There's nothing quite like hitting the road as a band for the third or fourth tour of duty in one year. All of those countless hours in your third-hand Econoline Special, playing 20 questions for the umpteenth time, reflecting on the awful or awesome gig you played the night prior, cursing the promoter who didn't pay you for said gig, or if you're lucky, fielding the odd list of questions about your influences that a campus radio DJ has for you. But when it comes to catching some shut-eye, it's not the ideal substitute for your comfy bed at home.
BetterThanTheVan.com is a website that recognises this, and is making an effort to help find shelter for all the touring bands crossing the dreary Prairies or that long stretch of Californian desert.
Here's how Better Than the Van works:
We wanted to make a very simple site that allows bands to meet fans, and bands to meet bands for a practical purpose. You can join the site for free as either "offering a place..." or "needing a place..." to stay. Bands can search by location, age, weekend/weekday availability and a few other options. People with places to offer can also search for bands who are looking.
So many bands are out there on shoestring budgets, we thought there needs to be a way to connect them with people or other bands offering up their floor or couch. We've stayed in some great and not so great places while on tour, so we know it can be hit or miss. We figured people are fans of bands and bands become fans of other bands. If you give them all a place to meet each other under a common need, good things usually come of it.
Another reason to use Better Than the Van...
BetterThanTheVan.com is a website that recognises this, and is making an effort to help find shelter for all the touring bands crossing the dreary Prairies or that long stretch of Californian desert.
Here's how Better Than the Van works:
We wanted to make a very simple site that allows bands to meet fans, and bands to meet bands for a practical purpose. You can join the site for free as either "offering a place..." or "needing a place..." to stay. Bands can search by location, age, weekend/weekday availability and a few other options. People with places to offer can also search for bands who are looking.
So many bands are out there on shoestring budgets, we thought there needs to be a way to connect them with people or other bands offering up their floor or couch. We've stayed in some great and not so great places while on tour, so we know it can be hit or miss. We figured people are fans of bands and bands become fans of other bands. If you give them all a place to meet each other under a common need, good things usually come of it.
Another reason to use Better Than the Van...
