How Do We Compete?

[PEDJ 0]

It's OK to feel a bit bitter. :sad:

[Corabar Steve 0]

We are both after the same customers.

Here's your answer - No we're not

 

A) People will always want Bargains

B) People will always want Quality

 

We will be precieved by (A) as too expensive

Sid will be percieved by (B) as cheap tat (regardless of how good a show he puts on, or what his equipment is)

[McCardle 1]

sid is still in business and seemingly busy, which means whether you like it or not, there is a flourising market for him, if there wasn't any demand for this type of deejay then he would very quickly cease to exist. people will cut corners in order to save money on all sorts of things whether it is plumbing, building work or having the brakes adjusted on your van everybody will tell of somebody who knows somebody who will do it for you cheaper, usually as a 'foreigner' and so entertainment is no exception. its supply and demand and purely business and not personal :ads:

[Kingy 0]

sid is still in business and seemingly busy, which means whether you like it or not, there is a flourising market for him, if there wasn't any demand for this type of deejay then he would very quickly cease to exist. people will cut corners in order to save money on all sorts of things whether it is plumbing, building work or having the brakes adjusted on your van everybody will tell of somebody who knows somebody who will do it for you cheaper, usually as a 'foreigner' and so entertainment is no exception. its supply and demand and purely business and not personal :ads:

 

True! Sad, but true! You only have to look on here to see DJ's themselves looking for bargains in terms of equipment prices. It's human nature to want to bag a bargain. Nothing wrong in that, shame the same applies to services!

[short skirt high heels 0]

I overheard the following today:

 

"Amateurs have competitors, Professionals have colleagues."

[jamminroadshow 0]

Ian thanks for the comment lol :dan+ju:

 

The issue is that we can all sit here and say that we know we are better and that we would show them up but how do you do that if Sid is nicking all your work. I have been told that i am one of the best Discos that they have been to but that does not mean that i can get this over to the customer.

 

If i was booking a DJ and one said £60 and the other £200 i would think mmmm why is the £200 so expensive and when i though about it more i would just see the £140 saved. If you are booking a hotel like hilton and one hotel was massively more money you would go for the cheaper (the customers never see that the cheap one is some grottie hotel just that its cheaper) and we can not exactly ring them up and say i told you so after there party has gone wrong

[shakermaker 0]

Classic example of this over the weekend actually. One of the pubs that I do stuff for is changing hands this week. The brewery are putting in a new manager from out of town. There have been a lot of chinese whispers going around about the new guy and what his plans are, what he will change, what he won't change etc etc

 

I was out last night down there for a beer and overheard people speaking at the bar about this. Now, whether they said it as they knew I was there or not, I don't know. The pub is my local and I have been going there for 20 years. It has ALWAYS been a student orientated pub and the regulars are all Indie Kids, Punks, Rockers etc etc..I know almost all of them and I have DJ'd down there (cheap too - £135 for 8pm - 12am) for near on 3 years now. I do their christmas and new year entertainment at a reduced rate because I get work every fortnight off them and I also do one off's etc for them, again at the cheap rate...(Any other bookings I get for the same day are done by DJ's that do stuff for me using my gear). I also pass people their way for bookings for their function room and in turn, I do the bookings aswell so it all works well.

 

I overheard someone last night say that the new owner will have his own DJ come in and apparently does it for free (probably for beer I guess?)...That's fair enough I thought but then someone else said that what was the point of having a DJ who doesn't know the people in the pub and what they like (remember, it's an alternative place) and is free when there is one here already that packs the place out and plays what everyone likes (ie..ME). Like I said, it's chinese whispers and I'll wait and see the guy on wednesday when he takes over and see what he says. What I am saying is, in some instances Sixty Quid Sid or Freebie Freddie don't always get the gigs because of their prices. Unless the new landlord hasn't got a scooby doo, it's either have a free DJ with an empty pub (there's been talk of boycotts and petitions..nothing to do with me although very flattering) or pay the price (and it's still cheap in my eyes) and continue how it is.

 

Ok, a pub maybe different to a function etc..if it aint broken, why fix it? It's regular etc but a function is one that someone has booked because they want a good night and they also want (in some cases) the cheapest bloke available.

[digitaldistortion 0]

Classic example of this over the weekend actually. One of the pubs that I do stuff for is changing hands this week. The brewery are putting in a new manager from out of town. There have been a lot of chinese whispers going around about the new guy and what his plans are, what he will change, what he won't change etc etc

 

I was out last night down there for a beer and overheard people speaking at the bar about this. Now, whether they said it as they knew I was there or not, I don't know. The pub is my local and I have been going there for 20 years. It has ALWAYS been a student orientated pub and the regulars are all Indie Kids, Punks, Rockers etc etc..I know almost all of them and I have DJ'd down there (cheap too - £135 for 8pm - 12am) for near on 3 years now. I do their christmas and new year entertainment at a reduced rate because I get work every fortnight off them and I also do one off's etc for them, again at the cheap rate...(Any other bookings I get for the same day are done by DJ's that do stuff for me using my gear). I also pass people their way for bookings for their function room and in turn, I do the bookings aswell so it all works well.

 

I overheard someone last night say that the new owner will have his own DJ come in and apparently does it for free (probably for beer I guess?)...That's fair enough I thought but then someone else said that what was the point of having a DJ who doesn't know the people in the pub and what they like (remember, it's an alternative place) and is free when there is one here already that packs the place out and plays what everyone likes (ie..ME). Like I said, it's chinese whispers and I'll wait and see the guy on wednesday when he takes over and see what he says. What I am saying is, in some instances Sixty Quid Sid or Freebie Freddie don't always get the gigs because of their prices. Unless the new landlord hasn't got a scooby doo, it's either have a free DJ with an empty pub (there's been talk of boycotts and petitions..nothing to do with me although very flattering) or pay the price (and it's still cheap in my eyes) and continue how it is.

 

Ok, a pub maybe different to a function etc..if it aint broken, why fix it? It's regular etc but a function is one that someone has booked because they want a good night and they also want (in some cases) the cheapest bloke available.

 

As you say, you don't know until you've spoken to the new guy. BUT, he may decide that £0 against £135 is a good saving. It may well be (again you can't know) that his brief is to get rid of the current clientele, and to upgrade. So a boycott won't phase him too much.

 

Your best bet is to make sure (I guess you know this already) that he is aware that even if the bar is only open to e.g. OAPs or landed gentry, then you are more than willing and capable of satisfying their needs! Hell, you're a DJU'er.....you can do anything!!!!!! Except work for free, of course!

 

Good luck!

 

[shakermaker 0]

Know what you mean mate but, in the 20 years that I have been going in there, the clientel has never changed..yes, new generations have come and gone but it has always been THE place to go if you like something a bit different from the norm. Like I said, I find it flattering that people feel that strongly that IF something should go wrong they will boycott the place or do a petition but to be honest, it's not the be all and end all and I have said to everyone that they need to give the new guy a chance and not write him off before he even sets foot in the place!

 

Lastly, if it were to go wrong and he was adamant that he wanted to change things and the people DID decide to go elsewhere, then I can honestly say 110% that the place would be absolutely empty without a doubt. I am sure he will work this out soon enough.

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

Sorry, I went on a bit...Off out now for a well deserved sherbert or two!

 

funny cos I heard the punters saying "that DJ goes on a bit!" tongue out icon

 

like shaker says just becuase there are more than one DJ in town does not mean the cheepest DJ gets the gig..

 

Sell your product at what its worth and if the customer dont want to pay that price they can go else where..

 

also knowing what your good at helps... give me 1000 average people all 18 to 40 ish and ill make the party go with a bang...

 

ask me to play rock indee all night to a pub full of goth/indee/metel heads and i would be lost after the first hour....

 

If all people wanted from a car is to get from A to B then there would be only one type in one colour, line up a VW polo , a Seat and a skoda and ask people why they want to pay more the the VW when the other too are the same car under the skin .......

 

 

[Kingy 0]

Someone once said to me "No DJ is ever bigger than the venue", which I understood and thought to be true.

 

Then I left a residency when the management changed and the new manager wanted non stop dance & trance.

 

Within 3 months the pub was down from 13 bar staff on a Sunday to 3.

 

It felt strange in reality!

[shakermaker 0]

It's true, no DJ is bigger than the venue and for the record, I hope I wasn't coming across like that. To be totally honest with you, you could have Pete Tong in the place I am talking about and it wouldn't interest anyone in there as it's just not that type of place....Maybe a few people seeing the name Pete Tong on a poster would drop their drinks in Yates's or The Litten Tree etc and make the journey down to the 'wierdo's pub' as some call it but it wouldn't make much difference.

 

I think it's up to the management to make mistakes if it's their choice to change things. I love the place, the people, the vibe and the atmosphere so it would be a shame if it did change and yes, from a selfish point of view, in a way I hope they try something else just to prove mine and everyone elses point.

[Corabar Steve 0]

Of course the company could want to get rid of the freaks so that decent folks can go to their precious pub, or be looking for the "it's not making money any more we might as well shut it" excuse.

 

Seen it happen too many times to too many decent pubs

 

RIP The Blue Posts, The Chelsea Potter, The Intrepid Fox, The Ship, The Clarendon, The Greyhound, The Falcon & any that I've forgotten

[shakermaker 0]

Hold on there mate!!!

 

"Freaks"??

 

No way...The pub makes lots of money and at the weekends it is rammed solid. The reason why new management are coming in is because one of the two guys who has been running it has been offered his own place. I don't think calling them 'freaks' is the right word just because they like Indie and Rock and Goth etc....is it? That would imply that I am one too because a lot of the work I do caters for that crowd....and if 'decent' means your 'average dance/rnb/hip hop' lover then I'm afraid that's wrong in my book, sorry.

The place is a listed building and in the week it has all the students etc in at lunchtimes...At the weekend, everyone comes out. It has ALWAYS been like that and it is the only place in Basingstoke that is like it which is a welcome relief.

[Kingy 0]

I think that too many "chain" type pubs loose their identity, especially if you have several all doing the same thing. There is plenty of demand in most large towns for alternative music venues, I wouldn't call them "freaks", rather merely "un-conventional" maybe. At 43 I kinda feel "at home" with some of the studenty type places, which is odd for an ex-policeman!! Takes all sorts I think....

[Corabar Steve 0]

Hold on there mate!!!

 

"Freaks"??

 

No way...The pub makes lots of money and at the weekends it is rammed solid. The reason why new management are coming in is because one of the two guys who has been running it has been offered his own place. I don't think calling them 'freaks' is the right word just because they like Indie and Rock and Goth etc....is it? That would imply that I am one too because a lot of the work I do caters for that crowd....and if 'decent' means your 'average dance/rnb/hip hop' lover then I'm afraid that's wrong in my book, sorry.

The place is a listed building and in the week it has all the students etc in at lunchtimes...At the weekend, everyone comes out. It has ALWAYS been like that and it is the only place in Basingstoke that is like it which is a welcome relief.

Do some research into my previous posts & the pubs mentioned before you jump down my throat matey!

Then re- read my last post S-L-O-W-L-Y.

 

Looks like the Fox is back in a different venue anyway (Swear words contained on this link)

 

RIP The Blue Posts, The Chelsea Potter, The Intrepid Fox, The Ship, The Clarendon, The Greyhound, The Falcon & any that I've forgotten

All of these have been shut down the majority by the stick a new manager in & change the clientele tactic. (the easiet way to change the clientele is to change the music policy)

 

[shakermaker 0]

I read your post and I read it again and again and also, as you very kindly advised me to, S-L-O-W-L-Y and I understood what you meant but you used the word 'freaks' and I didn't think that much of it to be honest.

 

As for jumping down your throat....well, I don't see how I managed to do that but hey ho, let's move on eh.

[Eskie 0]

I think this is simply a matter of interpretation. When I read Steves post I could see he wasn't using the word "freaks" in a derogatory sense by any means, especially knowing that he is in to that same scene.

Good luck shakey hope the new guy sees sense and keeps you on at the venue.

[Corabar Steve 0]

I read your post and I read it again and again and also, as you very kindly advised me to, S-L-O-W-L-Y and I understood what you meant but you used the word 'freaks' and I didn't think that much of it to be honest.

 

As for jumping down your throat....well, I don't see how I managed to do that but hey ho, let's move on eh.

Maybe I should have used "quotation marks" around the offending word, sorry.

 

You did jump down my throat metaphorically. Your reply seemed to indicate that you thought it was a personal attack aimed at you.

 

I think this is simply a matter of interpretation. When I read Steves post I could see he wasn't using the word "freaks" in a derogatory sense by any means, especially knowing that he is in to that same scene.

Indeed. Thanks Tony.