Category: Last week, we asked six of Australia’s leading promoters to tell us what they look for in local DJs – and what they avoid. From making sure you show face at the party you want to play at to sending in the right mix and staying humble, together they offered stacks of practical advice for selectors looking to get booked.
But professionalism is a two way street, so this week we’re flipping the script and asking DJs what promoters can do to make sure people want to play at their parties. It’s not about pitting DJs against promoters – many of the acts we tasked with sending us their dos and don’ts also work as bookers or throw their own parties, meaning they know what working on both sides of the booth is like. Read on to hear what they have to say.
Pat Ward – Soapbox/Nuffsaid Agency & Eight-Six Events
#1 Do: Always respond, even if the answer is no
If an agent or even an act themselves hits you up for a booking, no matter how big or small the act might be, always respond. The agent is just doing their job, and the act is just trying to get him or herself ahead.
Keeping open the lines of communication is key to good relationships, and good relationships in this industry usually mean you’ll get first choice on the acts you really want, because you are reliable. The best promoters in the country will respond to a text/email/carrier pigeon without a chase, even just to say “no thanks”. You never know what act is going to blow up next week, or what agent is going to land the biggest tour of the year!
#2 Do: Pay your bills, and pay them on time!
Lots goes in to putting on a successful party/club night. If you don’t get it all right, you might lose money. Whether or not the talent had any pull on the night is beside the point, you should know your market and what is going to work, if it doesn’t, as the promoter you’re responsible. If the act turns up and does what is asked of them, pay them on time even if they played to no one.
#3 Don’t: Get high on your own supply
Nobody likes the douchebag promoter who can’t even stand up straight at his own events. If you’re on the clock, stay sober, or at least know your limits if you’re going to have a few.
#4 Do: Remember that hospitality is key
Look after the act. Whether it’s the $50 opener who just wants a few drink cards, or the $50,000 headliner that has an extensive rider, make them feel at home, they’ll work a lot harder for you! Don’t let the $50 opener see you at the bar smashing all the drink cards, and don’t skip parts of the headliner’s rider you’ve most likely contractually agreed too. A memorable show and great hospitality experience for a headliner goes a long way to guaranteeing the next show, or at the very least an ongoing relationship.
Kiran De Silva, ex-Meanwhile
#1 Do: Send a music brief
While most masters of jockeying discs will have a pretty solid idea about what to play based on their set times and the party itself, I don’t think it ever hurts for promoters to communicate some level of music brief to the DJs, or at least have a discussion with them about it. There’s never any harm done in making sure everyone’s on the same page musically.
#2 Do: Pay your DJ
The age old quintessential DJ vs promoter processing invoices battle still rages on to this day, but it’s imperative that you as the promoter take responsibility for your artists getting paid. It might seem like the $100 per hour fee is is something you can be flippant about because it’s “just an hour of pushing buttons” (insert world’s biggest eye roll), but it’s not just about that. It’s endless hours of digging, it’s thousands of dollars spent on records/music or equipment to hone your skills and at the end of the day, you’re booking someone to provide a service – so do the right thing and pay up.
#3 Do: Communicate
On top of communicating a music brief is communicating updates with the event. Yeah, it might be a bit frustrating if things don’t go to plan, but DJs aren’t gonna go all Trunchball on your ass and lock you in the chokey because of unexpected hiccups. They’ll more than likely be understanding if there’s things like changes to set times, or you have to close early – just flick ’em a text and it’ll be swoit.
#4 Don’t: Force promotion
This one’s a doozy and one of the most annoying things promoters do. If you’re forcing DJs to get their spam on, you need to look up the definition of “promoter”, then look up “DJ”, and hopefully you can decipher the difference in roles. In saying that, most DJs are happy to support the events they are playing at, so just be chill about it and ask in a diplomatic way rather than being a demanding knob.
#5 Don’t: Determine set times based on ticket sales
As far as I’m aware, a promoter allocating set times based on how many tickets a DJ has sold is the single fastest way to coward punch your musical credibility into the depths of hell. I’ve heard just about every excuse trying to justify it, the most common ones being about “the competitive market” and that “it’s how things have to be done now”(insert world’s biggest eye roll #2). Bullshit they have to be done that way. Rise above lame business tactics and get creative. Sacrificing the quality of your events music programming to solicit ticket sales is none of the vibes.
#6 Don’t: Be a drink card hog
It’s not a requirement for promoters to dish out alcoholic beverages, but it’s pretty lame having the host of the party running around with a pocket so full of drink cards it’s bursting at the seam like a gym junkie in his XS v-neck tee and not sharing them with anyone. You always want to keep that team vibe between you and your DJs and I guarantee you that looking after DJs with small gestures – like throwing a couple of bevvies their direction – will go a long way. They might even sell some tickets for you.
Madi Carr – Sports/Falcona
#1 Do: Know about the DJ
…Or at least pretend you do. Especially headliners. And don’t act like you are above a lot of the artists coming through.
#2 Do: Make the effort to watch the DJ that you’ve booked
If you are in the venue, at least for one mix. You don’t have to be dancing front and centre but it’s nice to know/feel that the promoter is actually interested and digs what you’re about, or is intrigued to hear what you MAY be all about. Especially if you’ve claimed to be excited!
#3 Don’t: Get your genres crossed
Don’t book a house DJ then ask them to play commercial hip-hop and Melbourne bounce mixed up with some trap while you freestyle rap over the top.
#4 Do: Support the underdog
That means including women and other minorities. There are a LOT of talented people that tend to be overlooked, trust your own judgement on quality and what will make an epic night. #headlineher
#5 Don’t: Bitch about other DJs
It’s a small industry and it’s nice to be nice.
#6 Don’t: Book DJs simply based on the crowd they will bring
Often the ‘smaller’ DJs will have a more vibey crowd than the club DJs with 10K followers.
#7 Do: Try to pay on time
Or if you can’t, at least reply to emails when people are bill chasing. Communication is key even if you are having some cash flow problems people can be quite understanding, as long as they are acknowledged.
#8 Do: Provide a welcoming atmosphere
Introduce your DJs them to other staff and artists in the venue. Have a beer! Go on – s’alright mate.
#9 Do: Forge relationships
It’s fun to be on the same page as promoters and this will benefit you in future, as DJs will be much more inclined to come back to your party on a discount once their profile has blown up because they trust you and had a great time. Unless you don’t like the person, then don’t be fake obvs.
#10 Do: Keep doing what you’re doing
Because we need to support and encourage gig attendance in Sydney! #keepsydneymoving
Andrew Wowk – Bondi Beach Radio
#1 Do: Be honest, upfront, and professional
Professionalism goes both ways. Communicate key information like the DJ’s set time, payment they will receive, where/when the party is, who else is playing in a timely manner. Preparing for a gig is much easier when we know what time we are playing, who is playing either side of us, and if we are the headliner or a support act.
If you are doing a small party and paying the artists their usual fee is going to be an issue, just bring that up straight away. I know personally if I really want to play for you, I will work something out. Make sure if you’re paying your DJs that you pay them on time – DJs tell each other about unprofessional promoters just as much as promoters tell each other about unprofessional DJs.
#2 Do: Believe in what you do and run parties for music that you love
If you genuinely love the music you are putting on at your night (as opposed to putting it on because it’s hot right now, a guaranteed money spinner, or to seem more legitimate and “underground”), DJs who are passionate about playing that style of music are going to want to play at your party. DJs are huge music nerds who love nothing more than sharing their love of music with people who love it too.
#3 Do: Your research
Just like a DJ should carefully select which promoters they approach for gigs, promoters should also know who are the best DJs in a particular genre, who are the appropriate DJs to book as support acts as opposed to as headliners etc.
If you’re just constantly booking people because you think their name will bring punters through the door or they are your mates but they don’t actually play the music you are pushing at your night (or don’t play it well), the DJs who do play that music well aren’t going to feel very enthused about contacting you. This is because they’ll feel like you aren’t especially interested in what’s best for the night musically.
#4 Don’t: Expect your DJs to do your promotion for you
Yes, DJs should be excited to play at your event and should make some effort to share that excitement with others and in turn bolster interest in the event.
However, when you start doing things like offering sets in return for selling tickets, or booking DJs just because you know they will bring 100 friends, you end up with either DJs who don’t play music relevant to your event or DJs who spend more time worrying about meeting a ticket sale/guest list quota than sourcing music for the party.
The DJ’s job is to play the music and create a vibe on the day, it’s your job to create the vibe leading up to the party.
#5 Don’t: Tell the DJ what to play
If you are booking a particular DJ, that means that you should 1) have done your homework and know what kind of music they play, and 2) trust that they know what they are doing. If you have a particular style of music you want, do some research and book a DJ who plays that style of music.
Don’t book someone and then tell them to play according to what you want. If they are a good DJ, they will know what kind of sound will be appropriate for the event, their timeslot etc. Booking someone and then micromanaging and telling them what to do implies you have no faith in their ability, and the obvious question then is if you have no faith in them to do the right thing, why did you book them?
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