Every so often I come across a club owner that just has absurd requirements for their club. Most of the time it just has to do with their taste in music and what genres of music they want played in their club. Most don’t care because most clubs in my neck of the woods are Top40 oriented, which I am totally cool doing because we all need our practice am I right? Well I recently had a very strange experience with a local club owner regarding payment for the night. Now usually either I charge a flat rate or take a percentage of the cover, pretty simple right? Nope. This was one offer i don’t think i will ever take and still wrinkles my brain frankly.
So I walk in and tell him who I am and that I would like to play in his bar. I explain to him that I am just getting home from finishing up my schooling in another province and that I am looking to start booking myself around the city and other close my cities. I tell him about my playing experience and how I am booked to play in a couple of the major music festivals in our area as well. You would think that the thought “oh this guy must be pretty good if he is playing in those” might go through his head at least once, but I don’t think it even registered because he was too concerned with making himself money. Next logical thing to do would be to ask me for a mix and to just go from there. Nope. Instead he tells me he would have to pay me from the cover (which is fine) but that he would have to hire four bouncers for the night, which he would have to pay from whatever is made from the cover. Still, not totally unheard of. But then he decides to tell me that if not enough money was made to pay the bouncers that I.ME. WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE DIFFERENCE!! Meaning if not enough people came in that night that I would be the one responsible for paying whatever is left that is owed to the bouncers. Needless to say my jaw dropped. i said “wait, excuse me?, hold on here, so you are telling me that there is a possibility that I will have to pay you to play in your club?! Dude you are crazy. that is totally not my responsibility. That is your responsibility to pay your bouncers man, not me.” My mind was BLOWN. All I can say is i will never work with someone who is so concerned about making money that he is WILLING TO CHARGE THE DJ if not enough is made on the door.
WORDS OF WARNING:
To all you new DJs out there, don’t ever let someone like this take advantage of you. It is much better to just walk away from a gig like this. No matter how badly you want to play, just walk away. There are always people out there looking to rip you off, but for every douchebag there is a saint willing to give you an opportunity.
Peace Love and Bass
Bustin’
Turnip The Bass 