Tour: Smart

Based on his 2007 book Tour: Smart: And Break the Band (considered by some to be the bible of band touring business books), this DVD offers an audiovisual complement to Martin Atkins' hefty how-to guide, divided here into separate chapters (a “play all” option would have been helpful). While the print edition features contributions from the likes of Henry Rollins and Chris Connelly, the DVD is all Atkins. As the founder of Invisible Records and drummer for Public Image Limited, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and other hard-edged electronic groups, Atkins tells viewers some of what he's learned about touring over the years, backed by a few simple graphics and background music from Pigface. Aimed at touring musicians or those interested in breaking into the music business, the musician's advice is specifically directed towards musicians touring the U.S., and covers topics ranging from packaging and merchandising the band to making the most out of an opening band slot, while also offering a handful of tips (“have more than one shirt”). Much of the information presented here is solid, but Atkins' frequent plugs for his book tend to make this seem at times like a hip infomercial. Still, given the dearth of similar material on DVD, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (K. Fennessy)