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Drummer Knows Rules Of The Road

Atkins learned the hard way, so other bands don't have to.

Invisible Records

Drummer Martin Atkins (Public Image Ltd., Killing Joke, Ministry, Pigface, etc.) is passing on the insights he's gained from years as a touring musician.

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By CURTIS ROSS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 17, 2009

The title of Martin Atkins' book, "Tour: Smart — And Break the Band," sums up what he's trying to teach young musicians.

The book covers pretty much everything involved with getting and keeping a band on the road, from merchandise and contracts to sex and drugs. Atkins wants readers to know that his knowledge comes from real experience. Trial and error. And error. And error.

"People say, 'This book is genius!' I say, 'No, it's not!'" Atkins says by telephone. "This is me sitting on the park bench with the sign marked 'Wet Paint' nine times in a row and then on the 10th time saying 'Hold on a minute!'"

Atkins knows from touring. He says he started playing drums backing strippers in bars at age 11. Since then he's toured and played with Killing Joke, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry and Public Image, Ltd. He founded industrial-rock super group Pigface and heads the Invisible Records label.

Atkins wrote the book out of necessity. He began teaching "The Business of Touring" at Columbia College Chicago in 2003, after a faculty member caught the presentation he gave to CCC interns he'd snagged to help with promotions for a tour he'd booked.

He soon found there were no suitable texts for what he wanted to teach. Writing the book himself is at the heart of the do-it-yourself ethos Atkins stresses in the book and in his lectures.

"Some [musicians] are surprised at how easy it can be when you start to do this yourself," Atkins says. "You can learn and grow and take control of your own destiny. You can take control of your creative path. It's not complicated."

Not complicated, but no place for slackers, Atkins warns. Would-be superstars waiting to be pampered by record company largess are in for a rude awakening.

"Bands can be their own worst enemies," Atkins says. "If they would start doing it instead of hypothesizing about it, the doing of it would change the way they are.

"The relationships [with] people they meet would mold them as people and musicians," Atkins continues. "The gradual, incremental input of audiences either applauding or running away is what's valuable, not sitting around and talking about it. This isn't something somebody else needs to give you. You can take it for yourself."

Other advice: Think small. A band playing to an audience of 10 needs to concentrate on building it to 20, not jumping to 1,000.

That advice goes for other areas as well.

"There are bands who tell me, 'We need money to make 500 T-shirts.' No! You need money to make one T-shirt!" Atkins exclaims.

Kimberly Freeman, of Austin, Texas, band One-Eyed Doll, bought a T-shirt at a thrift store, wrote her band's name on it in bleach and sold it for $5. She used the money to buy more thrift-store T-shirts. "Now she makes shirts 50 at a time and the original ones she made are collector's items," Atkins says.

Atkins is making several appearances in the area this week to talk about the book and his thoughts on touring, as well as his recent trip to China.

• Thursday, Feb. 19, Atkins will be the host of "Tour: Smart DIY Summit" and a tour of the Dean Guitar Factory at 4924 N. Waters Ave. in Tampa. He'll be joined by Dean Guitars' Josh Maloney as well as Curse Mackey of Pigface. The summit is free and begins at 2 p.m. Register online at www.deanguitarstoursmart.eventbrite.com.

• That night, Atkins and Mackey will DJ at Czar, 1420 E. Seventh Ave., in Ybor City. The set begins at 10:30 p.m. Call (813) 247-2664.

• Friday, Feb. 20, Atkins will lecture on Beijing's punk rock scene at the University of South Florida's Marshall Student Center, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. in Tampa. It's free and begins at 3 p.m. Call (813) 974-3180.

• Finally, Atkins will sign copies of "Tour: Smart" and meet with performers for mini-consultations at Vinyl Fever, 4110 Henderson Blvd. in Tampa. It's fee and starts at 7 p.m. Call (813) 289-8399.

Curtis Ross can be reached at (813) 259-7568.

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