frequently asked questions

  • What is BandCrew?

    BandCrew is an employment service agency that supplies your band with touring crew professionals (tour managers, sound engineers, instrument techs, etc.) or commercial insurance coverage for your tour!

  • Why would I want to hire BandCrew?

    BandCrew employees are covered under our commercial insurance policy. This means they can drive vehicles (such as vans) for your production, and while operating those vehicles they have both auto liability and collision coverage. So if you are renting vehicles you do not need to purchase additional insurance coverage or waivers. BandCrew employees also have worker’s compensation, personal liability coverage, and other coverages as required by law.

  • What are the advantages of using BandCrew?

    Securing commercial grade insurance with auto liability for a music tour can be an expensive proposition. And because most commercial grade insurance policies have a minimum premium (the amount you pay to purchase the policy), you can wind up spending thousands of dollars for a year’s worth of coverage even though the planned tour might only be for a week or two. Using a BandCrew employee gives you access to the liability coverage you need, and you only pay for the time you need it. This can result in substantial savings in money, not to mention the time and effort of negotiating and setting up a policy.

  • We already have our crew selected!

    You do not have to change your crew in order to work with BandCrew. Simply have your designated crew member submit an employment application to BandCrew. This is very easy and quick to do, just have them call or email us to get started. We are always hiring talented professionals. Once your crew member becomes a BandCrew employee we can issue you a contract for the tour.

  • I am a tour professional, why would I want to work with BandCrew?

    Many tour professionals drive vehicles assuming that their personal auto liability coverage will provide coverage if they are in an accident. This is a mistake and can have very serious consequences. A personal auto liability insurance policy does not extend coverage to your commercial business, and when you are driving a vehicle for a band you are engaged incommercial business. As a result, if there is an accident, your insurance carrier will decline coverage. This can leave not only you, but also the band you are working with exposed to substantial losses if you are later found to be liable in the accident. Working with BandCrew gives you access to commercial grade auto liability coverage without having to spend thousands of dollars purchasing an annual premium for general liability, worker’s comp, and auto collision and liability. In addition BandCrew plans to offer a group healthcare plan in the future. Gaining access to a group health plan can result in significant savings on health insurance.

  • How much does it cost?

    Bandcrew parners with Bandago and our billing is listed as a line item surcharge on the rental agreement. Our rate is currently $60/day which is designed to cover our risk, overhead and annual insurance premium. So a 10 day tour will cost $600. Compare this with securing a commercial policy which will cost in the neighborhood of $3k, and you can see there are substantial savings to be had by working with BandCrew. We do offer a slightly lower rate for extended rentals (30 days+), please check with Bandago for more information. Once the rental reaches 2-3 months in length it should be more cost effective to secure your own policy, and in that case that is what we recommend. We want you to save money, and are not here to mislead you into spending more money than you should. But in many, if not most cases it is cheaper for bands and touring crew professionals to work with us.

    Please note that our daily rate is only for BandCrew's employment services (which includes our insurance coverage), and does not include the actual day rate of the employee. Typically the BandCrew employee will be somebody you are already working with, and have already negotiated a daily rate with, and you will continue to pay them directly for their services.

  • What exact kind of insurance coverage do BandCrew employees have?

    Bandcrew employees have the following coverages:

    • Auto liability (state minimum as required by law with $1k deductible)
    • Auto collision (full coverage with $1k deductible)
    • Personal liability ($1k deductible)
  • Who is responsible for the deductible is there is an accident?

    Under the terms of our agreement the vehicle renter is responsible for the deductible.

  • Does BandCrew cover theft or vandalism?

    BandCrew’s insurance policy does not provide coverage for theft or vandalism. We recommend purchasing a separate policy from an insurance broker to cover these concerns.

  • How do I get started?

    Just rent a van from Bandago and ask about BandCrew. Whether you are a band or a touring crew professional we’ll move you through the process very quickly.