Almost every band that contacts me is looking to get great support slots. They feel certain that it's the missing link that will jumpstart their careers and kick up their fanbase from 1,000 to 100,000. While a good support slot can definitely help bring more exposure, it is not the end all be all. Every band must develop a touring strategy that develops new audiences in key markets while nurturing and strengthening their existing fanbase.

In a recent interview with Interference.com, The Secret Machines' Josh Garza from the Secret Machines discusses touring with U2 in Mexico and charting their own course with their upcoming US touring.

"We told the label to kind of ease off of it. We told them, look, let's not come out of the gate swinging because I think our fans will be turned off by that because, in a weird way, it's like ignoring your fan base and trying to have a radio hit single. And so we told them, just ease up a bit; let the record come out, let us tour, let it bubble up, let the press come out because we really feel like we've been fortunate enough with the press that they like us, every review's been positive, it's like four-out-of-five stars and it's always been really good, so we're like, let's do it that kind of way, let it be gradual and, if by chance, somebody somewhere wants to play it on the radio, okay, then maybe we'll start saying let's go for it. Let's maybe take it to that next level.

I think the mistake we made on the first album … the mistake the label made is thinking that they would try too much too soon. And then what happens is, after two years touring, they're already over it. The label is like, okay, the record didn't do anything, so they're over it. And it's like, how about we do it gradually? We come out slowly but surely and just let it happen and maybe near the second half of the touring, near the end of the record, that's when they can come in and be like, if there's anything happening we'll help out. We want to do it more natural because everyone knows when a band is forced and nobody likes that, especially your fans. We have a really small fan base and we don't want to alienate them. People are smart enough to recognize that. You can't pull a fast one on anybody these days. "