I'm looking for some pointers from the other DJs here who play out regularly.

Right now I am playing a weekly event on Wednesdays at Tutto Mondo in Charlotte. We have one or more guests play each week, plus myself, Gexxx, and Bz as residents.

We have some stiff competition. There is another Wednesday night that is being run at Dharma Lounge about a mile away that is called Le Bang. I don't know what their lineup is like, but I do know that they have a larger crowd than we get at Tuttos. They pull in about 50-80 people for Le Bang, while a good night for us is ~20 people (the club's max capacity is ~50, so we're talking a half-full venue.)

Both nights have Facebook event pages. Both nights have decent word-of-mouth promotion. Both nights are no cover w/ good drink specials. Both places have DJs that play Electronic music of some kind (our guests mostly do the wobblewobblewobble, and the residents do House & Dubstep)

Here's the clincher: Le Bang gives away a FREE KEG OF BEER for the first hour that Dharma is open on Wednesdays! Free beer?!? How do we compete against that?!?

We have no funding, and we are not getting paid to play (we do get some free drinks ) so obviously we can't afford anything like a large batch of paper flyers or ads in print media. We're relying on what we can do for free online to raise interest.

I think there are two things that are really hurting our turnout vs this other night:

1. The other night is being held at a relatively new club, whereas Tuttos has been around for over a decade.

2. They're giving away free beer!!!

So, experienced residents of the DJ Booth, what advice do you have to help us attract more people to Tuttos on Wednesdays? Thanks in advance

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whoever has the most support from friends usually wins.

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quote:

Originally posted by Schadenfreude whoever has the most support from friends usually wins.

in small clubs this.

While i was reading the post i was thinking that if you want to compete with another club play the most commercial crap you know, so theorically everyone would be comfortable there.

But, if both are playing EDM and one is giving free beer, if you play crap nobody would attend because they listen to commercial crap inthe other club + have free beer.

So, i'd stick to one genre that you feel people could like and that makes a difference to the other club, for example you can play a great set of progressive house, if people like your progressive house sets they'll attend, maybe they'll go at first for the free beer, but soon will head to the club where they're favourite music it's being played. If the club is small you can let the progressive house heads (in this case) have a night for them and they'll surely assist, happened to me with trance since i was one of the few trance djs (i only know another dj that plays trance here)

But pfff i've been in a lot of small clubs and usually what makes a dj successful or not at the owners view specially is (DJ A brought 20 friends, DJ B brought 10 friends. DJ A is a better Dj than B)

Competing against beer... that's a hard task. Good luck.

Try not to compete directly. If they play commercial go underground, if they play trance go house. The only way you can set yourself apart is by offering something unique. Best way to do that is through the music. Just make sure the cover is as low as you can possibly make it, throw a unique sound and promote the crap out of it. You've got an uphill battle though so be ready to put in the time to let it build gradually.

Btw try to use their crowd to your advantage - they're your target audience and they will get tired of going to the same spot at some point. Try flyering cars in the area or friending people from their Facebook event. Be aggressive and try to build curiosity so that people want to check it out.

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Last edited by BradMiller on Jun-28-2010 at 08:41

Yeah, the beer thing is a bit of a clincher. That said, it would only attract a certain type of person and not your average EDM fan is my guess.

As was said earlier, mid week affairs in small venues tend to be related to your circle of friends and not your music style or playing ability.
The fact that you are getting a half full venue is a good thing.

Have you thought about providing visuals and trying to create a unique atmosphere, i.e. some lighting or a projector, and perhaps running a theme? Is there anything in the décor of the club that you play at that you could modify? Ambitious perhaps, but when a friend and I did a mid week night we had a few backdrops and sheets for the ceiling, we also had a few female friends dress up in middle eastern attire (No not burkas) and called it ‘Dom’s Harem’. Renamed a few cocktails with the help of the owner and drew a crowd that was good and even had to turn people away due to being full to capacity. It got old after a while, so we changed the theme and décor accordingly.

If you can actually be a little creative about the whole thing, you can actually make a free keg of beer seem cheap and nasty. Coming up with an idea that works well that people will recognise you for can also make a name for you locally.

As a general rule, people tend to follow, so your own friends are important when doing a things like this, make sure you pack the place out as much as possible with mates. Make it look happening, even if it is people you know. It will ensure a good vibe.

Flyer it!

Create a vibe and something memorable. You may even find that your night will get moved to a busier night of the week if the owner sees it working midweek. It can also work against you though, as they may keep you there as it is hard to make midweek nights work. Double edged sword, but you pull in people and you have a completely different power to negotiate with. Sometimes even venues can head hunt you for a bigger better deal.

Give people a reason to get off their arse midweek, think about whom your target audience is and flyer the hell out of them. Talk to GIRLS. Girls go, males will follow.

Just a thought.

Cheers
Nem

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https://www.mixcloud.com/Calvin_Karass/

Oil your body all over and muchly before every fine performance.

Which you must do with your body as the beacon, beckon all the others kindly.

For this is your moment. Scintillating, titillating, cascading all around them from your turntable proficiency lashing all about them. Provide, be the guide, prophetic stance and molestic hands turning knobs and changing minds.

Bring flutes.

Lay out (date rape d)rugs.

I believe in this cause and will come lend my hands and my body and my every little bit.

Of me.

"ladies night" great specials for women and no cover (if there was one in the 1st place). Advertising a ladies night is good for business. Women go for the special treatment and men go for the women. It's win-win. I feel ya tho man it's very tough to get a crowd to move. Where I'm from the crowd moves once every 1-3 years! It's a smaller city (not a town). 500-750 people show up at the hot spot each night thurs-sun. Every night has a diff hot spot. I guess you just gotta be in the right place at the right time. Thank god theres not many etalented top 40 djs in the area..

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Promo Oil your body all over and muchly before every fine performance. Which you must do with your body as the beacon, beckon all the others kindly. For this is your moment. Scintillating, titillating, cascading all around them from your turntable proficiency lashing all about them. Provide, be the guide, prophetic stance and molestic hands turning knobs and changing minds. Bring flutes. Lay out (date rape d)rugs. I believe in this cause and will come lend my hands and my body and my every little bit. Of me.

Can you write our next flyer?

Nem: I noticed a lot of "hipsters" at the other place, cradling their $2 PBRs and draft beers. They seem to be into what is being played, but I think they're more into meeting their friends than going to the venue specifically for the music. I think that happens in general, and that the people who are at a venue for the tunes are going to be in the minority. Everyone who said that friends matters is right. The trick is getting those groups of friends in the door...

Here's what our venue looks like:



Obviously we aren't playing weddings, but that is the decor that is in the place. I really like the forest-y look, especially with the lights dimmed and some Deep House playing, but I think you are right that we should try and mix up the environment and see what happens. The venue does have a projector, so we could play movies or naughty things on it (I might have to check Charlotte laws first...)

I really like your idea for doing a theme. I'm going to come up with some ideas and see what kind of fun we can come up with. We know enough local DJs that we could easily run a all-House or all-Dubstep night too. Thanks for all of the advice!

___________________
Overload (House/J-Pop/K-Pop): Click
No Pants Dance (Funky House/Electro House/K-Pop): Click
Dark Beach (Deep House): Click

woah, that's far from being an EDM club... you have to see what's the target that goes out on wednesday, young-old people, if there are a lot of young people faded lights,lasers and visuals in the projector can attract some people but you are right, in small clubs specially and in all clubs in general people go there to meet or to have a drink.

You've to consider if people go there to dance or to talk, when i want to go to chat i usually skip the clubs with loud music, it's obvious. Your club seems to be the chitchat club kind, so deep house on a low volume can be handy.

In this case the options are:

-Make the place comfortable to talk and have a drink
-A drastical change.

I have to admit, that looking at the picture you have your work cut out for you. It doesn't give that EDM vibe as stated. You would have to do something quite drastic.

If I'm honest, I would actually recommend that you seek out a different venue. That said, I have no point of reference as to the other place.

Cheers
Nem

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https://www.mixcloud.com/Calvin_Karass/

that venue just screams deep house lounge martini bar, do a ladies night, cosmos on special, cater to people with money, money = good business

you can't make much on dipshits drinking $2 drinks

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Dude, I'd fucking hide a fucking goat there to some Terry Lee Brown motherfuck.