Want to get Gigs? A Sound Guide for DJs

WANT TO GET GIGS?

A SOUND GUIDE FOR DJs

DJ-ing has risen from being the preserve of cheesy radio jocks and Dave Decks Mobile Disco 15 years ago to the point where turntables now outsell guitars and iPods are used as turntables. With so much competition, you've got to be good to get anywhere. Like any performer, you're going to have to dedicate yourself to the art.

PREPARATION

A good idea is to produce a Demo Mix of one of your sets. This should preferably be on CD. The mix can have two uses; you can listen to it and judge your progress, and you can use it to show off your skills and give a feel of your music to potential employers.

Remember that promoters and agents are constantly deluged with mixes, so make sure your mix stands out. Most industry people will be bored of hearing the big tunes of the moment, so include new and / or different records you've unearthed, and maybe even a couple of classics. This will help show your original thinking and dedication to the music. Regularly visit your local record shop, and use it as a place to meet people and network. Build up a relationship with the staff - they'll respect you if you be yourself and know what you really like. Buy from them regularly and you'll feel the benefit of getting rare gems that nobody else will have, as well as getting a nifty discount. Your demo probably won't be listened to all the way through, so make sure something interesting happens early on. Don't worry if it's not perfect - you should be your own worst critic, and nothing will (or should ever) be good enough for you. Just play your music the way you believe it should be played.

Once you're satisfied with your tape, you need to figure out where to send it. The obvious place to start is bars and clubs that you've been to and liked. Competition in the city centre is fierce, so investigate out-of-town areas as well. You can also often tell from a venue's fliers and posters what their music policy is like - if you see something that looks promising go and check it out before you send anything. You risk wasting everybody's time if your music isn't appropriate. Also make sure you get the promoter / owner's name and that your demo includes a track-listing, covering letter, CV, any relevant press clippings, and most, important, your contact details. Put them ON THE DEMO/DISC as well as on the case.

DJ-ING IN BARS

A bar or pub is likely to be your first gig. Many of the bars in Liverpool City Centre are owned by big breweries or property companies who need to bring in a lot of punters to make a profit, so the music (and the DJ) are vital to this. Consider adapting your demo to suit different venues, even if the music isn't exactly your taste - work experience is vital if you want to get some of the bigger gigs around. Contacts are essential if you're going to get ahead. The local club scene can is something of a closed shop, so get out there and make yourself known by attending the venues, clubs and bars that the industry does business in. A bar job will give you opportunities to meet promoters and other DJs as well as a useful bargaining chip when looking for work at bigger venues.

The pressure on the bar manager to turn a profit is immense. As a result they may try and dictate what you play. How you take such demands depends on how much of a purist you are, but it might be worth compromising if it means keeping the job, but it wholly depends on what your motivation to work in the industry is. Be open to constructive criticism, and talk and listen to everyone you meet - you will get better because of it, develop much faster and make a whole lot more contacts. Have an open minded, friendly approach to the music, the industry and the people you meet, and DEFINITELY display ambition, passion and a willingness to learn.

DJ-ING IN CLUBS

Contacts. Contacts. You cannot overstate how much getting gigs in clubs relies on networking, contacts and personal relationships. Of course, you need to be technically good, knowledgeable about your music and be able to keep the crowd happy as well, but you'll still need a way into the network. Hopefully you'll have built some up contacts doing your bar work, as well as getting yourself a bit of a name through distributing your demos. You must continually expand and maintain your contacts; especially the promoters from the clubs you want to play in. Get to know people informally, be relaxed and yourself and you'll make progress at a much faster rate. Promoters get harassed by everyone, so informally befriend them and impress them with your relaxed yet ambitious attitude. Be prepared to do anything to get a gig: hand out fliers, put up posters, collect glasses, run the guest list... anything that you can do to show you can work in the industry, and that you're willing to put in to get out.

Warm-up sets. It is guaranteed that your first gig won't be the main slot. You will most probably be warming up, which means exactly that. However, that doesn't mean it's worthless. The warm-up set is arguably the most important set of the night. It is your chance to stamp your mark on the event, the crowd and the promoters. Don't hammer all the big tunes at 10 o'clock to an empty room, it sounds terrible and you'll just annoy everyone. Start nice and gently and build things up steadily, showing that you can control yourself and the music and set the right tone for the rest of the party. What you can do to impress is bring as many mates along as you can. It gives the club the chance to sell a few drinks in the normally quiet early times and you'll have a bit of a crowd to work with. This is crucial, as promoters only care about two things: the right atmosphere, and how many people they can get in.

STARTING YOUR OWN NIGHT

This could be the answer if there are no clubs playing your kind of music. But beware! Club nights come and go all the time, the failure rate is frightening and the risks significant. Even the successful ones generally have a short shelf life. If you're lucky and dedicated you could become very rich. If you're unlucky and dedicated, you'll spend an awful lot of time and money and get yourself into debt.

Is it viable? Before you begin, find out if your night can work. You might love your music, but how many other people do? Who will be your competitors? What venues are available?

The right venue. Don't start too big. Bear in mind factors like the kind of crowd you're trying to attract, the price of the drinks, security, sound system, licenses and closing times, what nights they already have, how successful they are, and the location. It's best to start small and see if you can attract a reasonable number of punters. If all goes well, you can steadily expand over time. The key is to get your mates involved: if you know plenty of people, and they are also into your music, starting your own night will be easier as you have a ready made crowd and atmosphere to expand on. 'Chibuku Shake Shake' first started with around 50 friends and a budget of £40 in the Lemon Lounge, now they are Mixmag's 'Club of the Year'! Keep an eye on niches that you can fill, the most important one being not putting on a party the same night as something much bigger and well known than yours. You will only lose money, and hurt your reputation into the bargain.

Getting started and keeping going. Promote your night as widely as possible through every available means; fliers, posters, word of mouth, local press and listings magazines, including online ones like Liverpool's www.gigwise.com and Live Magazine. Don't blow your entire budget on pushing the first night. You'll lose money so have plans for subsequent parties. At the very most you should be looking at fortnightly events, as weekly parties in Liverpool are just too frequent and you'll end up saturating the clubbing community and losing money. Keep costs as low as possible, but don't compromise on quality. Printed fliers and posters are expensive, so get people to sign up for e-mail lists or mobile phone text alerts. Word of mouth is a tool to make the most of - it costs nothing and people are more likely to follow a recommendation from someone they know. Try and pinpoint people who can spread the gospel for you, such as local journalists and record shop staff. Convince them of your unique selling point - you need to be different to stand out. Make sure all your friends come and bring all their friends. Keep the door tax down to a couple of quid or even nothing at all, until you've got a reputation and a full dance floor. However, it must be said that the first night is the biggest advertisement of all.

Things may take time to get going, so don't be disappointed if it's not rammed on the first night. Cream are said to have started with forty people on the first week and a hundred on the second. They had to wait before they started getting their now legendary full house. But remember, everything has its shelf life. Take nothing for granted in the dance music industry.

Flyers. If you've got the resources, you can make use of this classic promotion technique. Try to produce a professional looking design that stands out from the rest. Don't copy, but be original. A strong logo helps, as does emphasising what makes you unique. Shop around for the best deal and check the quality of the printer's previous work before parting with your cash. Make sure the fliers are placed in all the usual outlets like record shops, bars, cafes, and around the Universities. You can, if you want to save yourself the legwork and use organizations like Another Late Night have who have professionals who'll distribute them for you for a set price.

General tips

Garlands promoter Huey gives the following advice to DJs starting out:

"Buy good records, Boy George is a fantastic example. When he started out everyone laughed at him because he couldn't mix, but he used to play records he absolutely loved. He was playing party records and the crowds loved them. He could get and sustain a crowd with his music and they didn't care about his mixing. Over time he learnt to mix."

"Always think about what time of the night you are playing and the state of mind of the crowd. For example people just walking into the club aren't ready to dance straight away they want to put their coat in, buy a drink and find the spot where they want to be for the night. You want to be coaxing people into dancing."

"I always try and make sure people are never more than two or three records away from something they know. Having said that, I will not play a full set of crowd pleasers. Make sure if you are playing a new record and the crowd are starting to get bored they know something they'll like is coming up soon."

Resources

'How to DJ (Properly)' by Bill Brewster & Frank Broughton (2002, Bantam Press London)

'Altered States' by Matthew Collin (1998, Serpents Tail London)

Record Shops

Phase Records 0151 709 9699 / www.phaserecords.co.uk

Bold Street Records 0151 709 0052

Essence Records 0151 738 0910

Gravy Train 0151 639 0371

Hairy Records 0151 709 3121

In The Hood 0151 625 7063

Kaleidoscope Records 01744 454 190

Probe Records 0151 708 8815

Quirks Records 0151 924 9481

Skeleton Records 0151 653 9003

Xfade Records 0151 255 1808

Zoomba Records 01704 500 221

DJ Schools

First Bass DJ School, 0151 707 6661: DJ School, run by Ian Redman (Ultrabeat). Ideal for those just starting to learn how to DJ. Block lessons on all technical aspects of DJing with prices start from £25 per 1-hour lesson. Demo mix recording also available.

Although you're probably well beyond the beginner stage, you might want to update your skills. For a DJ skills crash course, look at www.musiceverything.com/djskills_crash.html

For a general DJ-ing site with links to training, software and decks, try www.djschools.co.uk/

Computer Programs

Wavelab by Steinberg (www.steinberg.net ): This simple to use program will allow you to record your demo mixes directly into your computer, for burning onto CD.

Ahead 'Nero' Burning Rom (www.nero.com/nero8 ): This readily available program allows you to burn your demo mixes onto CD after you have recorded them.

Magazines

Mixmag: The world's most widely circulated dance culture magazine.

IDJ Magazine: DJ - specific dance music magazine. Includes 'Reader Mixes' competition and record reviews


SOUND GUIDE SERIES:

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Henry Street

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