Warehouse Rave: The Comeback

little komodo, post: 35935, member: 7211 wrote: First of all: why would a DJ, who has established some kind of career in your city, consider playing out for a cheap price, let alone free? DJing is a tough gig, simply because it requires a lot of work and time (and stress!) to be that extra step better.

Not to be rude or anything but try not to accuse/diss other DJs. These things always backfire sooner or later, and if you’re really keen in bringing back these warehouse raves then ultimately you’re going to need their support and help. They might be in it for the money for various reasons, because they enjoy what they’re playing, are struggling etc.

Apologies if I came off a bit hostile. If your passionate about the idea go for it! These sorts of things require independence, initiative, finding support and so on. Get a second job. Get onto flyers, social media and make sure you find and target the right audience.

I can understand the opinion, though I have a pinch of a different one myself. As I’m working on create rave-themed shows in DC, there’s a difference between DJing as a job and art DJing. DC is overrun with house, and generally you’re not going to be playing hardstyle/ psy trance/ DnB during a house night (or, as is the case in DC, a house week year). While I’m funding 90% of all the gear and doing all booking/promotion, I’m still losing about 400 throwing this show (damn light-setups).

For me, I would rather play a free gig with an audience of 50 where I have full-and-complete artistic liberty, as oppose to playing a paid gig for 200 where I can only play top40 and house. I didn’t enter DJing because it’s notorious for paying well, I became a DJ because I love being behind decks and putting together audible jigsaw puzzles and mathematics. I’m also a bit not right in the head, considering I actually started building my kit during a period of homelessness.

@OP:
Understand, if you truly want to do this, start saving now. Understand, you are going to be taking a huge hit initially getting this thing up-and-running. Understand it is going to be a thankless job, and you are going to have to deal with flaky DJs who, even with sound equip provided, will be expecting bukoo bucks. I was lucky because there are a few others in the DC area who share a passion for music and were willing to play off of commission. Just explain the situation and tell them pay is commission based, and go from there.

Get active in your community, and start volunteering at any collective venues/ community centers you can. Do this as a means of making connects, and try to help a struggling center/venue by hosting this show and offering 1/3 off door sales to the place. This may allow you to focus on spending your money on lighting (with venues that have house PAs). Start freejaying/busking around the city, and be so different/loud that people won’t be able to ignore you. Start going to shows/clubs that don’t stick to strictly house, and post up flyers everywhere.

Most entrepreneurs are in the red the first few years of their startup; view this as a very similar thing. However, if you do buy lights/a show worthy PA, it is an investment that will last.

TL/DR: Get ready to get a 2nd job, for you’re going to be bearing the blunt of the expense and be seeing red if you want to do this. Do it anyway.

Love the idea. Also, the djs in your area may play for less if given complete freedom musically. It is possible that they don’t want to play club music anymore than you want to hear it. One last piece of advice, I recommend you get a crew oc like minded individuals to do this. That’s how we paid for it back in the day. Last thing, find a fairly big name dj to headline it, that’s how you’re going to fill the venue. Good luck.

J-Zed, post: 36014, member: 1486 wrote: I’d love to play a gig like that, it’s not often I’d get to turn the BPM up into the 130s and just blast pure techno.

This was the whole intention behind the show I’m throwing in DC. The BPM is going to be opening in the upper 120s, lower 130s….. and let’s just say I think the set I’m planning personally ends at 174-180

There was a bar/club near Baltimore I used to go to a bit called the Black Hole…. which had IDM nights, Rave nights/ hip-hop nights, etc. The rave nights were unfortunately taken over by kandi kids……..was a shame too.

rjwhite41, post: 36087, member: 2565 wrote: 15 year old kandi kids pay admission too. We had plenty of those in the 90’s.

Yeah, they’re also cop magnets though. Not worried about the annoying factor

Me and campus just THREW DOWN one of those just last weekend 🙂 2,500 people that night! Each DJ got to throw down their own style. We had everything from hardstyle to progressive house to trap to DnB to Techno to Dubstep to Moombah 🙂

I’ve tried to upload a few photos…but they are too large i guess 🙁

anyways….15,000 watts of subwoofer glory and 10,000 watts in the mains. with Pro lighting all night…it was so much fun 🙂 We had a guy with an old rusty school bus shuttle people in from the city haha