So do you think it's right, or totally wrong?

Yes, allowed. It's a privelege. Unless you're telling me you are much much better then the million other DJs who'll take the gig and sell tickets to get paid, why should you be chosen over them?


Tea sprayed!

Buckley, are you John Duckett in disguise?

That comment completely devalues the role of a DJ, and ultimately devalues the night. No longer is it about music. No longer is it about going out all the way and pulling out all the stops to create a popular night (no need !!). Its totally about selling tickets. Sell tickets, you play, don't sell tickets you don't play. A DJs credibility is no longer based on how well he or she handles the dance floor and delivers a great sound track to the night, but upon how many people he or she can convince to buy a ticket in advance and upfront. 6 DJs at 25 tickets per DJ = 150 people - job done - room full - who needs to promote ?? No need !!

Agreed, hence why i think it's very wrong.

The good old days when Djs used to be booked based on the good skills are over! All the clubs want is people to bring a crowd, sell tickets and dont care if you cant put a mix together as long u can bring the dosh! its a load of bulls! Unless of course you start producing and you get your name out there then things change.... I agree, a DJ should be booked for good skills not on ticket sales!

Nah, if I still promoted and asked unknown DJs to sell tickets you'd know exactly what the deal was, you choose to take it or not and I would honour the agreement to the letter. Ergo, entirely different to everyone's favourite scamster.

DJing IS devalued in the digitial age. Any numpty can download tracks and beatmatch. That pretty much covers the requirements of a very large percentage of punters.

But skills good enough to keep punters happy are commonplace. How does a promoter choose between the millions of people who'd like to play?

But thats doesn't make a (good) DJ. As you quite rightly point out, anyone can get music and mix, and one can put a mix cd together. But not everyone can perform to a room of complete strangers and keep them interested and dancing, with confidence. Not everyone can read and understand the crowd and deliver a perfect soundtrack to their night. Not everyone can pick and select the right tunes for the right moment. All of that takes skills and experience and hard work.

Yes that does make the job of promotion difficult when you have such a wealth of talent to choose from... my heart bleeds.

The world does not owe DJ's a favour

You can do that, right? Do you think if asked the millions of others DJs, they'd say 'yeah, fair play I can't do that, that bloke deserves the gig ahead of me'?

The differences between you and them are minimal [insert genre based joke here] and things other than you being maybe 1% better then the next DJ are far more valuable to someone trying to fill a club.

Not talking about the world, we're talking about promoters. And no one is expecting favours.

Filling a room with a DJs mates is not promoting a night. Its not success. Its fucking easy work. No effort required other than to book DJs who sell tickets. Piece of piss. Anyone who does this and calls themselves a promoter should be ashamed

If this is you, you're not a promoter, you're a "BabyBoxer"

Thats the new name for people who claim to be promoting a night but are in fact booking DJs who can sell tickets to mates

"BabyBoxers"

It has a lot to do with supply and demand... Anyone with could think they are a DJ - there is no longer the cost involved of vinyl and decks - there isn't even the need for beat matching with Ableton. Therefore there are more DJ's than club nights.

Why would a promoter book Billy no mates to play a warmup to an empty room over DJ Sociable mates who is just as good but has brought 10-15 mates with him?

This works well until the DJ finishes and all the friends clear out!

There are too many Dj's nowadays the scene has become saturated. Many can simply mix but dont hold all the attributes to be a 'superstar'. Therefore to get a booking their putting their own night on so themselves and their mates can have a set. Makes for a badly organised night and a crap array of talent. Seems to be the common thing though and another problem besides the main point.

There is a big difference between a DJ bringing 10 - 15 mates with him, and a DJ being told he's got to sell a minimum of 20 tickets in order to play

Quite like that. Good skills.

Taking MoS as an example though: they book big names and take the risk on getting the lion's share of the club filled. They've got a room that they can put some other DJs on in and they are willing to let you use it, put you on flyers with big names and to most punters, who have no idea how it all works, you've been given a gig a MoS!

How can you possibly be getting a raw deal?

You wanna explain this a little more, especially the badly organised party...?

Splitting hairs.