first gig?

[Penfold42]

mrs penmare42 here, hello.
Can I please ask how long it was before your first gig and how you got that initial booking (ie maildrop, word of mouth, advert in the newsagents..other)
How many bookings roughly do you expect to get per month and how far ahead do people book?

Is hubby having a midlife crisis or can old fogeys still cut the mustard:D

TTFN, I'm sure I'll be jumping on here from time to time while HE is in the loo, but will give a proper rundown on me on the newbies bit.

[Twinspin]

back in 1993 for a school disco when it was breaking up time they wanted someone to put on a disco. for the school and one of the students to do it. So i offered to. It all went from there.

Now booking wise. Im usually happy with 1 job a week. But still would like more.

[theoloyla]

When you are starting any business - unless you are very lucky - it is always dificult and takes several years to establish. As for first gigs then as we have said on similar threads you need to think about doing a charity gig or family and friends. Pubs, youth clubs, schools etc. Try to establish links with an already well etablished local dj. Try the local entertainment agencies. To establish yourself and your reputation you may need to be prepared to work more cheaply than your competitors - but dont sell yourself short.

[Penfold42]

When you are starting any business - unless you are very lucky - it is always dificult and takes several years to establish. As for first gigs then as we have said on similar threads you need to think about doing a charity gig or family and friends. Pubs, youth clubs, schools etc. Try to establish links with an already well etablished local dj. Try the local entertainment agencies. To establish yourself and your reputation you may need to be prepared to work more cheaply than your competitors - but dont sell yourself short.

Mr here...

I have already thought of doing a gig for friends and family but also trying to find the right location (not being to far from base in case anything goes wrong!) to give max inpact.
I was also going to do discounted rates - for a short time - but as you said - not to sell myself short - bit impossibe as 6'4'' :D
Not really looked at charity and youth clubs.......good idea, like that, i'll investigate.....add that to my expanding list of things to do........:eek:

Good advise - thanks.

[axeman]

normally theres already something in your life where you can make a start, like your local pub, or gym or a family/friend/works party.


A guy in my village just strated out bu going into the local pub and offering him a disco every week for 4 wks for a few beers, lol the pub must have liked the idea...he's still there !!

[theoloyla]

Thats right. I started out doing gigs for the Young Liberals in 1966. I was a member and we wanted a social evening . I had a record player and lots of records; so....and the rest is history as they say.
Also it is better to make your mistakes (as we all do) when you are working for friends or family and on the cheap or for expenses!

[magicfm]

normally theres already something in your life where you can make a start, like your local pub, or gym or a family/friend/works party.


A guy in my village just strated out bu going into the local pub and offering him a disco every week for 4 wks for a few beers, lol the pub must have liked the idea...he's still there !!


Working for beer... hmmm that's a great idea. You could set a limit: Birthday party: 10 pints, wedding: 20 pints, etc lololol:D
__________________________________________________ ________

Getting back to the original question. I started with a local bowling clubs end of season party. I was a bedroom dj and offered to do it free. 2 crudely wired up hi-fi's, amp, one large and strange looking church speaker and a bunch of flashing fairy lights. (Nothing much has changed.... lol:p) ...they liked me and got me back again. That started the DJ bug.

I went on gigs with a few djs (who only played what they liked), learnt from their numerous mistakes and bought my own gear.

(_8())

[Penfold42]

I have 2 locals one of them the lanlord is not very good....so I don't like him.(trying to be polite here....:zip: )

Why should I try and line his pockets? I only have a beer in this one because the people who go in there are great company.:beer1:

I'll try the other, thanks.

[KrazyKaz]

I started by doing a kids disco in my garage. :-)

[Dragonfly]

i started at my mates 18th....... first ever request i got ..."can you play some hendrix?"

[paull]

Took me about 3 months to get one that was not a freind of a friend. After that it started to pick up. I think that is more to do with how long it takes your website to get hits

[Dazzy D]

I started out by working for someone else using his systems and CDs along with some of my own. People were asking to book me so I decided to set up on my own. Got a 1200w poweramp, some speakers, lights, and a laptop with a good CD to MP3 conversion program and here I am now. Still building up work but a couple of gigs each month pays the rent and anything else is a bonus!

[PropellerHeadCase]

Yeah, I started off taking what was frankly a meagre CD collection to a local club on Friday and Saturday nights - playing and bar-tending.

I was best man at a mate's wedding and got talking to the DJ who eventually hired me (because I sent him a mix-tape, actually), and have been with that company, though not with that owner, ever since.

I've struck out on my own in the last year thanks to an arrangement with a local venue but I still get sub-contracted work from that company.

[Mayhem 1]

Hiya penmare42,

I started by accident, I had never set out to be an entertainer!!!!

I used to attend my local youth club where I had a mate who was into mending all things to do with electronics.

This one time he had in a set of double turntables to fix and when he had finished iused to pay very close attention on how they worked.

The upshot is the youth club had a Bar-B-Q one night and the disco failed to turn up and I was asked if I would do the disco because I seemed "Professional" because I knew how to use these decks!!!

So I said "yes but it will cost you £15.00 (How much!!!!!) lol. Anyway, I rushed into town and purchased the top 20 singles of the time and set up the decks and speakers with 2 of these super duper police lights!!!

What I was not told was it was a Biker Event!! I played all the 'A' sides in the first half, then they had the food, after which I played all the 'B' sides.

I got away with it not sure how though, and my carrea seemed to start from there.

I then got a 'Brand new Fal Disco' from my mums catalogue and the rest is history.

What I will say is this- The main things to remember are:-

1) Listen to your client
2) Play for the majority
3) Enjoy yourself and have fun

The Mobile Disco world can be very difficult at times, there are always going to be sombody at a party who knows better than you and will tell you that you are doing things wrong, if you are not sure about anything then please ask.

There is a weatlh of experience on this forum and I am sure anyone will answer your questions
(I will always help if I can)

I would like to wish you the very best of luck for the future.

Best wishes

Mayhem 1

[leighinstoke]

Been DJing for years since my early teens - but my recent restart saw me doing a kids party about 4 years back and enjoyed pretty much every gig since - proving that, if you try hard, you can have a second childhood!

Leigh....

[Mayhem 1]

Hiya Leigh,

You can not beat those "Kids Parties"

Mayhem 1

[Penfold42]

Hiya penmare42,

I started by accident, I had never set out to be an entertainer!!!!

I used to attend my local youth club where I had a mate who was into mending all things to do with electronics.

This one time he had in a set of double turntables to fix and when he had finished iused to pay very close attention on how they worked.

The upshot is the youth club had a Bar-B-Q one night and the disco failed to turn up and I was asked if I would do the disco because I seemed "Professional" because I knew how to use these decks!!!

So I said "yes but it will cost you £15.00 (How much!!!!!) lol. Anyway, I rushed into town and purchased the top 20 singles of the time and set up the decks and speakers with 2 of these super duper police lights!!!

What I was not told was it was a Biker Event!! I played all the 'A' sides in the first half, then they had the food, after which I played all the 'B' sides.

I got away with it not sure how though, and my carrea seemed to start from there.

I then got a 'Brand new Fal Disco' from my mums catalogue and the rest is history.

What I will say is this- The main things to remember are:-

1) Listen to your client
2) Play for the majority
3) Enjoy yourself and have fun

The Mobile Disco world can be very difficult at times, there are always going to be sombody at a party who knows better than you and will tell you that you are doing things wrong, if you are not sure about anything then please ask.

There is a weatlh of experience on this forum and I am sure anyone will answer your questions
(I will always help if I can)

I would like to wish you the very best of luck for the future.

Best wishes

Mayhem 1

Hey thanks for that really helful.....:thumbs_up:

Just managed to pay off all the gear today - did mention i had it, it was in the bag but have now got it home set it up for the first time....took me long enough though, and did my first gig for the kids in the dinning room......they loved it, big smiles and lots of bouncing around - not to many foul ups...one big one - remove the disc i was playing (kids talking to me at the same time....thats what i'm blaming it on!!!):bang:

Just got to try and get some gigs to bring it all together.:)

[Corabar Steve]

not to many foul ups...one big one - remove the disc i was playing (kids talking to me at the same time....thats what i'm blaming it on!!!):bang:

What CD player are you using?

[rob1963]

I'd been running a pirate radio station - until we got busted, fined and had all the gear confiscated! (info & embarrassing pics at the link below!) We couldn't afford to carry on after that, but I loved DJing, so myself and one of the other DJs started a mobile disco, so we could carry on DJing...but legally!

We spent about £800 on the gear (a lot of money in 1984!) and I remember we bought everything on hp.

Initially, we just told friends, family & work colleagues that we were doing mobile discos, and eventually picked up one or two bookings. We got business cards printed, and put some on every table at our gigs. Things slowly picked up from there, but I seem to remember it took a while.

Website for the station I ran in 1982-3: http://www.surrey-sounds.co.uk

I had hair in those days, but it WAS 24 years ago! :D

[Penfold42]

What CD player are you using?

I have a KAM KCDJ 110 - KAM KSP 100 MIXER
The other parts -
1 x Acme Goboflower,
1 x Stormbird,
4 x Dynamo Scan,
1 x Prolight Fog Machine,
2 x Warrior Speakers,
Warrior 1300Amp,
All flight cased good nick less than a year old - and a stand for the lights.....
and a load of other bits and bobs, bulbs and mics, etc,etc.

I'm chuffed:)