Gigeurope.com wants musicians to work. They want them to play their music.

And they want them to do it in Europe.

The new web site, launched on Nov. 14, is designed to help U.S. musicians launch their European careers.

The site is designed to help artists manage their own tours by providing free information about housing, venues and promotion staff.

"For U.S. based artists, this market is widely underdeveloped . . . especially in terms of touring and distribution for independent labels," said James McKenna, CEO of Gigeurope.com.

"Most U.S. bands have a difficult time breaking into the European market without effective assistance of local agents and artist managers. Gigeurope.com intends to bring down the barriers of entry to the European market."

McKenna designed the site to be easily read and navigated. It is an extension of his book You Can Play Europe. The book provides many "do's and don'ts" for such endeavors, but the site is revolutionary because it allows artists to search for specific booking details. They can seek out their music style, the country of interest and the specific help that they will need while abroad.

For example, if a band was looking for someone to promote its show in Prague, they might want to try Mediaworld. Or Interkoncerts. Or any of the other seven responses that appear when that combination is searched for.

The site offers addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses for the results so artists can proceed in their bookings.

"We're attempting to become the web portal for all tour support necessary for bands to become successful in Europe," said McKenna.

Gigeurope.com offers booking information for 29 different European countries.

The site is incredibly detailed, with safety and packing tips and lots of general advice. There is also a "Marketplace" where artists can post comments and advice to others.

"This is a one-stop-shop for performance artists and musical groups," said McKenna.

Student artists who are familiar with the site said it seemed to be helpful.

"I think the site is good because it does the homework for you," said Brian Kurilla (sophomore-architecture), a drummer in a local band. "It really gives you a background into the European music scene." He went on to say that he felt that planning a trip to Europe would be much easier for a musical group after viewing the site. The site emphasizes that artists should control their own tours. However, for a small fee, operators of the site will act as managers and do the bookings and promotion for you.

Gigeurope.com also highlights individual bands, giving hometown and contact information so that anyone interested in more details can reach them.