Martin was recently interviewed by We Are Listening for their Music Industry Blog. He talks about some cool ways to make extra money on the road, as well as some don’ts of touring.

Here’s a little snippet:

How did you come up with the tip jar idea?

Martin: I re-mixed it from a band called Sheep On Drugs − they remixed it from homeless people.  The guys with the humorous “need money for drugs and alcohol” signs get more $$$ than the guys with the “homeless veteran, please help” signs.  A band just wrote to me to say that the $10 to $15 extra per night they collected from tips made the difference between them eating or not.  They said that without the tip jar, they wouldn’t have made it through their first 10 day tour!

Check out the full interview here.

This is so freakin’ cool.

I can’t remember how many times I’ve discovered that a band I love isn’t playing in my town, because they don’t think they have enough fans in my area. This widget could finally put an end to that debacle.

It’s called LiveMusicMachine, and this is how it works.

For Bands:
- Create a profile with pictures, live performance videos, and a music player.
- Add an availability calendar, prices, maximum travel distance, and space and technical requirements.
- All of this info is put into a widget, and this widget can be placed anywhere on the internet to advertise booking.

For Fans:
- Search for an artist. If the artist isn’t listed, then LiveMusicMachine will try to contact the band to let them know that someone is interested in booking them.
- If the band’s booking price is too much for you, LiveMusicMachine will try to connect you with other fans so you can split the price.
- After the show is booked, you can send Evites out to your friends.

LiveMusicMachine allows you to book shows, meet & greets, or after parties.

After the show happens, a Party Page is created. This is where the band and fans can post photos and videos of the show. They can also post comments about how the show went.

Joining is free, but there is a catch. In order to book the show, the fan and the band must each pay a $10 booking fee. Small potatoes for what this widget does.

Find out more, or join here.

Tim Toomey, co-founder and contributor to AssultBlog, recently interviewed Martin covering everything from Martin’s education and his works-in-progress to how to deal with slacking band mates and zombies!

Here’s a small preview:

Tim: I read a quote from you where you mentioned that education was the new thing that drives the creative fire in your mind — something along those lines. Can you tell me a little bit about your school and yourself? What made you decide to start it?

Martin Atkins: Well, I started playing drums when I was nine, started drinking Newcastle Brown Ale and backing strippers at 11 or 12! I joined PiL [Public Image Ltd.] in 1979, performed on the seminal Metal Box album and the next four or so with them over the next 5 years. Then Killing Joke, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, and Damage Manual. I started the label Invisible Records 20 years ago, built a recording studio, produced a bunch of stuff from Gravity Kills to Skinny Puppy; then, started teaching, went to China, made a documentary, and realized that the book they were using at Columbia for the Business of Touring class was written in 1962! So, I wrote Tour:Smart, then started to revamp a bunch of the courses there. Applied Marketing was a ton of work, but I’m really pleased with the results. I’m working on Band:Smart, the sequel to Tour:Smart, and another 16 days in China amongst many, many other things — and I have four young boys!

I decided to start the school because I saw a need for real world stuff in the classroom. I pitched the people at Columbia several times on allowing me to just bring all of my businesses up there: Label, book publishing, studio, music publishing, film production and all of that — but they didn’t seem to think it was a good idea. So, like I usually do, I just did it! Education — or, more correctly, the relationship and the conundrum of trying to show people an unexpected spark — really gets me going. I’ve loved teaching since the moment I started and I love trying to make my lectures entertaining — otherwise what’s the point?

Go to the AssultBlog for the full interview.

Thanks to Assult for sharing this interview with us and possibly inspiring a new project.

Do you think Martin should graciously apply his brilliance to a zombie survival guide? Comment!

A band and a bakery starting a partnership? Auctioning off an amp at a concert? Incorporating a business card into a pack of gum?

Why didn’t I think of that?

This is the type of stuff we love. Innovative, creative ways to market yourself. Props to The Insecurities, Bleeding Heart Bakery, Dope, and Gramart for original thought and action. Send us your crazy stories, and join us at the Tour:Smart PLUS event on  October 23rd-25th. There’s an eBay auction going on for 2 tickets plus a 2 night stay at the The Chicago South Loop Hotel.