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| quote: | Originally posted by Stu Cox
It's not that ridiculous actually. There are things you can do to make yourself know the right people - as previously mentioned, going to nights and meeting people.
Firstly, I'd say identify parties you want to play at. Be realistic - Sensation White isn't going to be on the list just yet. But think about the clubs in the local area where you think your music would fit in - bearing in mind that your first set there would almost certainly be very early in the night. Start with parties you go to, then use local event listings + a bit of research online to find others you might not know about and go and check them out as well.
Look at the level of the DJs low down on the bill at those events and try to find out more about them. If they're already touring all over the world and have got tracks being released left right and centre, then the chances are the promoter will be looking for others with the same backing and following, so it could be a no-no. Remember that it's usually easier to get gigs in the back room of a club (2nd, 3rd or 4th room) than the main room, so have a look at them as well.
So now you've got a list of a few parties where you know where you could reasonably fit into the lineup - a match in both musical style and 'status'. Find out who runs these parties - the promotion company. Is it the venue itself who organises it? Or is it an outside promotion? Who at the organisation is responsible for bookings? Can you at least find a general enquiries email address or phone number?
The best way to do that is normally by Googling the name of the club, name of the party etc. With any luck they might have a website, or at least a MySpace page. Do some research to find out as much as you can. If you've got some way of contacting one of the DJs who plays at the party (again, try searching for them - MySpace pages, websites, SoundCloud accounts, etc), you could try asking them who runs it. They might even give you a direct contact name and number / email address.
Now you're armed with a contact - drop them a friendly email or phone them up. You've got a few options here: you can cut straight to the chase and ask if you can send them a demo, or you can say you'd like to meet them for a drink at the next event to discuss possibilities of future bookings etc. How you take it from here really depends on how you're comfortable and how you think they'll react best. It varies.
If you do send a demo out, try and make it at least look tailored to their night - label it "C-Squared's Demo for " or something. Actually recording a demo specifically for them isn't a bad idea either, aligning it to the sort of thing you've heard at the party to an extent, but of course still within the bounds of your 'sound'. Then you can really make sure the promoter will think you'll fit in.
Then you can take it from there.... Quite a lot of promoters will ask new DJs to sell a number of tickets for them (or bring a certain number of mates along) 'in exchange' for a booking, so be ready for that. And remember that times have changed since the late 90s - don't expect to be paid!
Hope this helps. |
Good advice indeed.
You could bring out an action figure of yourself. That seems to work to,
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but who knows.
