I am an Entertainment manager for a company with a couple of clubs. My office hours are a little later in the afternoon. I go in at 2:00 because I hace to be there all night. That may be one thing to consider. When talking to a prespective dj I do perfer to have a demo cd. That usually leads to a live audition, and if that goes well an official interview.

+6 on the live audition. I didn't even give a demo CD to a club who requested it. I just told them. I do live auditions only.

slim - thanks for the insite. i used to be the marketing director at the highest volume venue on SB. www.clevelander.com. they grossed millions. with that said i too would come in 11 and only worked to 3. tues through fri. so i agree with the chance of not contacting people because of funny hours.

nature of the biz.

but DEMOS. i could not agree with demo thing at all. first, demos are edited. they show nothing. ex`ept how a dj felt for the hour they made it. u should know that you are a dj. so i am surprised you ask for demos. do you book out of town djs/??

auditions - again, mean nothing. the crowd could be dead that night. might be slow. if i am a working dj, im not gonna come in to play for free, u could come see me play. do you have the best djs in SA working with you????

it's all about credentials. if AM wanted to play your spot would you ask for a demo or an audition? he would laugh at you. there are djs in your town. i am sure you know all of them and they know you. i am sure you know who to book and who not to.


so slim, you want to book me for a weekend? ;) www.djchuckybrown.com

i spin at a lot of clubs. almost all of them are through knowing promoters here and there. a few i work directly for the venue. i've never made a demo cd in my life.

sixx - i agree, but i disagree. demos are out. besides, i have mixes on the web people can hear. auditions, hmmmmm again, dont think it means much. but definetly better than demos. that's for sure. if i'm wrong, prove it to me, i would like to learn.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS. a-swift, now we're talking. so did you call any promoters today to try and get booked, or are you booked solid???

i cant seem to meet the right people. club owners are terrible. lol

proffesor ink... but audition... I mean a live audition EVEN when the club is closed. That's what I did for the club I'm currently doing. I came and played for only the manager and owner. They liked what I did and hired me on the spot.

im actually looking to start working less. for a while now i'm booked wed, thur, fri and sat. doesn't sound like much but i also work a day job and i do triple shifts on fridays and doubles on saturdays. fridays are straight murder since i'm already on 2 nights with 4 hours sleep back to back.

so to answer your question, no, i'm not trying to book any more gigs right now. every gig i have is a weekly and they'll continue to go on as long as i do a good job and the promoters continue to pull.

he he, swift is like me, we have so many gigs we have to turn some down.

well since i am resident friday and saturday, every week i know i turn down gigs for friday and saturday and dub probably does too. even though the gigs i turn down probably pay more, i just like going to my spot where i know the gear is tight, the bartenders know me (and hook me up), my people have no troubles getting in and i know it's gonna be fairly crackin.

some people get bored with playing in the same spots too much though (like nik39 posted), but i haven't. i'm feelin everywhere i spin right now, especially since no two spots are the same style music.

damn, CALI must be nice. that sounds great!!!! both of you are on top of the game.

ok, dont want to give unasked for advice, but that is when you post to find an apprentice, and then start kicking them gigs but charge a cut. next thing you know you have a crew and have all the gigs on lock down.

but i'm sure you know that already.

Damn,I dont know how you guys do it.I just got a new gig offer for every Sat.I work Sun.-Thurs.nights.I have a resident on Fri. and now possibly Sat. and feel I need a break.I love music and money but I guess theres other things I like to do.Then again,If I had that many offers I'd probably jump on em too.

We have a crew and actually most of the crew is in the same boat. I have another homie who I kick down gigs too since most of my soul cal homies are usually booked or busy. But THATS IT. I dont trust anyone else, too many shady people around here. I let them cover for me and they might try to snake that shit.

Add another passenger to the boat you guys are in. :)

I always get call for Weddings and such since I used to do a lot of them and they obviously pay more but I rather do the club. Better atmosphere. No breaking my back. Less (mind) tiring. Free drinks. So many pluses. I do have a good paying job too so DJing is for fun... + extra money. If it's not fun, I won't do it anymore.

its hard to find cats that are reliable and that you can trust in your spot. i trust my crew and maybe a handful of other cats but my crew is booked solid, more than me even and the handful of other cats would pretty much be insulted if i tried to come at them like an apprentice. most of them more known than me.

as for the up and coming djs, most of the ones i've known in the last few years seem to get frustrated when they're 2 weeks of hustle doesn't blow them up like dj am overnight. especially true for the cats who have hot shit in the bedroom but quickly find out they can't pace a night properly in the club or hold a dance floor who people who aren't their best friends.

pace. yesssssssss.

so far all of you that are booked solid are from CA.

I can see how a lot of DJs are wary kicking down gigs and stuff. There are just a lot of shady people out there.

no doubt. and since we are djs, we know that most djs aren't read y to do a gig. and if we as djs recomend them then we look bad when they dont perform.

so yessss to farm out gigs could be tricky.

but getting gigs is seams to be getting real hard.

blame the $50 djs. i do.

yes, again, but not my market. i dont worry about them. i am going after the clubs in NY that are supposed to have real djs, really getting paid. they just dont take calls, and its hard to crack.

marquee
bungalow 6
crobar
home
avalon
and the likes.....

go peep their websites. these are some of the prime clubs in NY

no $50 djs being hired there.

Those are pretty happening spots. A demo ain't gonna do shit. you better have a hookup for those.

+1

i know of some of those spots. if you're not on a first name, handshake and a hug terms with the person directly responsible for posting djs up in the booth,,... good luck.

I been sendin out emails and myspace messages to venues/ promoters with the newest mix I just made. Well see how it goes. My hopes arent to high

Hey Swift... you doing Fury this Saturday? I wanted to check it out. I'll be done at Sutra by 11 or so. Is it close?

right down the street from the Airpot, real close

cquence. alright... so now you have to post the results. cant believe no one else tried to get a gig today?

I sent an email with the link to my demo to this one Venue, the co-owner wrote me back and told me that all the events are done through the promoters and to get in touch with them,, he gave me a few of the names, I wrote him back, said thanks and that if he liked my mix if he could put in a good word, he just responded and asked for my myspace page.

nah man. i only do the dinner set there until 9.30 then haul azz up to long beach to go at 10pm. it'll probably be Kris P. saturday for prime time. heard he had a ridiculous set there this last saturday.

i had some cats come chill sat in long beach though, it's the burlesque show man. people just love half naked girls getting all crazy, swinging from the ceiling upside down and shit. kay-g was up in there, he probably don't remember too much though. he was poppin bottles alright but dude was WALKING the club with his bottle of vodka and a glass. now that's pimpin.

hey blisk, you do sutra? i've been there a few times. what nights do you spin there?

getting a residency at a spot in the meat packing district is mostly who you know. i work in that area and frequent thos lounges and clubs. i've been to some of these locations where the dj sucks. he must know someone. if you guys want to dj at a premium spot you must get in with the promoter. the promoter usually brings his own dj to parties. good luck.

and that's how you get your hustle on. but i think dude pointed out an oc fact for sure, get at the promoters!

No doubt, im thinkin he asked for my page cuz he was feelin the mix and wanted to pass a good word along to the promoters

I did hit up all the promoters that the owner mentioned, no word back from them yet

nah.... just subbing in.

come by this saturday if you want. Its always cool to meet peeps.

half naked girls? sounds like fun. but its too far of a drive... I'll be tired from Sutra. I might just stay there and drink. Cquence has half naked wales beached on the wooden bar at his Club. hahahaha.

Damn Professor from your website you have done alot of high profile gigs. How did you get to DJ parties for A Rod, Zo's Summer Groove, and Ice Cube but you can't land a residency? Your resume sure shits on my experience in 8 years of spinning. You should already know how to land gigs.

i did a bunch of celebrity gigs a while back too, but had no club hustle at the time. did shaq's party, some laker girls party, some chick who hosts a show on vh1, bet awards party and on and on. but i had hardly any club hustle. now that i'm mostly in the clubs, i hardly get any high profile stuff. i guess it mostly has to do with where you focus your hustle.

i've seen similar change in other cats game too. i know dub used to do a helluva lot more high profile stuff but now i see him in the clubs more than profile gigs...

Yeah I used to open for anyone who's anyone in Hollywood. Hip-Hop shows were fun but I'd rather do a "Dance" club anyday.

poloi - thank you. and that's what i'm saying. i'm telling all of you..... i cant get through. gotta nothing to do with nothing, but nobody is interested in talking. i've offered dinner meetings. lunch. and so on. these peopel just claim they are all happy with what they got. it's insane.

this is the mystery i am trying to solve.

i am a proffessional dj, no day job. the year 2007 is insane. things are changed. who knows the answer.

as for CQ. hate to be cynical, but you stay on top of them. or you will find it's all up in smoke.....

let us know if it pans out.

Just got a myspace message from one of the promoters, told me he was feelin the mix and to come out to his event tomorrow night to talk business. CHEAAAAAAAAA

I guess with more high profile gigs like you've done Profess the people that organize the events are very professional. For some celebrity or TV station to pay you $500 or $100 is nothing to them. Their bar tabs probably cost way more than that. Club owners get smoke blown up their ass all the time. They probably get a bunch of wannabe PDiddys and Jay Z's claiming to be CEO's wanting to do shit in the club. You're going to get blown off if you call nicely like you're applying for a job at a bank. I suggest go to the clubs during afterwork happy hour if they have one. Then just talk to the bartenders. Once you get tight with the bartender you can ask them to put in the word for you.

congrats man...you can drop the CHECK in the mail now!

cq - that's great. i wanna hear the mix???

poloi - i had another thread talking about getting gigs, and a bunch of people suggested that tactic. never really got work that way before. cant imagine, am, sizz, riz, or other guys pounding pavement. phone would seem a lot less obtrusive, then i schedule a meeting??

but maybe i need to try it. face to face.

so anyone go to a club today to get a gig???

CQ - u better go. stay motivated.

i know playing a gig for free is taboo BUT it wouldn't hurt to go a promoter and ask if they have a slow night so you can do a set to show off your skills.

LV, i'll let u open for me for free. place holds 200 people you down???

actually i'm just kidding, i would never ask anyone to play for free, and i would never play for free, but i dont mind the advice. i like to hear what people think.

since you live in NY tell me where you play and i'll check you out???

Professor, go to my "Random Ass Mix" Thread, the updated version is near the bottom

Why be a whore when you can be a prostitute?

Professor, go to my "Random Ass Mix" Thread, the updated version is near the bottom

i agree. believe me, i don't think playing for free is the answer but there are some really good dj's in nyc. getting a residency in nyc is VERY hard. i have a full time job and djing is not my bread and butter. but if i was a fulltime dj and wanted to land a big time club i would play a free hour set for someone on a slow night. just my opinion.

I understand you, but the key is to find a way to get out there without looking so desperate or you'll get taken advantage of.

Another one of the promoters just hit me back, said that they are dedicated to the djs they got in rotation now, but they have a few other events in OC under a different promotional name and they might want to use me, This internet hustlin is finally payin off today

The problem with internet hustling is how impersonal it can be. Most people can respect you (or hate you more) when they know the real you.

I feel you sixxx, in the past it has gotten me nowhere, Today I have made 3 very good contacts, with a meeting set up for tomorrow night

A meeting... that's the way to go. Good luck!

Any suggestions? Its been a really long time since I have had a meeting

DO NOT AGREE to any amount of $ until you get a chance to think about it if you get offered a gig.

you kno whats stoping me from gettting gigs and getting gigs in clubs is damn school lol am only in the 11th grade i guese i have to pay more attention to school then getting gigs for now n what i hate most is that half of my cousins are all djs so they can get me gigs faster then ever but school is what stopping me

nice cquence good luck

But AM Sizzahands and Riz didn't become household names overnight. They all grinded their way to the top. AM always tells about the days when he'd spin at after hours clubs for $50 and a pack of cigarettes.

A premier club like the ones you're looking at probably has DJ's lined up for the week. Why would an owner care to set up a meeting over the phone when he already has DJ's lined up? That would just be a waist of his time. You gotta get through to him and convince him somehow that you're better than any of the other DJ they currently have. Calling is also impersonal because they can just easily blow you off like a telemarketer and hang up. Talking to them face to face would be the best way to get through. You just need to pound the pavement and grind your ass off because you're never too good for anything if you're doing nothing.

Can I get an AAAAAAAAAAAAMEN!?!!?

so did anyone book a gig today??

polio - after reading my resume u think i've been doing this overnight?? i think i might be older than all those dudes. not that age is the gift for getting gigs, but no overnight success dreams coming from me. paid dues beyond, beyond. and still paying. go to show you how meaningless experience is in the dj game. it aint getting me any gigs.

action - agreed

LV - so where you playing next??????????

just got the call on my way to work... I'm happier, my chic, not so much.

i talk to yesterday on the phone about my situation. Lou.

professor ink = chuckybrown....?

Same Chuckybrown from SF who use to do gigs at ROUGE???

What about booking out of state gigs? Calling is pretty much the only way no?

Action, do your research with the clubs that are out of state that you want to do a gig at and then either:

A) Fly out and visit and conduct business face to face

or

B) Mail in a "Press Package(Demo, Bio, Website info, biz card contact info, etc)" to them

*Also knowing some resident DJ's that spin at the spot you want in on may help due to "word of mouth" from them to the owners

Got connects all through Vegas, just really slow and procrastinating on using them to get into the spots I want to rock (Tao, Pure, Ghostbar, Rain, etc).......

Someone light a small fire under my ass so I will get motivated on make moves.....

*sighs

static - only worked at Rouge once, but, yes did live in SF for 2 years. have we met?

good info!!!

life is short!!! you could be dead tomorrow. stop procrastinating before a shortbus runs you over as you step out of your car =)

YEP! That one time was you and me, this was back in the day when Kevin Kokozka ran ROUGE... I remember meeting you outside that spot, DJ'n, and running into you at various other spots in SF.....

*Shortbus sound: BEEEEEP BEEEEEP!

in case you need a visual:

www.microwaves101.com

HAHAHA, no need for a visual, I saw the one you were sitting in yesterday

LOL WTF!? MICROWAVES101.COM??

Kagen spends a lot of time at that website.....opps my bad, he's the owner, creator, president, etc.

Kagens Disclaimer: "I'm not only microwaves.com's president, I'm also a client."

Just got a gig. Would love to welcome all the So Cal cats to come out on the 10th if you're available. Big grand opening.

onfinite.com

that's my homie jon moore puttin' it on.

dat's bullshit.... I wanted to click on it and be a funny...

what is it. my work blocked the site.

a flyer.

hey kagen did u go back and check the "norwest arline sucks" thread

I hate you and your chiuhauhau.

I just hate the chihuahua because where he gets to sit and play..

Bad news folks..... there might be another ankle biter joining the compound tomorrow.. The good news, perhaps this will slow the 'I wanna baby' for a while longer. Now to find an item to thwart the "ring" issue.

lol - that's funny

You know Jay-Mo? He's the homie! I designed the flyers too so I'm a shoe-in. :) For real though. I'm glad he's got his own thing going. He puts in work.

Bad news cuz there's gonna be a baby kagen????? Actually now that I re-read your comment.....

ANOTHER ONE OF SATAN'S DEVIL-DOG REJECTS!!!!!

For a minute there, I thought maybe Kagen was having a BABY, then I thought to myself.......

"Hmmmm a baby KAGEN......BAAAAD 4 the world, a clone of his chick, aww better!"

Kagen what did u say/mean about "twinsies" in the "Northwest Airlines Sucks" thread??

i rocked some spots with him. he does a lot of hot joints. did you ever go to argyle or here lounge. them shits were like home away from home for all the lakers and b list celebs. pretty hard to get on at one of his spots though. every dj in so cal wants to get on so i don't even bother with it. good to see you locked it down though.

No doubt. Thanks. I've been putting in dues at Shag and LAX since last year. Jon's a good guy and a good promoter.

I've been unsing Serato for a long time, just joined the forum, but I had to weight in on this one ...

Until recently, I had nights at every spot in Old Town, and I got em all just by hanging out where I wanted to play. Start making friends with everyone, and mention you dj often.