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Are "HEADLINER" DJ's Really Needed?
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| DjWoody |
Alright children, today's lecture: Are "HEADLINER" DJ's really needed or are they an added expense for CLUB nights?
For years the EDM club nights had relied on international headliners but now that EDM is back on the mainstream are they really needed? If you would've asked me this question several years back, I would've said YES. But now, I'm not sure.
A friend of mine just took over Friday nights at The Yost. It used to be a Giant night. Friday was his grand opening. To be honest, I didn't know what to expect. The place is big and he had no DJ's on the flyer other than himself.
My other friend promoted the second floor and brought in Erphun, which is an Incognito regular.
I got there a little after 11pm and the main room was already at or over capacity and it had some awesome production. The second floor was empty.
Yes, it was two contrasting formats where the main room had the SHM, Guetta, Chuckie, Avicci type of house and the second room had techno.
If my friend was able to sell it out with no headliners other than himself, why wasn't Giant able to do the same thing with their headliners?
I'm thinking it's all about having the right promotional team, knowing your crowd and building relationships, but who knows. I'm sure he saved the cash from the headliner and was able to use that towards promotion and putting in a good show.
What you guys think? Discuss...
:toocool:
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| 72hrpartyanimal |
| It's all in the promotions yo. But depending on promotions alone doesn't cut it especially if doing a weekly party. Same as having major headliners every week. People get tired of going out to the same place every week. |
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| jonmitz |
| Needed for what? To make money or to please the fans? |
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| 72hrpartyanimal |
| a good example are the Hollywood clubs. Hardly host any events with headlining djs but still pack the place and make money. its great promotions with specific targeting. |
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| DjWoody |
| quote: | Originally posted by 72hrpartyanimal
It's all in the promotions yo. But depending on promotions alone doesn't cut it especially if doing a weekly party. Same as having major headliners every week. People get tired of going out to the same place every week. |
Exactly, so why is it that a lot of promoters don't get that if their club nights depend on it? |
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| DjWoody |
| quote: | Originally posted by 72hrpartyanimal
a good example are the Hollywood clubs. Hardly host any events with headlining djs but still pack the place and make money. its great promotions with specific targeting. |
Another example is my club. I've been there for 6 years and we've never had a headliner, just the same 3 DJ's and rarely do we bring in any guest DJ's. Yet, week after week we keep selling out. Well, most of the time anyways. |
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| DjWoody |
| quote: | Originally posted by jonmitz
Needed for what? To make money or to please the fans? |
To make the club work. If you're making money, you're pleasing the fans because they keep coming back. Otherwise you'd be out of business. |
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| Sadface |
| Obviously you don't need headliners but if you're going headliner-free you need to have the reputation/promotional muscle to make up for it. It's much easier to pull this off with top40 because most people can get down to it whereas EDM has historically had more of a niche audience. These days vegas-house is becoming more of the default party music which enables crews to have successful "EDM" nights the same way they do for top40: promotion. |
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| DjWoody |
| quote: | Originally posted by Sadface
Obviously you don't need headliners but if you're going headliner-free you need to have the reputation/promotional muscle to make up for it. It's much easier to pull this off with top40 because most people can get down to it whereas EDM has historically had more of a niche audience. These days vegas-house is becoming more of the default party music which enables crews to have successful "EDM" nights the same way they do for top40: promotion. |
Yes, but this was his first party in years!!! His crowd used to be very different. But I hear you loud and clear. |
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| Sadface |
| quote: | Originally posted by DjWoody
Yes, but this was his first party in years!!! His crowd used to be very different. But I hear you loud and clear. |
Good for your friend, man. Seems The Yost has found its headliner! :p |
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| Quazar |
It's a combination of promotion and community. Psytrance, Hardstyle, Industrial, etc. type events usually don't have much in the way of headliners, but the community rallies around the concept and event itself.
Trance used to be that way in the late 90s. People went to the party because they knew the group throwing it was awesome.
Honestly, I think with EDM as mainstream, it actually hurts not to have a headliner. The mainstream crowd wants to be seen and wants to be around fame. |
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| DjWoody |
| quote: | Originally posted by Quazar
The mainstream crowd wants to be seen and wants to be around fame. |
That's another very valid point that I didn't think about. You're absolutely correct.
I think that's what happened with MNS after it moved to Playhouse and it became more mainstream. Playhouse is the place to be seen at, so a lot of people go simply because it's Playhouse and have no clue who the DJ is. |
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