No Respect for DJs?

[kopper]

OK, this has happened more than once to me. I have gotten invited to more than one garage fest to go and spin/DJ/whatever, but never have I been offered more than a hundred bucks to do this. Now, the money ain't that big of a deal, but if you're talking about an event that's taking place several hundred (or several thousand) miles away, don't you think they should also offer you a round-trip plane ticket to get there? Discounts on drinks/meals/hotel is nice, too, but honestly, the most expensive part about traveling to DJ is airfare. Not only that, but they should also provide you with a friggin' DJ rig there, not expect you to bring your own. I don't feel like having to travel with a mixer, turntables, etc. It's bad enough figuring out how to travel with a bunch of vinyl!

Bands routinely get pretty much any guarantee they require to play, and that includes airfare, hotel accommodations, etc. Bookers will bend over backwards to please bands, but when it comes to DJs, it appears to be a completely different story (yet our names get included on the show posters, too). Am I right?

Just venting. Interested in hearing if anyone else has ever been offered anything better in terms of traveling to DJ at a garage fest.

[erin]

i haven't experienced this same thing exactly, but i DO get the feeling that djs get no respect. i have been on shows here in my hometown and sometimes when it gets advertised the dj gets left off entirely. last nite i dj'ed a show and there was some sort of technical difficulty where there was a loud (very annoying!) hum because of the turntables. the sound guys didn't even try to fix it, they just shrugged and said, "you have do just put up with it." when a friend of mine with some technical know-how walked up to me and looked at the equipment, he said, "sounds like a faulty cable." he even knew which one because of which speaker the hum was coming from. none of the sound guys tried replacing any cables or even took a look at the problem enough to diagnose this rather simple problem. if it were a band having technical issues, it would have been fixed immediately, obviously. but the dj just has to deal with crap sound all nite long...it totally ruined my nite and my experience.

[Ryan Katastrophe]

Well...I guess in my opinion, a DJ isn't going to get anyone to buy a ticket like a band would. DJ's and bands are kind of apples and oranges. I wouldn't take it personal, it's easier to just turn the offer down if it's not doable.

[Zorch Radio]

My last DJ gig was an all day fest (10 hours) in between bands.   I didn't have monitors other than my headphones so I had no idea when the sound guys had turned me off (for soundchecks and junk). They had me set up on a bouncy-ass, plywood stage, which was the same stage that bands were loading their gear onto!  Didn't get paid and the booker/promoter didn't even provide a single drink ticket. I feel you on this one, Kopper.

[Zorch Radio]

Hey check out my next DJ gig.  No mention of my name, radio show, website, or station...  AWESOME!

[Lucky La Rocka]

I guess it all depends on the promoter/organizer putting it on .....i do the annual VLV rockabilly weekend for instance & i get sent a cheque for my DJ services a month BEFORE the event takes place !  

 Any promoter who expects you to bring your own 'equipment' to an overseas gig is SERIOUSLY DELUSIONAL !

[rockabilly madman]

it soubds crazy, i'm also a stagemanager and for me the dj is as importent as the band.

they get a nice dj booth an we check every thing in front of working we also do a small soundcheck and when the dj is ready he"s off.somthimes its the dj who is incompetent because he don't know the materials and than i asked myself what's he doing but you got that with bands also.When i go dj'ing i never take my stuf only a laptop 2 vinyl's and 10 realy vinyls because when you lose your bag whit al your hard to find vinul that sucks or someone drops stuff all over it.

respect the dj 

[John Battles]

i THINK YOU'VE NAILED IT. i HAVE'NT BEEN ASKED TO DJ A BIG FEST , OR ....EVEN A SMALLER ONE , BUT , IT'S ALL ABOUT PLEASING THE BANDS.....i THINK YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER IT'S WORTH THE TRAVEL AND HOTEL EXPENSES. EXPOSURE IS ALWAYS GOOD. iF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SELL , THEY SHOULD LET YOU.....SELLING RECORDS OUT OF YOUR HOTEL ROOM IS A FAVORITE.....BUT , EVERYONE SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR TROUBLE. AS IN ANY GENRE , THE WORST DJS (like , often , the worst bands.) GET THE MOST RESPECT. I KNOW YOU'VE WITNESSED THIS FIRST HAND.....

[John Battles]

We've all had to deal with technical flubs that are not our fault. Sometimes , people are compassionate enough about it. BUT , a lot of people feel entitled. If something goes wrong , their spoiled brat asses start in with the insults , as though they've ever done this. Once , I turned on the soundboard (It should have been on , already) , and it made a painful , deafening screech. It hurt me as much as the people , assembled , there.....However, if I'd shown up ridiculously early , I may have been able to get the bugs out of the system before the drinking crowd showed up. A couple of people got WAY out of line , I let them have it with both barrels. I felt bad about it , I apologized , but , I'm not a sound engineer, The shit should be ready to go when you get there.......
 
erin said:

i haven't experienced this same thing exactly, but i DO get the feeling that djs get no respect. i have been on shows here in my hometown and sometimes when it gets advertised the dj gets left off entirely. last nite i dj'ed a show and there was some sort of technical difficulty where there was a loud (very annoying!) hum because of the turntables. the sound guys didn't even try to fix it, they just shrugged and said, "you have do just put up with it." when a friend of mine with some technical know-how walked up to me and looked at the equipment, he said, "sounds like a faulty cable." he even knew which one because of which speaker the hum was coming from. none of the sound guys tried replacing any cables or even took a look at the problem enough to diagnose this rather simple problem. if it were a band having technical issues, it would have been fixed immediately, obviously. but the dj just has to deal with crap sound all nite long...it totally ruined my nite and my experience.

[Rufus F.]

I've always been treated well by the club owner, but I always DJ at the same place and the owner's an awesome rock'n'roll fanatic. The crowds are cool unless they think my spot's part of the furniture. I've made a rule that drinks placed on the DJ table will be consumed by the DJ and that seems to have worked out well.

[Gruesome Grinham]

In my expeirience I think the hospitality you get on the continent is second to none, Belguim, France, Italy and Spain in particular. Here is an example, On my arrival I was picked up from the Airport, taken for something to eat, then to my hotel, then collected from the hotel in the evening and taken to the venue, via a visit to a restuarant for dinner, the following night I was taken out again for something to eat, then picked up from the hotel in the morning and taken back to the airport. My Flight, Hotel, food and drinks were all paid for, plus they paid me for doing it. Going through some of the reply's on this thread, someone did mention that it depends on who the organisers are. The weekender I am involved. I have taken on board the way I was treated as stated above and we have decided to do our best to set a standard of hospitality. I think if the organisers are DJ's themselves and have done a fiar stint over the years, then they have an understanding of what effort is made to entertain crowds, as we know its not just about turning up with a box of 45s is it. BTW A GOOD TOPIC TO BE DISCUSSED