I Just DJ'd the Set of My Life...
DJFerrari
2,411 Posts
and no one was there to hear it...After a few off tracks while I figured out the system and monitors I went into 3 straight hours of ridiculously dope uptempo funk, soul, disco, rock and hip hop records old and new, perfectly mixed and creatively blended... for the 16 people that showed up to my show. The owner of the place wanted to kill me... instead he called some rap DJ to take my place. After getting yelled at by the owner and laughed at by the crowd on my way out, I actually broke down into tears when I got in my car. I can't remember the last time I cried. It was a full on Goodwill Hunting cry too except instead of a friendly shoulder to cry on I had a fucking steering wheel.So that's it... I give up. Every time I think it's going to get better, but it just gets worse. I get better, my collection gets better, but the crowd gets less receptive every time I play to the point where I'm now a laughing stock.Fuck San Jose... it's a good thing I'm successful in my real career otherwise I'd be outta here. I'm gonna regret posting this tomorrow, but I don't care right now. Clown on me for being named DJ Ferrari. That is all... good night.
Comments
Now go home and record that set and share it with people on the internets that would appreciate your talent.
Nah, no clowning here. This is real shit and I think the majority of people on here who play out know the deal. Sounds like one of those really bad nights. I have to admit I've never experienced actually being laughed at by the crowd. Fuck 'em. You sound real serious about what you do, so you should at least be happy that you delivered a thorough set.
One thing that's made me a happier DJ is being pickier about the gigs I say yes to. If I sense that I'm not the one they're really looking for, I say no thanks or point them in the direction of someone who is. So now I have fewer gigs, but I hardly ever experience those fucked-up nights anymore. Make sure the people who book you know what you stand for.
Hey sorry to hear about your night. It can be hell figuring out where best to do your thing. Clubs can be tough.
tjames
This is the way I feel after some of my nights, except I've usually just paid some other DJ out my own pocket - I'd be happier if I could have just played my own records to an empty room, but yeah, the barstaff want tips.
The thing is that the good times don't really seem like the good times at the time, only when you look back. But the bad times will slap you in the face right then and there. If that makes any sense, I say keep doing your thing, but keep a mental shitlist of all the people you're gonna be like "who?" to in the future
Keep playing the music you want to play
Honestly man the 'Jo is not a place for the kind of stuff you were playing, unless specifically set up as such... you are pretty brave for trying to bring that out but I can't say I'm too surprised with the response... if I was to play out there I wouldn't even expect to get away with that kind of a set. I would say take it for what it is - either play that club shit or get down to SF where you can throw down some more open-minded sets.
But trust me dude, whether it's getting laughed at, getting booed, having five people show up, having the club owner cut your set, or whatever it is... we've ALL been there. Trust me on that.
keep ya head up.
growing up in palo alto i can cosign this in a major way. san jose was the the land of mesh or shiny shirts and meat markets when i lived in the bay.
keep doing what you do.
keep ya head up man.
play some corny shit. get paid. go home and make mixes of shit you like.
That may be good advice for some folks but Ivan mentioned that he doesn't need to "get paid" for DJ-ing since he has a real job - his primary motivation is to share some dope music with the public. Why would it make him happy to go through the motions of playing corny music for a bunch of corny people? And I agree with most everyone else Ivan, you got nothing to be ashamed of and we have all had to put up with this kind of nonsense at one point or another.
seriously... it's a job. if it was'nt, people would'nt get paid to do it. once you learn that, you get more work. then, eventually, you might get to play stuff you like. get in where you fit in.
no one ever lost money underestimating the taste of the american public.
don't sweat it. just make a mix and throw it up here. peer appreciation is where it's at.
i say keep doing what you do, regardless... just think of it this way, i was at the agenda a year ago or so when peanut butter wolf was spinning and he had almost no crowd!!! this is PB wolf, a san jose native turned big wig indy label head and he was spinning to an empty club.
i still bump that demo mic you posted awhile back.
peace,
rich
i've never actually been there, but GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE!
I was most upset about no one showing up... the whole point of this was to create that niche event for all the people around here who I thought wanted to hear what I have to offer. I guess my support system isn't as solid as I thought. It was a real slap in the face because I pride myself on being reliable and always there for the people I care about, but I guess I don't matter enough for them to return the favor. Of the 16 people that actually showed up for me, none of them were there when I was pulled off stage. A lot of people said they were coming and I was super excited about it because it was the first time I was the main event. I was hoping to turn it into a monthly, but I'll never play there again that's for sure.
And yeah, it's not a money thing... I lost money last night on the deposit, but I don't care about that. I'd pay pretty much any amount of money to have people see me play and enjoy it. That's how important this whole thing is to me.
I might just record the set today if I get over my bitterness. I know folks around here would enjoy it. Thanks,
Ivan Ferrari
Gettin' booed is a tough one though. Pain is part of self-revelation.
I've found that being "eclectic" on the weekends is an uphill climb. Cats who are a little bit more receptive to what "different" DJs play, tend to hit the clubs/lounges/bars during the week. Sometime's its advantagous to camoflague your set w/ "common bangers" and throw your real personal shit in there after a couple of pitches. Both can exist together. Keep ya head up - dog.
ps...drop the DJ title, its so 80's. Just the singular name iz where its at.
As for friends not turning out, I definitely feel you on that shit-- it's a really depressing and there's no way that I know of to deal with it.
Friends are cool in the beginning, 'cause It can appear u have a "core" audience, but really its the new listeners that stick around that really make the difference.
Playin' radio bangers doesnt really set u apart from the next man/woman.
Try getting an "off" night (Sun-Thu) at a club that already has a regular crowd, playing more of a "background music" set that doesn't require people to watch you or to dance. Non-dancefloor bars, restaurants, and even live music venues can be a good starting point. A place that has a 25-35 year-old clientele seems to work best. Get a regular weekly/biweekly/monthly night playing for $0-$50, promote the hell out of it with flyers, cards, emails, myspace, etc. and cross your fingers. If people like it, they'll let you know. And if it doesn't work, try another venue. 90% of the time, it's all about the location rather than the music.
That's how I started about 5 years ago and through word of mouth, persistence, and just keeping my face/name out there, now I have about 7 regular monthly & biweekly gigs in three adjoining cities that all pay between $50 to $150+ apiece. That may not be Donald Trump money, but I play EXACTLY WHAT I WANT at every gig (generally bollywood/bhangra on CD and 60s-70s soul/funk/international/jazz/reggae on OG vinyl), and for the most part it's appreciated by both the clubowners and patrons.
Sure there's slow nights, lunkheads who make horrible requests, and times when I wonder why I bother DJing at all. But I enjoy it and I'm making enough money to more than pay for all the records I buy. And when the nights are good, they're OFF THE HOOK. Plus I get free drinks and free meal, as well as always getting asked to DJ house parties, weddings, other gigs, etc. AND to do freelance graphic design based on my flyers. Believe me, in addtion to the music, DJing can be a great networking tool for whatever your dayjob is.
Hope that helps.
POST THE MIX OR YOUR SOFT.
Yes why stop at 16 people in San Jose laughing at you when you can have an entire international community of DJs mocking you too!