quote:

Originally posted by hasbone this just in how much money you make decides the quality of your music i guess music just doesn't get any better than Dave Matthews, Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi and U2.

No, but the quality of his music probably isn't most important to him as a DJ. He is getting older you know.
I'm not saying there is a relation between money and quality either.

I used to like U2, long ago, but although I don't like their music after 1995, I still don't think U2 is a joke.

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Longest (classic) Trance playlist on YouTube (5000 tracks released up to and including 1997), click here

Last time I heard Tiesto was Nyana album. While I don't cry any tears over his complete amnesia of his roots, I can understand the reasoning.

One can continue to be an "underground" idol and be broke... or sell out completely when an opportunity presents itself. For every Armin, Afrowhack, and Skrillex that rises to the top, there are likes of JOOF, M.I.K.E., and countless others who are not as concerned with becoming a "pop brand".

The shit that Tiesto, Ferry, and even Armin play these days is a testament to the fact that if you want to be rich, you gotta follow the money.

Would I rather be rich and disliked by the so-called "cognoscenti" or remain a purist and have to keep my day job to not have to "sell out"? Pfft... where do I sign up for the "sell out" option?

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quote:

Originally posted by aNYthing The shit that Tiesto, Ferry, and even Armin play these days is a testament to the fact that if you want to be rich, you gotta follow the money. Would I rather be rich and disliked by the so-called "cognoscenti" or remain a purist and have to keep my day job to not have to "sell out"? Pfft... where do I sign up for the "sell out" option?

Do you really think these guys were dirt poor before they "sold out"? Even back then they didn't play some small basement club, they played massive festivals and superclubs on a weekly basis.

And while people like JOOF and Mike aren't exactly going to be millionaire material, they can still make a pretty damn good living with DJing.

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June 2018 mix

Exactly. Even at the peak of trance in 2001 (well, that could be discussed) these guys were making big bucks playing everywhere. They are making even more now but back then they could still make in a weekend what many of us make in a year.

quote:

Originally posted by Woony Do you really think these guys were dirt poor before they "sold out"? Even back then they didn't play some small basement club, they played massive festivals and superclubs on a weekly basis. And while people like JOOF and Mike aren't exactly going to be millionaire material, they can still make a pretty damn good living with DJing.

Depending on how far back you want to go. Back in 2000, I'd say "Armin" and people were like "Armin Who?". I remember driving up and down east coast to catch the likes of Armin, Tiesto, Ferry because they rarely showed up here. Until Ferry got a residence in Glow, we hardly had any trance DJs come to States on a regular basis. Festivals? The only festivals that existed was WMC - which was, as I still remember, a DJ-centric workshop/conference type of event, which eventually grew into Ultra. You also had Ultraworld parties in DC once or maybe 2x a year. That was pretty much it.

Now, it seems like there's a major event every 2 weeks. Hell, I remember when "trance" was still considered "techno" and no one knew about any of these "brand name DJs". I can even dig up Mixmag from early 2000 and all the festivals in Europe that made me so jealous had performer names in PLAIN TEXT. There were no Armin(TM), Tiesto(TM), Carl Cox(TM) logos plastering them.

Hell, you know EDM is main stream when TMZ!!! is covering Tiesto...

So, yes. I don't think too many were millionaires until they figured out how to milk this festival formula and/or started their own labels that attracted lots of talent

Quick show of hands (pun intended) - how many of you still get goosebumps watching Armin do his jesus pose? I wonder if that's trademarked yet?

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Last edited by aNYthing on Aug-22-2012 at 19:12

quote:

Originally posted by bucky Exactly. Even at the peak of trance in 2001 (well, that could be discussed) these guys were making big bucks playing everywhere. They are making even more now but back then they could still make in a weekend what many of us make in a year.

But for how long?
Question is if others wouldn't have done exactly the same, or even maybe tried but didn't succeed. Tiesto in an interview said he was lucky running into the right people, at the right time, giving him a push in the right direction.
Tiesto also didn't have the background Armin and Ferry had, that's something one mustn't forget.

I'm also not convinced for them it's only about the money like often is suggested.

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Longest (classic) Trance playlist on YouTube (5000 tracks released up to and including 1997), click here

quote:

Originally posted by aNYthing Depending on how far back you want to go. Back in 2000, I'd say "Armin" and people were like "Armin Who?". I remember driving up and down east coast to catch the likes of Armin, Tiesto, Ferry because they rarely showed up here. Until Ferry got a residence in Glow, we hardly had any trance DJs come to States on a regular basis. Festivals? The only festivals that existed was WMC - which was, as I still remember, a DJ-centric workshop/conference type of event, which eventually grew into Ultra. You also had Ultraworld parties in DC once or maybe 2x a year. That was pretty much it.

You seem to have a very US-centric perspective. Trance was absolutely MASSIVE in Europe around the turn of the millenium. It was borderline mainstream.

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June 2018 mix

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Originally posted by Woony You seem to have a very US-centric perspective. Trance was absolutely MASSIVE in Europe around the turn of the millenium. It was borderline mainstream.

True, at the same time US constitutes a HUGE chunk of performer's earnings these days.

bottom line: I don't think many of these guys were millionaires up until very recently (perhaps 2007-ish?)

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quote:

Originally posted by Woony You seem to have a very US-centric perspective. Trance was absolutely MASSIVE in Europe around the turn of the millenium. It was borderline mainstream.

I think the (speed of increasing) number of people at the Love Parades show pretty good the development of trance popularity over here, regardless the fact that it wasn't just trance:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Parade

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Longest (classic) Trance playlist on YouTube (5000 tracks released up to and including 1997), click here

last tiesto set I heard was at nature one 2008 and it was surprisingly good, but I think it went downhill after that

quote:

Originally posted by aNYthing Festivals? The only festivals that existed was WMC - which was, as I still remember, a DJ-centric workshop/conference type of event, which eventually grew into Ultra.

Very US-centric perspective. Creamfields, Homelands, Gatecrasher Summer Sound System, Glastonbury, etc.

Also, do you remember Moby's Area One and Area Two festival tours?

quote:

Originally posted by aNYthing True, at the same time US constitutes a HUGE chunk of performer's earnings these days. bottom line: I don't think many of these guys were millionaires up until very recently (perhaps 2007-ish?)

Here's a TA thread from 2001 in which people suggest Oakenfold is making tens of thousands per gig. Here's a thread from 2005 on "millionaire trance DJs?".

Yes, the market is much bigger and much more lucrative now than in the past, but Tiesto and Paul van Dyk were living comfortably years ago.

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nice to see diggers up there on the list!

top 30 dj's net worth.

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/ar...est-djs-world/#!/