Please pray for me at this Saturday's gig that all goes well.

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

Are we going to get any follow up on how it went?

You will. I plan on taking pictures and video making a gig log here. I get that some of you have never heard of paying money to come to a special birthday celebration. It's not them charging this money and it goes into their pocket. It is to go to the venue for providing the ambience of the place itself, the special food being prepared by a real chef and no just stuff being thrown together. Normally at that price you don't get buffet style food and service. You get top notch service. Also it's not a ghetto thing! This place where the event is taking place isn't in the heart of the ghetto. It's in a high class neighborhood. So get your mind off of it being a ghetto thing or event. This is about real class and I know most of the people attending the event will be dressed to impress including myself.

I said that last part because as I've seen most people will know if it's a wedding to dress appropriately. You may have 1 or 2 not dressed so. Places like this one is about attracting a certain class of people. At least while they are there they will know how to act. When they get back to where they live that can change. Normally such places will screen carefully who they rent their space out to. My personal experience has been that such a place will attract a certain crowd and not a low life ghetto crowd. I mentioned this because I already know someone will think of such a thing turning into a ghetto situation. My experience is when it comes to someone having their birthday celebration in such a place and they were footing the entire bill it won't be someone that is ghetto. Those people who dress ghetto most of the time won't have their event there because they don't have the right clothes to wear to even talk to the people in the place about having their event there. Not to mention them spending that kind of money to have their event there.

Let's say for example 100 people come to this event. At $60 per person that's $6,000. Most hard core ghetto people won't spend that kind of money. They will look for some cheap hole in the wall place where the place is just money hungry and don't care who they rent their place out to and how the people are dressed that come there. Not in every case but a lot of these places like that will do such things.

 

[BlueLineDJ]

Mix, I just threw a Sweet 16 for my daughter and after the hall food ect I spent about 10k and guess what I didn't charge anyone to come to it because it is the tackiest thing in the world. if you have to charge people to come to your party then do not have a party.

Going along the lines of what DJ Jimmy said I compare that to the dollar dance at a wedding reception. It's a popular thing still here in this region. I just find it hard to invite people to your wedding who for the most part bring you a gift. And then to invite them to come dance with you only after they pay any amount of $. I just think that's rude.

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

Mix, I just threw a Sweet 16 for my daughter and after the hall food ect I spent about 10k and guess what I didn't charge anyone to come to it because it is the tackiest thing in the world. if you have to charge people to come to your party then do not have a party.

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. Not everybody will agree with you. I have no control over that situation. My part is to come and do my job and that's it. I'm glad you had the 10k to spend for that event. Please tell me this and I'm not asking this to be funny or as a put down. How did you pay for this event at that price? Was it all at once or spread over a period of time? I'm asking this because of the business that we both are in. I really wish when it comes to clients planning their event that they seriously took the time to plan things out well and not make it a rush thing. In other words make it so that when budgeting for the entertainment part that it's not just throwing a few coins at someone for the price they want to pay and expecting someone to jump at the price.

As you well know there are those DJs out there that can get 2k or more for a wedding just for an example. Those clients spending that kind of money have truly took time to plan their event and either have saved up for the event in terms of paying for their entertainment or will sign a contract with say a DJ giving them a retainer and paying off the balance over a period of time till it's paid off. Normally way before the event is to take place.

 

[PhaseIIPro]

You will. I plan on taking pictures and video making a gig log here. I get that some of you have never heard of paying money to come to a special birthday celebration. It's not them charging this money and it goes into their pocket. It is to go to the venue for providing the ambience of the place itself, the special food being prepared by a real chef and no just stuff being thrown together. Normally at that price you don't get buffet style food and service. You get top notch service. Also it's not a ghetto thing! This place where the event is taking place isn't in the heart of the ghetto. It's in a high class neighborhood. So get your mind off of it being a ghetto thing or event. This is about real class and I know most of the people attending the event will be dressed to impress including myself.

I said that last part because as I've seen most people will know if it's a wedding to dress appropriately. You may have 1 or 2 not dressed so. Places like this one is about attracting a certain class of people. At least while they are there they will know how to act. When they get back to where they live that can change. Normally such places will screen carefully who they rent their space out to. My personal experience has been that such a place will attract a certain crowd and not a low life ghetto crowd. I mentioned this because I already know someone will think of such a thing turning into a ghetto situation. My experience is when it comes to someone having their birthday celebration in such a place and they were footing the entire bill it won't be someone that is ghetto. Those people who dress ghetto most of the time won't have their event there because they don't have the right clothes to wear to even talk to the people in the place about having their event there. Not to mention them spending that kind of money to have their event there.

Let's say for example 100 people come to this event. At $60 per person that's $6,000. Most hard core ghetto people won't spend that kind of money. They will look for some cheap hole in the wall place where the place is just money hungry and don't care who they rent their place out to and how the people are dressed that come there. Not in every case but a lot of these places like that will do such things.

This will be another one of your partys with 20 or so people. I have been doing this for over 30 years, and have never seen a pay to play birthday party. People with class invite the guest they want to attend, have an open bar, and dinner at a great place, and guest bring gifts usually in the form of cash in a card.

Also, being that you know the family so well, and for so long, I'm sure that you are doing the gig as a freebie.

 

[PhaseIIPro]

It's in a high class neighborhood.

What is your definition of a high class neighborhood?

 

[Jeff Romard]

I've had friends host their birthday party at a bar where it was a cash bar... And, I've had friends do a birthday at a bowling alley where it was like $20 to bowl... but no, I've never seen anyone I know charge a cover or an entrance fee for a birthday party. Maybe it is common among your friends, but that definitely isn't a universal practice. I've also been DJing professionally for 16 years and haven't ever seen a client do it either.

Ditto for me and I've been at it more than twice that long. I've never even heard it suggested before

 

[Dj Jimmy D]

I paid my vendors the way they wanted to be paid and whatever schedule they told me to pay on. I am not sure why that is so hard to understand or why it matters.

Let me ask you what are you charging for this event? For this party I would have quoted them $895.00 for a basic package at that time.

 

[Scott Hanna]

I just did a suprise 50th birthday party for a brother of a guy I knew in high school. Haven't seen him in 30 years. But I knew Some people that were going to be there.

Another party for strangers, I simply asked her to tell me about the crowd. Once she told me, I had a good idea, but ready to adjust based on the crowd at the party.

The notion that I wouldn't know what to play at these events never crossed my mind.

As far as the paying to come to a party thing simply doesn't happen here in Ohio. At least not that I've seen. People that cannot afford to pay for a party come up with creative things, like cash bar, or " instead of birthday presents, please donate to the party fund", but charging for tickets would feel like you are being invited so they can make money.

 

[redhotdj]

Here in upstate NY I have never heard of charging to enter a birthday party or any party. The only time I have heard of is at a benefit

 

[tunes4046]

Here in upstate NY I have never heard of charging to enter a birthday party or any party. The only time I have heard of is at a benefit

We don't charge to attend parties in Wisconsin either

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

Here in upstate NY I have never heard of charging to enter a birthday party or any party. The only time I have heard of is at a benefit

I don't know how many people will be there. My guess is more then 20 people. I wasn't given the R.S.V.P. list. So I don't know how many people plan to attend. All I know is I will be there.

Jimmy you missed my point. My point was not just about how you did things for that sweet 16 for your daughter but about how some don't plan the event they are having very well. They will spend all this ton of money on other things and when it comes to paying the entertainment they are last on the list. Meaning they have very little money to spend for their entertainment. Some just don't see the importance of picking say the right DJ to do their event and not just picking a DJ to save some money. My point sir was did you pay for everything at once or over a period of time? In other words do they even consider getting things paid over time or do they look at it as one big expense to have their event?

Again I'm to be there doing my job. I get that none of you have heard of paying to come to a birthday party or for that matter a party period. Please get it out of your minds that the person having this event is collecting the money to go to them. That money is going to the venue. I've been to parties where the person hosting the party charges to come to the party. Me and a friend did one together ourselves. One of my friends is a promoter/DJ that has parties where he gets to have the party there for free. They allow him to do so because he has had crowds of 500 people or more to come to his parties. One party the fire marshal had to shut the party down. The place held 600 people and 1,300 people showed up to the party. And yes he charges to come to his parties. He normally will have a special guest DJ or 2 at the party to attract people to the party. He'll pick a famous DJ that people know and pay him to come and play at the party. After everyone is paid he comes away with a lot of money himself. One thing he does that is very smart is to have the parties in a very nice place that the mature adult crowd will want to come to. His parties are geared towards the 30 and over crowd.

 

[steve149]

I don't know how many people will be there. My guess is more then 20 people. I wasn't given the R.S.V.P. list. So I don't know how many people plan to attend. All I know is I will be there.

Jimmy you missed my point. My point was not just about how you did things for that sweet 16 for your daughter but about how some don't plan the event they are having very well. They will spend all this ton of money on other things and when it comes to paying the entertainment they are last on the list. Meaning they have very little money to spend for their entertainment. Some just don't see the importance of picking say the right DJ to do their event and not just picking a DJ to save some money. My point sir was did you pay for everything at once or over a period of time? In other words do they even consider getting things paid over time or do they look at it as one big expense to have their event?

Again I'm to be there doing my job. I get that none of you have heard of paying to come to a birthday party or for that matter a party period. Please get it out of your minds that the person having this event is collecting the money to go to them. That money is going to the venue. I've been to parties where the person hosting the party charges to come to the party. Me and a friend did one together ourselves. One of my friends is a promoter/DJ that has parties where he gets to have the party there for free. They allow him to do so because he has had crowds of 500 people or more to come to his parties. One party the fire marshal had to shut the party down. The place held 600 people and 1,300 people showed up to the party. And yes he charges to come to his parties. He normally will have a special guest DJ or 2 at the party to attract people to the party. He'll pick a famous DJ that people know and pay him to come and play at the party. After everyone is paid he comes away with a lot of money himself. One thing he does that is very smart is to have the parties in a very nice place that the mature adult crowd will want to come to. His parties are geared towards the 30 and over crowd.

Promoting an "event" is one thing .. throwing a birthday party for yourself is very different .. it's like saying I want a party, I don't want to pay for it, I have friends who can pay for it, and if I dupe enough of them, I can make some serious coin.

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

Promoting an "event" is one thing .. throwing a birthday party for yourself is very different .. it's like saying I want a party, I don't want to pay for it, I have friends who can pay for it, and if I dupe enough of them, I can make some serious coin.

Again Steve when someone has a thing like this they are not making a lot of coins off of this. The money is to pay the venue for them having their event there. It may look like that is the case but it's not.

 

[steve149]

Again Steve when someone has a thing like this they are not making a lot of coins off of this. The money is to pay the venue for them having their event there. It may look like that is the case but it's not.

I think you underestimate the thought process of throwing yourself a party and having others pay for it.

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

I think you underestimate the thought process of throwing yourself a party and having others pay for it.

I would agree with you if this event was taking place in a VFW post charging $500-800 to host an event there. That's not the case here.

 

[tunes4046]

Again I'm to be there doing my job.

You should have started your job long before you arrive,
Steps to achieve a good result
1. get booking sign contract
2. get info from client on party essentials, time frame, guest count, important announcements to be made, type of music requested for different portions of the event, dress code, gather this info well before the event

 

[Scott Hanna]

I have a gig to do this coming Saturday that will be at the Westwood in Garwood, NJ from 2-6pm. It's my best friends brother's 60th birthday celebration. The cost to attend is $60 and that's with a 2 hour open bar. That doesn't make any sense to me considering he and his wife are supposed to be ministers. It's his event and he can do what he wants.

I just texted his sister last night while at an event about having him get back to me with more details about the music. So far all I got is at 5pm he wants line dance songs. He called me telling me he had a lot planned for this event. I don't know all he has planned. I hope he realizes this event is only 4 hours and it's over. More then likely they won't allow it to go into over time. I've been to this place once before. Very nice place. High class for sure.

I normally wouldn't make such a thread. I did this time because I know his brother personally. He can be a big drama queen. I just hope he can relax and take it easy at the event. Just look to have big fun and let me do my job. He had us come and do a fashion show at the Robert Treat Hotel in downtown Newark, NJ and he was getting on both our nerves. He finally realized he was being too dramatic and apologized for his behavior.

I guess him not contacting me about what other music he wants for this event has to do with how long he has known me and all the events he has attended over the years that I've done. So he's not worried. I'm not worried that much. I just worry about his attitude the day of.

Worry about what you can control. If you are concerned about what he might want and how it may fit into a 4 hr event, I'd let him know that you'd like to go over it with him to ensure the party goes as he'd like. If he doesn't get back to you, then he's not that worried about it.

 

[ittigger]

Promoting an "event" is one thing .. throwing a birthday party for yourself is very different .. it's like saying I want a party, I don't want to pay for it, I have friends who can pay for it, and if I dupe enough of them, I can make some serious coin.

Again Steve when someone has a thing like this they are not making a lot of coins off of this. The money is to pay the venue for them having their event there. It may look like that is the case but it's not.

I think you underestimate the thought process of throwing yourself a party and having others pay for it.

I would agree with you if this event was taking place in a VFW post charging $500-800 to host an event there. That's not the case here.

Mix, the venue doesn't change things.

 

[Ausumm]

I normally wouldn't make such a thread.

Yes you would.

 

[nextgen1]

So what ever happened to "Ceasar". )