Another craigslist laugher!

SoftJock Rick said:

Hey Mix,

Why is it that your "partner" is always making "great points", and doing all the gigs -- and all you do is take blurry pics with an expensive camera, that apparently fell off a truck by accident...?

Perhaps you might consider having a blog like Perez Hilton, or maybe even a talk show...

Just my thoughts

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Ricky...
your comment is so WRONG....

yet so RIGHT!

so mix what this so called AD online whats the website location

or cant you work out how to read a url ?

I'm not inclined to read an entire thread pertaining to Craigslist but, I defy anyone to explain in a field where GTD Audio tops the wishlist of self proclaimed pros that there is any meaningful margin of expectation that differentiates Craigslist from those throwing the stones.

I see no reason a person shouldn't be able to profit at $25 /hr using the very same standards most here already employ with egotistical impunity.

MIXMASTERMACHOM said:

How's about paying for the gear you've invested thousands of dollars in. It's one thing if your complete system cost you $1,500.00. I wouldn't suggest that a truly high quality professional system cost $1,500.00. That's just something to get by with.

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Gear is not an investment - it's called a "sunk cost" and it reoccurs at the end of it's economic life cycle. Your gear never appreciates in value - thus, no investment. It is only a factor in total income across the entirety of it's economic life (a period that may be as long as 10 years) and unless you have reliable projections on future bookings and income for that period - you can't properly tell me what your per gig equipment expense will be. That is especially true since you will continue to need new or different equipment as each new job comes up and your role evolves. The driving force here is not the tools - it's the laborer.

The present value for business analysis of your gear is a function of the income produced during it's life - and that value on day one is (for analysis purposes) much higher than what you paid out. Thus, for value analysis you are actually already richer as soon as you buy it.

However, since we are talking about DJs - we can essentially consider the gear worthless since until you actually stand behind it and use it - it is capable of producing no income at all. Therefore, like the carpenter who needs his own hammer - the only real qualitative input you have is your own labor.

Now down to brass tacks. The gear is irrelevant, and you should not even be bothering with it. Instead, I suggest you seek out and solicit bars and clubs that already have their own gear installed. If they have their own music service even better. If the venue does not have it's own gear then it is not at all serious about integrating Dj entertainment into it's food & beverage sales. If they have no investment in it - then neither should you. Move on to someone who is as committed to the Dj model as you are.

I began as a club DJ and didn't actually own any gear for like the first 3 years. All the clubs had permanently installed systems. Many had their own music service or paid DJs like me to purchase and maintain one for them. At $25 /hr you'll be making 5 times what the waitress is and she's working a whole lot harder than you are! You walk in, turn on the power button, play for a while then shut it off and go home. No gear, no music to buy - just your DJ talent being developed and sold. If you're good that $25 will grow into $45 /hr and and you could be making around $50k a year without owning a single speaker. How's that for a retirement plan?

$25 an hour is more than I can make at Micky D's.... wonder if they still need a DJ?

MIXMASTERMACHOM said:

Performance when I'm talking about an investment I mean having really good professional gear to work with. Gear that will sound great, look good and don't have to worry about the gear breaking down at an event. That in return gets people to like and respect what I do which should lead to nice paying gigs.

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That kind of "investment" is worthless if you don't have the resources to actualize it. In order words - no matter how good you look with a hammer it all comes down to quality of your craftsmanship and ability to locate work of value.

If you don't have the resources to acquire that kind of gear then you need to be either working for someone else or soliciting venues that do have those resources. If you do have such gear then realize that even the best gear can not compensate for bad decision making. Thus, you have to honestly assess your resources in that area and again take the necessary steps or collaborate with people who are more resourceful.

... what some bars have for equipment is pure garbage and can make you look bad.

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Not true. I've worked with plenty of gear that put limitations on what I could do. I have yet to find a piece of gear that can actually make me look bad.
If I "look bad" then I will be doing that all on my own.

Let me ask you something: Who is "we?" When you say "we" have a gig and then go on to mention expectations from the first person "I" there is a problem.

..cover for the other DJ...
We are getting paid..
The gear we use...
..girlfriend is setting this up..

These are all instances of the power being in someones else's hands and inconsistent with statements like:

I want ...
My aim...

You're not going to get what you want or realize your aim until you face the reality of what you have control over and work exclusively with that.