How to aquire a gig?

[Gelo]

Title pretty much says it all

but ye just wondering how a Uni student can acquire a Venue Gig.

[Mitch]

well firstly needa get some experience doing some other house gigs and stuff i reckon, to get some experience reading crowds etc.

You also need to know your way around a club setup - i.e. pioneer cdjs + mixer.

Then a good approach would to go to the club, talk to the owners, and give them a mixtape to listen too and then give it a bit of time before a follow up call.

I dont play venues yet, but its like any job. But your mixtape and your general rep around the place is your resume

[LabRat]

being a uni student, do you have a uni tav or uni parties or something? that would be a great place to start

[Skank]

Get a,mixtape together then sendit to promoters on facebook of venues u wanna play at

[JonnyB]

become friends with promoters seeing as your in sydney, add a guy called Sasha Skulrud he is basically the second in command at candy's apartment, just start talking to him about djing and getting a gig, see how things turn out

[Gelo]

thanks guys been really helpful

[LabRat]

id say get to know the promoters first and then when they ask for a demo give them one. just makes you look like a bit of a top bloke and not really a stereotype - if that makes any sense lol

[Gelo]

id say get to know the promoters first and then when they ask for a demo give them one. just makes you look like a bit of a top bloke and not really a stereotype - if that makes any sense lol

look professional?

[Cupe]

look the part

[fackedd]

yeah talk to your uni bar on campus, thats what i did.

I usually play at the end of semester partys and shit.

So loose, bets gigs too.

[imadje]

id say get to know the promoters first and then when they ask for a demo give them one. just makes you look like a bit of a top bloke and not really a stereotype - if that makes any sense lol

look professional?

i think he means look like a top bloke not just another wannabe with a mixtape in his pocket. promoters get lots of these so pal up before even letting them know what you're after....

I started my own events on midweek nights at venues. The venues were quiet/had nothing on, I would dj for free and get all my mates to come to buy drinks.

got noticed that way and paid gigs followed. learnt a bit about promo doing it a bit myself too.

[Gandy]

pick a venue that you like, then be seen there, alot. Start making casual convo with the resident, get to know the venue manager and go from there. Thing is, there's a lot of ppl who want that top job, and in this industry its a challenge getting places without knowing ppl

[pundaddy]

Get a,mixtape together then sendit to promoters on facebook of venues u wanna play at

This.This.This.

[pundaddy]

become friends with promoters seeing as your in sydney, add a guy called Sasha Skulrud he is basically the second in command at candy's apartment, just start talking to him about djing and getting a gig, see how things turn out

..... and this, sent him a mix about a month ago and now i've got my first city set next month.

[Gandy]

grats pundaddy, sorry didnt read you were sydney promoters def the go by the sounds of it

*southern texas accent* back home here we dont have promoters ya'll just rock up and do ya thang

[LabRat]

This lol

id say get to know the promoters first and then when they ask for a demo give them one. just makes you look like a bit of a top bloke and not really a stereotype - if that makes any sense lol

look professional?

i think he means look like a top bloke not just another wannabe with a mixtape in his pocket. promoters get lots of these so pal up before even letting them know what you're after....

I started my own events on midweek nights at venues. The venues were quiet/had nothing on, I would dj for free and get all my mates to come to buy drinks.

got noticed that way and paid gigs followed. learnt a bit about promo doing it a bit myself too.

[Tomy]

Tomy's fool proof guide to get gigs in clubs

1. Play parties.

- And play a heaps of them for about 2 years or so or until you have a decent following of 18+'s

2. Kiss some arse

- talk to promoters, you dont have to suck their dick just be your self, no one likes a guy talking smack about how wicked he is.

3. Be realistic + your mates

- if your finally asking for a gig. dont be a WHALE. ask for an open set or a close if at all possible and if you get an open dont play every banger and big tune around FFS, bring mates.

4. dj comps + your mates

- bring mates, play good, bring the party.

5. DIY

- if all else fails. start your own night at a club then book out decent headliners and support them. budda bing budda boom you got your self a good rep.

[eggssell]

- talk to promoters, you dont have to suck their dick

oh man now you tell me!!

nice advice tomy

[CapFive]

lol tomy is right on the money, but seriously, like everyone is saying, just try and network... venue djing is all about who you know, not what you can do, its rare that a club owner will give you a job because of what you can do, venue DJ's are seen as promotors to club owners, the more people you can pull in the more money they will make, so get a crowed going on your soundcloud and or facebook/myspace/(insert other gay social networking site here)/google+ and make sure the owners know that you can pull crowds

and ALWAYS i repeat ALWAYS have a fucken mixtape ready to go, and im sorry to it bro, your shit is good, but they dont wanna hear an 8 minute mix, im not taking a shot at you, but club owners wanna hear 30+ mixes, because they arent employing you for 8 min blocks it makes them think you have just taken good chunks out of your sets

[imadje]

Tomy is bang on and covers everything well IMO.

and Caps is right about the length of your mixtape too.

You got the gold now Gelo, Good luck.

[Gelo]

Tomy's fool proof guide to get gigs in clubs

1. Play parties.

- And play a heaps of them for about 2 years or so or until you have a decent following of 18+'s

2. Kiss some arse

- talk to promoters, you dont have to suck their dick just be your self, no one likes a guy talking smack about how wicked he is.

3. Be realistic + your mates

- if your finally asking for a gig. dont be a WHALE. ask for an open set or a close if at all possible and if you get an open dont play every banger and big tune around FFS, bring mates.

4. dj comps + your mates

- bring mates, play good, bring the party.

5. DIY

- if all else fails. start your own night at a club then book out decent headliners and support them. budda bing budda boom you got your self a good rep.

lol tomy is right on the money, but seriously, like everyone is saying, just try and network... venue djing is all about who you know, not what you can do, its rare that a club owner will give you a job because of what you can do, venue DJ's are seen as promotors to club owners, the more people you can pull in the more money they will make, so get a crowed going on your soundcloud and or facebook/myspace/(insert other gay social networking site here)/google+ and make sure the owners know that you can pull crowds

and ALWAYS i repeat ALWAYS have a fucken mixtape ready to go, and im sorry to it bro, your shit is good, but they dont wanna hear an 8 minute mix, im not taking a shot at you, but club owners wanna hear 30+ mixes, because they arent employing you for 8 min blocks it makes them think you have just taken good chunks out of your sets

you guys have been very helpful

how long does a mixtape have to be then?

[pundaddy]

Minimum half an hour, aim for an hour tops.

[imadje]

^start with an attention grabber: either a big hitter or a show of skill.

be sure you show all the skills you have over the course of the mix, but not at the expense of the overall feel.

rem the promoter gets up to 5 of these a day and doesn't have time to listen to them all so you gotta stand out.

rem you are looking for work so play what the venue you want to work in will want to hear.

[eggssell]

i remember reading though that the promoter wont listen to the whole thing anyway, cuz they get plenty and they got plenty to do.

so its the first ten you really got to get them convinced. so no bigg slow growing song at the start else by 5 mins he/ she'll yawn and walk off.

off course once hooked they may have it playout in their office or car and so on.

[Tomy]

mix tape min. 1 hr. i wouldn't even listen to less when i was running nights.

the thought process is on it is if you cant fill an hour on demo how could you play and control a crowd for an hour.