[Dixielandjazz] Competing with DJs

[Dixiejazzdata]

Musicians created DJ monsters:

Remember when we used to beg them to play our music on their radio shows, hire them to come out and MC our dances ?  well they jumped onto their new found popularity and actually believed they had talent.  Many of them have gone on to produce Cds of songs they have played on their radio shows and put their photo on the front cover and sell them at their gigs.  Usually blatant copyright infringement however they have simply out-marketed most bands and musicians, just like Chiropractors did Doctors.    I figured out how to compete with them many years ago,  When I am looking to book Weddings in particular I advertise FREE DJ Services yep thats right FREE DJ.   What most brides really want is an MC, any idiot can stand up there and play Cds or now a days even a computer plugged into a speaker system.      I often hire a sound man and up sell the client to the P.A. System and have him/her also be a good speaker and get them to MC the wedding reception.   And yes the Free Dj is often the Female Singer they requested and she gets to sing with the Band as well.  If you can't up the budget, just make sure one of the guys/gals you hire for the gig and talk and ENTERTAIN an audience.    Be smarter than a DJ, many of them are just ego maniacs with a music collection and desperate to be in show business and very upset because they can't play an instrument or at least not well enough to get a Real Gig with a Band.  

I love it when the client says they can't afford a live band so they are going to hire a DJ,  and then pay the DJ $1000.00  to $3000.00  to show up with a small or even large set of speakers and a laptop and a Microphone.   Sometimes they will also bring along a couple trees of side lights to make themselves look like they are on a real stage.   Some of them are also Decent Singers, who used to be Band leaders, and got tired of dealing with unreliable sidemen all the time, and those kind that would pass out their own cards at all the gigs and try to steal their clients.  The last time they hired those guys was to record their "demo"
then kept all the tracks and made themselves a Karaoke CD or Tape to sing to....   goodbye sidemen.     

Many musicians spend 90% of their lives trying to get a gig and the other 10% trying to get fired from it.   I got that line from old Tom Wiggins on this list several years ago when he was active.    Dj's just figured out ways to out maneuver the musicians and bands,  they also go to most of the many Bridal shows and promote themselves often even singing a few songs in a showcase and then booking lots of weddings on the spot.

Bart.



Want to compete with DJs? Raise your band prices. Below excerpts from  
today's NY Times Music section.


"Kaskade, (real name Ryan Raddon) who was voted America’s best D.J.  
for 2011 by D.J. Times and Pioneer D.J., is at the crest of a  
transformative wave of electronic music acts." . . ."In a testament to  
their commanding new reach, D.J.’s like Kaskade can earn $200,000 or  
more for a single night, according to handlers and public records.  
" . . . ."he’s still adjusting to the leap from 300-person rooms to  
3,000-person monthly blowouts at Marquee in Las Vegas, where he is a  
resident D.J."


Perhaps this is a lesson #1 in how to price your band's performances?  
Below from the CD Baby blog:

Lesson 1: You will only ever get what you think you are worth.
If you think your band should only make $250 per show, then that is  
probably all you will ever make (and that is the case in a lot of  
original groups). On the other hand, if you think your band is worth  
$3000 per show, you will more likely to get that amount. Now I am not  
saying that all you need to do is believe in yourself, but I am saying  
that unless you actually believe you are worth what you are charging,  
you will never get it.



Cheers,

Steve Barbone

www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
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