"Merch - ship it ahead of you, where possible. Be creative, sometimes sending a few smaller boxes can be cheaper than one big box, as it keeps you out of parcel-shipping territory. Failing that, look into ways of taking digital orders or selling 'virtual' products to cut down on bulk.The Line-Up - y'know, for some promo things, you might not even need a bass player, or drummer. It's worth thinking about how much of your 'promo' tour is full band shows - if you can get away with two acoustic guitars and a tambourine for the radio stuff and some opening slots, it might not be a bad idea. Means you can come back with the full band later. Even as a solo artist, I've done one very simple solo tune with none of my usual 'toys' and then played tracks from the album before on the radio to save having to cart all my gear into the studio. The more flexible you can be to the space you're playing in, the more you can play, the more audience you can build, and the greater your chances of getting invited back on a bigger budget where you'll be able to afford to hire the bigger kit before you get there."
For those about to rock, we hope you recycle
Here are two takes on eco-friendly music tours. The interview mp3 is more on topic, mentioning how Radiohead only uses LED lights on tour and whatnot. The column is more about band sustainability: the less gear you bring, the less gear you have to schlep around. Everyone wins.
The power of rock: now brough to you by wind.