1) You will play for free most of the time
Let’s face it; you’re a rookie. You don’t have that large of a following outside of the handful of supportive friends that listened to you train wreck in your bedroom until you were ready to strike out and make a name for yourself. Most of your sets are early evening openers and at this point you’re gigging for pure exposure and to beef up that ole DJ resume with your name on flyers. That being said, you’ll occasionally score a gig with a club or promoter on the up and up who will toss you a little something for your time and efforts.
2) Even if you’re awesome on the decks, you won’t get booked with a nonexistent social media presence
Self-promotion may be a form of masturbation, but in this day and age, relevancy is key, and social media is definitely the key maker. We all know there are countless ways to manipulate likes/listens/etc out there, but building a solid social media reach is key to staying connected with not just potential fans, but others in the industry who can help you climb the ranks.
3) When you get good gear (industry standard level), your name goes on a secret “gear monkey” list that promoters will call on for last minute “gig for gear” bookings.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Most clubs only have in house gear for their main rooms (and sometimes not even that). If you’ve got the cash and are looking for another way to get a foot in the door, it never hurts to have the latest and greatest toys. Just remember, being a “gear monkey” only gets your foot in the door. If you don’t have the chops to rock a crowd, there are 10 more in line right behind you.
4) Everybody talks to everybody. Even if people appear to be rivals, they still talk.
This bit of advice is pretty universal, even outside of the DJ/Night life world. Mind what you say and who you say it to because everyone in the industry talks, and I mean everyone. People compare notes on performances, crowds, who is on fire at the moment, who’s not, etc. Don’t let a slip of the tongue in a moment of temporary inebriation be your undoing before you even really get off the ground.
5) Don’t be a red liner headliner or you’ll get trolled by Matthew Dunn.
Red = bad, not loud. Believe me, if I’m at your show and I see this happening, you’ll hear about it on social media, usually in the form of a meme.
Matthew is a well known and respected DJ and promoter based out of Houston, TX. Dunn has well over a decade behind the decks, played alongside some of the biggest names in dance music, and is a fixture in the EDM community both on local and international level.
