Your mission, (should you choose to accept it) is: Get a gig in Mexico (preferably on the Baja Peninsula); transport yourself, a rig and a crew to the gig; do the show; get paid, have fun and go home. Or, better yet, start up a sound reinforcement company in Baja, around the Cabo San Lucas/ La Paz area and work there a few months out of the year. Actually, this has been my mission or dream for the last year or so. It all started when I went to Cabo San Lucas for the first time in 1991. I immediately fell in love with the place. Soon I found an outdoor bar that made excellent margaritas, and within a few days I got a gig there playing acoustic guitar and singing. I had that gig for five years, traveling down south once or twice a year to play music, lay in the sun, boat, eat, fish etc. During this time I never made any real money but I got free trips and had a ton of fun. And more importantly, I planted the seeds for my dream of having a viable sound company south of the border. The following writings are my experiences, subjections and observations with regards to the pursuit of live sound in Baja California. However, I believe you can use this information for a variety of business ventures not to mention general travel. So, let's go: First, you are going to have to get a gig somewhere. Or set up a live-sound business in a particular Baja resort area. Or preferably both. This will probably require a few trips to your favorite Mexican beach town. Remember, all that travel is a tax write- off and a lot of fun. Besides, in Baja, good sound reinforcement is needed everywhere from Tijuana on down to Cabo. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of hotels and resorts plus a variety of megaclubs. Of course, as we all know, gigs can come from anywhere. In 1993 Alice in Chains (that's right) were playing on the deck of a club outside of San Jose Del Cabo. I have no idea why they were there, but I know the sound sucked. The point is that Baja California is a popular destination, and you never really know who will be there.
So, now that you have that gig, how are you going to get yourself and your gear there? A good friend of mine just finished a Spring Break show in Rosarito beach. This town is only about 30 miles below the San Diego border, in the state of Baja Norte (North Baja). Anyway, my buddy loaded up a truck with enough sound gear for 1500 bodies, drove to the club, set-up, did the show, got paid and drove home. I will not mention the club name or my friend's because it is actually illegal to do this. This would be the equivalent of a Mexican citizen crossing into the United States, working, and then going home with the cash. You may be able to get away with this kind of activity in North Baja but I wouldn't think about trying this in South Baja. You can truck down your gear, but you may want to consider some of the transportation companies like Import Export International, which has trucks, vans and airplanes leaving San Diego daily. You could also use Aliser, which trucks out of San Diego daily. Just go online and you will be able to search a variety of transport companies. If you are going to drive yourself: Get insurance and contact the Mexican consulate here in the States. Get your ducks in a row and bring some cash. Driving the Baja is a real adventure (especially the first time down).
Here are a few things to keep in mind during your drive. First: Don't drive at night. Baja cows tend to walk out onto the highway day and night. They are harder to see at night and you have a better chance of running into one. Did I say run? I meant crashing into one. If you should smash into a cow and kill it, cut off the ears (they will have the ranch notches on it). Also, don't wash the blood off your truck. The way the law reads currently, ranchers are responsible for keeping their livestock off the road. Just a year or so ago the responsibility was split between the rancher and the driver. Chances are you will never find the rancher, but you will cover your ass in case you're stopped by the authorities. Bring an extra 5-gallon can of gas. You really don't want to get stuck out in the desert without any fuel. The Baja is a thousand miles long. The road is decent, but it's not a freeway. You can drive from one end to the other in a couple of days if you push it.
Once you get to your gig, it's business as usual. Except I like to get paid cash (US dollars) upon arrival. Getting to the show is obviously the biggest challenge. If you hire some local loaders, this would be a good time to use all that Spanish you learned in high school or wherever. Keep in mind you will almost always be working for Americans. Whether you are bringing in sound to a resort or supplementing an existing club, you are servicing tourists for the most part. If you want to park a rig in a certain part of the Baja, you can rent or buy a garage. Last time I was down I looked at an 800 square foot garage in Cabo selling for $27000.00 U.S. There are also a variety of rental garages available. You can find these locations through any of the local (English speaking) real estate agents or online. Generally Americans park their boats in these garages, so they're plentiful.
The bottom line to this type of an adventure is that you really have to want to do this. It is harder, pays less and there is more corruption to deal with. But if you are like me, putting on shows in Baja is like working in paradise. However, speaking of corruption, I have one last tip for you travelers. On occasion you may be stopped by the local police for what would be your basic shakedown. Pull out your wallet with I.D., but only carry a $10, a $5 and couple of $1's and maybe some Pesos. This is the money you will offer the police for your passage. Keep all your other cash in another location. Oh yeah, don't speak Spanish unless you are really fluent. So if you have the desire and drive, Mexico is great.
