Call for bedroom DJs to not play for free...

[wub]

This has been bouncing around FB for a while, the comments it's eliciting are standard stuff ranging from "do it for the love m8!" to "promoters are taking the piss"

In my promoting days, I've always paid my DJs something even if it's only covering the cost of travel and free drinks on the night. Whilst the London scene, particularly the south London house scene, has evolved to the point where supply far outstrips demand and as such a lot of the promotion crews I know have switched to a tickets sold = set time basis which personally I don't agree with.

Obviously not everyone can be paid a decent price straight off the bat, but there is a big difference between expense coverage and promoters just taking the piss, IMO.

[hubb]

Bedroom DJ'ing ?

[+] Spoiler

No musicians, promoters, dancers or djs deserve pay. Get a real person job and do it out of fun

[wolf89]

[+] Spoiler

No musicians, promoters, dancers or djs deserve pay. Get a real person job and do it out of fun

Hoping this is a sarcastic comment about the situation or something cause if not I've no idea what you're on about

[m8son666]

lol

[titchbit]

Wub what do you mean by "a lot of the promotion crews I know have switched to a tickets sold = set time basis"?

I dunno, personally me and some of my friends are bedroom type DJs although we have both opened for larger acts. One of my friends has opened for hatcha, yunx, kursk and plenty others, and he had to go through a stage where he played for free for a while. I mean obviously they didn't charge him to come inside and probably gave him free drinks (though I'm not sure about that), but now he only gets paid a little bit (not sure the exact numbers).

I'm not quite at his stage yet but I'm willing to go through the same process if that's what I have to do. If you refuse, they can always find some other kid who will play whatever they want. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

what can you do? form a collective bargaining agreement? lol


I've found that we actually make much more money if me we're DJing for a party or a little mini festival thing than opening for a headliner. Like when it's our own thing, we make mad keesh. At clubs we make shit.

[Blenky]

The first gigs I got were always free entry, some drinks on the night and a few guestlist spaces to play, I think that's more than fair enough really for people taking a chance on a relative unknown, then if you are good and get on with the promoters you will get booked again and then the money starts.

[wub]

Wub what do you mean by "a lot of the promotion crews I know have switched to a tickets sold = set time basis"?

DJs required to sell tickets, say £12.50 a ticket, and they get £2.50 per ticket sold. DJs that sell the most tickets get their pick of the time slots.

[titchbit]

thats dumb imo. a lot of DJs (esp the good ones) are introverted people and turning it into a popularity contest is not going to get the best talent at your night.

[nowaysj]

Pay to play is totally fucked. Find a dive, and do it yourself. No matter the genre.

But I think if you're in a totally crowded musical market, fucking pull up anchor and set sails. But that is just me.

[m8son666]

a lot of the 'DJs' I know go to so much effort through asskissing and selling tickets just to get a set at 10 seems pointless to me I wouldn't wanna play out unless the promoters actually wanted me there

[wub]

thats dumb imo. a lot of DJs (esp the good ones) are introverted people and turning it into a popularity contest is not going to get the best talent at your night.

And so is the south London house scene, sadly.

I had one promotions crew who I'm still on the staff mailing list for send me a mailout offering Ibiza sets to DJs who were able to sell package holiday deals

Pay to play is totally fucked. Find a dive, and do it yourself. No matter the genre.

But I think if you're in a totally crowded musical market, fucking pull up anchor and set sails. But that is just me.

Crowded markets are still the best places to get noticed. The chances of raising profile in London vs. Bury St Edmunds, even if one has a very saturated market and one an almost non existent one.

[nowaysj]

Btw: Mixing metaphors like a bedroom dj does beats.

[nowaysj]

Crowded markets are still the best places to get noticed. The chances of raising profile in London vs. Bury St Edmunds, even if one has a very saturated market and one an almost non existent one.

Was referring more to genre than location, but yeah, location too, for me. Fuckit.

[ezza]

a lot of the 'DJs' I know go to so much effort through asskissing and selling tickets just to get a set at 10 seems pointless to me I wouldn't wanna play out unless the promoters actually wanted me there

this man

id really like to dj out but all im willing to do is send you some of my tunes and a mix

you want me or you dont, im not doing shit for you other than turn up and mix lol and you gotta give me summut in return

so many beggin ass djs thinking theyre cool as fuck on fb cus they play fucking everywhere for free and spend all the week promoting and flyering. you're a mug m8y

[titchbit]

exactly, i'm not turning my fb timeline into a bulletin board. i hate spammy people like that.

but you can see why - they're having trouble bringing people to clubs, and who is most likely to know people interested in underground music? DJs, obviously. capitalism at work

[ezza]

yeah id ask my mates to come and share the event like once

but some of them just never shut the fuck up

no one cares

all the best djs i know never play out either its weird or if they do its their own night

becoming a 'real dj' and not a 'bedroom dj' is about everything but the dj'ing bit it seems

[m8son666]

hmm its a perfect example of truheadness in action, having to sacrifice success/fun in order to maintain your integrity

[Johnlenham]

Pay to play is weird as fuck and picking a slot time is even more bizarre.

From my "dj" perspective, I would probably play out if someone asked me but Im not going to chase venues for a "slot" as well Im only doing it for fun, I wouldnt expect to be paid but yeah beer and guest list and a chance to play out to more than my m8s. Sure id link the event but flyering and pestering is a bridge too far imo.

From trying to start a night perspective, Im glad that I have friends that are keen to play with only beer/accom/+1 on offer because theres no way we could afford to book "headliners" and fill another 4 hours if everyone wanted say £100 a go.

Also some of the people that pass for "djs" are bloody atrocious. Are you a "DJ" if you play top 40 hits to pissed people and do little more than fade in and out?

[nowaysj]

In my home town, yes!

[m8son666]

in my hometooown