How do you handle 2 hour gig requests on a in demand Saturday Night?
- Thread starter DJ Ricky B
- Start date
I get that part. I'm talking about people not having a lot of time to dance and have fun. At times that can make the DJ look very lame. Some events there isn't a lot of dancing if at all all. That doesn't always mean you did a poor job. That crowd was just there to mingle and socialize. They didn't come there to boogie down.
My concern is that people have a good time at events I'm the DJ. I don't want people leaving thinking I did a poor job because there just wasn't much time for the to get their groove on.
You obviously don't get it - repeated yet again for the hearing impaired:
I wouldn't worry about that. You cannot control what people will think.
If it's a short night, with less-than-enthusiastic guests...
most likely those crowds won't be expecting to "get their groove on".
They could be perfectly happy to just "mingle and socialize."
And, in the event that they DO blame you for the outcome, that's just a risk you take.
And again, THEIR event is not about YOU looking good.
Mix .. I've had gigs where NO ONE danced .. yet had a great time. HS reunions, especially .. people love vintage sounds, but rarely have the time or desire to dance .. they're there to mingle and talk and reminisce. I've done many a party where dancing (if at all) is usually less than 20% of the event.
As Tig reiterated .. it's really up to the client to decide what's important to them and what constitutes success .. dancing may not be it.
Reunions are almost all like that and at the end of the day if the client is happy that's all we are there for
Personally I think you are all way to hard on "Mix",,, if he chooses not to take a certain type of event, that is up to him and that is his business plan. If it works for him, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks. You can of course disagree, but it doesn't make him "hearing impaired" or "masturbating".
I just read in another thread about the DJ here who buys different lights than everyone else in his area because he doesn't want to look like everyone else. He wants to run his business his way. Nobody picked on him.
And while I agree that the event is about the client, it is equally about me, the DJ because I need to get referrals to live, to eat and pay bills, so I want to show my stuff, not only MCing but my music skills. It is all part of the same package, those lights I talked about above or your MCing or music skills, it's you showing your stuff and wanting to do it in a way that makes those people there at the event that's about "the client", it makes them want to hire you.
Sometimes that means you rock without dancing, sometimes you rock with it. Maybe it's age that give us a better perspective. Age has it's advantages. Our job is not only about making money & building a client base, it has to be enjoyable, fun and we want to look forward to doing it. Age has taught us this. Age has taught us that we don't have to take every gig, that we can pick and choose to take the gigs that we want to have fun at. Personally I like being interactive, mouthing off, doing games, if there are two events and the "game event" pays less than a normal wedding, I'm taking the game event.
It's not all about the client, it's about me too and it should be about you also. IMHO
I just read in another thread about the DJ here who buys different lights than everyone else in his area because he doesn't want to look like everyone else. He wants to run his business his way. Nobody picked on him.
And while I agree that the event is about the client, it is equally about me, the DJ because I need to get referrals to live, to eat and pay bills, so I want to show my stuff, not only MCing but my music skills. It is all part of the same package, those lights I talked about above or your MCing or music skills, it's you showing your stuff and wanting to do it in a way that makes those people there at the event that's about "the client", it makes them want to hire you.
Sometimes that means you rock without dancing, sometimes you rock with it. Maybe it's age that give us a better perspective. Age has it's advantages. Our job is not only about making money & building a client base, it has to be enjoyable, fun and we want to look forward to doing it. Age has taught us this. Age has taught us that we don't have to take every gig, that we can pick and choose to take the gigs that we want to have fun at. Personally I like being interactive, mouthing off, doing games, if there are two events and the "game event" pays less than a normal wedding, I'm taking the game event.
It's not all about the client, it's about me too and it should be about you also. IMHO
Key word Chucky .. 'Business Plan' - there is none.
As for everything else, I TOTALLY AGREE with you, COMPLETELY - and 99% of the others here will as well. With that in mind, I don't think you have ever asked for advice or help (such as create a business plan) .. not done anything with that help or advice and then asked for the very same advice or help again. In addition, a nearly complete website was built for this specific person .. and he turned it away and has continued to do nothing with his own site. He paid 21,000 for a 16,000 car. Paid 300 for what should have been a 100 repair, even after being advised of how much he should pay / should have payed. I believe this does qualify you for 'hearing impaired' and / or 'masturbating'.
There is a difference between people wanting to hire you because of you .. and you talking about how much someone is willing to pay. Also, when people ask you questions, you ANSWER them. He pretends he is blind. You pay taxes on monies made. I'm willing to bet this person does not. How can anyone take you serious if you don't take it serious?
It is about the client AND the dj .. but if I am a customer and I want a 2, 3, 4 or 27 hour event, then I am hiring someone for what I want .. and NOT what the dj wants. At any event, I may not care if anyone dances. If we can find a happy medium, great. If not, then you won't be playing.
His music thing may well be a hobby and that's fine .. then admit it and move on.
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I think mix has a plan in his head. But maybe he doesn't care about having a highly profitable business.
1.) 2 hour gigs will be turned down because there isn't time to show what he can do.
2.) Friends of relatives birthday parties are good if the price is right.
3.) Always have a partner or other DJ that can fill in.
4.) Big Subwoofers are almost always mandatory.
5.) Bar gigs are worth doing if it's oldies night and the bar owner knows what he's doing.
Even though none of this is written down as a plan it's all there in his head. Written business plans aren't always necessary, yet they help in setting goals. Would he be more successful with a written plan? Probably, but maybe being successful isn't part of his plan either. If he wants to only do gigs that are fun and enjoyable to him, that's his business.
Starting feel that I am just taking part in a very freaking expensive hobby
Mix, in order to 'help it', you first have to help yourself .. and you don't.
What the hell are you talking about. I do things by myself at times. Every gig doesn't need big subs as you put it. I never said I wouldn't do a 2 hour event. I just can't remember the last time someone asked me about doing a 2 hour event. How many of you have done a 2 hour event and if you did how many have you done? My normal is no less than 4 hours. Very rarely will someone contact me about doing an event for less than 4 hours.
Itigger the event I'm working tomorrow I couldn't use any subs even if I wanted to. I couldn't even use one of the DSR subs. Not just about it being overkill but I wouldn't have any where to put even one. Unless I put it underneath my table. I wouldn't do it anyway because I would be paying for windows that would have to be replaced.
Sorry I must be getting too old to see things right but you know I was referring to you.
You're not referring to me because those are not the questions I have repeatedly asked you, try again.
OK, I'll bite. I do 10 45 minute gigs every year for the past five years @ $150 each.