Changes for the better?

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Following on from another thread where people were talking about what used to happen in the 70s with regards to booking a disco, eg:

Phone call, in diary, turn up and play and get paid.

Do you think that things are better these days?

This is really for the guys who have been DJing for 20+ years.

[BossmanKaraokeDisco]

This is really for the guys who have been DJing for 20+ years.

You mean the old gits :D

IMO I think that the booking procedure has had to advance and change to suit the society we now live in. I started back in 82 and you would never even have thought of taking a deposit and filling a contract out, Nowadays I would not even take a booking without a signed contract and deposit being taken.
There are still genuine people out there somewhere but there are also a lot more people who dont care about anything but themselves and that is why we have to protect our backs.

So back to your question "Do I think things are better these days?"

It is hard to say, you have to cover more things nowadays when taking a booking but the end result is the same.....Turn up & :party2:

[Excalibur]

Do you think that things are better these days?

This is really for the guys who have been DJing for 20+ years.

Did someone call? :D :D :D :D :D

Things are different. I have recently had functions where I have had not spoken at all to the customer before the gig! ( And one or two a while ago where I did a lot of speaking prior to them, but that's perhaps for the supporters section. :eek: )

Personally, I don't think you can compare chalk and cheese.

[MikeW]

Do I think things are better these day? I was going to say some things are better some things are not. But actually for me, most things are better.

I started back in 1983:eek: I don't miss lugging heavy record boxes around, or even searching through a large CD case for that track that I know is there somewhere!
The internet has increased my bookings, I can also speak with like minded people about a hobby/business which I love (thanks again MDD forum).
I also have more time to dedicate to DJing.

So for me, more better than not these days.

[Excalibur]

Do I think things are better these day? I was going to say some things are better some things are not. But actually for me, most things are better.

I started back in 1983:eek: I don't miss lugging heavy record boxes around, or even searching through a large CD case for that track that I know is there somewhere!
The internet has increased my bookings, I can also speak with like minded people about a hobby/business which I love (thanks again MDD forum).
I also have more time to dedicate to DJing.

So for me, more better than not these days.

Sir, I feel you may have strayed outside the boundaries of the original post, which concerned bookings. If we're going to start a thread encompassing those things you have mentioned, I may have to put on the rose tinted specs, and take a trip down memory lane. :D

[MikeW]

Sir, I feel you may have strayed outside the boundaries of the original post, which concerned bookings. If we're going to start a thread encompassing those things you have mentioned, I may have to put on the rose tinted specs, and take a trip down memory lane. :D

You can't beat a pair of rose tints :)

[TonyB]

I started back in the late 70's and thinking back it was definitely more fun and informal. No worries about PAT/PLI/Pro Dub. Just turn up, have a good night and go home. Wasn't so much competition in those days and got plenty of work by recommendation and referral. Clients weren't so fussy about what music you played and indeed there weren't so many different genres floating about. Most gigs consisted of current chart stuff and 60's! Didn't make much money out of it in those days though. Gear was more expensive and most of what I earned was spent on equipment and buying singles/LP's.

[deltic]

I started back in the late 70's and thinking back it was definitely more fun and informal. No worries about PAT/PLI/Pro Dub. Just turn up, have a good night and go home. Wasn't so much competition in those days and got plenty of work by recommendation and referral. Clients weren't so fussy about what music you played and indeed there weren't so many different genres floating about. Most gigs consisted of current chart stuff and 60's! Didn't make much money out of it in those days though. Gear was more expensive and most of what I earned was spent on equipment and buying singles/LP's.

pretty much sums it up tony

was nice to work back then before HSE was invented and common sense was the order of the day.

[CRAZY K]

Following on from another thread where people were talking about what used to happen in the 70s with regards to booking a disco, eg:

Phone call, in diary, turn up and play and get paid.

Do you think that things are better these days?

This is really for the guys who have been DJing for 20+ years.

Even in the 60s we asked for a letter of confirmation and charged in guineas
:daft: :daft: :daft: :daft: :daft: :daft: :daft: :daft: :daft: :daft: :daft:

If you dont know---look it up on the net;)

In those days and the 70s up to 1978 when I stopped DJ ing things were much easier as regards equipment, lighting and music choice--less of everything and could pile it all into an estate or saloon car.

Set up time a lot quicker.

There were no Bridezillas or playlists or Elf n Safety or beat matching---you just used your experience to choose tracks with a similar beat --as I still do.

Loads of work for everyone and loads of Weddings especially, I used to go to work at a Wedding virtually every Saturday night.

The nice thing was current chart music would be played at most events, although I work at mainly cheesy, Disco classic retro/80s events now I never get a request in advance for anything in the charts.

In the 70s you had the superstars --Dave Bowie, T Rex, Queen, Rod Stewart even the Stones, some good material to work with.

I left out GG to be PC:daft:

The advantages of today are much better sound quality, more reliability of equipment and ease of finding music ( Hard drives etc) plus excellent cheap Lighting effects.

The MAIN difference is--you dont need to talk over the music like you did in the 60s and 70s.

Sorry, probably gone off thread:D

[katman]

pretty much sums it up tony

was nice to work back then before HSE was invented and common sense was the order of the day.

And people TRUSTED each other to do what they said they wood. It was a sad day that the Ambulance Chasing lawyers were allowed to ply their trade on daytime TV.

Equipment has got a lot cheaper and good equipment is superb, but there is an awful lot of poorly made equipment around as well, built down to a price rather than built to a standard as was the case with "proper" Citronic equipment made in Melksham.

The current technology has made a lot more things possible but has also increased the likelyhood of a major failure as well. Back then no one needed to carry two or three sets of gear, just a couple of spare amp, a stylus or two and some fuses.

Overall I think things have changed for the better other than the threat of litigation !!!

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Ok, I'll look at it another way.
I have been DJing over 20 years myself but not as a business so I didn't deal with bookings etc back in the day as most of my work was club and pub work at the time. I did do some gigs for people who had seen me in those places and it was simply a case of taking them on their word. A couple of times (if I remember correctly), I got let down at the last moment but it wasn't a big deal back then because I wasn't trying to make a living out of it. I was a lot younger and just went out on the beer instead.

Are the changes for the better then? I personally think so. There are obviously people out there that operate as if they were still stuck in the 70's and 80's. By that, I mean the £60.00 Sid's who do everything for cash and at reduced prices, no booking forms etc....'My word is my bond' type thing.

I had a chat with 2 different guys last night when I was out and about. Both of them DJ as a second job to up their weekly wages. Both of them have been doing it for 30+ years and both go out for just a little bit more than £60.00 Sid. Both don't believe in paying for Public Liability for whatever reason and both of them had Vistaprint magnetic signs advertising their Discos on their cars (taxi's). A friend of mine pointed them out to me and asked if I had heard of them.....I hadn't.

Things are better but they'd be even better if people like these didn't exist OR if they did feel the need to, they could do it properly. There will always be people around that will give the rest of us that try to do it properly, a bad name and reputation.

I hope that's on topic. Apologies if it's not. I don't miss lugging around crates of vinyl or CD's anymore and I certainly don't miss records or CD's jumping allover the place.

[Excalibur]

The MAIN difference is--you dont need to talk over the music like you did in the 60s and 70s. Sorry, probably gone off thread:D
Whaaaaaaat? :eek: :confused: :confused: Wash your mouth out with soap that man.


And people TRUSTED each other to do what they said they would. !!!
Life was indeed so much simpler then. ;)

I can feel a whole thread of reminiscences coming on. :D :D :D

[Jonathan Ford]

I've been at it for 17-18 years, so reckon I can have a shout here....though I appreciate I'm a nipper compared to some of our vastly experienced members.

The scenario described was exactly the way I operated my business until 2008, and it was simpler without doubt. During those years, I didn't have any particularly bad experiences in terms of being "gazumped" or not paid...and neither have I since I switched methods.

Though I have adopted the standards that are deemed to be required (I issue contracts, T's and C's, offer pre-event meetings, gear tested, PLI etc.), there is still a small part of me that writes it all off as a box ticking exercise. The customer service stuff (meetings, contracts etc.), I am definitely on-board with, as they've improved my performance, particularly by briefly getting to know a client before their event.

I still have not been asked for proof of PLI, PAT or Produb....ever. I stil think that, should push come to shove, I would be able to successfully defend myself against a public liability claim through confidence in my working practices, and in fact did so before when I owned a pub and did not have PLI.

So, to summarise:

Better = yes, for me and my client.
More of a pain = yes.