Seeing complaints about not getting book lately inspired this little blurb which I hope helps to enrich peoples understanding of booking dynamics:

So you wanna get booked to play? While I have never wanted to call myself a promoter, ok, I admit...I do make some bangin parties happen sometimes, lol. And I get A LOT of people hitting me up wanting me to book them so I can only imagine how many inquiries people who do call themselves promoters get.

So some things to consider as a random DJ asking to get booked:

Talent aside as there are a million other acts with extreme talent lining up to be booked so it only makes sense for someone who busts their asssss with the blood, sweat and tears of countless hours of real back breaking, hair splitting, finger numbing work to organize and promote a party, to book someone who appreciates the hard work and dedication it takes and will help the party go off beyond just dropping in for their scheduled set. Unless you are way huger than you think and attracting gobs of fanatics who can't get enough of you by the mere whisper of your name, what can you do to enhance the party? What else do you bring to the table?

Do you have an online presence? Are you even promotable? If you have NOTHING online and don't even promote yourself how can anyone else promote you? But if you've made it past that genius step and do have some kind of even tiny presence to be promoted, why should they promote you and tell all their people about you when they have a ton of friends who also want to be booked but who actually return the favor and do the same for them? Have you shown support? Display excitement for their events? Do you like their facebook pages? Follow them somewhere, anything?

Do you promote yourself and the events you are doing? Do you tell and invite all your friends, post the page, post the flyer, make comments like a professional hype man to get everyone and their mother going out of their minds with anticipation for the best party ever even if they have to drive from Alaska? Will you help hand out flyers at every show to every person despite the mean people who act like you are scum for trying to invite them to a party and put up posters in the freezing cold with your nose about to fall off while your fingers are frozen numb and almost bleeding from not being able to wear gloves as you slap up posters in every possible spot? Then will you go check on these posters and put them back up the next day after they've been covered up or the haters have torn them down? If you don't do that you should at least post it on facebook thirty gazillion times.

Do you have anything to add to the party besides your set? Gear, deco, lights, tents, graphics, anything? Will you come help set up speakers and subs that weigh more than an elephant before the party and will you be there at 6 in the morning or the next day to help pack them up even though you are more dead tired than a zombie with it's head shot off?

Do you also throw parties so you can return the favor of the booking if said promoter is also a performer and would also like bookings? Or will you encourage other promoters you know to book them? Or do you write a blog that you could help out by doing a little write up? Or own a cake shop and could bring a cake? Or a print shop and could print some posters? What else do you have or do that you could apply to enhance the party rather than just using and riding along on others efforts?

Do you come and make the party more hype by sticking around for the other acts, starting up the dance floor early in the night, exuding a vibe of uber awesomeness to inspire everyone to have the time of their lives? Or do you just show up for your set like you're the only one that matters and possibly play the same tracks the DJ right before you just dropped rather than immersing yourself and becoming one with the party?

Also in initial contact, it helps to be somewhat articulate and include enough info on yourself and what you do - don't make them go searching for you. Provide links, clickable links -don't make it hard to check you out when they've got a billion other DJs with way more hype and professionalism hoping to get booked.

If you are past the point of "paying your dues" (aka playing for free and doing opening slots over and over til you have a real fan base because you are beyond awesome)(which you might think that you are but you're actually still not and the harsh reality is that it can take a few eternities sometimes despite how amazing you are), is your price reasonable and flexible? In a lot of cases the DJ should really be paying the promoter for promoting them not the other way around, lol. If you are not bringing a million tons of gear that takes a million hours to rig up and can just mosey in and just plug in like a billion other DJs, you can't expect an over inflated amount or maybe even anything at all when there is a trillion other expenses to be met until you are someone who is actually attracting the numbers to pull in the amount you want. If you're not doing something extra or you're not super famous and someone is paying anything at all, consider yourself very lucky.

Anyways, honestly, just to be straight up, I much prefer to book people who first like my facebook page, have shown me support, love or have promoted me even if it's only for their own selfish reasons of knowing that supporting me just enables me to support them better, acts who will promote their little hearts out with the understanding that the better the party does, the more fun they will have and better we all do...not people who only think of themselves but people who let the love flow both ways and are willing to put in actual work to party...and I'm sure this goes for most people who bust ass throwing quality events. People who bust ass like other ass busters who return the love as it gets tiring busting ass to carry other's weight when there's already so much to do...

Good luck and blessings to everyone and your endeavors. May we all be warriors of ultimate truth shining love and bringing nirvana to the world in everything we do...

Well. Apparently none of you fuckers here care about this rant but somebody liked it enough to guest blog me
And he spiced it up with all kinds of links and pics...he just put it up a few hours ago and I'm already getting some great feedback. And even a few likes on my facebook. LOL

He's got some other great informative and entertaining articles as well...

http://www.quietentertainer.com/the-real-reasons-that-no-one-wants-to-book-you/

i had not had a chance to read yet


It sucks when people expect all the promo in the world but never do it for others!

you know... those poop faces don't come early/stay uch later and watch the other djs!

i got a lot out of this... namely to check my ego at the door and bring something to the party. something i need to be conscious of as its really easy for me to think its all about me all the time (laughable as i've not nearly payed my dues). much needed truth.

love this, and I completely agree. It always weirds me out when certain artists hound the show organizer about getting cash before and after the show for their performance when it wasn't part of the deal to begin with. Personally I am usually the guy fronting (a small amount of) money or supplies with my crew (placenta recordings family, nom nom tunes family recently) and not expecting a return on it... Just love to play, best feeling in the world imo to rock a crowd or even one person who digs the music.

Ehehe, yes, this is for those poop faces!

Bingo bingola!

Placenta? I flippin LOVE placenta's! LOL I think everyone who likes to eat meat should switch to placenta ASAP so we don't have to ruin the planet with factory farming billions of animals. Fuckin genius idea if you as me, LOL.

I actually busted out with this really fast the other night and just posted it up...prolly shoulda slept on it and meditated on some aspects I could have elaborated on... but I guess it's long enough already and accomplishes the general idea to just be as fuckin awesome as you can be!

I'm glad he made it easier to read breaking it up with pics n shit...when he asked for pics I sent him this one, LOL, of my burnt ass finger from putting an on fire speaker cable out with my hand before the stage burnt down. The rubber melted into my skin. 2nd degree. Hardwork and dedication fo realz, lol.

Yeah, good info for sure. I find that getting bookings is way more about building relationships with people than it is asking them to book you. I also really like the parts about adding to the party, through vibe (staying for the whole party, and being interested!), work, deco, whatever. I do so much work to set up parties, and have spent so much time building my sound system, etc. If people are working on shit ... don't just sit there. Help out.

Although it is really nice to play the gigs where you just show and play and party:)

sweet deeeeyaaamm that looks like your growin another fingerr

thank you for your tips. i just became manager for a local band, and liked your thoughts.

Yes it is all about *building*!! who wants to use weak blocks that can't hold anything up? Stroooong, sturdy blocks that can carry some real weight is what people want to build with!
I just have no understanding for people who barely help out or don't return any love after you've helped build them up, uggggh, it doesn't make any sense!

But even gigs where I'm only booked to "just show up and play" - I at least invite my peoples, I shout about it, I shout about the people booking/supporting me...and then when I get there I rarely only just play and party...but gawd, that'd be nice sometimes. But shiiiiit, even when I'm not booked and am just there to support and party I usually end up helping out. Ahh! Someone's gotta do it. "There is no try, only do".

Haha, that hurt like a mother fucker. The flame was about a foot high and I could see that it was about to jump and spread all over the stage. I should have put it out with my foooot!
When it was near the end of healing I had a tiny little spot of 3rd degree burn scab in the 2nd degree burn. I got bit by a spider RIGHT on that little scab! OWW! It HURRRRT but I was ok and didn't die. Then we found a huge black widow. I think the scab saved me from the poison venom!! HAHA WHAAAAAAAAAT!

Busting your ass to the point of injuring yourself pays off in craaaazy ways, haha!

Hope it helps

This article is going way more viral via facebook & twitter than I ever expected, lol.

Awesome read.

I think when it comes to music people assume being awesome is synonymous with getting booked, paid, and famous. Especially in this age where information is free to anyone with a computer, if you want to stand out you have to stand up.

Meeting, following, and promoting my local promoter is how I got booked for my first big show.

when ppl directly hit you up with their promo in the same way they hit everyone else without personalizing it or with just a bare link to their stuff with no nothing to make it a little special or personal, does that mean they suck in bed? LOL

I agree with what you're saying. I collected the money at a local DJs party, at no charge. The night didn't really bring in that many people, but I got called back to open the next night they ran. It's definitely worth putting in the time.

This thread is spot on. Its exactly how I feel with people that want to get booked at my shows. Right now I think I've got all the right people for our shows, we formed a crew and they always help me promote the events, hook up the sounds sytem and pick it up, escort me home with the sound system after the party is over, etc.. They are always first when it comes to playing in our events, afterwards it can be some new guy or someone from outside, and if they dont play their part they are definitely not going to be invited again...