Club nights is it easy?

I have kind of mentioned this before but I want to get involved in music some how. I have setup a website which is yet to suceed but it takes a while to get indexed on search engines etc.

I am pretty sure there is demand in my local area for a manc indie night (Smiths, Oasis, New Order, Buzzcocks, Joy Division, Stone Roses, Morrissey, Ian Brown, Doves etc" as well as a bit of none manc stuff like the Clash, libertines, killers, zutons etc.

The problem is how to go about becoming a DJ for music that isn't that norm? Will I look an idiot if I go to pubs/clubs in my area of South Manchester and ask "would you consider hosting an indie night?". It may become a copy of scence from 24 hour party people who the people who owned the venue didn't know what indie was and that it was indian music!

The city centre has a very vibrant indie scence but I don't really want to get involved as I can't compete the with likes of Clint Boon, Peter Hook and even the resident DJs of some of the best indie clubs.

Thanks for any advice.

 

/looks for SCIDB


Cant help AT, im sure SCIDB can give you some pointers.
Good luck

 

Thanks, the other problem is the only experience I have is DJ'ing at my grandparents 50th wedding aniversery in 1999 but that invovled playing stuff like Glenn Miller and YMCA.

 

Hi AT,

There are many ways you can get into djing & club nights. Manchester has many bars, clubs & pubs where there are many club nights. Here is what you can do.



1. Go to as many different nights as possible. Check the Dj and their style. How do they structure their sets? How do the crowd react to the tunes? For example, check out Clint Boon. Look at his set from start to finish.

2. Learn to dj. It's not as easy as it looks. Get hold of some dj equipment and get some practice. Do a few tapes, cds , etc as these may come in useful.

3. Try to get some dj experience. Your student union may be able to help.

4. Does your student union have an indie night? If so, how about getting involved in running it. This will give you some good insight.

5. Have a look around your area at the range of nights on offer. Are there any indie nights nearby? How well are they doing? What sort of playlist do they offer?

6. Right a plan of what you really want to do with your club night or dj set. Will you stick to tried & tested big tunes. Will you play a mixture of new stuff with old stuff or go for more underground stuff.

7. Decide if you want to go alone or in partnership with someone. If you are running a night, it is always easier to have many hands.

8. Have a look at venues. Some you may be able to hire one yourself. This can be from as little as nothing. This will give you more free reign. Talk to venue owners & managers to see if they would let you do a spot or an whole night. Be Flexible on what day you want to run your event.

9. Be realistic. It's not as easy as it looks. It can be very hard work. There will be knock backs and set backs. But if you are keen, give it a go.

10. If you do have a bash at it. Have fun. It could lead to something big. I've been djing over 15 years and have done very well out of it.

Any more info or tips, feel free to ask.

SCIDB

 

There are many ways you can get into djing & club nights. Manchester has many bars, clubs & pubs where there are many club nights. Here is what you can do.

1. Go to as many different nights as possible. Check the Dj and their style. How do they structure their sets? How do the crowd react to the tunes? For example, check out Clint Boon. Look at his set from start to finish.

I have already done this I have a good idea of what goes down well and what dosn't.

2. Learn to dj. It's not as easy as it looks. Get hold of some dj equipment and get some practice. Do a few tapes, cds , etc as these may come in useful.

I guess you have to be able to put the records on instantly and stuff although I won't be mixing anything as such.

3. Try to get some dj experience. Your student union may be able to help.

I think there is a DJ society but its probably more dance music but I could enquire.

4. Does your student union have an indie night? If so, how about getting involved in running it. This will give you some good insight.

It all seems to be cheesy RNB/Pop at the moment but I am president of a society and part of what the society does is arange club nights for students living off campus, I could probably use this some how to my advantage although I can't DJ on these nights I may be able to get to lknow people who know when I can.

5. Have a look around your area at the range of nights on offer. Are there any indie nights nearby? How well are they doing? What sort of playlist do they offer?

The city centre 3.5 miles away is Inide central but my area seems to be more northern soul or ska.

6. Right a plan of what you really want to do with your club night or dj set. Will you stick to tried & tested big tunes. Will you play a mixture of new stuff with old stuff or go for more underground stuff.

This is somthing I have had discussions with my mates about, they all think it should be rarer stuff but I don't think a load of B-sides and rare album tracks will go down well so it has to a mix of the classics from the Stone Roses to a catchy Smiths songs on an album. I will also play new signed stuff as well as a couple of unsinged stuff (probably better at the start of the night).

7. Decide if you want to go alone or in partnership with someone. If you are running a night, it is always easier to have many hands.

Yeah I already have somebody lined up to help me, I even have a door man in mind although that should be the venues responsability.

8. Have a look at venues. Some you may be able to hire one yourself. This can be from as little as nothing. This will give you more free reign. Talk to venue owners & managers to see if they would let you do a spot or an whole night. Be Flexible on what day you want to run your event.

This is the biggest hurdle of all, having the confidence to that. My students union bars may be the easiest option.

9. Be realistic. It's not as easy as it looks. It can be very hard work. There will be knock backs and set backs. But if you are keen, give it a go.

Yeah thats true a lot of the clubs now use digital MP3 systems to its you just select the tracks and the computer does the work but that is not my style, I am purely a 12" and CD man.

10. If you do have a bash at it. Have fun. It could lead to something big. I've been djing over 15 years and have done very well out of it.

Any more info or tips, feel free to ask.



Thanks I guess my students union is the best bet. Are you normally expected to bring your own equipment or just the records? Is their any licensing issues involved or is that the venues reponsability?

 

I used to be to be to be a very famous DJ and I can tell that it's not as easy as it looks.

 

Hi AT,

Starting at the University may a good way to go. As a rule you don't need to bring any equipment unless the venue dosen't have any. Most of the gigs I do, I just bring my records & cds. I do have a small rig for the odd private hire do but I usually would arrange for a outside PA to do the honours. Bear in mind that you may need to budget the cost for PA equipment when doing a night. Some venues may even charge you for using their equipment. Some will let you use it for free. Most venues are licenced for the playing of music. But always check this or you may have to stump up for it.

It seems that your university doesn't have an indie night. This is your big chance. Grab the bull by the horns & set one up. Start small. Does your uni have a some venue or club room. Anything from capacity freom 50 to 250 will do. This should be the right size to get something off the ground. start will a one off & see how it goes.

For some more pointers into how a good small size indie club can be run, have a look at these sites. Offbeat is an indie night based in my home town, Sheffield. It has been going for many years now to good effect. Have a look at the playlists for some pointers. Their are a number of reviews as well.

http://www.shef.ac.uk/~offbeat/frames/homepage.htm

http://www.shef.ac.uk/~offbeat/frames/favorfra.htm

http://www.shef.ac.uk/~offbeat/frames/gallfra.htm

http://www.shef.ac.uk/~offbeat/frames/whatoff.htm

SCIDB

 

It might be worth having a chat to any local bands you know; small bands are usually grateful for someone to spin a few tunes before and between bands and at the end on gig nights. It would get you a bit of practice without having to be the fall guy for a whole night if it goes pear shaped.

Tony.

 

amazingtrade, no matter what anyone tells you, the biggest single thing that you need to establish a decent nightclub event is... money. I know that isn't what you want to hear when the reason you probably want to start a night is to actually make money, but that's really the way it is.

I used to run a successful nightclub event, albeit in the dance environment, and we worked up from a small local club using our own Djs to some of the UK's top DJs at the South West's top venues and the one thing it all comes down to is money. It'd be nice to think it's 'all about the music' but to get to that stage costs cold, hard cash.

We started our night in order to create the kind of night we actually wanted to go to but wasn't being put on in our area - that's one of the first things you need to do, make sure you create a night that you would pay to go to, or would go out of your way to turn up to.

It's also worth making sure that you're actually offering something different to other nights in the 50 mile radius area you're in. It's all very well coming up with a great name, promoting it well and getting the crowds in but if what they experience is a 'starter' version of something they already enjoy, chances are you're not going to do too well. Of course, some people will always support new ventures and want to make it 'theirs' but the majority will stick with what they know and can trust to be consistent.

Whatever you do, you really must promote the hell out of it. We used to spend easily as much on flyers and advertising as we did on DJs. We're talking thousands, rather than hundreds, of pounds here and even then people look at you blankly the day after the event and say 'We didn't realise it was on last night'.

A good website, regularly updated and maybe featuring money off vouchers for booze at the venue or off the entry price, can work well but you really need to get out there with the two methods that work best for club promotion - flyers and, above all else, fly posting (yes, I know it's illegal and I know it can be a pain to do, but it'll bring in more people than anything else).

Also remember that a lot of the venues out there don't do so well for most of the week, getting a Thursday night can be a lot easier than a weekend evening and a lot cheaper (or free). If you can build a following, look professional in your dealings with them and assure good bar takings, most venues will actually treat you well eventually. After all, a good night for you will ususally mean a good night for them also.

I'm not trying to put you off - blimey, I had some of the most fun times of my life putting on our nights and then actually going to them - but just be very aware that it's (a) hard work (b) all consuming and (c) nowhere near as easy to do as it might appear to a regular punter.

The best three quick tips I can offer are:

1. Don't try and do it solely on your own, you will need help
2. Only do it as long as it's fun
3. Make sure you don't lose too much of your own money

 

Good advice there, I suppose that applies more to the real world if I did this in a small university bar to begin with people will turn up because its open and it could grow from there. If I was doing this in real bars which I will do then I would need time and effort to invest into it. I would have do that when I have left university.