Tips for annual gig with clumsy drunks, possible fights etc

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Huh? I never said I price myself based on what other DJ's charge - but it is helpful to know your market. If all weddings in your area go for 2k .. and you charge 5k simply because you base it on afternoon / crossover / evening, then you'll very likely not be performing much.

I totally agree that gigs are 8 hours by the time you get setup / travel included.

I agree with not pricing yourself to other people's abilities .. but at some level, you have to know your market and your prices will have to fit that market. Pricing outside the market will get few (if any) inquiries and alot less business.

Thank you for explaining this .. and I agree with the logic completely. Making it work for you is another story (the dang stupid market thing again). I also agree that each individual is not a widget or cookie - they are all talent .. and individually talented.
 
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Like Rick and others said, stay off the riser / stage! Those things are nothing but trouble as they ALWAYS attract people that want to strut their stuff, drunk or sober. Also, something that nobody has mentioned but I do, is... Right after you announce your last song and start it, walk over to the venue staff or bartender, tell them that you last song is playing and ask them to slowly start raising the house lights so that they are up by the end of the song. I do this often when I think I'm going to get the "One more song!" people chanting and they have done nothing to deserve my staying past my contracted time. Then IMMEDIATELY when the song ends, take your speakers off their stands so you CAN'T play any more songs.
 
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Like Rick and others said, stay off the riser / stage! Those things are nothing but trouble as they ALWAYS attract people that want to strut their stuff, drunk or sober. Also, something that nobody has mentioned but I do, is... Right after you announce your last song and start it, walk over to the venue staff or bartender, tell them that you last song is playing and ask them to slowly start raising the house lights so that they are up by the end of the song. I do this often when I think I'm going to get the "One more song!" people chanting and they have done nothing to deserve my staying past my contracted time. Then IMMEDIATELY when the song ends, take your speakers off their stands so you CAN'T play any more songs.


Exactly what I do. My wife and I do every event together. Just before the last song I say my thank you and whatever else and then start the song. I then go over to one of the speakers while my wife takes control of the computer. When the songs ends, she shuts down the computer while I take down the speakers. For me, "one more song" = more $$$$. If they want one more song, I want more money.
 
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No offense, but so can an iPod.

I will and do entertain, but I don't babysit. There's too much liability involved. If a fight breaks out or something like that it's up to either the person running the event or the owner of the venue to break it up. If I get involved, then I become liable. Sure, I will try to douse the flames before the fire breaks out, but I am not going to try to stop an altercation that's already in progress.

That's also why I wont do stupid games like these either:

View: http://youtu.be/YsWoxoH7vQQ


View: http://youtu.be/ENUsNxEZX3Q
 
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Like Rick and others said, stay off the riser / stage! Those things are nothing but trouble as they ALWAYS attract people that want to strut their stuff, drunk or sober. Also, something that nobody has mentioned but I do, is... Right after you announce your last song and start it, walk over to the venue staff or bartender, tell them that you last song is playing and ask them to slowly start raising the house lights so that they are up by the end of the song. I do this often when I think I'm going to get the "One more song!" people chanting and they have done nothing to deserve my staying past my contracted time. Then IMMEDIATELY when the song ends, take your speakers off their stands so you CAN'T play any more songs.
I have used this strategy as well. When the house lights start going up, it sends a clear message the event is over.
 
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Huh? I never said I price myself based on what other DJ's charge - but it is helpful to know your market. If all weddings in your area go for 2k .. and you charge 5k simply because you base it on afternoon / crossover / evening, then you'll very likely not be performing much.

Not true - it's a faulty assumption.
My area is loaded with DJs at all levels: $600, $2000, and $5,000 all in the same market. There are customers for all of them.
Don't confuse the predominant $600 customer who happens to balk at a $5000 DJ to mean there are no $5000 customers. There are, but $600 DJs don't know how to find or talk to them.
 
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Bob,

Good conversation - let's keep it up and not turn it into a condescending one.

;)

My area also has various fee's - but those fee's are usually wrapped around how much equipment one will need, how much work required AND how many hours .. after all, the large systems may require many people .. and I'm sure you pay them an hourly rate vs afternoon, crossover or evening. Correct?

FWIW, I never said the 5k DJ doesn't have customers - I only mentioned that the 5k person has less fish in the pool.
 
Back on track. I had a client like this when I was still in KC. It was for a local construction company. After the same crap happened the second year, I doubled my price when they call the third year. When they questioned my why I had doubled the price I told them I needed to hire security and told them why.

They called me a few days later and hired me at 1 1/2 times the previous price with the stipulation that they would have security provided. The CEO left has usual but came back a couple of hours later to see for himself. Same crap as the last two years. He shut the party down, apologized to me, and then left. A few days later I got a note from him with a check for $1,000 and a booking for the next year at double my rate.

I did the event for five more years, until I left KC and never had anymore issues. The first year after I left he called me personally to ask me to come to KC to do the event or a referral. i hooked him up with a friend who has been doing the event since.

Sometimes you just need to let the big dogs know what goes on after they leave.
 
Bob,

Good conversation - let's keep it up and not turn it into a condescending one.

;)

My area also has various fee's - but those fee's are usually wrapped around how much equipment one will need, how much work required AND how many hours .. after all, the large systems may require many people .. and I'm sure you pay them an hourly rate vs afternoon, crossover or evening. Correct?

FWIW, I never said the 5k DJ doesn't have customers - I only mentioned that the 5k person has less fish in the pool.

$5k guys around here are doing up to 300 gigs each year - they are the preferred vendors.
Only truck drivers get paid by the hour - everyone else is paid a flat rate per event with a little extra if travel is involved.
 
Again - I understand and agree.

Also agree with flat rate vs hourly. My point being that your cost for doing a show with 1 or 2 people vs 10 people will be quite different.

If I recall, you're also in a major city .. where it's a little easier to get the big bucks.
 
I'm not going to be nice about my post. I didn't read the whole thing because I was tired half way down.

You said this is an annual event you do. Which means you've done this event before. That also tells me you have seen the same thing happen in previous years. With that said why would you do the gig if you're not happy going in doing the gig?

I get that you're doing it because the gig pays well. Not a problem with that. I just say why put you and your gear through such a thing to begin with? Are there other gigs that you can do around the same time that would be fun for you to do and make some money at the same time? It may not be as much money but you and your gear wouldn't be subject to such a hot mess.
 
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I'm not going to be nice about my post. I didn't read the whole thing because I was tired half way down.

You said this is an annual event you do. Which means you've done this event before. That also tells me you have seen the same thing happen in previous years. With that said why would you do the gig if you're not happy going in doing the gig?

I get that you're doing it because the gig pays well. Not a problem with that. I just say why put you and your gear through such a thing to begin with? Are there other gigs that you can do around the same time that would be fun for you to do and make some money at the same time? It may not be as much money but you and your gear wouldn't be subject to such a hot mess.
This from a guy who is doing a New Years Eve gig from 2 am to 5 am, I gaurantee thats going to be a drunken fiasco, either that or the place will be empty
 
This from a guy who is doing a New Years Eve gig from 2 am to 5 am, I gaurantee thats going to be a drunken fiasco, either that or the place will be empty
No it won't be empty and it's a peaceful place or else I wouldn't be doing it. He has been doing this for a few years now and every time he has done it the same thing keeps happening. This isn't the typical situation for a bar. There are those patrons that love me and what I do. They ask me when is the next time I am playing there. All I know is that no matter how many people are still there I will still be getting paid. As a matter of fact I will take pictures of the time I'm playing to show you and others how the night is for me while I am playing.
 
Isn't there a 2am (sometimes 3am on New Years) closing time for most of Jersey's bars?
 
Isn't there a 2am (sometimes 3am on New Years) closing time for most of Jersey's bars?
It could be like Wisconsin where I am located, on New Years Eve there is no bar time, they don't have to close, back when I was much younger I had a couple of New years where I played from 8 pm to after noon the next day, we went straight from a New Years Eve celebration into a Wisconsin Badger pre-game Rose Bowl tailgate party
 
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CT is too uptight for that ...
 
Isn't there a 2am (sometimes 3am on New Years) closing time for most of Jersey's bars?
Normal closing time is 2am. You stop playing there at 1:30 and that is to get the people out before 2. NYE they allow the bar to stay open till 5.