Wedding Charges

[Ian Stewart 0]

Kazz,

 

I can't speak for others but I do have differant charges

 

Mobile Gigs (weddings, birthday parties etc) - Full Whack

Residencies - Lower rate as these are not on a Saturday and get you out working mid wekk

Specialist Soul Gigs - normally what evers on offer as these never pay much money.

 

Hope that helps

 

for me if I am not working, we then start to fill the dates bookings for Sharon, she takes a small mixer, 2 minidisc players, reverb, 2 powered speakers, radio mic sings 2 hour sets and gets £150-£200 so who needs to lug all that disco gear around,

 

also she does her own sound engineering so I sit at the bar & get P****d.

 

 

[YourBigEvent 0]

Do you want a roadie for Sharons gigs ?

[Ian Stewart 0]

yeh your welcome to come and help, no fee involved.

 

The big differance about Sharons gigs & most DJ/Jaraoke gigs is the way your are greeted & treated by the clients, management etc.

 

Always with Sharon,

 

If there are tables in the way, someone will move them

always bought at least one drink, normally they are free all night

often helper with the equipment

 

 

could this have something to do with the publics perception of a DJ & a liuve entertainer

[YourBigEvent 0]

Yes !! Most and I say MOST people think DJ's are 'working' whilst singers are 'performing'.

 

[kazzachi 0]

..Ian.... You know its because DJs are considered the lowest in the long line of entertainers! We are perceived as people who play other peoples music, whilst bands, singers, caberet artists are perceived as people with talent! I cant think of any other form of entertainment which is ranked lower than the humble dj - can you?

[Kingy 0]

Rolly Polly-a grams????? http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/fear.gif

[kazzachi 0]

LOL Kingy! Well apart from roly-poly grams and any-other-o-gram then! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/071.gif

[Award Entertainment 0]

This is exactly why it's not too hard to excel when most of your competition is struggling. You can exceed expectations of your clients by doing just a little more. Things like assisting (or acting as) the MC, dressing a little better than your competitors, bringing a bit of tasteful interactivity into your shows, following events with a brief 'thank you' and survey, rewarding people who give you referrals.

 

As Randy Bartlett says in the DVD I recommended earlier in this thread, you don't need to be 300% better than your competition to easily charge a 300% increased price. You only need to be 1% better. It's a fact!

[mikeee 0]

OMG, go away for two days, and it goes mad, when I get back in to gear, ie, not on west country time, I'll have my 2p worth.

 

Chrissy darling, this should be pinned, theres a lot of good learning matierial (sp) here.

[Hugmaster 0]

Hi

 

It's a well established caviot that there are always bout a half dozen things that will make 80% of the difference. This can be applied to pretty much any service providers, a lot will depend on how hard your prepared to go to work on those half dozen things. What they are will depend on where you feel the important issues lie.

 

I heard a great quote years and years ago, and it wasn't from a motivational speeker...

 

"being successful isn't doing extraordinary things, it's doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well." isn't that good information? http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/smile.gif

 

Someone ought to go through this thread and pick out the best bits and work it into a little article for the forum.

 

right, I've lit the fuse, I'm offski!

 

Darren

[Ian Stewart 0]

QUOTE

I cant think of any other form of entertainment which is ranked lower than the humble dj - can you?

 

Karaoke presenters http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[kazzachi 0]

Im scared for you now Ian... just you wait til Paula gets here! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/fear.gif

[C.S 0]

No sweat Ian she will probably take a week to get out of bed and put her slippers on before powdering her nose and then turning on her computer while varnishing her nails,so you are safe for a while.If not ads and i will defend you http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[paula 0]

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/scared.gif http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/stupid.gif Slippers on, nose powdered (in plaster) no nails to varnish and no bed to get out of until Tuesday! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/014.gif and I shall allow Ian to live as one is NOT a karaoke presenter

 

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/042.gif ...Play away http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/smile.gif

[YourBigEvent 0]

May I vote this the best topic ever !!

[Award Entertainment 0]

I've just got home from another successful wedding where I was both DJ and MC. It's nice to be such a key part of the couple's big day. How many of you offer Master of Ceremonies as part of your service?

[DJTREV 0]

How many times has this subject been discussed on this forum. Quite frankly I got halfway thro reading the replies and got fed up reading the same stuff over again.

It is getting somewhat tedious to constantly read how good some of you think you are and how much you think you are worth -you dont need to convince us, save that for your clients.

I only wish I was half as confident as some of you appear to be;then maybe it wouldn't be such a struggle.

It doesn't matter whether you wear a tux,suit ,jeans or anorak;if you have the biggest rig imaginable and the biggest record collection, at the end of the day in my opinion if you dont get the music right, you are stuffed!!

I know everyone keeps on about 'reading the floor' but I am sure that most of you ''brilliant' dj's have playlists or programmes that you use for different occasions that might be of use to us lesser mortals.

I just cant seem to find that magic formulae that makes an evening flow as I think it should.

Sorry to be such an old misery I am having one of my Mr Grumpy days.

[Hugmaster 0]

Hi

 

I'm not even gonna answer that as I might blow my stack.

 

Mr Grumpy day or not, slagging off everyone else that's contributed to this topic is only going to make everyone think, "stuff you then."

 

Hope you don't treat your customer in the same, I'm bored fashion.

 

I don't think anyone has been big headed here, just told us all what they do in their particular circumstances.

 

If you've been a DJ for more than 5 years and you still can't get the music right, I'd find another vocation, because, as you so rightly said, it's all about the music. And, if you're so off-hand about whether dress code and how you present yourself amtters, that's another serious oversight.

 

Sorry to be so blunt, but you asked the question.

 

As far as playlist are concerned, if you've read this forum for any length of time, you'll have seen that most of us brilliant, out of this world DJ's think on our feet, maybe 3 or 4 tracks ahead of ourselves.

 

Maybe you'd like to give us an example of what you'd play for the first 30 minutes after the obligatory 9 pm buffet?

 

Darren

 

 

[kazzachi 0]

Trev.... perhaps you might consider reading the whole thread then... whether it bores you or not, it could, quite possibly, aid you in becoming a bit more successful. If you find the job a struggle, as Darren says, perhaps it a job not for you.

 

It might do to remember that there are all levels of djs in the forum. Some with a vast amount of knowledge - who freely share the experience with others.

 

Attitude in life, as well as dj-ing speaks volumes. If you had bothered to read the whole thread (which nobody is forcing you to do) you should have seen that this topic, has had some excellent feed back.

 

This forum is an extremely helpful tool - if used wisely, and can only enhance any djs overall performance. You are not expected to agree with anything that is said, you are entitled to your own opinions, but, I dont think that letting us all know how bored you are serves any useful purpose whatsoever.

 

If you dont want to read to learn, - fine - carry on in the stagnant pond you seem to be in - but dont accuse others of being boring... we are here to help every member of the forum... and if it bores you, then that is one opinion you perhaps should consider keeping to yourself.

Edited April 10, 2004 by kazzachi

[ChrisPointon 0]

Sorry Trev, I agree with you on most things, and also on the basis of what you are trying to get across. However I don't agree with the way in which you've gone about it - namely launcing an attack on anybody who has contributed to this discussion.

 

The fact that you can't escape, is the number of posts, and views that this thread has. This means by default, that it is of interest to a large number of people. If it wasn't of interest then it would have scrolled off the bottom of the page by now - with around 3 posts.....like most of our polls http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif .

 

Another point, is that what is an old topic to a veteran member of the forum, is today's news to a newbie. We have new sign ups all of the time and pricing is the most asked question. There are people, I agree, who have yet to discover the joys of using the "search" facility before asking their question, to see if its been covered before. Another thing to remember that as the forum grows, older topics will be deleted, I only aim to keep around 18 months of posts here at any one time.

 

If you had read the entire thread, then you would have found other people who agree with your points. I find it strange that since you took the subject so seriously, that you didn't at least have the courtesy to read the entire thread and "hear them out" before launching such an attack.

 

I also agree that this industry suffers from very vocal Primadonna's and those with an ego the size of Paula's PLASA bar bill, however those members quickly get fed up of posting on this forum, and move on to preach their sermons elsewhere - sometimes the best trick is just to humour them http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/smile.gif .

 

This thread is one of the longest running, and most subscribed topics which we have had in a long time. However, from an observation, it would also be nice to see some of this professionalism channeled onto other topics, such as the "How do I....?" type threads from the newbies. There are a minority of members hogging this thread, and not contributing anything elsewhere http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/smile.gif .

 

It would be nice if the forum contained only the selective information which was of interest to each individual. However it doesn't work like that. Price is one of the most asked questions on this forum, and since it also forms a basis of any service industry, I would say it was an important one.

 

You can't deny that people haven't tried to answer your questions in the past, and will happily continue to do so, and I guess that you have learned quite a bit from others here in the last 12 months or so. Now perhaps it's somebody else's turn?.

[DJTREV 0]

Sorry .I didnt mean to offend anybody or anyone in particular.

It just seems that even though the thread had lots of correspondents it went over all the same stuff that we have discussed before on another thread.

Namely somebody from the south telling us that they can get X number of pounds for a gig because they are the best there is and somebody from the north saying they cant, even though they are the best.

As far back as April 03(I think) Chris was asking the question 'How much do you charge'

I didnt accuse anybody of being boring I was just trying to point out;obviously not very successfully;that I seem to have been there before with this discussion and apart from the Kazz/Richard discussion, I was not reading anything that I hadn't read before.I did actually get to about the 7th page of the thread!!!

Hug,you seem to have missed the point I'm afraid.Of course the way you dress and present yourself matters,but if you read it again, what I was saying is that if you dont get the music right-your best tux,multi coloured lighting rig and large collection aren't going to be much help.

I have been playing records for far more years than I can remember,but I am never to proud to ask and learn from others. Years ago you would get away with playing Birdie song and the Locomotion but not today.Somebody was recently on here moaning about the current chart scene and I have to agree with him,it's pretty dire.

Its not the tracks that I am on about Hugs;I would imagine that most, if not all of us tend to play the same tracks,it's the order you play them that I was on about.

For instance I don't usually play Country, Reggae or Rock unless I have a request for it.

At sometime during an evening I will play the first 6 tracks of the 70's mix on the Biggest Party On The Planet and follow that with Rod Stewart's Baby Jane(one of his best )Chain Reaction,Going Gets Tough.etc

I tend to shy away from the Slade,Showaddywaddy and Sweet stuff unless they are a young well oiled crowd.

Of course there are always the current cheese-Lemar,Jamelia,Rachel Stevens,Lopez,Beyonce,LibertyX.

At what stage in an evening would you play 'party tracks'.What do you call party tracks?

Last night I was in my local and when the duo finished their set at the end of the night they put on a mini disc and the first track was 'I am the music man' and the crowd in the pub loved it.!! I was frankly gobsmacked.

Kazz,knowledge is one thing expertise is something else.

I take exception to the stagnant pond remark by the way;I want to finish my nights with a certain amount of job satisfaction,every now and then that doesn't happen, all I am trying to do is gain some advice from the vast number of dj's on this site.As I said earlier I am never to proud to ask even if it does appear to question my ability to entertain.

Mr Grumpy has left the building and is now trying to build bridges with his long suffering wife.

[Award Entertainment 0]

It's interesting that so much weight is placed on music. I play almost exclusively at weddings and I really don't break any new ground in the tracks I play. In fact most of my music is famliar (almost cheesy) stuff that you can sing along to. Things like Boney M, Abba, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Keny Loggins, B52's and classic rock'n'roll. It's not 'cool' music and to be honest I don't even like most of it, but I LOOK like I'm absolutely loving it!

 

My business strategies aren't witchcraft. They're simple, basic things that individually don't add up to much, but combined they give me a 1% edge over my competition. This allows me to charge a far higher fee (nearly 200% of my next nearest competitor!) and work the type of functions that I want. Not everybody can do this. You've got to believe that you're worth more. You've got to look successful when you're in front of clients and you need to have a certain aura about you. Debonair, classy, suave, confident but not over the top is what I strive for. People will respond differently to you if you are presented better, it's a basic fact. If they didn't, nobody would ever wear formal clothes.

 

I watched a show on TV a few years ago and the elegant woman hosting was giving fashion advice to another lady. She said "just before you walk out the door to go out, spin around and glance at yourself in the mirror. Whatever accessory catches your eye first needs to be removed and left at home. I did this with my DJ rig and it's now looking as sophisticated and smart as any in my city.

 

Here's my suggestion- if you're using one of those big lightboxes on the front of your console, leave it at home unless you're doing a 70's night. They're not elegant. Apply the visually discreet principle to your next up-market event- you'll be surprised at how much unneccesary equipment you've been hauling around!

Edited April 10, 2004 by Rendezvous

[ChrisPointon 0]

QUOTE

Here's my suggestion- if you're using one of those big lightboxes on the front of your console, leave it at home unless you're doing a 70's night. They're not elegant.

 

Anybody who has been on this forum will know that I DO agree with this opinion. The lightbox has had its day - but thats an entirely different topic http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/smile.gif

 

Trev, I get the feeling that all is not as well as you'd like on the Disco front. Like any industry, it can take some people longer to master D.J'ing than perhaps you'd like, or some posts would have you believe!. Some people may be born to it, others may take 5 years to make it work. There is no hard and fast rule to learning any subject, and of course on a forum it is very easy for people to talk of their great successes, and perhaps at the same time un-intentionally belittle others, in the same post.

 

It's human nature for a very small minority, to post "me, me, me" in order to win some race which they have with themselves to obtain a goal or some form of acceptance, whilst at the same time neglecting the people who are genuine and asking for their advice http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/grouphug.gif

 

What a lot of people so far have missed, is that on Trev's, post is a cry for help - not on the Missus front 'cos i'm no marriage guideance counsellor (Although Kazz is a good listener http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/smile.gif ), but on the D.J'ing front!. Full marks to Trev for his honesty - some people blaze on here with stories of their 10KW sound systems and 100mW lasers, when in reality they are 15 and have never yet done a disco in their life http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif . I guess they do this to be accepted, since Trev has hinted a good point, at first glance we do seem to be a forum made up entirely of close knit back slapping buddies who have 60 years experience, have never made a mistake, and are perfect in everything we do!, and this isn't the first time it's been mentioned.

 

I will echo, what i've always maintained, and that EVERYBODY is welcome to take part on DJU, whether you are 14 or 97 and also, regardless of whether you have never done a disco before, or have recently celebrated your 40th year in business. I'm also happy to advise on how to wire a plug, as well as giving advice on DMX systems. In other words, there is no membership criteria, nothing is expected, and certainly you don't need to impress anybody in order to take part and get advice, and neither should anybody feel that this is a requirement. I don't run this forum in order for people to score points off each other.

 

Trev, non of us here are clairvoyant, I DO realise that writing long drawn out posts is not your forte'. However if there is anything which you think that we can help with then do take the time to post your questions.

[DJTREV 0]

Chris it wasn't a cry for help but you are on the right lines.There is no point in being anything but honest on here if you want to learn something.

 

I will blow my own trumpet here when I say I am a very good Modern Jive dj probably one of the best in my area (there aren't that many actually).The reason I know this is because of the feedback I get from people and the packed floor that I have all night long.

BUT Modern Jive is totally different to Disco's.Jiver's go specifically to dance so you are on a winner right from the start although they let you know if you dont play the right tracks.

 

I value this forum and all who take the time to take part in it and pass on their advice,but come on guys,it doesn't take a degree in marketing to realise that if you look 'suave debonaire and classy' and you present your night well then you will get brownie points from your hosts.

 

In the middle 70's to the middle 80's the music was easier to play as there didnt seem to be so many different genres but I feel that the current trend of rap music and what is apparently todays r'n'b makes it somewhat more difficult to please a average party disco. My teenage daughter might like So Solid Crew and Eminem but my mother wouldn't.

 

When I am not working I occasionally go to watch other dj's work and try to learn something from them whether it be music or presentation.

Now I realise that dj's are their own worst critics but I can honestly say that I haven't come across anybody who stood out as being 'brilliant',I have never come across some one who has played adult games,nearly everyone plays roughly the same tracks and they can all empty a floor in seconds just as they can fill it with one track. If somebody came to see me work I think they would say that I am that dj. If that is the case then what I am looking for is guidance from you guys who keep telling me how good you are (dont take offence please, its meant as tongue in cheek).

 

You're right Chris writing long drawn out posts is not my forte.I know what I want to say but cant seem to put it on paper without seemingly offending someone.

 

[mikeee 0]

QUOTE

I know what I want to say but cant seem to put it on paper without seemingly offending someone

 

I know the feeling, if I could write proper like, you would see my name everywhere and not just the association newsletter and Pro Mobile.

 

And there would be longer and more informative reply's here as well.