Dumped a Residency...Yours if you want it!!

[Charlie Brown]

Yeah yeah I understand where your coming from-It was aimed at anyone in particular...just an observation I'm beginning to make. Lets say he didn't do it for that price and nobody else did, then the pub would have to pay more?

[andyw]

Yeah yeah I understand where your coming from-It was aimed at anyone in particular...just an observation I'm beginning to make. Lets say he didn't do it for that price and nobody else did, then the pub would have to pay more?

there will always be someone who will do it, but the other side of the argument is not always true, if they couldn't find someone to do it at that price then the party might not go ahead then there would be less work available

[StarZSoundS]

very good legal dj's filling those slots, they are not bringing the market down (illegal sixty quid sids now thats a different matter). their is also a lot of good dj's going out and getting three, four, five hundred pounds every week all over the country, these are the guys who concentrate on a complete service from the first phone call right through to the last song,

Please see post 9.

Now three different types of DJ.

1) Sid.......bad

2) Martin (me) An excellent busy jobbing legitimate DJ.

3) The elite....Insert Name........

Section 3 is what I should be aspiring to be like....but somehow the entusiasm to do so is escaping me.Getting a feeling it may change my personality....looking at some of these posts

[NKR]

I can't believe nobody wanted to read Adam Smith!

[Corabar Entertainment]

Let's be honest here: the pub market is NEVER going to pay the same as private gigs... most can't afford to pay private party rates.

Many small pubs think it's a good night if they take a grand over the bar on any given night. For them to pay £250+ for a DJ would be nonsense.

Bear in mind that selling an additional £250 worth of beer wouldn't be worth their while. They would make a severe loss compared to not having a DJ at all. A large proportion of the cost of that pint of beer is made up of taxes and the cost of the beer (not to mention the other costs of running the pub). The actual profit on each drink is pretty small, so to cover the cost of a DJ, they really do need to sell a LOT more drinks to make it worth their while.

There are plenty of DJs out there who are happy to do a pub gig. After all, it's often only a basic set up, local, no preparation, and (especially with a residency) easy... not to mention regular. All of these factors should make a gig cheaper than a private event: the DJ is spending an awful lot less time per gig, plus a residency is 'bulk purchase'.

We have a Friday night pub residency ourselves: it's just up the road and takes minutes to set up / take out. I have DJs who are (under normal circumstances) often unable to work on Friday nights due to other work commitments, but as this residency is so simple (and starts later), they can easily make this in time, so I am not turning away private work as a result of taking this residency.

In the past, we have also used the pub as a good 'training ground' for new DJs. They go out with one of the experienced DJs then slowly start doing more and more of the night until they are 'flying solo'. It's a great confidence builder for them.

Each DJ has to decide what is right for them and what is worth their while.

I do not agree (where the pub market is concerned) that if everyone charged £250+ for pub residencies that the pub trade would pay it..... you'd just end up with fewer DJs in pubs (unless you want to pay a cover charge or an extra £1 a pint?)

[BeerFunk]

Well said Angela, you're exactly right. In fact, these days there are more and more options for the landlord to consider as an alternative to a live DJ. There are a fair amount of pubs in Edinburgh now which have a laptop hooked up with a playlist and 'automix' features (I am of course, not questioning the legitimacy at this point )

[rob1963]

Bear in mind that selling an additional £250 worth of beer wouldn't be worth their while. They would make a severe loss compared to not having a DJ at all. A large proportion of the cost of that pint of beer is made up of taxes and the cost of the beer (not to mention the other costs of running the pub). The actual profit on each drink is pretty small, so to cover the cost of a DJ, they really do need to sell a LOT more drinks to make it worth their while.

Or alternatively more food...which has a higher profit margin.

I understand that in order for a pub's expense on a disco or quiz night to be worthwhile, they need to increase their takings by FOUR TIMES what they're paying out for the entertainment.

Therefore, a £250 disco would only worthwhile if it increased takings by £1000...which is probably why most pubs won't pay £250 for a disco!

[Corabar Entertainment]

Or alternatively more food...which has a higher profit margin.

Agreed that is an option fora quiz night, but most pubs do not serve food late at night when a disco would be running because of the logistics of doing so in a very busy pub n

[rob1963]

Agreed that is an option fora quiz night, but most pubs do not serve food late at night when a disco would be running because of the logistics of doing so in a very busy pub

Fair comment, Angela...although it depends to some extent on what time the disco starts & when they finish serving food.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Fair comment, Angela...although it depends to some extent on what time the disco starts & when they finish serving food.

Yes: they ususally stop before the night gets into full swing: in which case, can it then be said it's the disco that's bringing in the extra punters?