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Tópico: WHY WHY WHY!

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Question! Why do i write a thousand emails weekly for DJ jobs but never get just 1 BLOODY response? I call i write and i never get just 1 phone oe email with "Thanks but no thanks" i get NOTHING! NADA ZILCH! I'm so sick of it!

Every time i go into a club 95% of the time its a searto setup im fine with this because it's very easy to get VDJ to run with the SL1 and records NOW i talk to club owners trying to explain to them what there missing!!!! on all there screens! I talk music videos i talk 3d effects i talk ADVERTISING i talk Visual ENTERTAINMENT to the "T" I talk doing what there resident does but with F"N VIDEO!!!!!!!!!!! and there always Excited and sound so interested!!!

I'm thinking in my head since i started with VDJ with confidence from day 1 is that i can knock the competition down a HIGH percentage by offering video and doing video/music videos since there is so much to offer with this 1 feature still to this DAY i get no phone calls no email responses and MOST IMPORTANTLY no F'n respect! All i ask is if your NOT interested just take 2 min out of your day and show me some respect! i don't care if you even LIE! just tell me "NO THANKS" Is that so HARD!?! what is it with people today not BITING! on my bait!?!!? nore giving me just 1 F'n chance!!!!!!!!! to show them searto doesn't compare!! what is it going to take people!
 
Mensajes Wed 15 Oct 08 @ 3:04 pm
You might be trying to hard?

Why not get someone else to recommend you? (agent/friend)

And if you get contacted, you could say "I'm busy with a gig this weekend, but I'm free the next one"..

If you are trying to hard, you could blow the interest away. Look at it this way: you're a club manager that needs a new DJ. Would you hire the guy that says "PICK ME PICK ME PICK ME!!!!" or the guy that you have to wait one weekend for, because he's attractive and busy working?
 


The way to get gigs are usually not writing a letter to the club manager... the manager seldom cares about the dj side, but only money side and bar... and usually have the music side of the club, run by his trusted DJ(s) or Booking Agency.

So to get gigs, hang out with the djs, get to know them, and ask for a shot... at starters a day of week (not prime weekend), and get into the circle of djs in town...

Another way is to go to a booking/artist agency and sign up. This will usually lead to mobile dj gigs, such as weddings, fun pub, company events and so on.. but some clubs use them also


;)
 
I guess you are talking the wrong talk
No club owner or manager will take advice from a dj unless he used to be one.

Around here clubs do not want too much video, you can watch videos home, in a club people should interact, a dj should build energy and rotate crowds, not showing his video artistry, unless is a promo event video in clubs is not building revenue.
Video works well in lounges and non dancing venues, Human brain is not very good at multitasking so if you are focusing 60% of your sensorial input for video everything else fades out

make your own video , show them how you excite people and tell them that your act comes with couple of hot dancers and you are in, at list your own mc or your significant flowing crowd, tell them you are serious about it and you will be there, tell them you are drug free and you are not drinking before your program is done, tell them that you have a back up that knows your routine in case that unfortunate should happen and you can't show up, then the most important

Dress well, inspire seriousness, cover your wild tattoos and piercing, get a decent haircut, smell fresh but discreet, have an exemplar attitude, watch your language, do not gesticulate like crazy and don't send emails, go there or find a good agent or promoter.
It's all about image and you applying for an image job, do your research and find out what 's the image the club wants and don't be too flashy unless is required.
 
Any1 have luck in the Boston ma area? The ONLY issue is i cant interact as much as most tell me too because i got 2 little ones at home i can't just stroll the street every weekend hoping to get a spot out there. Plus living in a rural area where it take 45min to get to ANYTHING makes it difficult as well Ive been banking mostly on emails and phone calls but i guess its true what they say" You gotta know somebody that knows somebody" :( I'm a veteran in the business and never had these many issue in the early 90's where i used to reside. Trying to make a name out here with no friends or connects is SO HARD the biggest problem i have is i know i put 1,0000 times the effort into my shows then most of these fakes in the area. It's unbelievable ALL I REALLY want when the smoke clears is a "NO THANK YOU" but they just IGNORE........ and that's the good business and i really don't understand how pricks like this don't get shot in a drive by.
 

I feel you, its hard when you're at a new place.. And DJ jobs are often unfortunately something one gets through connections.

If I where you, I'd focus on DJ/booking/artist agencies, and get them mobile/small club/pup gigs for starters, get yourself back in the game, and make contacts..

And what about sending your letters/demo cds to the DJs in town, rather than the club managers. Ask the management or staff at the clubs who the resident dj is, and contact him.

Just as your fellow forum users here, local djs understand you better, and more likely to give you a shot and a response, than these busy managers focusing on money and other sides of the club.. .

thats at least what I would do ;) But there isnt any ABC guide on "How to get gigs" .. just keep on trying ;) and if it doesnt work, try new ways, and other channels ;)
 
If you want to get out there, make demo music cds and let people know who you are. If they feel that you are good enough, im sure that they would want to hear you mix live at the club. Make many demo cds and give them out to club owners and promoters. Club owners and promoters are very picky about getting just anyone to dj. Most of the clubs here in NYC dont play music videos.

 
JohnVV wrote :
Any1 have luck in the Boston ma area?


I've done a bit of DJ'ing in Boston, but that was a long time ago now - around 2001 IIRC...
 
For me it was being in the right place at the right time. I wasn't pushy, just hung out with him for a few weeks when he did spin, being supportive and didn't type out nothing and no music background I even got quizzed, to see how serious I was. What was the BPM to La Bouche - Be My Lover. I was like umm..,,. 100 lol. He just looked at me and laughed. But loved what I heard. So the next week, the DJ one night wanted to go party and he said spin for me while I go get wasted this was back when we were still using vinly back in the way early 90's, so the rest is just history, but being in the right place at the right time will happen, IMO of course, others will see different. I had my first beat mix that night, and did not even know it because I had the crossfaders up and he thought I was trying to scratch lol. Ahh.. memories so many good ones of the days before getting something official. I had 2 great mentors that really believed in me and showed me alot of great stuff. Miss those guys :(
 
It's funny this subject came up today. I read this tonight and thaught about some things. I decided to give a guy that I met once about 4+ months ago a call. Well, we shot the shit for a bit and we ended up deciding to join efforts in marketing and events. Not as a crew or co-owners just partners that want to make money in this rough industry.

Then I decided to go see a DJ friend down the street play tonight. Found out that he was going through some shit and I empathized with him. What came about was he's gonna throw some club shows my way then if that works out maybe place me in as a resident. First show is this weakend at this downtown trendy location of 800 people.
 
The dj section in the Boston phone book is thicker than the lawyer section I think.

Its a tough business to break into here.
I found working for a bigger company better, in fact I'm making twice the money I did when I worked alone.
 
Can somebody from the Boston/Massachusetts are post up some company's looking to hire where i can at least keep busy and get the bills paid while i network in between? I don't care if i have to travel to NY CT NH RI Whatever it takes! If there are any club owners or people with connections on the board get at me.

Thanks guyz
 
JohnVV wrote :
Can somebody from the Boston/Massachusetts are post up some company's looking to hire where i can at least keep busy and get the bills paid while i network in between? I don't care if i have to travel to NY CT NH RI Whatever it takes! If there are any club owners or people with connections on the board get at me.

Thanks guyz


U shoud consider also adding ur info or purchasing VDJ. its an awsome program with a family oriented community.
Good Luck out there in the Dj world
 
DJ jobs are no different to any other job, they are only interested when they "NEED" one.
99% of the time, clubs have DJ's (often too many) and also have people/agencies linned up in case they need one quick.

You or me approaching them through E-mail successfuly is a long shot (although not impossible).

Saying you are better than their current DJ usually makes them defensive and they'll turn against you, sometimes if they see the funny side they might just put you on the spot and say "have a go then" - been in both situations.

When you promote yourself, offer a FREE one hour demo of your show, if they aren't interested hand them a very short DVD demo (they'll watch it because the concept of a DVD demo is interesting).

Build a website, have a myspace/facebook etc, create profiles with lots of downloadable media and photos, portray yourself as the finished article, someone who's been in the game for years.

I was never a novice when approaching a club, I went in there as an "experienced DJ" (and that was my first gig).

My first gig was to 2000 people, I shit you not :).
 
Thanks for the good info, I'm trying....to do the whole list. My problem is trying to understand these a holes that sound so interested at 1 point and then just disappear of the face of the earth! witch might be related to the comment above with "TRYING TOO HARD" witch i know i do BUT i leave a voice mail i leave an email and i post on the clubs my space with NOTHING short of disrespect i went 90 miles to meet with this person in there club everything went GREAT! and then as i waited for the verdict he totally blow me off completely!!! when he sounded so into what i was offering. All i ask him to do (in a professional manner) was let me know A yes or B no but this guy has the marbles to completely just IGNORE me!!!! WHY THE F do they do this!? Are they really that much of a bastard that your just going to read my emails hear my voicmail that's very sincer by the way and respectful saying PLZ LET ME KNOW EITHER WAY! and they just IGNORE! GRRRR
 
Like i said, make demo cds and give them out to people with your phone number. make many... this is what i know... If you are good, then they would want to test you out. If you are not good, they wont call you at all. Club owners and promoters dont like to deal with djs that they dont know anything about. There are many djs that say they are good when they are not... You have to let people hear you and they will be the judge.. The demo cds are letting people hear you..
 
Thanks im going to do just that.....
 
talk is cheap :) . I got my gig at the club i am at cause i go there all the time. I was friends with the bar tented owner owners wife and bar backs. The barback moved to become bartender and wanted to make sure people stayed in the basement. He was giving me ideas of what he wanted I said ' you should just let me dj' he said ok be here at 9:30 next week. I walked in the door and the owner said ' Whats with the computer' I said I am Djing for marty. "um ok" he said. I pack the basement for the next month. BTW the basement was just a spill over the main bands were playing upstairs. The basement made more bar money so I became the DJ. what is funny is the basement is still not mentioned on the marquee as exsisting. people just wonder down there and get stuck :)
 


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