What do you think about this?

[padi_04]

That's pretty much what happened to me when I first got signed to a production company.

I would basically headline their club events and play before or after the main act at a party of 15 DJ's and 1 International gig...and they would pay me R200. That's about $25. WTF.

That's what my fuel would cost to get to the damn venue. But as you say....for the love of it!

Until you had enough of being taken advantage of and other gigs are paying you double their pay....for a simple club gig. When i asked for more...they asked me if I could pull a crowd by being on the flyer.....?

They gave me R100 more...that's about $12.

Did one more gig as the flyer was out already and told em to shove it.

The club I was playing at decided to start their own production company and start doing parties too. They offered me residency and i took it.

Been with em for about 5 years now.

So fuck em mate....unless its your bread and butter.

Oh, I forgot to mention, they didn't have any gear so I had to put 5 years of effort at risk of being stolen/spilled for u$s35 a night (discount 21% of taxes from there). Hooray!

[The Bong Squad]

At my local club (booking big artists such as Nero, Chase & Status, DJ Fresh, Subfocus etc) and they don't really appreciate laptop DVS setups. Hence they put us all up in room 2.

But recently they moved me and my partner downstairs (room 1) one night and we did a 4 deck mix and rocked the place, all the other DJ's commented and gave us grats for what we did as they "loved out use of technology in our set". (We had an old hacked arcade joystick controller sending MIDI messages controlling FX as part of our setup)

I hate how controllerists are constantly referred to as 'button pushers' but we are slowly pushing our way into clubs . . . .

[sarasin]

At my local club (booking big artists such as Nero, Chase & Status, DJ Fresh, Subfocus etc) and they don't really appreciate laptop DVS setups. Hence they put us all up in room 2.

But recently they moved me and my partner downstairs (room 1) one night and we did a 4 deck mix and rocked the place, all the other DJ's commented and gave us grats for what we did as they "loved out use of technology in our set". (We had an old hacked arcade joystick controller sending MIDI messages controlling FX as part of our setup)

I hate how controllerists are constantly referred to as 'button pushers' but we are slowly pushing our way into clubs . . . .

HAHAHA...my girlfriend and I were having a row the other day...and in typical female fashion....tries to knock me on what i care for most.

Called me a BJ!.....a fuckin Button Jockey.

LOL....i had to laugh....it was a good one!

But made sure i had a good loud scratch session when we got home!

[LaOnda]

I don't understand some of the comments that have been written here. If the damn promoter is paying well, then just play with W/E he asks for, as long as he provides the gear.
It's not hard to learn to manually beatmatch. It's been stated numerous times on this forum, Learning to BeatMatch only makes you better!!.

Give the MidiFighters a break for a night if the promoter can't stand them and put your music on some CDs or tell the assh@le to either provide full serato set up for you or STFU and let you play with W/E you play.

If the promoter drops you, then throw your own parties. Find a bar/lounge that will let you charge a cover (and keep it obviously), do the promoting yourself, rent a sound system (eveyone knows someone who got a setup and will let you rent it for a decent price), bring your own setup, midifigter, CDJs, TTs, Serato, Traktor, VDJ....W/E you wish, who's gonna tell you other wise?!

I love my S4, before I use to have a RMX, but I borrowed a Friends CDJs and learned to mix with them and a cheap numark mixer. When I threw an event I had the RMX for me and borrowed CDJs with a cheap mixer for other DJs who wanted to play with CDs. Now I'll use my S4 for me and still have a CDJ Setup for other DJs. God Forbid something should ever happen to my S4 or MBP, I know I can use the CDJs if I need to (oh yeah always have some CDs with music on them, just in case)

If you can pull a crowd, the promoter should be accommodating you. Believe me he will do W/E for the money, just like me. Based on his comments, don't worry he isn't going far, he sounds like a moron and I personally wouldn't work with him.

Summary:

• Learn to BeatMatch, you'll be a better DJ and be respected by anyone
• If you can pull a crowd, the promoter won't care if you use an Xbox controller to mix
• If you don't like how promoters work, throw your own parties (it's alot of work, but soo much fun)
• Have a back up plan in case your MidiFighter/S4 or W/E you use should fail on you ( Having a couple of CDs with some music on them won't hurt anyone)

End Rant..Now i'm hungry

[steffanko]

I don't understand some of the comments that have been written here. If the damn promoter is paying well, then just play with W/E he asks for, as long as he provides the gear.
It's not hard to learn to manually beatmatch. It's been stated numerous times on this forum, Learning to BeatMatch does nothing but make you better!!.

Give the MidiFighters a break for a night if the promoter can't stand them and put your music on some CDs or tell the assh@le to either provide full serato set up for you or STFU and let you play with W/E you play.

If the promoter drops you, then throw your own parties. Find a bar/lounge that will let you charge a cover (and keep it obviously), do the promoting yourself, rent a sound system (eveyone knows someone who got a setup and will let you rent it for a decent price), bring your own setup, midifigter, CDJs, TTs, Serato, Traktor, VDJ....W/E you wish, who's gonna tell you other wise?!

I love my S4, before I use to have a RMX, but I borrowed a Friends CDJs and learned to mix with them and a cheap numark mixer. When I threw an event I had the RMX for me and borrowed CDJs with a cheap mixer for other DJs who wanted to play with CDs. Now I'll use my S4 for me and still have a CDJ Setup for other DJs. God Forbid something should ever happen to my S4 or MBP, I know I can use the CDJs if I need to (oh yeah always have some CDs with music on them, just in case)

If you can pull a crowd, the promoter should be accommodating you. Believe me he will do W/E for the money, just like me. Based on his comments, don't worry he isn't going far, he sounds like a moron and I personally wouldn't work with him.

Summary:

• Learn to BeatMatch, you'll be a better DJ and be respected by anyone
• If you can pull a crowd, the promoter won't care if you use an Xbox controller to mix
• If you don't like how promoters work, throw your own parties (it's alot of work, but soo much fun)
• Have a back up plan in case your MidiFighter/S4 or W/E you use should fail on you ( Having a couple of CDs with some music on them won't hurt anyone)

End Rant..Now i'm hungry

Hmm, you say I would get respect if mix with xbox controller?

[LaOnda]

Hmm, you say I would get respect if mix with xbox controller?

I'm saying if you can fill up a lounge with people, you can mix with W/E the hell you want.

Promoters who know how to through an event will accommodate your needs, whether you play with a Xbox controller, TTs, CDJs, W/E as long as you can pull a crowd.

If you want to mix with an Xbox Controller, I'm not going to say hey... You better learn how to mix with TTs or you can't play no more, as long as you can pull a crowd.
If you can pull a crowd, you can have your pet monkey mixing for you on your Xbox Controller while juggling three bananas on a Unicycle for all I care

If you use midi and can mix, I respect you. If you use midi, CDJs, TTS, Serato, Traktor or more, I respect you even more because your not limiting your knowledge and skills set to just one form mixing.

That's just me, why limit yourself and potential gigs.

[tekki]

For me it all has to do with preference. You did choose for your current setup. Why? Because it makes you feel more confident.
This makes you play the awesome way you want to, allows you to handle your track selection the way you like and lets you lay down the vibe you want the crowd to digest.

If a promoter wants to completely lay that aside, and have you struggle with different tools of the trade, than he's not having you for you and your sets.
At that point he's just having you for the money and control, because he wants you too.

Not saying that learning to beatmatch is bad, because it should be a fundamental skill in the DJ skill set, but suppressing DJs is.

If a DJ does his thing by snorting on noseflutes that are somehow translated into awesome MIDIs, so be it.

I still think it's a matter of respect, or better said a lack thereof, if a promotor books you and tells you not to use your preferred tools. This should be free of choice.

[steffanko]

I just don't get those people...They like to see a dj that works with TT's but they hate when you scratch (thats the situation here in my country where 80% of them want you to spin top 40 charts).
In that way, in serato/traktor setup with TT's they are just plain jog wheels...And since they have no clue what is what when it comes to dj tools, thats just unfair.

[sarasin]

Ignorance mate....is all it is!

Ignorance.

[Quenepas]

I would comply and get whatever CDJ or vinyl. He obviously doesnt know and wont understand the difference anyways. A turntable turned on to both sides of my S4 just to please that dinosaur. Months later I would confess with the biggest grin ever trying my best to make him look like a fool. Obviously I would have checked other places to spin.