Keeping a day job and weekday residencies/gigs
How do you juggle a 40hr/wk job and play out during the week? I usually don’t get home from gigs until 2 or 3 in the morning and usually have to be up by 6 or 7 to get to work on time. I know alot of you out there have done this or are currently doing this, so i’m wondering what people do to keep themselves sane
Hey Wil, I had to shift my work schedule to survive. I work from 11:30 to 8pm M-F and I usually go out or dj Tues/Thrus/Fri/Sat/Sun. I usually dont get home until 3 sometimes 4 am and dont goto bed until 5 am.
TBH is a bitch to dj & work full time. Just to give you an example of this crazy week for me…BTW my week starts on sun.
Sun: DJ @ Little Cave
Mon: Work/Rest
Tues: DJ @ House Of Blues (Sunset)
Wed: Work/Made mixed cd
Thr: Work & saw Depeche Mode in Hollywood, then went out for drinks
Fri: Work & DJ non stop from 9:30 to 2am
Sat: Rest & Dj from 10 to 2am (bad ass bar fight broke out with sh!t flying everywhere)
Sun: Church (dont ask)/Bowling w/Work & Resting as i type and getting ready Djing again tonight!
Its hard to do both, be we do it for the love of music!
5 nights a week is pretty slick. I maybe going back to the day job for a little bit but my biggest deterrent is the mandatory OT where i would pull in 60-75 hr weeks. TBH, i’d rather be broke and DJing/Producing for a living than go back to having absolutely no life. We’ll see how it all pans out after the tour.
I have a 9-5 and occasionally travel for work but DJ’ing on the side has become pretty lucrative. I started doing it only on Saturday’s but I’ve been getting asked to play at more and more spots. I’ve given into working Friday nights now so it’s work 6 days out of the week for me. It’s cool cause I used to go out Friday and Saturday and now my girl comes out and we both drink free and still walk out with some cash at the end of the night. It’s like I get paid to party! I rest on Sundays!
I’m only worried I don’t charge enough cause I do this more as a hobby. At least that’s what I say. I have a pretty good job M-F so I don’t need the money.
What would you expect a bar to pay if you filled their joint up. I would say the 2 spot I play for have a max. occ. of 80 people and people line up to get inside. Any guidelines? I do my own flyers and promotions.
Holla!
ErikC
Well if there’s a line outside you’re roving your value. Depending on on long you’ve been playing I might even ask for a raise by now seeing how you put a lot of effort into it outside of DJing.
And don’t be afraid to ask for more every 6 months or so if things are only getting better, work it into you’re contract as a clause like a bi-yearly evaluation and new negotiation.
Cheers mate and keep on working it!
What an awesome thread. I love this place. I’ve often wondered about this myself. Its interesting to read through the replies.
I have nothing to contribute…just a schmuck peeking in from the side lines 
I DJ Fridays & Saturdays mostly so its all G mostly.
My Tuesday night residency (yes tuesday night…) starts earlier and finishes around 2 mostly so its ok, my boss is cool with it so doesnt mind me coming in a bit late sometimes.
If you plan to keep the dayjob dont resort to drugs to keep you awake 
fo’sure!
I do this very rarely. My city sucks for weekday parties. But none the less. Coffee, it is my friend. Also, cat naps.
I usually don’t go out during the week, or if I do I’m home by 1 so I can get some sleep before work. Fridays and Saturdays, well, last week I got home at 7AM on Sunday. Screwed me up the whole week.
As far as the pay discussion, if you’re filling out the place and it’s cause of you, ask for a cut of the bar (like 10%) to augment your pay. Or a larger percent of the door (40%) if there is a door charge. I mean, if it’s moving 80 people then the bar is probably making over $1000. So it could be a good little extra money.
I actually have the luxus to work from monday to friday and I usally play twice a month either on friday night or on saturday night… so no problem for the “sleeping thing”… what is consuming my time a lot is searching for new tracks and records… this means that when I finish my “normal” job I go home in front of my laptop or to shops instead of taking care of my girlfriend… which is, you know, the real problem 
f*ck, I wish I had these problems … seeing Depeche Mode, playing 4/5 gigs a week… let me guess: either you do not have a girlfriend or you hide the kitchen knives very well…
I frakkin’ (BG anyone?) love this discussion!!!
So say we all
Oh man. U just geeked all over this thread. Going off topic… that Caprica movie sucked. Tried to watch it last night and wanted to send myself out an airlock.
I am kind of refusing to watch it. My girlfriend might watch it cause she’s crazy like that, but I am actually debating on not buying the 4th season on DVD and just assuming it ends at the end of the third season
Sunday: Day of ‘rest’/DJ Night from 9-2am
Monday: Work from 10am-7pm / music work @ home
Tuesday: Work from 10am-7pm / music work @ home
Wed: Work from 10am-7pm / DJ Night from 9-2am
Thursday: Work from 10am-7pm / DJ Night from 9-2am
Friday: Work from 10am-7pm / DJ Night from 9-2am
Saturday: Sleep in till noon-ish. work on music until… / DJ Night from 9am-2am.
I honestly don’t know how I continue to juggle the two. I am a little insane most of the time. Bento can vouch for that. hahah
just saw the end of fourth season yesterday. Definitely worth…but don’t wanna go off topic…
B33s0n Is Teh K!llz