Shadow kicked off the tables in Miami/Advice(?)

I think Vegas and Miami need to stop trying to be “about the music”. Clearly the bottle service high rollers want only the easiest-to-swallow mainstream for their Barbies, so this conflict will never end. I would honestly not be surprised if most of these instances were the “trophy girlfriends” of the high rollers making a stink, thus said high roller demands mainstream music so he can get laid later.

As for DJTT’s article, I put in a comment. I think when you’re a no-name you have to adapt…but when you’re a big name with a fully established brand, you can’t conflict that just to please high-rollers. I also disagree with the article and support when the headliners call out this BS on Twitter. Clubs like Mansion and promoters like that need to be embarrassed and humiliated in the scene so they can get it in their heads they have to make hard choices…the music or the high rollers.

As a DJ you’re expected to have an attitude, and his reaction was clever. He has to defend his sound and his scene as D-JAM mentionned… This said, why did they book him ? He’s clearly underground with futuristic sound and dark basslines. You only need to type his name in youtube to know that…Why would you book the guy in a top 40 commercial dollar making club ? Business plan error from managment…

To me it’s always the same problem with businesses :

1) if you run your business towards money, profitability and opportunity you’re gonna be successfull…until there’s a managership change (like it happened in this instance I believe) or something goes wrong. Then you’re unequipped to face the situation and most of the time your customers will vote with their feet, leaving the club…
2) If you run your business towards the customers, build a solid base, and give something back for everything you receive, you’ll build an entrepreneurial culture that can last for generations, even with managment change or trouble along the way…I know clubs in my town that have been around for 30 years and are still healthy money making businesses.

But it is tempting to take the shortcut : run a club for 5 years, make a lot of money, put them in the bank, and you’re done with working. Some people take that route…they hurt the human side of clubbing and make bad decisions cause they’re in for quick money, not for talent or entrepreneurship…

Shadow played here over the weekend, at a club that very much advertises itself as being the ‘in’ place to party.

VIP bullshit up to your eyeballs in that joint. Which is really kind of sad, since they do book some pretty decent DJs (Sash/Dig/Sander van Doorn) every so often.

I was wondering how exactly he was going to go over in such a bullshit rank environment.

The last time I saw him, it was in a dingy old converted factory. Very underground, very badass and very early on in his career.

You have to wonder if his talent agency/management/agent/promoter is selling him a bill of goods, or if they really don’t understand the kinds of places they are putting their artists.

just a side note on this…does anyone know the name of the track that was playing in the back? lol I was getting into the groove then he cut it out…to be honest I only heard of DJ Shadow after I heard the story so I guess its true what they say…any press is good press!

Michael Lawrence, post: 33958, member: 856 wrote: just a side note on this…does anyone know the name of the track that was playing in the back? lol I was getting into the groove then he cut it out…to be honest I only heard of DJ Shadow after I heard the story so I guess its true what they say…any press is good press!

Hi Michael, I think the track that was playing in the background is: https://soundcloud.com/#krampfhaft/spit-thunder.
speaking of first time I heard of DJ Shadow was when I got my copy of Global Underground 023: Barcelona – Mixed by James Lavelle, and the first track after the intro was “Mongrel…Meets His Maker” by DJ Shadow that blew my mind, thats when I also got to hear for the first time James Lavelle who introduced me to a whole new area in electronic music.

The people who’s voices can be heard right after he makes his “too future” comment responded about the exact same way I would have.

I wonder when djs will start signing contracts that say they cant’ be kicked off the decks for their alotted time. I’d never heard of djs being kicked off before unless they were making a piss poor performance. The world only cares about money, for shame.

D-Jam, post: 34046, member: 3 wrote: Well…I’m sure all those headliners were fully paid regardless. I don’t think Farina or Shadow ended up not getting compensated. I’m sure their agents have it in the contract in case, let’s say, a power outage hit the club.

In this case, they pulled the headliner willingly, but they still have to pay for his time. I also don’t see things changing where promoters will decide to sign contracts that remove their right to remove a DJ.

I have to put my promoter hat on here. If I have a club with 10 booths and a moderate-sized dance floor, I have to think numbers. Remember all I wrote about in the guide to throwing/promoting events. You have to treat it like a business. If my 10 booths are full of high rollers who will EACH spend $4000-$12,000 in the night versus a full dance floor that might only bring a total of $6000…I’m sorry, the high rollers will win the fight every time.

Even the barstaff will agree because those high-rollers will give them hundreds in tips compared to the dollars from the crowd. This is why you saw so many clubs shrink or remove their dance floors and put in more booths. They honestly want the best revenue stream…not to please music nerds.

In all honesty, and I said it earlier, I wish then these glam spots would come to reality and stop believing they can be both high-rolling glam/fashion hot spot…and musically innovative spot. We all can see now this won’t happen. The high rollers are more than likely out to lay their barbie dolls, and the barbie dolls only care about showing off that they are in a booth with a sugar daddy.

So now I’m sure some of you DJs will get angry how it seems good music is being pushed out for money. This is when and why you all have to take it on yourselves to build a scene. This is when I’ll see some guys come together to throw events, or take over promoting a night They might throw raves, or do a night where they tell the high-rollers they won’t pull the headliner…and thus risk the revenue loss. They might go look for a venue that has no booth service.

In any case, we can complain…but the real answer is all the complainers who want change will have to go out and build a scene. You could evolve into some 3000-person space that’s packed. No booths, no bottles. Just people dancing to a beat. High rollers will show up and lament how there’s no VIP section, but the masses of people will be your strength.

I don’t like it, but you’re 100% right and if it was my club I’d do the exact same thing. Lately we had a boom in bottle service here in Toronto that frustrated many fans. However lately we have seen a divide where there are clearly top 40 clubs for barbies and bottles and the other clubs for the music fans. Seems like it’s working but even the ‘underground’ bigger clubs that open still have tables with service which I think is alright but they’re keeping them low key and more out of the way. Only time will tell if it works.