Ticket Selling Bookings and Cheap Promoters

Yes, the above image is actually from an email I receeved a while ago about ticket selling bookings....

...so I'm back again after a short break.

Thanks for all the comments on the last article, and thanks to those who also shared it on Facebook and Twitter. I appreciate it.

As I mentioned in the last post, the promoters and club managers are equally to blame for the rise of undercutting in DJ culture, as well as the lowering standards (and DJ fees) in club nights.

First up, let me say a few things about the promoters and club managers who sacrifice quality to save a few quid. This will damage your brand and your venue in the long run. If you're happy to hire some inexperienced Joe Bloggs bedroom DJ just because you're too tight to pay extra for a seasoned professional, then the message you're actually giving out is that you don't give a fuck about the quality of service, the music, or even the type of crowd that may frequent the venue as a result.

What's worse, is that clubs are not only scaling back on talent, but also flyers and street teams.

Contrary to popular belief, cheap drinks deals to not make people flock to the club in their thousands any more. It's not the fucking 1980s any more. This is pretty much one of the reasons why most Luminar venues have gone to shit...And don't even get me started on those who rely on Facebook to promote their event also...

Times are tough, I appreciate that. However, if your main goal is purely ticket sales, and you're not willing to put in the work to build a solid brand from the ground up, then you won't have longevity. You may smash it on your first event, but repeat success? Very doubtful.

Speaking of tickets, what about these bullshit "ticket selling" tactics that lazy promoters like to try out on young, impressionable DJs?

I recently read an article on DJ Paul Velocity's blog about his experience and arguments regarding ticket selling bookings, and I whole-heartedly agree with him.

Now, if I'm booked to DJ then yes I'll happily send out the usual Facebook and Twitter updates, and also send out info via my mailing list. I obviously want people to come and see me perform, and I'll do my little bit to help push the event. Not a problem.

What I object to though, is having to actively go out and sell tickets on behalf of a promoter in order to get paid, or at the very least get the gig to begin with. That shit isn't cool.

Of course, there will always be those naive DJs who think it's a great idea. The reality is, it's not.

In essence it's just a pyramid scheme. You run around and do all the donkey work, selling tickets. You may get around £2 per head. The promoter sits back on his arse and coins the rest of the money. You're taking valuable time out of your schedule to to bust your balls for someone too lazy (and most likely inept) to do their own fucking job.

Promoters are there to do exactly what their name suggests - Promote, i.e. get the numbers through the door, organise guest list, and to spread the word about the event they are putting on. However, if you're just relying on exploiting up and coming DJs to do your own work, then you're not a promoter, you're a fucking douchebag. A lazy fucking douchebag.

As I've said before, the message you're giving out is that you do not care about quality. Your DJs may be good salesmen, but they actually suck at DJ-ing.

My final thought is that every competent and experienced DJ took a stand and said "Enough. This is my fee, lump it or leave it", then these shithead promoters and club managers will eventually have to succumb to our demand. Of course they will try out these £50 DJs who only just started spinning last Tuesday, but once they realise that the quality of service is sub-standard, numbers drop, and their venue suffers, they will eventually come running back. It's happened to me before at a few local spots, trust me.

Got any comments? Leave them below...


Next time, I'll be moaning about shit DJ booths, and venues who don't take care of their equipment. Apparently 1210s make good drinks holders now...who knew?

Take care, and remember not to take any requests, even if "they're about to leave".

Why I Hate The University Scene & Their 10+ DJ Lineups

The above image pretty much sums up these Urban events within the Uni scene...

I've done my fair share of student gigs over the years... Matter of fact, when I was first starting out a majority of my gigs were on-campus events.

If you're on the come up they're a great way to tap into your local scene and develop a fanbase, particularly if it's a weekly event. However, there are a number of things about them that really do piss me off from time to time.

Now, when I first started doing them there weren't as many DJs around; Back then it was just vinyl, CDJs weren't as commonly used, and you really had to prove your worth in order to get a spot at these events. However that has now changed and there are a million and one Uni DJs fighting for a spot...and of course they're all willing to play for peanuts.

Most of these guys really only do it because it's an image thing. They like the idea of linking girls at the rave and being able to strut around on campus saying "I'm a DJ" as if it gives them some kind of magical position within their university's social hierarchy.

Now, I have respect for people who graft hard to make it in this game. It's a tough world. Even more so now everyone rocks Serato. But if you're one of those Uni DJs who will happily travel from London to Nottingham, or Essex to Milton Keynes just for £50, then you're playing yourself. You are making no money whatsoever, and because the Uni scene is quite insular, that's really the only circle you're really going to move within if you're playing for that amount of money.

I've also found that the standard of DJ-ing is really low at these events. I've heard too many clangs to count, clashing vocals, and more YouTube rips than you can shake a stick at. If you don't aspire to do bigger things or work hard to perfect your craft, you won't be taken seriously, and you certainly won't be able to turn this into a proper career...unless you're just happy pretending to look like a don on social network sites with your laptops and Beats By Dre headphones.

One of the other main things that annoys me are the promoters who insist on booking 10+ DJs for their event. Why the fuck would you want to try and cram 10 DJs into pretty much one room for the space of 5 hours? It makes no sense. It's bad enough having to do the dreaded "Serato Swap Over" with just one other DJ, let alone a whole platoon of them. It becomes even more of a clusterfuck if they're using Traktor, Virtual DJ, or a MIDI controller. By the time you've changed over, you're lucky if you get 20 minutes before you then have to change over with the other DJ.

Because they're all so desperate to prove their worth, they all resort to playing the same fucking songs as everyone else. I swear the last time I went to a Uni rave I heard "Oliver Twist", "N***as In Paris", "Mercy" and that "Watch Me Do My Azonto" tune about 5 times each. 5 TIMES, MAN!

Hardly any of them specialise in a particular genre, so they all call themselves a "multi genre DJ", and pretty much play anything and everything under the sun in order to get that booking. Being versatile is a necessity, but please do it in a way that doesn't make you look like the a Mobile Disco.

If you're a promoter, and you're under the impression that all 10 DJs are going to bring a massive crowd with them, just to see them play for 30 minutes, then you are clearly mistaken. On campus, maybe... Out of town, let alone another county? Highly doubtful. I'm yet to see one uni DJ turn up from out of town with a whole army of fans in tow.

My advice to Uni scene promoters? Take that £500 you'd spend on (shit) entertainment, book three solid local DJs for £150 each, and then invest the change in flyers, or even dare I say it, a prize for a "like and share" competition on Facebook.

Better still, book two DJs and invest some more cash into a headline DJ or a PA. If it's a midweek event, their manager or booking agent might even do it for a discounted rate, especially if you promise them another booking later down the line...provided your night hasn't flopped.

Also, please give your raves better names than YOLO, Swagga, Overload, etc... There are probably 20 other club nights across the country who use those names. Also invest in a decent graphic designer, who will not use the standard stock template that I posted above. No one wants to see Ashanti, Drake, or any other generic woman on the flyer.

Next time, I will be be moaning about the rise of the £50 DJ, and how they are fucking up the scene.

Take care, and remember not to take any requests. Even if it is their birthday.