Touring Tips, Tricks & True Life Tales with Az Samad and Pete Teo

Touring is often painted as the ultimate achievement for musicians — but the truth behind it is far more complex than Instagram highlights and polished tour diaries. In this candid session, Az Samad and Pete Teo unpack the practical, emotional, and financial sides of life on the road.

Az shares lessons from touring across the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Malaysia, including the realities of touring the US as a smaller independent act.

Joining him is Pete Teo, one of Malaysia’s most influential independent artists whose Americana-inspired albums Rustic Living for Urbanites and Television became landmarks of the early 2000s indie movement. Pete was the first Malaysian artist to perform at SXSW (2007), and Television became the first Malaysian album licensed for release in South Korea. His touring experiences through Japan and South Korea offer a rare look into performing in foreign markets as an indie artist.

Both speakers will share road stories — stunning, strange, and sometimes chaotic — along with hard-earned advice on when to tour, how to prep, and what musicians often overlook. Expect honesty, humour, and wisdom you won’t find in any online guide.

What You’ll Learn

Tour Costs & Budgeting – How much money you actually need.

When & Where to Tour – Understanding market timing and smart routing.

Touring Realities – Travel, logistics, burnout, expectations vs. reality.

True Road Tales – Stories from the US, Europe, Japan, South Korea & more.

Candid Advice – Practical guidance for bands planning their first tour.

If you’re dreaming about taking your music on the road, let this session be the roadmap — and the reality check — that saves you time, money, and heartbreak.