Seeking Guidance...
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  1. #1
    Tech Wizard
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    California, US
    Posts
    67

    Default Seeking Guidance...

    Hello DJTT. I have been producing dubstep tunes and DJing in my bedroom for a while now..

    I really want to DJ somewhere else, whether it is a bar, club, festival, or anything...

    I have tried to talk toa few club promoters to try to get a wedge in on the club scene, but it seems like they are all doing their own thing and are too wound up with themselves to help me out.

    I see my friends on Facebook getting gigs, but this is because they run a large promotion group with a bunch of college students who attend their gigs. Ive tried to talk with them, but its the same thing, i only know the DJs who are trying to get themselves more gigs.

    So what can i do for myself?

    What can I do to get myself a gig?

    Im sure there are tons of threads like this here, but Im looking for some more personal guidance so I can help myself find what I want.

    Thank you for your support, DJTT.

  2. #2
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Manchester, UK
    Posts
    136

    Default

    Hi FinancialGrime,

    I'm in the exact same boat as you. I used to gig a lot whilst at Uni, playing at places in Manchester and landed an Ibiza residency in 2010 at Es Paradis and Boat Paries. However, on my return I gave up to concentrate on 3rd year of uni. Now I'm producing and see all my friends getting gigs (no idea how), and not sure what next move I should take.

    Any tips would be a great help for me also...
    Macbook Pro 2.4GHz / Traktor 2.6.1 / Numark 4Trak / M-Audio BX8 D2 / M-Audio Axiom 25 Midi Keyboard / Ableton 8

    Twitter @JordanBMZ
    https://soundcloud.com/bmz/

  3. #3
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Manchester U.K.
    Posts
    343

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by joemanton View Post
    Hi FinancialGrime,

    I'm in the exact same boat as you. I used to gig a lot whilst at Uni, playing at places in Manchester and landed an Ibiza residency in 2010 at Es Paradis and Boat Paries. However, on my return I gave up to concentrate on 3rd year of uni. Now I'm producing and see all my friends getting gigs (no idea how), and not sure what next move I should take.

    Any tips would be a great help for me also...

    JoeManton... are you still based in manchester and if so what stuff do you play? Im doing a charity night on deansgate locks in a few months wich is a dj showcase... get in touch if your interested, as u can tell by my post count its rare i post on this but add me on facebook or soundcloud and ill fill you in... https://soundcloud.com/#dj-k7-2 Facbook: DJ K7 UK

    Financial Grime, this is the hard bit about Djin... the thing that worked for me is getting to know the promoters more then just being the guy who wants a gig. have the seen you at their nights having a good time. This really worked for me i went to countless night (sometimes by myself) and had a blast spoke to the promoters and made friends with them. I let them know im avaiable if they ever need, and lo and behold a few weeks later i get a phone call to cover for there dj, since then ive done coutnless gigs for them.

    Also lots of new nights always look for djs to bring a crowd in, (10-20 o there friends) a lot of nights facebook group will say send a mix tape in for a chance to play, send a mix to each night!

    i hope this helps guys

    Good luck

  4. #4
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Manchester, UK
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    136

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by city_boy07 View Post
    JoeManton... are you still based in manchester and if so what stuff do you play? Im doing a charity night on deansgate locks in a few months wich is a dj showcase... get in touch if your interested, as u can tell by my post count its rare i post on this but add me on facebook or soundcloud and ill fill you in... https://soundcloud.com/#dj-k7-2 Facbook: DJ K7 UK

    Financial Grime, this is the hard bit about Djin... the thing that worked for me is getting to know the promoters more then just being the guy who wants a gig. have the seen you at their nights having a good time. This really worked for me i went to countless night (sometimes by myself) and had a blast spoke to the promoters and made friends with them. I let them know im avaiable if they ever need, and lo and behold a few weeks later i get a phone call to cover for there dj, since then ive done coutnless gigs for them.

    Also lots of new nights always look for djs to bring a crowd in, (10-20 o there friends) a lot of nights facebook group will say send a mix tape in for a chance to play, send a mix to each night!

    i hope this helps guys

    Good luck

    Cheers, I've inboxed you some details across on Facebook.
    Macbook Pro 2.4GHz / Traktor 2.6.1 / Numark 4Trak / M-Audio BX8 D2 / M-Audio Axiom 25 Midi Keyboard / Ableton 8

    Twitter @JordanBMZ
    https://soundcloud.com/bmz/

  5. #5
    Tech Mentor lingk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Detroit
    Posts
    136

    Default

    It's like everything else in life. It's who you know. With the DJ / club / rave scene, people have to see you out and about before they will book you. I probably spent close to 6 months going out to shows and passing out demos/flyers with my info on them. I have gone to 2 or 3 shows in one night to talk to promoters and DJ's before I started to get any interest / bookings. Still after that you still have to go out and talk to people. If you're good and you keep the room filled when you play, people will notice and start to contact you, rather then you bugging them.

    Post of 1 or 2 very SOLID mixes on soundcloud / mixcloud and promote them like they are the 2nd coming. Posting a lot may seem like a good idea, but only if trying trying to show you can play different genre's and each mix reflects that. Having a big internet fallowing is good, but some promoters would rather book someone with 100 fb likes that are all local, then someone with 1k fb likes and 99% are out of city / state / country. They know that out of that 100 local people that you could probably get 10-20 of those people to show at a show you're playing. It's all about the numbers.

    Don't expect your first few gigs to be big ones, or with good time slots where people will be there. Around here, most times the bulk of people don't show up until midnight and shows start at like 9 or 10. SO you'll be playing to a hand full of people, which can make it hard to want to rock out, but you just have to do your best.

    When you do get booked, play toward what the crowed wants to hear rather then what you like. If it's s dubstep show and you play tech-house, try to meet in the middle and do a tech-elecro set, just make sure it's bass heavy and fast. Now this isn't 100% the rule. My friend get's booked for dub shows all the time, and he is a tech-house /minimal guy. He just tries to find stuff that is bass heavy and gets people moving, but still playing tech-house / minimal.

    Those are my thoughts, take them for what you want. I live in a city where everyone is a dj, more so then other city's. So acts are easy to find, and a lot will do it for free just to get booked.

  6. #6
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Minneapolis MN
    Posts
    172

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by lingk View Post
    It's like everything else in life. It's who you know. With the DJ / club / rave scene, people have to see you out and about before they will book you. I probably spent close to 6 months going out to shows and passing out demos/flyers with my info on them. I have gone to 2 or 3 shows in one night to talk to promoters and DJ's before I started to get any interest / bookings. Still after that you still have to go out and talk to people. If you're good and you keep the room filled when you play, people will notice and start to contact you, rather then you bugging them.

    Post of 1 or 2 very SOLID mixes on soundcloud / mixcloud and promote them like they are the 2nd coming. Posting a lot may seem like a good idea, but only if trying trying to show you can play different genre's and each mix reflects that. Having a big internet fallowing is good, but some promoters would rather book someone with 100 fb likes that are all local, then someone with 1k fb likes and 99% are out of city / state / country. They know that out of that 100 local people that you could probably get 10-20 of those people to show at a show you're playing. It's all about the numbers.

    Don't expect your first few gigs to be big ones, or with good time slots where people will be there. Around here, most times the bulk of people don't show up until midnight and shows start at like 9 or 10. SO you'll be playing to a hand full of people, which can make it hard to want to rock out, but you just have to do your best.

    When you do get booked, play toward what the crowed wants to hear rather then what you like. If it's s dubstep show and you play tech-house, try to meet in the middle and do a tech-elecro set, just make sure it's bass heavy and fast. Now this isn't 100% the rule. My friend get's booked for dub shows all the time, and he is a tech-house /minimal guy. He just tries to find stuff that is bass heavy and gets people moving, but still playing tech-house / minimal.

    Those are my thoughts, take them for what you want. I live in a city where everyone is a dj, more so then other city's. So acts are easy to find, and a lot will do it for free just to get booked.

    Great advice, Im in the same boat too. Persistance is the name if the game

    You may not know this but what do promoters look for in mixes? All my mixes are usually centered around 1 or 2 genres and im afraid that if they'll get the wrong impression. I asked a promoter and he said "skill" but then I heard him DJ and he sucked.

  7. #7
    Tech Guru IznremiX's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Regina, Canada
    Posts
    652

    Default

    You have to take a look at the whole situation from the promoter's perspective as well. I throw my fair share of nights and the amount of people who approach me unprofessionally and with bad mixes is insane. If somebody approaches me professionally but they aren't very good at djing, I try to help them with technique (even inviting them over to come jam) and eventually may hook them down with opening sets if they are good enough. honestly the best advice i can give you is, be professional and never have an ego. go out, support their nights and make friends with them. I guarantee they'll get you opening sets if you can do this.

    Another thing I get a lot; djs tell me what I can do for them but they don't tell me what they can do for me. These are the questions the promoter is going to be thinking about you, you need to be able to some how convey answers to all three of these at some point:

    a) are you more skilled that other djs in the area?

    b) do you have a big following/lots of friends?

    c) why should I spend money on booking you, when I have lots of talented djs that already play at my shows?

    hope that helps! It can be a little tedious getting your first gigs, but once you get the ball rolling it gets much easier
    Maschine Routine with live musicians
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