DJ Paulie
07-12-2011, 09:54 PM
Well after much consideration, I have decided to retire from the DJ world ! My back to work enterprise allowance runs out in feb next year and as the budget has put VAT up to 23%, car tax up, petrol up, self employed PRSI (NI) up and we'll have a 'housing tax' next year, (like council tax) there is no way I can see of being able to carry on. This coupled with my back not getting any better as well as me getting more and more cramp attacks in my feet and legs, (side effect of drugs I'm on for back & myofacial pain syndrome) I think it's better to quit while I'm ahead.
As has been shown in other threads, gear is so cheap and so many £60 Sids are flooding the market, there doesn't seem to be any room for mid priced DJ work. I'm not the cheapest or the most expensive, but I would say I'm middle priced. But in these troubled times if you get 3 quotes and money is the driving factor, who'll get the gig ? Now I'm not saying the Sids here are bad DJ's, but most are not registered, don't have PLI, a mortgage, or even a car to run. A few of them use the gear from University so have better gear than I could ever have.
I know the foriegn student school booked me for 10 gigs last summer, but there's no guarentee they'll do it again next year and that wouldn't keep me going anyway. Even the Butlers chocolates gig I did last weekend said I was too expensive when I put my price up €50 on last year. (and this was a double gig !)
As has been shown in other threads, gear is so cheap and so many £60 Sids are flooding the market, there doesn't seem to be any room for mid priced DJ work. I'm not the cheapest or the most expensive, but I would say I'm middle priced. But in these troubled times if you get 3 quotes and money is the driving factor, who'll get the gig ? Now I'm not saying the Sids here are bad DJ's, but most are not registered, don't have PLI, a mortgage, or even a car to run. A few of them use the gear from University so have better gear than I could ever have.
I know the foriegn student school booked me for 10 gigs last summer, but there's no guarentee they'll do it again next year and that wouldn't keep me going anyway. Even the Butlers chocolates gig I did last weekend said I was too expensive when I put my price up €50 on last year. (and this was a double gig !)