So you’re in a band. You dream of travelling the world, playing every night to hundreds and hundreds of adoring fans in cities you’ve only seen on travel billboards. Sounds like one big vacation right? Wrong. What many musicians don’t realise is there are a ton of things you need to take care of behind the scenes before you can even think of packing your guitar and your swimsuit.
Fact of the matter is, most musicians usually don’t have that much money to begin with. They work odd jobs or jobs they don’t particularly enjoy in order to rustle up the funds to keep their passion for music going. Unfortunately it all gets a bit too much for many of them, and they eventually get sucked into the corporate machine never to be heard from again. Well, if you’re one of those musicians who won’t let anything get in your way from making it to the top, you’ll need some financial tips to get your band places.
Credit Cards can be a huge boon to travelling musicians. Getting yourself a Credit Card could help you fund your tour quite comfortably while paying it all back eventually, once you get back home. But don’t go overboard though. Rack up too much Credit Card debt and the only thing you’ll be performing on stage could be your swan song.
Rock those cards
Let’s say your band has just landed itself a great tour abroad and you’re chomping at the bit to get there and rock out. Excitement soon turns to disappointment when you realise you and your band mates just don’t have enough money to make the whole thing work. But don’t worry too much, because Credit Cards could be your ticket to the next gig.
Here are some of the major expenses you and your band can cover using Credit Cards.
- Flight tickets – Airline tickets are probably the single most expensive component of any band’s tour plan. Using your Credit Card to pay for your flights can be an extremely convenient way of getting your tour off the ground. You could even pay the entire amount back in the form of EMIs, which makes it extremely affordable.
- Hotels – Most bands rarely get hotel accommodation when on tour, unless they’re a fairly huge act. If your band is one of those unfortunate ones that considers sleeping on a cold, hard floor a luxury, well, think again. With a swipe of your Credit Card, you could be snoozing comfortably in a decent room on a nice soft bed. After all, you divas need your beauty sleep, don’t you?
- Equipment – If you’re running short on cash, and you need to pick up some strings, cables, drum sticks, or even brand new instruments, then Credit Cards could be your best friend on the road. Save your cash for gas and food, and use your card to take care of all the gear you need to keep your band firing on all cylinders.
Welcome to the Credit Card jungle
To help you on your quest for rock n’ roll stardom, we’ve handpicked a bunch of cards that should be right up your alley.
- Jet Airways IndusInd Bank Voyage Visa Card – This card comes jam packed with great travel benefits. Not only do you get a welcome bonus of 7500 JPMiles, but you also land yourself a complimentary Jet Airways ticket. With every Rs.100 that you spend on your card, you earn airline miles that could go a long way towards helping you and your band reach your destination without much ado.
- Citi PremierMiles Card – A fantastic option for travelling musicians, this card offers full international validity as well as cashback offers on domestic flights. You even get a whopping 10,000 Miles for free at the time of joining along with the chance to earn extra miles with every card spend you make.
- HDFC Bank Diners Premium Card – Remember that nice cozy bed we were just talking about? Here’s the card that can get your head off the floor and onto a fluffy pillow. This card helps you gain access to select hotels around the world and also comes with Rs.50,000 Travel Insurance on any delay or loss of your baggage. Considering how baggage handlers at airports love to use our bags for Olympic shotput practice, this card could come in very handy indeed.
Well it looks like you’re all set to get out there and rock till you drop. But always remember, use your Credit Card wisely, because it could lead you up a stairway to heaven as easily as it could drive you down a highway to hell.