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Dj's and Gigs
Is it difficult for DJ's to get gigs? Decent gigs?
Are you serious?
Ugh.. Fine. It depends on so many factors I'm getting a head ache even thinking about it.
What genre of music do you play? Where do you live? Have you got friends who play already? Do you have a following as it stands? Are you in it for the money? If so, you're better off doing commercial gigs as you'll get paid more (play for more hours).
Honestly I could go on and on. In the end of the day I'd say at the moment it's more difficult than ever to get gigs as every tom dick and harry are dj'ing at the moment. It's easier than ever to play a bunch of songs. Track selection has gotten poorer and more bad eggs are getting through the net but they're all playing for free so unless you know someone it's very difficult to convince a promoter to get you to play unless you can convince them why.
Oh God....
Start out djing funerals. Tough circuits. Tough crowds (especially when they request anything off of the soundtrack from Ghost).
If you make it there then you can make it to any sensation white your eyes could possibly sensate. Whitely.
Yes it is harder now-a-days. You should start off as a promoter...then work your way up...
Chances are someone will ask you to play Rap music or the 'titanic song' while your spinning EDM.
I would be all fucking over the Titanic song. Is there a fucking dance cover of Celine's pretty eating disorder defined slender neck belching out (much like most of her recent meals) the bitter sanguine notes of how her heart will go on?
CAN THIS BE?
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| Originally posted by Ted Promo I would be all fucking over the Titanic song. Is there a fucking dance cover of Celine's pretty eating disorder defined slender neck belching out (much like most of her recent meals) the bitter sanguine notes of how her heart will go on? CAN THIS BE? |
Re: Dj's and Gigs
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| Originally posted by trancearoundwld Is it difficult for DJ's to get gigs? Decent gigs? |
Re: Re: Dj's and Gigs
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| Originally posted by djxtension Define 'decent'. Sensation White is decent. A party with 150 people going crazy on a beach is decent. |
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| Originally posted by trancearoundwld Exactly. So is it hard to get gigs with around 150-300+ ppl and such? Or to create/promote your own event? since none seem to exist... |
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| Originally posted by djxtension Getting gigs ain't that hard, atleast not where i live. Might be different in your country/region. You have to be 'offensive', so go out there and introduce yourself. Make a mix-tape, send it to everybody. Drop your name wherever and whenever you can. Talk to local dj's, promoters, club owners, etc... If people don't know you exist, getting gigs is very, very, very hard indeed. Also, don't be afraid to accept the smaller bookings, but keep a business-attitude. You have expenses to get to/from the party, bringing your equipment (if applicable), etc., so make sure at least those are covered. As far as creating your own event goes... that's a completely different ballpark. You need to find a club, find dj's, promote it, deal with rules and regulations, invest money, etc... I'd think twice about doing that, unless you have a very solid plan. |
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| Originally posted by trancearoundwld So the only way is to spin for next to nothing, and use clubs to get a reputation , than your guaranteed ppl will show up to an event if you decide to invest in one? |
Like some said, it all depends on where you live. I'm going to tell you how it is here in LA/OC.
Some think of the LA scene as the Mecca of EDM in the USA. While we do have big parties every week, it's very hard to spin at them. Many, including myself, spin other genres and at mainstream clubs. For instance, I also do Latin parties and once in a while, I guest mix on Mexican radio stations.
NETWORK... This is probably the most important aspect to getting gigs. Here in LA the big promoters have been working with the same DJ's for years. So to break into those clubs, it can be very hard. Like someone said, NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. Get out there and let people know who you are. Don't give up. Eventually everyone gets gigs. In LA, it's all about who you know and how many people you can bring. Sadly enough, talent is not a key factor. 
PROMOTE... Hook up with a promoter and start working with them. Personally, I think its bullshit, but now days the first question promoters throw at you is "HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN YOU BRING?" I'm lucky enough to work with a promoter who doesn't ask the DJ's to promote. Those promoters are RARE!
THROW YOUR OWN PARTIES... When I started, no one would book me. So I said FUCK YOU ALL! And I started throwing my own underground parties. They got very popular that all of the sudden, I was able to turn down promoters who wouldn't book me before. How's that for a big FUCK YOU! haha You don't have to throw HUGE parties, you can start with small house parties and build on from there.
MAKE YOUR OWN MUSIC... Yup, make your own music. Promoters want to be able to sell you to the people. Even if you have a shitty track, they'll book you. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm completely against over hyping yourself and putting out shitty work but it works.
LIE... LMAO Another thing I learned is that most promoters are so blinded, for not calling them another word, that they'll believe the hype. I'm against this and karma is a bitch, but I know some DJ's who on their website would list all the partied at. Promoters would think they actually spun at them. That's BS, but it worked them. Their site would look something like this.
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 21 - Avalon, Hollywood
May 22 - Spin, San Diego
May 28 - EDMF, Detroit
You look at that schedule, and you're like FUCK! These guys must be bad ass. Yet, they didn't play at any of those parties, they just partied there! Now, that's BS too!!! But out of town & small promoters believed it.
SLEEP WITH A PROMOTER... Yea, just like the movies, this can also help you out. If you know a female promoter and you start hooking up with her, it's almost guaranteed that she'll get you gigs like crazy. That's a win win situation! hahahaha
HANG OUT WITH GIRLS...
LOL Ever heard about Vegas clubs and how "hard" it's to get in? There's legends that to get into Vegas club you need to walk in with an entourage of hot girls. lol Same with DJ'ing. If you start hanging out with girls and take them to the clubs with you, people will notice that. Male promoters are usually pigs and just wanna get laid. That's why they promote. So if you have what they're looking for you, they give you gigs! hahahaha Besides, girls are usually pretty loyal to their friends. They'll try to get you gigs every chance they get. Just don't be a jerk to them! haha
PARTY HARD... This one saddens me a lot, but it's so fucken true!!! If you start hanging out within the die hard clubber circles, club whores, crackheads, strippers, go go dancers, bouncers, bartenders, models etc., chances are you'll get gigs too. There's gonna be a lot of blow involved, but you guys will bond. lol
Now, you might think I'm bullshitting and making all this up, but trust me. I've seen them all and MORE!!! A LOT MORE.... To each their own. I prefer to do what I do best, and that's make the party happen. But honestly, lately, I've been thinking about throwing my own parties again. Not so much to get more gigs, but because I'm not happy with how the current scene. Everyone is an asshole and clubs have become so much about bottle service and guestlists. I wanna give a chance to local up and coming DJ's & producers. Plus, I also see a niche that no one else is doing here.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Dj's and Gigs
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| Originally posted by djxtension No. I'm saying some bookings might be a good promotion for yourself as a dj. I never said you should spin for next to nothing. Sometimes a booking with a small fee can be a great promotion. If you are not somewhat known, don't expect people to pay you $500 a night. Get your name out there, proof you are a good dj. Without a reputation, you'll never get 'decent' bookings. |
First off, I would NOT recommend doing this:
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| LIE... LMAO Another thing I learned is that most promoters are so blinded, for not calling them another word, that they'll believe the hype. I'm against this and karma is a bitch, but I know some DJ's who on their website would list all the partied at. Promoters would think they actually spun at them. That's BS, but it worked them. Their site would look something like this. |
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| Originally posted by Dojomaster26 First off, I would NOT recommend doing this: I like the rest of Dj Woody's advice, but this will get you into some trouble if you try to pull that trick around here. You could technically say that you are making "appearances" but that is very sketch. We have enough of that in the scene, thankyouverymuch! |
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| Originally posted by Dojomaster26 First off, I would NOT recommend doing this: I like the rest of Dj Woody's advice, but this will get you into some trouble if you try to pull that trick around here. You could technically say that you are making "appearances" but that is very sketch. We have enough of that in the scene, thankyouverymuch! I live in North Carolina, which is the exact opposite of where Woody is coming from. The difference between here and a place like LA is that here the scene is very small. There is a tight-knit group of promoters and DJs, everybody knows everybody, etc. You are not going to have the variety or selection of venues that you would in LA or NYC. You have a few small clubs that do EDM in Charlotte, plus scenes in the Raleigh area and Asheville/Boone. In Hickory, any parties that are thrown are done in coffee shops and very small clubs. 20 people is a good turnout here. Don't expect to make any money, ever. Do Top40 instead if you're trying to earn money here. Networking is extremely important here. You will need to be good for starters. Most of the promoters here are DJs themselves or are veterans of the local scene. Certain promoters cater to different crowds. One promoter is known for doing events that bring out the "rave" crowd (glowsticks and fuzzy boots, oh yeah.) Others are doing parties in the back woods around the Asheville area. You will need to figure out which crowd your music will go with and work on getting in with that promoter's circle. The local scene here is mostly comprised of Breaks DJs (Florida Breaks especially. DJ Fixx is the Tiesto of the South!) We have some DubStep, some Techno, House, a bit of DnB, and even some Psy Trance if you go to the right events. If you spin one of those styles, and you're good, then you have a good shot of getting a slot. If you spin Deep House like me...well, I get a lot of opening slots (LOL!) One last thing: some promoters around here are sensitive to the format that you mix with. You will lose gigs if you are not 100% vinyl (no, Serato doesn't count.) This is partly due to nostalgia and partly due to misinformation regarding sound quality and basic PA maintenance. I think this is BS, since a good DJ is a good DJ regardless of what they spin with (and vice versa,) but that's the way this scene is. This scene feels very old school at times, which can be a good or bad thing depending on what you are looking for. |
I have a friend who Dj's on Z103.5 in Toronto. I booked him once here in LA. He says Toronto is very similar to here. It's all about who you know. Even he has a hard time getting bookings, and he's on air at a real radio station!
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| Originally posted by trancearoundwld Getting a "good" reputation takes 10 years- never. I think i'll let the rest of the world fight over a dj booth @ some club, anyone can buy a pair of cdj's, learn basic mixing, steal the playlists of tiesto, armin van buren, and above and beyond, and than be a club dj, even if you manage to get a slight reputation, i doubt youll get more than 150 a night, because theres 10000 people calling the club to try to spin, they want to be "cool" and dont give a shit how bad they are. Whereas, Iam pissed @ those kinds of people, who are destroying the electronic music scene with their ignorant style. So i want nothing to do with those types of people, and they are coincidentally the types who show up to attend clubs in the first place, theres a world of idiots out there, and i want to do my own thing. Clubs are a no go. I dont want to compete with idiots who will offer to do it for free, they are undercutting the scene, if they had a brain, or any recognition of talent they'd realize that their labor and time is worth money. The event fashion of being crowded in a dark room with lights is def not my style. More into setting up a sound system under a tent somewhere so people can drink and get stoned, and play a variety of shit, with several different people. I could care less if i made $, i just want to break even. F** if i wanna go to a club i'll pay 70$ for entrance and drinks. So f** if i lose 100$ id still be happy. I want to create something that doesn't f*** suck, and TBH, the other events are shit so, the competition isn't hard to beat. HMM Do i go to an overcrowded shitehole club? Or... Go where im free, and can get stoned and drink my own retail price booze? Well. Not a hard choice for people to make. Soon clubs will be obsolete, people will see them for what they are. Cesspools. Disease nests. So really, id do my own events during the summer, and just do private parties during other seasons. I think id rather set up a top 40 radio stream and pretend to spin while selling overpriced rebbulls and water by a touristic beach, than be @ a club. Im not falling for the whole jive. I know what a scam is, and a scam is paying some poor guy 150 a night while u make 20 grand for doing nothing F*** F****. Its not even hard to DJ.. The challenge is promoting events, and secondly, it's organizing them. Not the djing. The club is some guy's 4 walls, because its easy for people to remember one address, and get into a routine of going to the same building. But those kinds of people don't have it. They are contributing to the destruction of the music scene, and the monopolozing of one person's income. So, is there too much involved if you get alot of dj's in on it? I dont want money grubbing Dj's, i just want people who have enough pride that they will create a successful event, break even, and to them that is good enough. Do people like that exist, or are they all just fkED!. Yeah, If thats the case, well u guys can just keep paying 70$ a night to get robbed by the clubs and worshipping some dj who has a reputable name in the altar with the rest of the ppl. Instead of doing your own thing, and having the power. get 10 ppl to promote their own party, and spin for free. You wont get rich, But, neither will the clubs. That is all. |
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| Originally posted by DjWoody Like some said, it all depends on where you live. I'm going to tell you how it is here in LA/OC. Some think of the LA scene as the Mecca of EDM in the USA. While we do have big parties every week, it's very hard to spin at them. Many, including myself, spin other genres and at mainstream clubs. For instance, I also do Latin parties and once in a while, I guest mix on Mexican radio stations. NETWORK... This is probably the most important aspect to getting gigs. Here in LA the big promoters have been working with the same DJ's for years. So to break into those clubs, it can be very hard. Like someone said, NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. Get out there and let people know who you are. Don't give up. Eventually everyone gets gigs. In LA, it's all about who you know and how many people you can bring. Sadly enough, talent is not a key factor. PROMOTE... Hook up with a promoter and start working with them. Personally, I think its bullshit, but now days the first question promoters throw at you is "HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN YOU BRING?" I'm lucky enough to work with a promoter who doesn't ask the DJ's to promote. Those promoters are RARE! THROW YOUR OWN PARTIES... When I started, no one would book me. So I said FUCK YOU ALL! And I started throwing my own underground parties. They got very popular that all of the sudden, I was able to turn down promoters who wouldn't book me before. How's that for a big FUCK YOU! haha You don't have to throw HUGE parties, you can start with small house parties and build on from there. MAKE YOUR OWN MUSIC... Yup, make your own music. Promoters want to be able to sell you to the people. Even if you have a shitty track, they'll book you. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm completely against over hyping yourself and putting out shitty work but it works. LIE... LMAO Another thing I learned is that most promoters are so blinded, for not calling them another word, that they'll believe the hype. I'm against this and karma is a bitch, but I know some DJ's who on their website would list all the partied at. Promoters would think they actually spun at them. That's BS, but it worked them. Their site would look something like this. UPCOMING EVENTS May 21 - Avalon, Hollywood May 22 - Spin, San Diego May 28 - EDMF, Detroit You look at that schedule, and you're like FUCK! These guys must be bad ass. Yet, they didn't play at any of those parties, they just partied there! Now, that's BS too!!! But out of town & small promoters believed it. SLEEP WITH A PROMOTER... Yea, just like the movies, this can also help you out. If you know a female promoter and you start hooking up with her, it's almost guaranteed that she'll get you gigs like crazy. That's a win win situation! hahahaha HANG OUT WITH GIRLS... LOL Ever heard about Vegas clubs and how "hard" it's to get in? There's legends that to get into Vegas club you need to walk in with an entourage of hot girls. lol Same with DJ'ing. If you start hanging out with girls and take them to the clubs with you, people will notice that. Male promoters are usually pigs and just wanna get laid. That's why they promote. So if you have what they're looking for you, they give you gigs! hahahaha Besides, girls are usually pretty loyal to their friends. They'll try to get you gigs every chance they get. Just don't be a jerk to them! haha PARTY HARD... This one saddens me a lot, but it's so fucken true!!! If you start hanging out within the die hard clubber circles, club whores, crackheads, strippers, go go dancers, bouncers, bartenders, models etc., chances are you'll get gigs too. There's gonna be a lot of blow involved, but you guys will bond. lol Now, you might think I'm bullshitting and making all this up, but trust me. I've seen them all and MORE!!! A LOT MORE.... To each their own. I prefer to do what I do best, and that's make the party happen. But honestly, lately, I've been thinking about throwing my own parties again. Not so much to get more gigs, but because I'm not happy with how the current scene. Everyone is an asshole and clubs have become so much about bottle service and guestlists. I wanna give a chance to local up and coming DJ's & producers. Plus, I also see a niche that no one else is doing here. |
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Dj's and Gigs
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| Originally posted by djxtension So, really, why the question? If there are no 'decent gigs' according to you, you should've never asked in the first place. If you are all against the clubs, throw your own party in a basement or backyard somewhere. And for the record... it is hard to dj. Playing music is easy. Mixing music is easy. But to dj is not easy. |
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| Originally posted by trancearoundwld This is kind of irrelevant, Im not in the US, your advice is area specific. Iam talking in generalities. |
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The problem is that straight girls only wanna hang out individually with guys because they are just trying to get laid aswell. Its goddam impossible to be surrounded by women unless of course........ your gayy. |
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So for this type of event, Is the promotion hard.... Promoting is like selling a product... But... ANyone have a clue?? Everyone brainstorms having their own event, But its too much of a headache for them right off the bat, so they never give it as much thought as it might deserve, |
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Dj's and Gigs
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| Originally posted by trancearoundwld The direction of the thread topic alters as more variables are uncovered. SO really, Established gigs suck. So the real question is.. Is it hard to promote an event and actually get enough people to show up that you break even? Most people already have spent 40$ on supplemental chemicals by the time they come to an event like that. So really you can't ask for more than 5-10$ |
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Rofl, You don't just throw a party with randoms in your house, i know many seperate cases of people who did that and their places got gutted, Everything stolen and broken, people pissing in flower pots, putting out their cigs on the carpet, All kinds of insanity. |
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But id definately consider setting up sound @ some random field or nice open area somewhere, if i knew for sure that alot of people were coming. Just need a tent, and some dj's who wanna participate to contribue their speakers to the sound rig, and also to spin. So for this type of event, Is the promotion hard.... Promoting is like selling a product... But... ANyone have a clue?? Everyone brainstorms having their own event, But its too much of a headache for them right off the bat, so they never give it as much thought as it might deserve, I definately see the futility of it. Hopefully someone established will have these events. What im saying is F*** gigs, just do your own events.. |
I do promo's and my first gig is free. I never didn't get a gig. I'm not trying to sound cocky but I got every gig I ever REALLY tried to get. And dont contact an owner/manager more than once a week no matter what! Just play it cool if your any good you'll get the gig eventually. I know DJs who are better than me who don't get gigs because they come on to strong. Don't step toes or try to undercut people who you are friends with. I've had to cut off several friendships because of it.
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| Originally posted by discobiscuit I know DJs who are better than me who don't get gigs because they come on to strong. Don't step toes or try to undercut people who you are friends with. I've had to cut off several friendships because of it. |
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