For A Dj You Dont Say A Lot.

[nigelwright7557 0]

A woman came up to me one night at a gig I managed to undercut someone else for.

She said the usual DJ said much more than me.

 

My reply was "What would you like me to say ?"

She had no reply !

 

I let the music do the talking, after all thats why people hire a disco to listen to good music not some idiot wittering on all night.

 

I into myself at the start of the night, make announcements as required and say thanks and good bye at the end of the night.

 

A wittering DJ really gets up my nose when i am trying to listen to the music.

Just how is the DJ more important than a number one song ?

There is no chart for DJ's banter just music !

 

 

[Dream Catchers 0]

I think there is just as much call for a minimalist DJ as one that interacts with the crowd.

 

At times a DJ that says very little can be seen as stand offish, at other times the DJ may seem as though he loves the sound of his own voice.

 

Jim

[NRG Roadshow 0]

A woman came up to me one night at a gig I managed to undercut someone else for.

 

Hmmm.....so your not planning on making many freinds amongst your areas DJs then?

 

I think there is just as much call for a minimalist DJ as one that interacts with the crowd.

 

I dont do much talking at gigs, dont feel I need too, I speak when I need too.

Becuase personaly speaking djs who talk too much get on my nerves.

 

But then if a dj is good at the banter then thats ok, but most are not and just gabble on about nothing just for the sake of talking!

[LEENEWSOME 0]

so you dont visit the client beforehand to ask THEM what they want of you, it must be be great knowing automatically what customers require. oh and its really nice to know that you undercut people to get gigs,

 

in my opinion you are at a party to entertain people. :rant:

 

 

Edited April 3, 2008 by Paul Smith

[GREG'S MOBILE DISCO 0]

Hmmm.....so your not planning on making many freinds amongst your areas DJs then?

I dont do much talking at gigs, dont feel I need too, I speak when I need too.

Becuase personaly speaking djs who talk too much get on my nerves.

 

But then if a dj is good at the banter then thats ok, but most are not and just gabble on about nothing just for the sake of talking!

 

Yep - there's nothing worse than a load of inane :cense: from someone who loves the sound of their own voice BUT on the other hand if you have the right crowd a lot of interaction can go down a bomb.

I personally like to interact as much as possible but it's not always needed or wanted by the client.

It all depends on the gig and what the client wants in the end.

 

That's enough inane :cense: for now - I'm off to listen to my voice in private! smile icon

Edited April 4, 2008 by UKHero

[NRG Roadshow 0]

Dont get me wrong.....

 

I do interact with the crowd, part of the job aint it.

 

BUT, I usually find you get a feel pretty early on whether the crowd want you to talk a lot or shut up and play music.......I do what I feel I need too. LOL

[Norfolk DJ 0]

so you dont visit the client beforehand to ask THEM what they want of you, it must be be great knowing automatically what customers require. oh and its really nice to know that you undercut people to get gigs,

 

in my opinion you are at a party to entertain people. :rant:

 

Whilst I ask the client what they require, I don't go as far as to ask whether they wish me to talk all night on the microphone and crack jokes. My performance of the mic depends on what I deem is required at each function. As you know no function is exactly the same.

 

[UKHero 0]

in my opinion you are at a party to entertain people. :rant:

 

In my opinion you are at a party to offer your audience the option of being entertained. It is upto them if they choose to accept the invitation.

 

Nik

[DJ JENX 0]

My questions is, if you managed to "under-cut" their usual DJ, did they go back to you or him after this gig?

 

Because if they werent too keen on you wont they go back to the other dj then?

[McCardle 1]

Then there are those deejays who do use the microphone, but nobody can make out a word of what they are saying!. Sadly some blow all of their budget on lighting and then spoil the whole the lot by buying a £5 plastic microphone from Maplin. Your P.A system is only as good as the weakest (cheapest) link in the whole chain, and if you have a £5 microphone then you'll sound like a £5 Deejay, and its pointless anyway because through it, nobody is going to understand a word that you say!.

 

So buying a decent quality microphone, and learning how to speak into it, in a clear concise manner is just as important as being able to mix IMO.

[supersound dj 0]

Then there are those deejays who do use the microphone, but nobody can make out a word of what they are saying!. Sadly some blow all of their budget on lighting and then spoil the whole the lot by buying a £5 plastic microphone from Maplin. Your P.A system is only as good as the weakest (cheapest) link in the whole chain, and if you have a £5 microphone then you'll sound like a £5 Deejay, and its pointless anyway because through it, nobody is going to understand a word that you say!.

 

So buying a decent quality microphone, and learning how to speak into it, in a clear concise manner is just as important as being able to mix IMO.

This guys hit the nail on the head.clear n concise and good content.I use the mike alot and encorage dancing and have fun with a party of people who are up for it.

[Mo The Motown Man 0]

:hurt: But you can't afford a decent microphone and make friends if you go around under cutting other Di's

1 why did you under cut the other DJ, are you not very good at djing or are you new to the profession or have you no respect for the DJ who had worked hard to get the fee to what it was, and now you come along and undo all that hard work :rant:

[llcooljoe 0]

I don't chat very much at all, mainly because I'm not that good at it, and I sometimes cringe at hearing my own voice! I don't introduce myself but I do introduce a special song, or other bits where I have too, but to be honest it doesn't come naturally too me at all, which is weird because when I'm not on the mic I'm verbally pretty good and entertaining. I always say thanks and goodnight and have a safe journey home but apart from that I just crank out the music and keep the flow going.

 

I do however, chat alot when I doing kids discos, obviously because of the party games etc. and that's been really good for my confidence. I don't mind making a bit of a prat of myself with kids!

 

Personally unless you have a real talent for the gift of the gab I'd say shut up and just play the music because that's really what you are there to do any way. I do however wear stupid hats off and on through the night for certain songs. Personally I'm a very visual person I think, so that's what I let show through more than the banter. :joe: :flirt:

Edited April 4, 2008 by llcooljoe

[UKHero 0]

:hurt: But you can't afford a decent microphone and make friends if you go around under cutting other Di's

1 why did you under cut the other DJ, are you not very good at djing or are you new to the profession or have you no respect for the DJ who had worked hard to get the fee to what it was, and now you come along and undo all that hard work :rant:

 

But this is OK if you do it for fun and dont take Djing as a serious occupation :lil devil: NOT!!!!

 

Hey Nige you have really made some friends on DJU with this post :dan+ju:

[andyw 0]

i dont know where the idea came up that he cant afford a decnt microphone all i have read is he dont talk very much,and on this forum there are those who do,those that dont upto the individual really todo what suits them and their show best.

nigel i think it would be a bit wiser to think about what you are posting,to start a post off with the comment you got the gig by undercutting the other dj really is setting yourself as a target,but that is just my opinion

[alicat 0]

Karaoke at the local pub gets loadz of mic usage through a JTS 8s mic & Behringer mixer to Mackie SRM 450's (sometimes Db Opera live 210 and sub 05). Clear and concise and excellent quality. I usually take the mickey out of myself or sometimes even a well known regular throughout the night (have done around 40-50 gigs at this place with the same crowd) and never talk over song vocals at the beginning or through the middle of a song. Weddings are different but as has been said before, every gig is different.

 

I NEVER undercut. I am worth more than that.

[McCardle 1]

I ignored the comment about undercutting because of its irrelevence to the actual topic, personally i think it has just been thrown in there to provoke a reaction and add a bit of spice to the thread tongue out icon

[davemoody 0]

Always causes arguments this one.....

 

For me you have to get the balance right. You can't really just stand there all night without saying anything at all. Then how do you justify yourself against them not having a jukebox stick in the corner.

 

On the other hand we have all seen these so called party DJ's who talk over every record, crack very bad jokes and think they are on the stage at the London Palladium.

 

Then there is the other argument that if you have nothing good or interesting to say don't say anything. Wrong!

 

The best way to get over any nerves about speaking in to a mic is just to start off with a nice clear introduction, introduce any requests that you have over the night, before you know it you know what and when to say it. It gets to be common sense.

 

We all have songs that get people up on the floor, say a good bunch of 70s tracks, so you don't need to say anything with a full floor but if you get a few requests for some up to date dance tracks, I always say something like..."OK lets have a couple more before we move on to some more requests for something a bit more up to date'......

 

Finally like others have said, make sure you not only test the sound and lighting before you start but make sure you test your mic sound. Go out on to the floor and test it and not from behind your rig. You can get people to hear you with a cheap mic just turn down the bass a bit and speak more clearly and slowly.

[Gary 0]

I ignored the comment about undercutting because of its irrelevence to the actual topic, personally i think it has just been thrown in there to provoke a reaction and add a bit of spice to the thread tongue out icon

 

Totally agree. A couple of members need to clear the fluff off their styli; it's playing the same worn out groove again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again. They're so negative, they could jump start their car using only the red lead... perhaps we should take a forum-wide vote on it, anonymously across all members: "Should we make April 2008 a "mention of fees - free month?".

 

Right...back on topic, before it got pulled of-course into £Blah....

 

Microphone usage. Something more than "Hello I am...", "Safe Journey, bye" is required at most functions - otherwise some of the audience might think you're the hat-stand. Talking/linking EVERY track is most definately over the top in my opinion - but hey, there could be a DJing situation out there that a DJU member has discovered that absolutely thrives on a track by track link - ballroom dancing maybe.

 

I gauge my mic usage gig by gig, audience by audience, but I'd general think that I say maybe 4 to 6 brief things an hour - on top of the "welcomes", key events (buffet stop, last orders, raffle, speeches) and "goodnight" etc. Most of my hour-to-hour announcements are request-driven - eg: "Can you play such-and-such song for Tina, Melanie, Sarah, Estelle and all the rest of the girls who work with the bride in the accounts dept" etc. If I get less requests/dedications of that nature, my 4 to 6 links per hour probably goes down to 3-4 brief links per hour - then they're normally genre changes, if a mix wont cover it.

Edited April 4, 2008 by Gary

[Dukesy 0]

perhaps we should take a forum-wide vote on it, anonymously across all members: "Should we make April 2008 a "mention of fees - free month?".

 

LOL! You are joking?

 

Perhaps we should have a "mention of DJ equipment brands - free month" or "mention of laptops - free month"???

 

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[NRG Roadshow 0]

In any case, no mention of an exact £££ figuire has been quoted, Nigel meerly said he undercut one of his fellow professionals just to get a gig, the price is irelevant, it is just wrong to do that.

 

As I have said elsewhere, I have a rigid pricing structure and I stick to it, if I quote for a booking and I get the job becasue Im cheaper than the bloke down the road then great, I dont mind that.

But I would never deliberatley drop my prices to steal a gig off another local DJ, Im building up a relationship with other DJs in my area, we work together and dont view it as competition. We know we can rellie on each other if we need to get a gig covered on anothers behalf.

I dought I would be in that situation if I had gone around undercutting when I first started, I would have made myself unpopular very quickly.

 

nigel i think it would be a bit wiser to think about what you are posting,to start a post off with the comment you got the gig by undercutting the other dj really is setting yourself as a target,but that is just my opinion

 

Not at all, if that is Nigels honest oppinion then its nice to know that their are some people doing business like that, Im just glad he is not in my area. Although I dare say their are people operating like that in my area, I just dont know who they are LOL

Edited April 4, 2008 by NRG Roadshow

[andyw 0]

i think it is good to post thought provoking post,but sometimes( a lot lately) some posts are being made which will only end up going in one direction. someone will end up going to far breaking the rules and end up with a warning. we all need to be responsible for what we post. again on gary's point about a month of no fees talk on the forum. dont think that would work but think it would be a good idea if we all agree to keep the subject to the relvant thread and not hijack other threads at every opportunity then those who don't want to read or take part in the debate are not having it forced down there throats,having said that there have been a few threads started lately where the first post as invited the thread to get hijacked,just like this one. with an opening line of i undercut a dj

[Robster 0]

Playing devils advocate...

 

if say existing dj is £250 per night

your fixed non negotional price is £200

you inform the venue your price which you charge anyway is £200 is this undercutting?

 

or is undercutting where

existing DJ is £250 per night

you find out there price and say you will do it cheaper

 

is either more scenario more moral or correct ? or should you never appraoch any venue if you know they already have a DJ ?

Edited April 4, 2008 by enquirer

[Dream Catchers 0]

I think the undercutting is relevant to finding out what price DJ A is charging then *dropping* your price to undercut him and get the gig.

 

As far as approaching venues that have already got a DJ, of course it's acceptable, that is business.

I don't do it, basically because I don't do residencies. If I wanted a residency then I cannot see anything wrong with approaching all the local pubs/bars/clubs that I am interested in. I would tell them my target fee and stick to that, I wouldn't be interested in bartering the fee to beat the DJ already there. I expect most of them would just say that they are happy with the guy already working there.

 

Jim

[shakermaker 0]

I suppose everyone has their own styles when using the microphone and at the end of the day, if you don't ask the client beforehand what they expect from you then you will never know will you. I have seen DJ's in the past that seem to like the sound of their own voice and it's irritating to put it nicely. I've also seen other DJ's that have hardly muttered a word and when they have, it's been hard to understand a word they have said, whether that's down to a poor quality microphone or lack of skill in projecting their voice, who knows?

 

I think some people try too hard when it comes to mic work. You should be natural. I know of two DJ's in particular that sound totally different when they are talking normally and then turn into either 'Smashie' or 'Nicey' once the mic is in front of them. Apologies if this sounds out of order but to me that is just cringeworthy!!

 

I don't think that there is anything wrong with not saying anything if that's what the client wants and also if you are doing a short set of (for example) dance music or something. I also don't think there is anything wrong with a bit of overkill IF the client has said something along the lines of "I want you to really encourage people to dance and use your personality". I, personally start off minimal and then get a bit more frequent throughout the evening dependent on where I am.

 

As for the 'undercutting' comment. No need for that really but as I said to someone on this very forum earlier today via PM who has tried to undercut me in the past fortnight, I understand as business is business. Just a bit disappointing really when you actually know the person and they know you.