# The Dialtones Europe Tour Package Overview Updated: May 28, 2026 ## What Has Been Created This Desktop folder now contains the working package for a first-pass European tour buildout for The Dialtones. ### 1. Venue Prospect List Files: - `dialtones-europe-venue-prospects.html` - `dialtones-europe-venue-prospects.csv` What it contains: - 265 European venue prospects for an Austin/Central Texas AAA / indie folk-rock / arts-forward band. - Includes venue name, city, country, fit rationale, booking/contact route, official venue link, social links, estimated pay range, and size tier. - Italy was added as a dedicated expansion block with 15 venues, including Milan, Rome, Bologna, Turin, Ravenna, Florence, and Roncade/Treviso-area options. - The HTML includes a link to the CSV version near the top. How to use it: - Start with small and mid-size venues for realistic first-tour outreach. - Prioritize venues that match songwriter, indie, arts-forward, alternative, or intimate seated programming. - Treat every booking contact as needing a final live verification before outreach. ### 2. European Co-Bill / Opening-Slot Prospect List Files: - `dialtones-europe-cobill-band-prospects.html` - `dialtones-europe-cobill-band-prospects.csv` - `dialtones_europe_cobill_data.json` What it contains: - 1,100 potential co-bill, support-slot, and adjacent-artist prospects. - Covers 11 selected countries, with 100 acts per country. - Countries included: United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy. - The list was seeded from public music metadata and includes search links for manager, booking, recent venues, social platforms, streaming, and recent press. Important caveat: - This is a research seed list, not a finished buyer list. Manager names, agent contacts, recent venue history, and current touring activity still need manual verification. ### 3. Europe Tour Grant Tracker File: - `europe-tour-grant-tracker.html` What it contains: - Grant and funding opportunities relevant to a U.S.-based band trying to build international touring momentum. - A prefilled application profile for The Dialtones, including band name, location, contact, genre framing, website/EPK, recent release, collaborators, and work-sample guidance. - Grant rows include links, descriptions, deadlines, and application fields to gather. Grant/funding programs currently tracked: - USArtists International / Mid Atlantic Arts - Sonic Guild Tour Support Grant - Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants - globalFEST Touring Fund - American Music Abroad - 23Arts Initiative - Performing Arts Discovery / PAD - Creative Capital Award / State of the Art Prize - New Music USA Creator Fund - Austin Live Music Fund / Elevate - Artist Trust Grants for Artist Projects - Culture Moves Europe - On the Move Funding Guides - Fractured Atlas Fiscal Sponsorship Important caveat: - Grant deadlines and eligibility rules change by cycle. Before applying, each live grant page needs a fresh check. ## Current Strategy Read The strongest path is not just "book random Europe dates." The fundable version is a routed, presenter-backed tour with documentation. A fundable tour package needs: - At least three confirmed Europe shows. - Written invitations, contracts, or presenter emails. - A clear tour route with dates, cities, venues, and local partners. - A project narrative that explains why Europe, why now, and why these presenters. - A budget showing travel, lodging, artist fees, backline, visas/work permits, per diem, insurance, and admin. - Work samples that prove the band can deliver live. - A clean EPK and current touring lineup. ## What Still Needs To Be Done ### Phase 1: Confirm The Band Package Needed from The Dialtones: - Legal applicant name: Lauren individually, The Dialtones, Dialtones Productions, or fiscal sponsor. - Current touring lineup. - Citizenship/residency status where grants require it. - Passport expiration dates and availability windows. - Current EPK, short bio, long bio, band photo, stage plot, input list, tech rider, and best live video. - Confirmation on whether applications may use the public mental-health/recovery framing from the EPK, or whether to use a less personal artistic-development narrative. Why this matters: - Grants care about eligibility, project clarity, and whether the applicant can actually execute the tour. ### Phase 2: Pick A Realistic Route The first routing pass should choose 2-4 core countries, not all of Europe. Practical starter route options: - UK / Ireland / Netherlands - Netherlands / Belgium / Germany - Germany / Austria / Italy - France / Belgium / Netherlands - Italy / Germany / Austria, if the Italian venue block is a priority Criteria for picking the route: - Venue fit. - Travel efficiency. - Existing audience or artist connections. - Local co-bill availability. - Grant eligibility. - Whether presenters can provide formal invitations. ### Phase 3: Prioritize Outreach Targets Recommended outreach order: - 25 high-fit venues from the venue prospect list. - 25 high-fit co-bill artists from the co-bill list. - 10 local promoters, small agencies, or venue programmers in the target route. - 5-10 showcase/festival or arts-presenter opportunities if dates align. For each target, verify: - Current booking contact. - Whether they book independent U.S. artists. - Whether they prefer direct booking, local promoter booking, or agency submission. - Room size and likely deal structure. - Whether they can issue a formal invitation or contract. ### Phase 4: Build The Funding Case Best immediate funding paths: - Sonic Guild Tour Support Grant, if the tour dates and Austin-radius eligibility fit. - Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants, if a sudden confirmed opportunity appears and there is a real budget gap. - USArtists International, for a future cycle, if the band can secure eligible international presenter/festival engagements. - Fractured Atlas fiscal sponsorship, if the band needs tax-deductible donations or access to funders requiring a nonprofit sponsor. - Austin Live Music Fund / Elevate, if the project can be framed around Austin music export, public benefit, tourism, or Austin-based activity that meets city rules. Less immediate but worth tracking: - American Music Abroad, because it is not a self-booked tour grant. - New Music USA, 23Arts, and Creative Capital, if the Europe tour becomes part of a new-work or interdisciplinary project rather than normal tour support. - Culture Moves Europe, usually more relevant to Europe-based collaborators or hosts than a U.S.-based band. ### Phase 5: Create Outreach Materials Needed next: - One-page Europe booking pitch. - Short venue email template. - Short co-bill artist email template. - Grant narrative draft. - Tour budget spreadsheet. - Presenter invitation request template. - Routing spreadsheet with date holds, venue status, contact person, last outreach, follow-up date, and deal notes. ## Suggested Next Action Start by choosing one target route and one target travel window. Then shortlist: - 15 venues. - 10 co-bill artists. - 3-5 grant/funding options. Once that shortlist exists, the next job is to verify contacts and start asking for date holds or presenter interest. Funding applications become much stronger once there are real venue conversations, written invitations, and a specific budget.