I agree. This is a big part of why I stopped actively working as a DJ and keep it as a hobby. I found my choices were ones I didn’t want to make. I either had to play music I hated or work another full-time job basically of networking and promoting to get into gigs I wanted. Plus I grew a little older and started desiring my weekends back for personal time.
I’m with Steelo. If you want to play the “underground”, then get a normal job, work hard and network, do things to build a following in that world, and then be prepared to play occasionally…unless you land a residency in an underground spot. If you want to be the big headliner in a massive club, then build a brand, produce music, and become a marketing machine.
Picking tunes, making demos, and mailing them to promoters won’t ever really bring results. Not while he’s getting loads of CDs and MP3 links all over. You have to show a promoter that you’re worth his investment…even if you’re playing for free. That him chancing time on will lead him to bodies in the club.
That’s the hard reality. In the Top-40 spots you get the luxury of just worrying about pleasing the crowd, as the manager/promoter takes on the responsibility of bringing bodies in.
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