Long distance gigs

[HAGGIS]

Just wondering how far would you go for a gig. I myself went from Aylesbury to Wick for my mates wedding about thats 630 miles each way in my escort van:mad:

[axeman]

not far, lol,
usually within 10 miles, but occasionally up to 30 miles

[Danno13]

30 miles is a fairly local gig for me! This topic has been done many times though...

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Just wondering how far would you go for a gig. I myself went from Aylesbury to Wick for my mates wedding about thats 630 miles each way in my escort van:mad:

I hope you got paid well! ;)

[rob1963]

Most of my stuff is within about 15-20 miles, but about 10% of my work is twice that distance.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

The furthest I've been recently was around 65 miles and I won't do it again as Rob was there...:sj:

[rob1963]

The furthest I've been recently was around 65 miles and I won't do it again as Rob was there...:sj:

:Laugh:

That'll teach you to come & work in MY territory!!!

[Vectis]

Furthest possible venue from my house is 18 miles. Another few hundred yards and I fear this might happen... :)

[Shaun]

A large proportion of my gigs seem to fall in the region of 30 to 70 miles from base. On a few occasions I've done a few hundred miles round trip, I don't particularly like the really long distances but it goes with the territory. If they're prepared to pay then I'm prepared to play. I don't have a set limit to how far I'll travel.

[Dragonfly]

i'll go as far as the money takes me , done a gig in southampton , brent cross , and was asked to do one at blue water but was already booked ... usually try and keep it with in say 50 miles as i now have collegues that i can recommend in different parts of the country and prefer to do this as it may give the customer better value ..... something that i hope will be remembered by both client and collegue.

[JAMdisco]

Most of my work is local (no more than 10 miles each way).
I am prepared to travel (as said above) if the money is good.

Furthest I went as a solo singer was to Blackburn, Got £200 and a free night in the Hotel, not so bad when you're single but now I'm married, it might be a different story.

[Spirits High]

Go all over, recently i've been down to Braintree(essex) , traveling a great distance is not a drama aslong as the moneys there.

Afterall we are "Mobile dj's" :D

[rob1963]

Afterall we are "Mobile dj's" :D

True, but HOW mobile do we want to be?

The furthest I've EVER gone is probably about 45 miles.

I think there are disadvantages of travelling long distances to gigs.

For example, there is more chance of encountering serious traffic delays or breaking down, which is more of a problem is the gig is 300 miles away rather than 10 minutes up the road. If you need to arrange cover at the last minute, you're also more likely to know discos local to you rather than discos near the venue 300 miles away.

Also, bearing in mind the extra fee you'd have to charge for your additional time & travelling costs, it might be more financially viable for the client to get a local disco.

[CRAZY K]

250 mile round trip is top wack for me, provided I finish by 12pm.

As petrol costs increase and increase and increase and ---ok ill stop!
I think a lot of us will be priced out of long distance gigs--

As Dave says its probably better to pass work on locally--

CRAZY K

[Creature]

farthest was 387 miles - happy to travell around as long as costs covered. average distance for booking last year was 97 miles :):)

[pagan_flame]

farthest was 387 miles - happy to travell around as long as costs covered. average distance for booking last year was 97 miles :):)Ahh ya lightweight.

I've been to Scotland & Cornwall for biker gigs before... :eek:

[Creature]

Ahh ya lightweight.

hark whos talking need 3 of you to fill my trousers :):):):)

[wensleydale]

True, but HOW mobile do we want to be?

The furthest I've EVER gone is probably about 45 miles.

I think there are disadvantages of travelling long distances to gigs.

For example, there is more chance of encountering serious traffic delays or breaking down, which is more of a problem is the gig is 300 miles away rather than 10 minutes up the road. If you need to arrange cover at the last minute, you're also more likely to know discos local to you rather than discos near the venue 300 miles away.

Also, bearing in mind the extra fee you'd have to charge for your additional time & travelling costs, it might be more financially viable for the client to get a local disco.


It almost certainly will be more viable for the client to get someone local Rob, especially if they are outside of London, however I dont think that is the point.

When it comes to weddings people are willing to pay more than they have to to get the service they want- the wedding I was at on Saturday had a photographer from London even though the wedding was in Derbyshire.
The wedding I was at last month had a photographer from Liverpool even though the wedding was in Inverness.

There is no way these guys will have paid the same as they would for a local photographer but they wanted someone they were happy with and the same can be said for Discos.

How many discos do you have to pass off to other people?
I dont like the long distance gigs however they tend to be the most financially lucrative ones so i take them, but also if someone has seen me before then its nice to be able to work at their gigs.

With regard to the points on petrol, time etc just factor them into the quote as you would with any other variables.

[rob1963]

i'll go as far as the money takes me , done a gig in southampton , brent cross , and was asked to do one at blue water but was already booked

But when you do gigs a long distance from home, do you find it easy getting customers to stump up the extra cash?

:D

[Shaun]

But when you do gigs a long distance from home, do you find it easy getting customers to stump up the extra cash?

:D

Next you'll be asking him if he charges for mileage by the mile or per foot!

[CRAZY K]

But when you do gigs a long distance from home, do you find it easy getting customers to stump up the extra cash?

:D

I quoted for a Barn Dance in Newbury last week--either local rate or me doing a personal appearance which costs £50 on top for travelling.

They booked me--:cool:

Mind you they were watching my vid clips at the time :D

CRAZY K

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Mind you they were watching my vid clips at the time :D

CRAZY K

And they still booked you? :eek: :D

[theoloyla]

These days it is mostly just Kent; so not more that 50 miles but years ago I regularly went to places like Southampton, Maidenhead, Cambridge, Norwich etc. If it pays enough I'll go anywhere. Furthest was Paris and/or Scarborough.

[CRAZY K]

And they still booked you? :eek: :D

Yup---happens all the time now:D

Must be something in it:thumbs_up:

Star of the show is----not me!

:D :D :D

CRAZY K

[spin mobile disco]

Furthest I will travel is 250 mile round trip and I charge expenses for the longer distance ones. About 70% of my workload is 50 - 70 miles from base. Not including my regular local gigs on every wednesday and sunday.

[nigelwright7557]

Just wondering how far would you go for a gig. I myself went from Aylesbury to Wick for my mates wedding about thats 630 miles each way in my escort van:mad:

With my first disco travelled up to 100 miles.

With my previous disco I travelled upto around 50 miles.

Since I started up again the furthest I have travelled is 2 miles !!!

Got a gig later this month that is 6 miles away but even that is in the same city as me.

The problem with quoting for long distance gigs is having to compete with more local discos.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

The problem with quoting for long distance gigs is having to compete with more local discos.

I used to think the same, but if you provide the service people want, people are willing to pay.

[Jaggiebunnett]

I,m starting to pick up some (cast offs) gigs closer to St. Louis, (100 miles away) I guess the good word spreads fast :D :D (not:rolleyes: ) or that I am cheaper than the big city folk will travel for somewhere between us.
there is alot of land out here so 50 miles is nothing but 100 is tons, so if I charge half of what they do in the City then I will be rakin' it in.:beer1: :beer1: :beer1: :beer1:

[mark@pegasus]

I try not to travel more than 30 miles, but I did have to drive from Weymouth to Bewdley for my wife's cousin to do his wedding, the function room was bizarre the set up area was on a balcony overlooking the dancefloor, had to carry everything up a spiral staircase!!!

[CRAZY K]

I used to think the same, but if you provide the service people want, people are willing to pay.

Spot on--I currently have a couple hassling me to go and play at their Wedding 200 miles away!

The thing that concerns me is what petrol costs are going to be in 18 months time when they get married.

Hard one to call--do I base my quote on the price of petrol prevailing at the time I travel there--in other words like an Airline Fuel Surcharge:eek: :eek:

CRAZY K

[rob1963]

if you provide the service people want, people are willing to pay.

Unless they can find a local disco that ALSO provides the service they want, but at a cheaper price...due to not having to charge extra for additional time & travelling expenses.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Unless they can find a local disco that ALSO provides the service they want, but at a cheaper price...due to not having to charge extra for additional time & travelling expenses.

So how do you account for the fact that I worked in Croydon then?

Are you telling me that there is no-one else in that area that could have supplied the same service as me?

[Danno13]

No-one else can provide the same service as me, because there is only one me! Therefore if they want me, they'll pay what it costs. If they want "a disco", then they can always get one cheaper...

[theoloyla]

Spot on--I currently have a couple hassling me to go and play at their Wedding 200 miles away!

The thing that concerns me is what petrol costs are going to be in 18 months time when they get married.

Hard one to call--do I base my quote on the price of petrol prevailing at the time I travel there--in other words like an Airline Fuel Surcharge:eek: :eek:

CRAZY K
If you are worried then why not quote them a fee plus travelling costs, then whatever the price of fuel you will be covered.

[CRAZY K]

If you are worried then why not quote them a fee plus travelling costs, then whatever the price of fuel you will be covered.

Agreed Theo, it just makes it an open ended liability for them--

I dont know if they will agree--

It will have to be --take it or leave it as far as im concerned--

CRAZY K

[rob1963]

So how do you account for the fact that I worked in Croydon then?

Presumably it was either because they couldn't find a local disco that could provide the service they wanted, or that you were recommended to them.


Are you telling me that there is no-one else in that area that could have supplied the same service as me?

Either they couldn't find one or maybe you were recommended.

I'm sure you told me, but I can't remember how you got the booking.

[theoloyla]

I had a rarity last night - I worked in Birchington!

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Presumably it was either because they couldn't find a local disco that could provide the service they wanted, or that you were recommended to them.



Either they couldn't find one or maybe you were recommended.

I'm sure you told me, but I can't remember how you got the booking.

I was recommended by a member on this forum, but this was a £700+ booking. I'm sure they could have found a local DJ for half of that.