I say, make a killer mix of tunes, tailored to that clubs style. go and listen to the DJ, write down the tunes he plays, and then get those tunes, mix them BETTER than he did. label the CD clearly with your name and phone number, and hand it to the guy doing the booking. also maybe mail it to the club?

they don't want to take a chance on you sucking, maybe if they hear your CD then they will give you a shot for a free night.

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My first question, why is your favorite place to hang out a place that has a bunch of crappy djs?

Anyway You have to start thinking like a club owner/resident dj. You are going up to these guys during the middle of a club night, probably dressed in club clothing, and asking to spin pleasepleaseplease! Would you offer yourself a chance to spin (objectively) if you were in their shoes? I can't say that I would.

First off, don't insult the other djs (at least to the other djs or the club owner/dj booker). This just reflects very poorly on yourself and they will turn you away in a second.

Next, try making a demo. Don't expect them to do all of the work. Oooohhh, so they have your web addy, but I guarentee they will never get around to dling and listening to your set. Why is this? Because it's too much work for a busy man who isn't looking for another dj in the first place. Make it as convienent for them as possible. Do you have a tape deck? If so, how many? Do you have a cd player? If so, how many? I'm very much hoping that you have 1 or less tape decks and probably three or more cd players in your home/car. So the choice of medium is clear. Give them a cd with your mix on it and make it good!

I have two opinions on demo cds. If you are just starting out, then chances are they will make you do a warmup set. So you want to orient your demo toward just that--a warm up set that is still very compelling and good. Second, they may listen to your stuff and think, man this is boring, he'll never make it to headliner, and so you should therefore make your demo an energy set. Conversely, if they are looking for a warmup set and you give them an energy set...

So how do you resolve this? Make two and give them two discs. Find a unique way to display it too. Don't write on the cd if you have crappy handwriting!!! Make a label, get a business card etc. Do what it takes to impress.

What do you do with these newly founded demos? How do you get it into the hands of a dj booker? Don't go to clubs and ask to see the manager! Call ahead, make an appointment, get a formal interview. Ask to have a short 30 minute meeting with the guy during the day and then ask a lot of questions like, "Can I see the equipment?" etc. Then present the best qualities about yourself to him. Be very informative about yourself. Make sure he knows that he can rely on you to show up etc. Dress nice, but don't overdo it. No suit! Do you think that a booker of a small club is going to wear a suit? No, especially not during the day when he isn't infront of the customers.

Where are you now? You give him your demo, the demo is hopefully something that he'll be able to associate YOUR FACE to. No I'm not talking pictures, I'm talking colored cds, neat packaging and interesting conversation that he'll remember you by! So do you sit around and complain that he never called you back? Hell no! You have to follow up! This is the most important part! Have you ever done that before? Make sure you get the booker's contact information and in two or three days call him back. Ask if he's listened to your demo yet and if so then great, ask him how he liked it etc. From here you have to control the conversation. Ask if you can set up another appointment to use the equipment or to discuss what type of music he is looking for etc. Ask about new club nights that have your type of music in it if one doesn't already exist. Say trance is all the new rave and other local clubs have trance nights etc. Just make sure that you don't lie and can't defend yourself. Whatever you have to say (and think about it a LOT before you make the call) to keep him on the phone until you have another definite meeting time.

If he hasn't listened to your demo yet, then ask him if he'll have time in the next couple of days, if he says yes, then tell him you'll call him back in a couple days, if he says no, then give him 3-5 days before you call him back. The whole point is that YOU are calling HIM back and not the other way around. He will probably never call you back...

If he says that he's listened to it and didn't like it, or that it isn't what he's looking for, then ask what it was that turned him off to your demo. Then depending on if you can do just that, tell him that you CAN in fact change etc to meet the needs of his club, then offer to make another demo to prove that and set up another appointment. (a week or two to give you time)

So there you go. You have to be pushy enough to wedge your foot in the door until you get a definite yes or no answer from him but you also don't want to be annoying. Give him time and space, don't call him every day and don't leave 100 messages on his voicemail.

Last of all, and probably most disappointing for you, is that you shouldn't depend on making money being a dj until your djing income has been stable for at least a couple of years and you have multiple connections. Don't expect that just because he likes your demo that you will get a job, and don't expect that just because you play once that you will get residency at a club overnight! Look into dj booking organizations--just like the place where those other djs got booked from! And finally, get a day job so that you can afford to buy all of the music that you are spinning at night. Djing isn't profitable for beginners. Never EXPECT it to be. You have so much music to buy and no job to support your habbit. Trust your parents and get a reliable job so that you can get good experience for other reliable jobs down the line. Jobs aren't always something that we like to do--those are hobbies--jobs are what we do to earn a living and confidently support us and our families.


EDIT: Also, just because you know that you mix better, don't think that the booker knows what good mixing is. Chances are he is giving your mix to the djs and asking them to critique your mix too. As per the above post, make it original--something to impress the djs too, and remember, sometimes life isn't fair because the other djs also don't want you to take their jobs!

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When you dance, the DJ takes you on a journey, but he or she is usually not the focus of your experience at a club or festival or wherever you hear the music. Dancing is. Music is.

damn good post.

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Visit my site Antiwar Homepage

Agreed...hit the top of the peak with that reply...

Thanks a lot...

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quote:

Originally posted by JohnSmith damn good post.

i second that. WOW. damn good advice. took all of the little words i had to throw in there out of my mouth.

...the only piece of advice that I can give you is to think about your method of making money.

My approach to DJing is completely opposite from yours. I'm already in college, and I happen to have an excellent evening job (early evening enough that I could still go out if necessary). I'm looking to eventually break into playing out at clubs for one reason, and one reason only - love of the music.

Your parents are probably pressuring you to get a job, and DJing may very well not pay you enough money, particularly if you look at things like buying vinyl all the time. You may need to approach this slightly differently, depending on your motivations.

Perhaps you will need to get a "job job" to satisfy your parents, while still pursuing the goal of being able to DJ locally. Sometimes it is really small things that can make your parents stop worrying about you, and give you the freedom to pursue other goals.

Oh, one last thing. Telling a DJ that his co-DJs suck is probably not a very wonderful way to get him to offer you a job.

___________________
DJ Kibon



Click below to download my most recent trance set:
DJ Kibon - August 2004

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Kibon ...the only piece of advice that I can give you is to think about your method of making money. My approach to DJing is completely opposite from yours. I'm already in college, and I happen to have an excellent evening job (early evening enough that I could still go out if necessary). I'm looking to eventually break into playing out at clubs for one reason, and one reason only - love of the music. Your parents are probably pressuring you to get a job, and DJing may very well not pay you enough money, particularly if you look at things like buying vinyl all the time. You may need to approach this slightly differently, depending on your motivations. Perhaps you will need to get a "job job" to satisfy your parents, while still pursuing the goal of being able to DJ locally. Sometimes it is really small things that can make your parents stop worrying about you, and give you the freedom to pursue other goals. Oh, one last thing. Telling a DJ that his co-DJs suck is probably not a very wonderful way to get him to offer you a job.

gotta egree, there's nothing worse than a DJ working for the money. Maybe you start now by having fun spinning but if you do it for the money only you'll soon en up depending on your gig's. You'll take every gig you can get, you'll play to get the owner of the club pleased, not for the people... or for yourself. You eventually wo'nt give a fuck if the transitions sound right as long as those drunk fools keep going...
Believe me, I know some of this kind... they are those crappy DJ's you wanted to replace.

Get a real job for money and spin for fun and maybe some extra bucks...

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DISCLAIMER:
The above text is believed to be derived from objective logic. No personal offence, implicit or explicit, is intended. Ambiguous expressions are to be interpreted in the less offensive way.

quote:

Originally posted by halo gotta egree, there's nothing worse than a DJ working for the money. Maybe you start now by having fun spinning but if you do it for the money only you'll soon en up depending on your gig's. You'll take every gig you can get, you'll play to get the owner of the club pleased, not for the people... or for yourself. You eventually wo'nt give a fuck if the transitions sound right as long as those drunk fools keep going... Believe me, I know some of this kind... they are those crappy DJ's you wanted to replace. Get a real job for money and spin for fun and maybe some extra bucks...

Also DJ Tiesto agree:

quote:

DJ Times: For someone who has played all around the world, what keeps you from getting jaded? Tiësto: I feel I was born to be a DJ. I have a manager that handles all of the money stuff. If you pay me $100 or $100,000, they’re not enjoying themselves, and they’re like, “Oh, he’s playing shit,” it doesn’t matter how much money you’re getting for the gig. Since I’ve worked hard to get to the top, and just at the point when you think you’re not going to make it, it suddenly happens. And that’s what I’m grateful for. And I think I can only spin for so many years. If I don’t enjoy it, I don’t think other people will enjoy it anymore, and then it’s time to quit. If they’re playing for the money, I don’t think it’s a good thing to do.

For full interview see here:
http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/...&threadid=84701

quote:

I'm looking for gigs around where I live. It's no Sensation events or something like that, just the local pubs/clubs where the average commercial mainstream DJ Sammy-pop is played.

ROFL
What did you think you are Ferry or something... LMFAO

Anyways dood... umm this is my advice, its fine that you want to take up a job as a DJ, but if you can't get in the door, fucking ppl who don't let ppl start off their dream... :-P to U.. lol

What i had in mind was to try get a small gig, and if not.. just get a shit kicking job for the mean time, that will give me more money for plastic, and then when i finally land a nice gig, i will have more music to spin...

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Cause back before '99, U didn' give a damn about PvD, but now that he's pressin' platinum LP's, all of a sudden ur' into
his killer beat's! Ain't nothin' U can do to make it stop cause trance makes the world go round, so cut the act...

[My Website]

I still think it's all about the connection....

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by halo gotta egree, there's nothing worse than a DJ working for the money. Maybe you start now by having fun spinning but if you do it for the money only you'll soon en up depending on your gig's. You'll take every gig you can get, you'll play to get the owner of the club pleased, not for the people... or for yourself. You eventually wo'nt give a fuck if the transitions sound right as long as those drunk fools keep going... Believe me, I know some of this kind... they are those crappy DJ's you wanted to replace. Get a real job for money and spin for fun and maybe some extra bucks...

Glad you agree. My money is going to come from my career in the future, once my commerce degree is finished, and in the meantime from my current job.

Getting into DJing for me is entirely just the love of the music, and because I want to hear the music that I love on a really, really loud system.

___________________
DJ Kibon



Click below to download my most recent trance set:
DJ Kibon - August 2004