Bar & Club Jukebox is better then the DJ.

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Macho Man:

Some of us have worked bars for many years. I especially like TT bars, because I can walk out with $300-500 in cash for a few hours work (the gals tip you a percentage of their earnings).

As has been mentioned elsewhere, you cannot rely on the owner to pay you anything but a minimum. You have to hustle, work the crowd, and take care of the gals.
I was talking about what a owner/manager pays a DJ in a bar. Not about such a bar where women will tip the DJ and you get to make extra money on top of what the bar is paying the DJ. I don't care how much money i could make in one of those types of bars. I won't be there because i don't go to such places period. There's nothing there for me. Personally i just can't see myself giving away my money and getting nothing in return other then maybe a lap dance getting me all excited and i can't do anything else unless i pay for it. You keep going to such places if you like.

Me i haven't been one of those places in years. That stuff doesn't excite me any more. It's boring to me. For me i got better things to do with my money then to give it away to someone i don't care nothing about and she doesn't care about me. One really good movie though was The Players Club.

Nothing wrong with it if that's what you like. It's just not for me. I can make me some money in other ways as a DJ.
 
Ok now. With us all having such fun on here. What about the DJ who feels he's getting a pay doing private events making $300.00-$400.00 at each event. How many think that's fair and how many say that this DJ should be charging a whole lot more and is hurting this business? What is your take on this?
 
I don't worry about what others get paid.... It's not hurting my business... And my profits have even increased because those that book with me see the value despite having cheaper djs available.

The ones booking cheaper DJs are not my clients unless I can sell them on my value they will always go cheaper... And that's fine I will still book at my rates with the right client.
 
Ok now. With us all having such fun on here. What about the DJ who feels he's getting a pay doing private events making $300.00-$400.00 at each event. How many think that's fair and how many say that this DJ should be charging a whole lot more and is hurting this business? What is your take on this?

If the DJ is worth just $100 and charges $100, I'm fine with it.

If the DJ is worth just $300 and charges $300, I'm fine with it.

If the DJ has a website with pictures from events that he didn't do and bitches about other DJs that charge $300 when he's probably worth that much too, I start to have a problem with it. Not because he's cutting into my business (he isn't), but because he's trying to sell a level of service that he simply can't provide. I'm a big fan of truth-in-advertising, and I'm very much upfront with my clients in regards to what I can provide for them.

P.S. - One really good movie was "Tommy Boy".
 
I was talking about what a owner/manager pays a DJ in a bar. Not about such a bar where women will tip the DJ and you get to make extra money on top of what the bar is paying the DJ. I don't care how much money i could make in one of those types of bars. I won't be there because i don't go to such places period. There's nothing there for me. Personally i just can't see myself giving away my money and getting nothing in return other then maybe a lap dance getting me all excited and i can't do anything else unless i pay for it. You keep going to such places if you like.


Macho Man:

I was attempting to explain to you how to make money in such a place -- but you continue to add layers of brick to your wall... :rolleyes:
 
Softjock you missed what I said and that is you keep that kind of bar for you to be the DJ. Those places aren't for me period. Like I said I haven't been in one of those places in years and don't have any intentions of going to such a place. I don't care how much the owner was willing to pay me.
 
If the DJ is worth just $100 and charges $100, I'm fine with it.

If the DJ is worth just $300 and charges $300, I'm fine with it.

If the DJ has a website with pictures from events that he didn't do and *****es about other DJs that charge $300 when he's probably worth that much too, I start to have a problem with it. Not because he's cutting into my business (he isn't), but because he's trying to sell a level of service that he simply can't provide. I'm a big fan of truth-in-advertising, and I'm very much upfront with my clients in regards to what I can provide for them.

P.S. - One really good movie was "Tommy Boy".
B Sharp that is one of the most intelligent post i've ever seen on a DJ forum! I loved it. You nailed it on the head.

Now with that said i had someone say to me that don't you need a certain amount of gear for people to see to get them to think of you as a DJ. Most on here know that it's not just about the gear you use but if you know what do with it and make people happy.

What i've seen happen is a 2 edge sword. Being able to DJ with a computer is great. So don't take this the wrong way because i use a computer. The problem i see around here is that what some have done is to see someone DJing with a computer and say to themselves that looks easy. So they get a DJ software program, some music (and i don't care if they pay for it or not), take the laptop they already have (which most people today have a labtop), get a controller and some powered speakers. They think that this will be a easy quick way to make some cash and become famous. They don't know about the hard work and dedication it takes to be a really good DJ and make some really good money at DJing.

Then a lot of those DJ's to get gigs will undercut another DJ in price. That doesn't always that it's a cheap price they are giving. It could be say one DJ chjarging $895.00 and another DJ saying they will do it for $200.00 just so they can get the gig. Since we're not talking about either one of these DJ's being cheap, what really hurts if both are top notch DJ's. If the charging less sucks. Eventually the word will get spread around not to book that DJ.

The other thing i've seen happen is a potential client who is looking to book a DJ will tell said DJ that they just finished talking to another that quoted them a price. Then they will ask this DJ can they do it for less. Now some potential clients are just out right lying just to see if the DJ will do it for a much lower price. Some will say yes just so they can win a gig juust to say they are staying busy. So they do that not looking to change. All they get to see is that they are working putting some money in their pocket. And to end this like you said it's really sad when a DJ charges a whole lot less then what they are really worth. Not what they think they are worth but what they are really worth.
 
"This guy said.. another Dj told me... I heard from the boss... this manager claims... He told me... and people at the party said..."

Every bit of information you claim to have is pure rumor.

Do you have any first-hand knowledge or facts with which you can actually run the kind of business you keep speculating about? If you want a predictable steady source of business you need to be something other than 2 days late and 5 pages behind the last guy. If you keep following the smoke trails then these burnt-out dives is all you're ever going to find. Take a detour and find the less beaten path.
 
Every bit of information you claim to have is pure rumor.

Do you have any first-hand knowledge or facts with which you can actually run the kind of business you keep speculating about? If you want a predictable steady source of business you need to be something other than 2 days late and 5 pages behind the last guy. If you keep following the smoke trails then these burnt-out dives is all you're ever going to find. Take a detour and find the less beaten path.
You're saying this place is a dive and all i can keep doing is playing in dives like this. That's where you're wrong. This place is not a dive. It's really a nice place. Very friendly peaceful place. Small place though. A dive to me today is a place where you're playing to a rough crowd where you may not make it out alive or you have to watch out for a fight that might break out.

I do understand why you said what you did. You based this because of how much the bar will pay a DJ. $150.00 is what most bars will pay. Some will pay even less around here because DJ's around here come a dime a dozen. So if one DJ won't work for the price a bar is willing to pay another will. Another good thing about this bar is that none of the DJ's who have ever played there have had an issue with getting paid. I might get the call for this Thursday to come there and do classic soul night as my friend has another gig to do that night. If the DJ who works there on Saturday's doesn't do it, the manager will call me.

That DJ is really good but classic soul that the patrons would want to hear that night is not really his thing. He works there so he'll probably get to do it.
 
You're saying this place is a dive and all i can keep doing is playing in dives like this. That's where you're wrong. This place is not a dive. It's really a nice place. Very friendly peaceful place. Small place though. A dive to me today is a place where you're playing to a rough crowd where you may not make it out alive or you have to watch out for a fight that might break out.

I do understand why you said what you did. You based this because of how much the bar will pay a DJ. $150.00 is what most bars will pay. Some will pay even less around here because DJ's around here come a dime a dozen. So if one DJ won't work for the price a bar is willing to pay another will. Another good thing about this bar is that none of the DJ's who have ever played there have had an issue with getting paid. I might get the call for this Thursday to come there and do classic soul night as my friend has another gig to do that night. If the DJ who works there on Saturday's doesn't do it, the manager will call me.

That DJ is really good but classic soul that the patrons would want to hear that night is not really his thing. He works there so he'll probably get to do it.

I'm not thinking at all about the venue..

I'm noting that every piece of information you are making decisions with comes from hearsay.. the rumor mill and other people's assessments of what is going on. It's NOT reliable.

You weren't there to evaluate the issues for your self and the manager is a self interested party - you have no reason to believe that his perceptions are in any way parallel to yours. You're not running a bar - you're a disc-jockey and need to stop "saving the day" like your some kind of super hero to all these venues.

Focus on YOUR job not theirs. You're best interest is not in these places.. if it were you wouldn't have so many stories to tell.
 
I'm not thinking at all about the venue..

I'm noting that every piece of information you are making decisions with comes from hearsay.. the rumor mill and other people's assessments of what is going on. It's NOT reliable.

You weren't there to evaluate the issues for your self and the manager is a self interested party - you have no reason to believe that his perceptions are in any way parallel to yours. You're not running a bar - you're a disc-jockey and need to stop "saving the day" like your some kind of super hero to all these venues.

Focus on YOUR job not theirs. You're best interest is not in these places.. if it were you wouldn't have so many stories to tell.
Performance you've got me figured wrong. I mentioned very early on that i'm not into chasing bar gigs any more. The manager of this bar happened to call me to see if i would come there to play and since i wasn't booked that day i said yes. Just like i'm going back there this coming Saturday since i don't have a gig booked. Last Saturday we did a grad party and the Saturday before that i was at this bar.

I know for some on here they wouldn't dare do a bar gig but for me since i like this particular bar and if i'm not booked, then why not go and play at this bar? Let me say i like this bar for 3 big reasons! You don't have to build up a crowd. They already have a crowd of people who come there and a lot of them are regulars. Next it's a friendly peaceful place where i don't have to worry if i'm going to make it out of there alive or not. Trust me there are places that if they said they would pay 1k i wouldn't even go any where near. The third reason i like the place is because you don't have people coming up to you every five minutes trying to tell you how to do your job. People will come up at times and ask can you play a certain song. Most are very respectful and if you don't have a certain song will understand and just keep partying.

Lastly as for the pay of $150.00 like i said before i don't go in to this bar because it's about the money. Yes i do expect and will get paid but that's not my biggest reason for going to play in this bar. I do it because i like the place and the people who come there and i never know when someone there may come there and decide they like what i do and want to book me to do a private event.
 
I don't drink.


I pity you -- you wake up in the morning, and that's the best yer gonna feel all day :sqlaugh:

All the people I've met during my 54 years, that say they don't drink are either:

a) Reformed alcoholics, who sneak a little on the side.
b) On drugs which are better than alcohol.
c) Have met Jesus.

If you've met Jesus, could you ask him to send me $15,000, and a bottle of JD...? I would be most appreciative of his gift to me :)
 
Nah Ricky ;)



You should start :D:D:D:D:D:D:D
You do it for me. I'm a recovering addict. And why should i start to drink? Is it because you drink? What's the big deal about drinking? Been there done that. You don't have your head on straight once you get drunk and people don't know what the hell you're talking about. Hell you don't know what you're talking about and the words are coming out of your mouth.
 
You do it for me. I'm a recovering addict. And why should i start to drink? Is it because you drink? What's the big deal about drinking? Been there done that. You don't have your head on straight once you get drunk and people don't know what the hell you're talking about. Hell you don't know what you're talking about and the words are coming out of your mouth.


Ahhh, I figured you were an a)... ;)
 
You do it for me. I'm a recovering addict. And why should i start to drink? Is it because you drink? What's the big deal about drinking? Been there done that. You don't have your head on straight once you get drunk and people don't know what the hell you're talking about. Hell you don't know what you're talking about and the words are coming out of your mouth.
That's the advantage of being a cornoer I know exactly what happens.