I TAKE THE GIG? So how do we, as a DJ community, look at this from a business angle? RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!!
Like King Arthur when under attack at the castle in the Monty Python ‘Holy Grail’ film, you could just run away from the gig, steer clear, or not accept it. But why would you consider turning it down? Some would argue that you risk damaging your well-earned reputation by taking on a gig that you feel ill-equipped for. If it falls flat because you get it wrong, you will be responsible for ruining somebody’s special occasion.
You will tarnish your business, risk bad reviews, and further sully the reputation of DJs in general, adding to the stigma that “they’re all just button pushers with no talent and they don’t care” . Then of course, if you’re older like me, you may be of the opinion the charts are rubbish! Why would anyone want to listen to that garbage? Besides, they’ll all be on their phones all night anyway!
There’s value in some of these points. You’re only as good as your last gig, and if it bombs that poor review will be the only one that stands out amongst the countless positive ones, mud sticks! Do you want to be the DJ who, rather than spreads a great reputation by word of mouth, has ‘don’t book them, totally clueless’ mentioned next to their name? BUT I’VE ALREADY ACCEPTED THE GIG!
However, in this particular case, the gig had already been accepted. What do you do then? You could cancel, but wait, that could also put a dent in your reputation. My advice: don’t cancel unless you absolutely have to.
Instead, it’s time to get busy. Save your reputation, and the night. Zero to hero is easier than you think, here’s my top tips for turning this gig around: 1. Look beyond the headline!
Yes, it’s a 21st birthday but do you think that only younger people will be there? They have older relatives you know. The party boy or girl grew up in a house listening to their parent’s music, they don’t just know new music, they’ll belt out ‘Wonderwall’ after a few sherbets just as loud as Uncle Dave and his mates! 2.
Do your prep! I know that I mention it in nearly every article I write, but it really is important! Make a phone call. In this instance the gig was a week away.
Use this call to your advantage. “Hi, it’s the DJ, just confirming with you that I’m ready for next week, really looking forward to it.” Suddenly, that is customer care, you are showing them some love, they’re halfway to giving you a decent review already. “Whilst I’m on the phone, are there any particular tracks or artists that you really want playing?” Or “Which radio stations do you listen to most?” (A bit of internet research of that station will reveal their playlists.) This should provide you with a massive wealth of information.
Don’t rely on what other DJs have played at similar parties, each occasion and crowd is unique. Use playlists from others as a guide, don’t take it as gospel. If the party booker loves heavy metal they’re not going to love Macarena! 3.
Based on the information you gather from the call, put together a Spotify or Deezer playlist, send it to them and ask them to edit it. This can be absolute gold! 4. Go to your preferred music supplier, there are countless options.
Many (including Mastermix, which I produce mixes for) have filters for eras, or collections and mixes aimed at certain occasions. A valuable resource! Don’t dismiss the mixes, even if you don’t want to play them, they may well provide you with a very decent idea of tracks to play in full. 5.
Do your job as a DJ! Read the crowd. You’ve garnered the information from the client, you’ve prepared the tracks, look who is there, second guess them, what will they dance to? This is what we are paid to do, entertain, and look like you’re having fun too!
It’s not like the old vinyl days where you were limited to how many cases of records you could bring. It’s now all stored in a hard drive on your laptop, you have access to more music than was imaginable 30 years ago, you can cover all bases! I appreciate it is a minefield, with many variables to consider. But, whilst no tips are foolproof, hopefully some of these ideas will help you make your night a success if you have a similar situation.
Then, after the event, review it with the client, all feedback helps. And on that subject, I think it’s worth mentioning some knowledge classes that are available from other DJs to help you hone your skills. Euan Bass gave a great presentation about gaining a ‘6 Star Review’ with some really amazing attention to detail that I found incredibly valuable at the recent Pro Mobile Focus event. If you get the chance to see Euan’s presentation, I’d definitely recommend it.
Hopefully, if you take on a booking outside of your comfort zone, these tips will help you to save the day, deliver a memorable party and learn from the experience. However, if you take away nothing else from reading this article, remember – always – the keyword: PREPARATION is everything!
