USA
  • If you need a trailer, rent from U-Haul. they’ll run you about $20 USD a day and are good quality. Beware that not all van rental companies will cover towing under their insurance, so make sure to double check (Bandago does!)
  • If you are towing with U-Haul, you will need to purchase a pad lock and a light adapter for the brakes / indicator lights on the trailer. Ask your van rental company if they have any spare light adapters and padlocks for U-Haul trailers. They often have spares and could save you $40 (cost of new parts from U-Haul)
  • One way hires can be stupidly expensive, but if they are unavoidable try to get quotes from Bandago for your van, and SIR Backline for your backline. They both have locations all over the states which can help logistically

Mobile Phones and Data

Even if you have a great roaming plan on your current phone contract, it’s good to have a USA number for promoters to call.

We like to head straight to the local T-Mobile store after landing in the USA to pick up a pre-paid sim card. You can get unlimited talk, text and data for $40 USD / Month, and everything can be set up in store. These sim plans will also work in Canada.

Tipping

  • Keep cash on hand for tips! General rule of thumb is 15 %, but this can change from state to state.
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USA Touring with COVID 19 regulations

Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash

Note: All Chuckwalla staff and employees are fully vaccinated against COVID 19

After a hiatus from touring in the United States due to the world wide pandemic, we jumped back in to the fray in December 2021 for a run of East and West coast dates.

The tour presented some challenges, as there were mixed vaccination status’s between band members. We also had vaccination passports from multiple countries.

During the advancing phase I learned a few key things around touring in the USA at this time.

Terminology:

  • PCR test: A nasal swab conducted by a third party that typically takes 24 hours to return a result from a laboratory. 
  • Antigen test (Rapid): A different kind of nasal swap, that returns a result in a matter of hours
  • OTC (Over the counter) tests: Tests that can be purchased from pharmacies that you can conduct, they will give you results within 15 minutes

Entry to the USA:

As of December 2021, the USA requires a negative Antigen (Rapid) or PCR test conducted by a third party within 1 day of your departure flight. This can be tricky to organise depending on your country of origin. Check in with any band members that their tests are within the 1 day time frame specified by the government, and call their airlines to confirm current regulations.

Touring with fully vaccinated artists is easy!

If you and the musicians you work with are fully vaccinated, there are very few regulations for performing artists in the USA. You may be asked to wear masks when not on stage or in the green room, and venues will ask to see vaccination certificates on entry, though in practice even this is quite relaxed.

Touring with unvaccinated artists is possible:

The most important thing to note is to be open and honest about this situation in your advance. All the venues and promoters on our tour were able to accomodate unvaccinated crew members. Only one promoter presented a strong opinion on this matter, the rest were relaxed and easy to deal with.

A general rule of thumb is that an unvaccinated band member needs to provide a PCR test from 48-72 hours before doors to the promoter.

Logistically this can be quite tricky, especially if your routing between cities is tight timing wise. Here are some tips if you find yourself in this situation:

  • Many USA airports have rapid PCR testing available on site that return a result within 45 minutes to 2 hours. This comes at a cost of around $250-$350 USD (eg. XpresCheck)
  • Every city has multiple locations where you can get rapid test results (including PCR tests) within 24 hours (next day by 2pm), though in practice our results would turn up around 2 hours after the test was taken. These cost around $60 – $90 USD.

These results can be emailed to you for proof, or you can request a hard copy. All the promoters on this tour were happy with emailed proof of a negative result.

Some promoters / venues accept rapid over the counter tests as proof, and can even provide these tests for you upon entry to the venue.

Other promoters / venues do not mind that any of your crew may be unvaccinated and will not ask for a test.

General COVID courtesy:

Be kind, wear a mask whenever you are working alongside venue staff.

Have some OTC rapid tests available for band members who might feel under the weather, or for when new band members jump on the tour.

If anyone has had exposure to COVID 19, remove them from the tour immediately for at least 5 days and retest before they join the tour again.

Ways to limit exposure to COVID 19:

On this tour I limited green room access to band only to limit possible exposure to COVID 19.

If a band member had a special request for someone to be granted backstage access, that person would have to be vaccinated and provide a negative over the counter test result.

Other than the above, there is only so much you can do. There is a risk of exposure at any live event, or flight that you take. The members of this band were ok with that risk, and many had already contracted COVID earlier in the year.

That’s about it! Pop a comment if you have any questions.

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