lcmxr6
A new Club opened up in town. There are 3 slots available and 5 DJ's ( Including myself gunning for the position). My "audition is tomorrow" night 10-1. I met with the GM and was is very strict about the type of music he wants. He instructed me that if its not top 40 or was never top 40 he doesn't want to hear it. He said he doesn't like hip hop. He also said no N bombs (perfectly fine) but strongly suggested I play 100% clean edits. I feel its my job to cater to the venue, but seriously?! I live in a college town, and this club's main business comes from college kids. We like a little dirty rap here and there, and honestly in my opinion in a setting like that clean edits can ruin a song. No one wants to here the clean version of "get outta your mind'! lol.
Oh well trail pay is decent and he agreed to comp my friends drinks. I could actually really use a second residency right now so wish me luck yall. I'll be up all night making a squeeky clean playlist for tomorrow!
Oh well trail pay is decent and he agreed to comp my friends drinks. I could actually really use a second residency right now so wish me luck yall. I'll be up all night making a squeeky clean playlist for tomorrow!
Inviato Thu 24 Feb 11 @ 3:19 am
wildcountryclub
his bar to lose money on.
i spin in a country nightclub and if we play clean edits (country or hip-hop/dance) even the rednecks look at us like we're stupid. and unless it's a hard-core bible belt college/university then they're gonna let him know really fast what they think of it.
if you can pull it off then more power to ya. but personally i'd look for someplace else that's actually gonna be open after all those customers disappear.
really interested in how this pans out. keep us informed?
i spin in a country nightclub and if we play clean edits (country or hip-hop/dance) even the rednecks look at us like we're stupid. and unless it's a hard-core bible belt college/university then they're gonna let him know really fast what they think of it.
if you can pull it off then more power to ya. but personally i'd look for someplace else that's actually gonna be open after all those customers disappear.
really interested in how this pans out. keep us informed?
Inviato Thu 24 Feb 11 @ 3:29 am
lcmxr6
Lol my thoughts exactly, Ill let you know how it goes. Who knows if he will even be there.
Inviato Thu 24 Feb 11 @ 3:32 am
Simon Bailey
I have several residencies playing commercial dance and whilst I've never been given any instruction on what to play, I do tend to favour clean edits - Ok...Cee Lo Green "Forget You" is rubbish, so the original version is what I play.
I'm not a prude...far from it, but excessive swearing is tiresome...
I'm not a prude...far from it, but excessive swearing is tiresome...
Inviato Thu 24 Feb 11 @ 5:50 am
Charlie Wilson
Excessive swearing isn't tolerated as much here.
Inviato Thu 24 Feb 11 @ 6:09 am
si1988uk
+1 @ Charlie...
By owners or certain patrons (i.e. pub regulars).
Si
By owners or certain patrons (i.e. pub regulars).
Si
Inviato Thu 24 Feb 11 @ 6:43 am
i think you should tell him what he needs to hear .......
tell him when you audition you will bear his preferences in mind , but even though you
acknowledge his authority , you are the one with the experience with this , and getting
overly cautious won't work
the worst thing for you is , if you don't get the job , after the dust settles , he's gonna
need to turn to the only guy who was straight with him ......
these managers , they don't think through the situation .....
they don't recognize that the patrons don't work for them , and feel no obligation
to there so called authority or mistaken policies ......
tell him when you audition you will bear his preferences in mind , but even though you
acknowledge his authority , you are the one with the experience with this , and getting
overly cautious won't work
the worst thing for you is , if you don't get the job , after the dust settles , he's gonna
need to turn to the only guy who was straight with him ......
these managers , they don't think through the situation .....
they don't recognize that the patrons don't work for them , and feel no obligation
to there so called authority or mistaken policies ......
Inviato Thu 24 Feb 11 @ 9:28 am
Jam Master Rob
That's what I was thinking too Chuck.
Seems like new clubs always run through a couple of DJs after they open anyways. They go for the most bang for their buck insted of someone who knows what his patrons want and has the skills to keep them coming back. Keeping it clean is always best but as stated above that leaves a lot of songs out of the mix so to speak because the clean versions seem to be almost insturmental lol.
Good luck on getting the gig and good luck on dealing with management on a regular basis if you do.
Seems like new clubs always run through a couple of DJs after they open anyways. They go for the most bang for their buck insted of someone who knows what his patrons want and has the skills to keep them coming back. Keeping it clean is always best but as stated above that leaves a lot of songs out of the mix so to speak because the clean versions seem to be almost insturmental lol.
Good luck on getting the gig and good luck on dealing with management on a regular basis if you do.
Inviato Thu 24 Feb 11 @ 10:20 am
lcmxr6
Thank you for the recommendations. I'm kind of pulling my hair out on this one. Also I agree excessive swearing isn't good, I actually play clean edits of certain songs. I do try to avoid the 'n' bomb as well, but even the black eyed peas slip it in there every once in a while. The owner said the reason he didn't want rap is because he wants "The cream of the crop" In his club. Honestly I felt that was a little racist but whatever, I'm going to do my best to please him.
Inviato Thu 24 Feb 11 @ 4:30 pm
lcmxr6
Well here is what happened. When I arrived I talked to the GM and asked him about some specific tracks and if they were ok to play. He loosened up a little so that was good. The night started off fine, I was playing all his top40 stuff, and even sneaking in some of my favorites. It worked out well because at first there were only girls there. I started playing some of their requests and they were all happy. I appeased the birthday girls in the VIP by playing birthday sex and in da club lol. As the bar started to fill up more guys came in and started requesting songs that he didn't want me to play. Whatever I kept going, i figured as long as I was keeping the girls our there dancing all would be good. then around 11:30 the GM comes down and starts hovering over my shoulder. He tells me to pick up the pace so I do. 15 minutes later he comes back and tells me he wants to hear only 1 min of every song from now till close. The rest of the night he sits behind me barking at me when to change songs, what songs to play next, and trying to explain to me his theory of Djing. The guy completely ruins my groove and yells at me to change the song when everyone on the floor is dancing and having a good time. It rubbed me the wrong way as I'm not used to anyone telling me how to DJ at any of the other venues I've ever played. I don't mind only playing half of a song, or even only 1 min of a song, but seriously in my opinion Song Slection > Blowing through every track you have in 1 hr. He said he would be in touch, honestly I won't be too sad if he never calls me back, but unfortunately i need the money so if he does I guess I am gonna have to put up with this crap for a while.
Inviato Fri 25 Feb 11 @ 5:00 pm
SuperAceMan
It certainly doesn't sound like a gig that I would go back to. The pay must be amazing for you to put up with that kind of attitude. You're not even DJing anymore, you're just being a "yes man" at this point.
It's his call ultimately, and you have to put up with it. But a very sad story. Sorry it went down like that.
It's his call ultimately, and you have to put up with it. But a very sad story. Sorry it went down like that.
Inviato Fri 25 Feb 11 @ 6:21 pm
lcmxr6
Its all good, if anything it made me really appreciate the gig i have on Fridays. I get to actually enjoy myself!
Inviato Fri 25 Feb 11 @ 7:52 pm
JoeyKJ
I had something similar happen to me, but not so intense, it was like putting up with a fly on a picnic while trying to eat arhh....
After six weeks on a busy saterday night, place was completely packed, he started again, I guess he was showing off cause his girl friend was there that night. Returning do this, do that, I said to him..do you see people walking out.. is the dance floor full, let me do my job, well he finally reached my breaking point, so I apologized over the mike to the crowd that I couldn't continue, I then told that abusive A.D.D SOB, I'm packin' you run the show the rest of the night... Stopped My music and Packed up....
Don't do it for Money it will only get worst...
Your last post pertty much explains the why...Not.
Good Luck,
Joey....
After six weeks on a busy saterday night, place was completely packed, he started again, I guess he was showing off cause his girl friend was there that night. Returning do this, do that, I said to him..do you see people walking out.. is the dance floor full, let me do my job, well he finally reached my breaking point, so I apologized over the mike to the crowd that I couldn't continue, I then told that abusive A.D.D SOB, I'm packin' you run the show the rest of the night... Stopped My music and Packed up....
Don't do it for Money it will only get worst...
Your last post pertty much explains the why...Not.
Good Luck,
Joey....
Inviato Sat 26 Feb 11 @ 11:27 am
SuperAceMan
JoeyKJ wrote :
Don't do it for Money it will only get worst...
That about sums it up in a sentence. Nice post Joey! Esp the fly at a picnic analogy. lol
AC
Inviato Sat 26 Feb 11 @ 4:43 pm
Palladium
lcmxr6 wrote :
He instructed me that if its not top 40 or was never top 40 he doesn't want to hear it.
This individual needs a jukebox, not a disc jockey.
Inviato Sat 26 Feb 11 @ 10:03 pm
wildcountryclub
i'm hoping you had some good tranquilizers after you got home from the gig.
unfortunatly i do have a bit of that same problem with the owner/manager at our place - he likes to tell dj's when they need to get out of a song - and it really hurts the floor and crowd response to it is really twisting our heads. so many customers complain that they didnt hear the whole song and he just shrugs it off - reason: "a little bit of the song is enough." there's been nights when he sits up in the booth playing with the lights and telling the other dj when and how to mix and then tries to tell him what to play next after he has already managed to completly clear the dancefloor.
and yeah, me and the other dj need the money. but sometimes the temptation to just hand him the headphones is just overpowering.
unfortunatly i do have a bit of that same problem with the owner/manager at our place - he likes to tell dj's when they need to get out of a song - and it really hurts the floor and crowd response to it is really twisting our heads. so many customers complain that they didnt hear the whole song and he just shrugs it off - reason: "a little bit of the song is enough." there's been nights when he sits up in the booth playing with the lights and telling the other dj when and how to mix and then tries to tell him what to play next after he has already managed to completly clear the dancefloor.
and yeah, me and the other dj need the money. but sometimes the temptation to just hand him the headphones is just overpowering.
Inviato Sun 27 Feb 11 @ 8:05 am
Palladium
Your situation reminds me of a couple of things that happened to me and I offer these examples only in the form of demonstrating my sympathy (and empathy) to you.
In the early 1990s I picked up a job at a nightclub that had been popular, became unpopular, and I was hired to make it popular again. I was successful and every Friday and Saturday night there was a line at the door. The owner was a quirky little heavy-set guy that could be a real dink at times. I remember when I received the Ultimix of C&C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat." The second half of that record is the "Everybody Dance Now" hook with brief samples of other well known songs in between. Played in repetition it could possibly drive you insane but I liked to drop into that part of the record and pick up a couple of those samples and mix right out into something else. The next night I might do the same thing with a couple of other samples from that long part of the song. He listened to that and it was overload for him to try and understand what was happening there so he came up to the booth one night to see how this was being done. The result of this was that he told me to take all of my Ultimix remixes home. He was a drone.
The absolute best club I ever worked at was destroyed by an imported (from France) food and beverage manager that involved himself in parts of the operation that were out of his league. He really did a number on the music that ended up wiping this super-cool club right off the map. He used to come into the booth (which was usually manned by me and a light man) and tell us what to play. He wouldn't do this until the club peaked at about 1:00 AM (we closed at 3:00). When everything was just going great this brain surgeon would show up to tell me what to play and he would come up with a song "that would go perfectly with this" but might be 10 beats per minute slower or faster than what was playing. I had no alternative than to go along with him but he would empty a dance floor that held 300 people in seconds. I would have liked to cancel this idiot's visa but he stayed long enough to destroy the whole operation.
Good luck to you. Unless a club owner can look at the music programmer and realize that the person knows what they are doing and stay out of micro-managing what is happening, he is headed for failure. I did have the good fortune of working for one club owner that (when he hired me) said, "I don't care what you play as long as it works." I don't recall that he ever bothered me at all about the music.
In the early 1990s I picked up a job at a nightclub that had been popular, became unpopular, and I was hired to make it popular again. I was successful and every Friday and Saturday night there was a line at the door. The owner was a quirky little heavy-set guy that could be a real dink at times. I remember when I received the Ultimix of C&C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat." The second half of that record is the "Everybody Dance Now" hook with brief samples of other well known songs in between. Played in repetition it could possibly drive you insane but I liked to drop into that part of the record and pick up a couple of those samples and mix right out into something else. The next night I might do the same thing with a couple of other samples from that long part of the song. He listened to that and it was overload for him to try and understand what was happening there so he came up to the booth one night to see how this was being done. The result of this was that he told me to take all of my Ultimix remixes home. He was a drone.
The absolute best club I ever worked at was destroyed by an imported (from France) food and beverage manager that involved himself in parts of the operation that were out of his league. He really did a number on the music that ended up wiping this super-cool club right off the map. He used to come into the booth (which was usually manned by me and a light man) and tell us what to play. He wouldn't do this until the club peaked at about 1:00 AM (we closed at 3:00). When everything was just going great this brain surgeon would show up to tell me what to play and he would come up with a song "that would go perfectly with this" but might be 10 beats per minute slower or faster than what was playing. I had no alternative than to go along with him but he would empty a dance floor that held 300 people in seconds. I would have liked to cancel this idiot's visa but he stayed long enough to destroy the whole operation.
Good luck to you. Unless a club owner can look at the music programmer and realize that the person knows what they are doing and stay out of micro-managing what is happening, he is headed for failure. I did have the good fortune of working for one club owner that (when he hired me) said, "I don't care what you play as long as it works." I don't recall that he ever bothered me at all about the music.
Inviato Sun 27 Feb 11 @ 6:19 pm