And So, The $1,000,000 Question

[McCardle 1]

A pretty easy one, really

[BigBen 0]

I'll be honest and say that a gig was offered which I eventually accepted. But that has since fallen through. The only reason I accepted it was because it was at a pretty fancy place. I'm not interested in pubs or clubs on NYE.

[Dukesy 0]

As some of you may recall, I lost the main residency a while back which included the NYE gig.

 

Not really worried about not working. Reading McCardle's post recently put things in perspective and I would rather spend the time with the wife and family on this one night than any other, as the 31st Dec is the day we got married! :hug:

 

First NYE night off in around 23 years mind!

 

 

[vokf 0]

I'm working, a fairly recent booking that came up at the start of December.

 

I was planning on a night out myself, but the money was too good to pass up.

 

[am.entertainment 0]

having it off this NYE not shure what its going to be like my first NYE off in 12 years! I had two offers of work but i haven't taken them. i said i would spend time with the family!

[YourBigEvent 0]

Been booked for about 18 moths, am have booked NYE 2009, and possibly 2010 at the same venue, just discussing pricing.

[stardust 0]

No gig for me this NYE, i am actually very glad as i am one of the only remaing few out of all of my family + extended family who hasn't had the Vomiting bug.... and i can literally feel it creeping up my trousers ready to pounce..

[D.X 0]

Over Hyped Over Priced load of pap. Thank god I'm in a position to capitalise on the Over Priced part tongue out icon

 

I've done all the NYE clubbing I'm ever gonna do. From now on it's cash all the way for me. Some of the best years I've had have been house parties. In the 12 years I've gone out NYE I've maybe had 2 good nights and those were at Hard House clubs. Even then they were no better than a normal night. The prices and queueing really kill it for me. Plus the night can never live up to the hype.

 

Gimme the money

[Bouncy Dancefloor 0]

new years eve doesnt mean anything to me, here in Cheltenham we have Races on New Years Day, now thats more like it!

 

I always work it, how many other jobs can you earn upto a months wages in one night alone??? Does anyone really enjoy it???

 

Take the money and run in my opinion, theres plenty of time for friends and family in january and february when its quiet!

[Andy Westcott 0]

Was booked, but I'm not now.

Taking the family out this year and I won't be swayed unless the money offered is unreasonably high...

[Kingy 0]

Regular black tie finction for me, this year with The Fortunes (from the 60's for the younger ones amongst us) £75 a ticket including meal, fireworks and a chinese buffet at 1 am.

[Slimboy Fat 0]

A bit of a strange one for me that's not really covered in the options.

 

I DJ at a local semi-pro football club that is predominantly run by volunteers BUT the bar staff, management and players are paid. It is taken as read that I DJ fundraising events for the club and they have automatically assumed that I will DJ New year's Eve there for nowt.

 

Please bear in mind that tickets are on sale for NYE at £5 each and about 100-120 people are expected PLUS another act (singer / karaoke) will be turning up and taking over at roughly 2am and will probably be getting paid handsomely for the privilege AFTER being paid handsomely for doing his previous gig at another venue which will be wrapping up at around 1am.

 

 

As I have explained elsewhere, our under 11s recently held an Xmas presentation night which I was asked to DJ (something I always offer to do for the kids football teams) but due to a recent visit from the HSE Nazis I was asked to provide proof of PLi otherwise I couldn't play. I carried out this request at my own personal expense but have found out that two other DJs NOT covered by PLI have since played the venue.

 

Now they expect me to play NYE for nothing.......I HAVE turned down well paid work because of this "commitment" by proxy.

 

 

 

My (somewhat rhetorical) question to all of you.

 

Will I seem as big an idiot as I think I would feel if I played the gig now?

Edited December 29, 2008 by Slimboy Fat

[andyw 0]

i think you need to have a sit down with the organisers and define some clear boundaries of what you are willing and not willing to do for the club,it's one thing doing a freebie for the kids clubs but a 7 hr gig on nye for free is another imo. maybe offer a few freebies and give discounts for other events (thats what you have to decide,make sure you know what you want and what you are willing to give, before approaching them)

[TonyB 0]

I voted recently booked but I've been booked for about a month. The gig is where I used to live and lots of old friends will be there. The DJ that had been booked since July decided he didn't want to do it - just happened to be that the other DJ is my cousin!

 

Had two more gigs offered in the last couple of days, one paying double what I'm getting but I don't take another gig once I've taken a booking.

[McCardle 1]

I carried out this request at my own personal expense but have found out that two other DJs NOT covered by PLI have since played the venue

 

Selective requesting . Some venues are good at that, I find often the ones who want to employ the services of their own DJ. HSE can be a handy little money making tool and covers all ills. Like i've said before, some venue managers are more crooked than any entertainer or agency. I once got asked for pli at a venue with one such (resident) Dj. After going over my gear with the same level of interest as some Police officers go over the average 17 year old Chav's Corsa, just looking for something minor to 'do' them for, he finally barked for my pli.

 

I calmly went to the car, retrived the documents from the glovebox and presented them to him. Next was the PAT test documents, again, they could be found in the same folder . Either way, I was glad that I had them because I have no doubt whatsoever that this bloke would have ordered me off the premises and it would have been me who was the bad guy in the eyes of the client, and no doubt my reputation which would take the knock.

 

However I did get the smug satisfaction of pointing out to him that the Xmas tree lights plugged into the socket next to mine had no evidence or stickers of PAT testing and so he should perhaps switch them off!. Again, selective interest and priorities.

 

Another thing you'll find is that there are no shortage of people who will use and cash in on any sign of weakness (ie good nature). It took me a while at one venue to figure out that I was being 'used' to provide the cheap 'n' cheerful kids entertainment and the crap that no bugger else wanted to do, not to mention being called upon to do the charity freebies, whilst the more lucrative paid gigs and the annual staff xmas party were being doled out to the other DJ - who just happened to be a friend of one of the committee.

 

Usually when this happens it is the beginning of the end, as you'll have loads of people wanting to book you on the cheap and for the freebies so its better to cut your losses, break the chain and move on to something better before it escalates.

 

new years eve doesnt mean anything to me, here in Cheltenham we have Races on New Years Day, now thats more like it!

 

Slightly off topic, but i remember the days when a few of us used to go to the races, we spent the day losing many £££'s then on to a nightclub for a caberet singer and a slap up meal then to a hotel down in the Cotswolds for 2 days of relaxation. I miss the Cotswolds, and have some fond holiday memories, including trying to drown a brand new Mondeo in a stream during a midnight drive back to the guesthouse one icy Boxing night :scared: , but thats another story.

Edited December 30, 2008 by McCardle

[Slimboy Fat 0]

Usually when this happens it is the beginning of the end, as you'll have loads of people wanting to book you on the cheap and for the freebies so its better to cut your losses, break the chain and move on to something better before it escalates.

 

 

Exactly the direction my personal feelings (and the wife) are telling me to take. I hate to say it but she is VERY rarely wrong!

[Dukesy 0]

If the 'clients' haven't taken into consideration the costings of a DJ service, then to be fair, this is advantage taking as ignorance is not really an excuse.

 

A couple of polls on DJU revealed that the average take on a Friday or Saturday night was £150.00

 

Personally, I feel that you've left it a bit late in the day to just walk away as this could have a negative effect on business in the future. But there still may be a solution!

Yes, you have to make a decision, because you may not want the reputation of a "he's an easy soft touch..." when it comes to bookings!

 

You could of course take a gamble decision. If someone were to say "I want to book you for my NYE disco and I'll pay you £XXX", then you could go back and say:

* that you've been asked to do a paid function, would they like alternative DJ contatcs 'you know' or would they like to retain you?

 

Their answer may reveal how much they really want you for their NYE party - or not!

[bluejools 0]

I promised the wife the evening off with her - which i have done since i got married - makes up for the rest of the year

 

When i used to play them - i never enjoyed them (except 2000) - i also dont like partying them as so anticlimatic.

 

If i am also truthful - i didn't get an enquiry - but parties aren't my main functions.

[sandysounds 0]

been booked since walking out the door last new year. Same place....De Vere Belton Woods near Grantham. I've done a few gigs there this year so know quite a few of the staff....and they look after me well. Last time i was there i took a short cut to another function room where a fellow DJ I know was working.....and got lost in this massive kitchen....so know all the chefs now...lol

[deejaymitch 0]

I thought I was playing in a particular venue, until Halloween when I was banished from that place and am, apparently, public enemy #1. I have picked up a booking in another venue now though which will be more fun for similar money.

[supersound dj 0]

Regular black tie finction for me, this year with The Fortunes (from the 60's for the younger ones amongst us) £75 a ticket including meal, fireworks and a chinese buffet at 1 am.

 

 

I woulda swapped with you for anything Kingy.

 

I love the raw 60s bands especially the originals that are still gigging.

 

Im Jealous now.

 

Paul

[flash911 0]

I thought I was playing in a particular venue, until Halloween when I was banished from that place and am, apparently, public enemy #1. I have picked up a booking in another venue now though which will be more fun for similar money.

 

 

If yopu dont mind me asking......... why?

[Kingy 0]

I woulda swapped with you for anything Kingy.

 

I love the raw 60s bands especially the originals that are still gigging.

 

Im Jealous now.

 

Paul

 

Two week before that I was with "the Move" too tongue out icon

[supersound dj 0]

no way...flowers in the rain....Oh you know how to upsett a guy.

[deejaymitch 0]

If yopu dont mind me asking......... why?

 

I was in the venue as a customer with soem of the off-duty staff and there was a minor incident which I was blamed for, to which there was a complete over-reaction and I was the scapegoat. So I was sacked and barred.

 

I then immediately picked up another residency in another bar and posted the news on my profile on a social networking site. Somehow this was reported back to the management of venue 1 as me orchestrating an online hate campaign against the venue.

 

Farcical.