Travelling As A Musician

Where are all the best places to find equipment/music shops?

What paper work do you need to perform in other countries without having the wrong visa?

I know one guitar shop in Amsterdam I use; they're great for guitar strings and guitar picks when in Amsterdam, NL.

My friend's band got refused entry from America (and were detained and had to come back the expensive way) for having the wrong type of visa to tour there.. Afterwards my friend squared himself with the US so he's allowed to go back to the US but he said other members of his band were not.

Have you ever toured anywhere?

I more or less took a tour bus from London to Amsterdam the first two times I went, which was fun enough.
The first 2 times I went, I went with this DJ called Carmen London, who I knew and would recognise her on the radio, but, I was still able to do my own thing out there. That was cool though, since she knew my good friends so we all got to travel in a group for those visits to 'Dam/Amsterdam (Sep 2015 & Jun 2016).

It wasn't like it was free though, no, it was a weekend trip with tickets she sold to everybody which included her bus and hotels in Amsterdam, but, it was fun. We would do our trip and be invited to her events out there.

[ Edit: Edited on 14 Apr 2021, 15:19 GMT by Trebor Illusion ]

> What paper work do you need to perform in other countries without having the wrong visa?

Visa types vary according to country (and the applicant's citizenship) but, in essence, you'd need a visa which allows you to work as a performing artist (NB 'work' is something for which you receive payment in money or kind (e.g. accommodation, food, 'pocket money').

In some countries getting the appropriate visa is very difficult. When it comes to street artists/buskers, some places require a licence from the local authority, in some places street artists/buskers are organised/controlled by criminal gangs and some places do not allow any street artists/busking at all.

Most decent-sized places have a musical instrument, equipment etc shop or shops. It's just a matter of doing a bit of research.

[ Edit: Edited on 14 Apr 2021, 18:15 GMT by leics2 ]

Where are all the best places to find equipment/music shops?'

As Leics said, all big cities (and some small ones) have music shops. What's "best" might depend on the type of instrument or musical genre you're interested in.

What paper work do you need to perform in other countries without having the wrong visa?

You need to have a visa which allows you to make money (income) in the country you're going to perform in, if you'll be paid for it. Additionally, and as already pointed out, cities and towns can have their own laws regarding who, where and when musicians can perform, and if they can do it for $$.

And yes, I have toured, with a choir, many years ago. 9 cities/7 countries in one month: Athens, Rome, Venice, Ljubjiana, Innsbruck, Salzburg (Mozart Festival), Frankfurt, Amsterdam and London. It was an arrangement that had members covering their own packaged group accommodation + transport + meals costs, and we were not paid for our pre-arranged performances so no visa required.