Dear All,

Found this when trawling through another dj forum just to see what else was being talked about- Chris -I'm not a member of it.
Is it any wonder we tear our hair out trying to get our prices to a reasonable and just level for an evenings work.
Mikee - the North/ South divide really does exist !!!



This is a genuine extract from a dj's website.

Why are we so affordable?

We have staff that enjoy a good party and they help create it for you.

Monday to Thursday 8pm start 11pm finish
£ TBA - although I'd imagine it will be less than the £70 quoted below.

Friday 8pm start 11:30 pm finish this will not include December £70.00

Saturday 8pm start 11:30 pm finish this will not include December £70.00

All we require to secure your booking is £15.00 and send out written confirmation with 24-48 hours

If you live outside of Rotherham and want an exact price please drop us a line at ***************

I can believe that, some in Torquay are £60.

The difference between making pocket money and making a living i'm afraid!

Once the clampdown on PLI and PAT testing arrives (and it will) then a lot of these will be left by the wayside.

Spin

I was waiting for a reply like Spin's - read this further to the first message also from the same site, they appear to have PAT and PLI!

I know our colleagues from Yorkshire are meant to be frugal and cagey wit'their hard earned brass. It makes a £100 a night seem like an absolute fortune !!


We are safety tested and abide by the H&S at work act.

We are insured for public liability.

We have been on the mobile disco scene since 1985

We have experience of nightclubs, pubs, private parties and radio road show events

We do not charge extra for weddings or any less for a birthday on a Saturday night

We do not charge extra for setting up in an upstairs venue

We have a smart dress code we follow to suit any occasion

We confirm all booking in writing within 24-48 hours of receipt of deposit

We play anything and everything you want to hear and don't play what you don't want to hear.

This could be a whole new topic really - what do we charge, and is it right to display the info on the board?

Hmmmm?

I strongly believe in the DJ map idea. Knowing where everone is can be fruitful.

But price?

I suppose if I had no bills and outgoings, and a fulltime PAYE job, I'd be happy to earn a few quid on the side.

But like many DJ's who turn pro, be it mobile or club DJ's - the fees tend to reflect the status, experience and area.

If I charged my basic rate in, say, Liverpool, I probably wouldn't get any work.
But a night club in Liverpool would pay the fee of someone like Pete Tong or Roger Sanchez on demand.

Standardisation - given that equipment has a RRP across the nation, CDs are similar, PAT can vary between £1.50 - £3.80 average and PLI can vary, then maybe DJ's should have a minimum fee to cover the basics - say £40 per hour. (OR £120 - £140 FOR 3.5 HOURS - NOT BAD)
Then there is fuel.
It really annoys me when someone like Esso can charge £ 0.81p near my home for derv, then £ 0.74p in Romford (40miles away) or £ 0.78p only 3 miles away.
Add running costs like fuel, road tax, etc, it can add up.
So does dry cleaning, clothing purchases, etc.

BUT £70 FOR 3.5 HOURS IS NOT ONLY SAD - IT LOWERS THE CREDIBILITY OF OTHERS.
(IN MY MIND, I would like to add, I could not charge this rate in the area's I work - I wouldn't get much work!!!)
If I could DJ for pleasure - I would still cover the basic legal requirements, and that would amount to around a minimum £ 80 for a night - given that CD's are not exactly cheap - albums, singles, etc.

So where is the profit margin?

I smell agency's.
Oddbods supplied with gear and earning £40 - £50.
Suffer the little audience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Removed by guilt.

I am so glad i live where i do and will tell how much i charge here, club work 4 hr set £200.Small mobile 4hr basic £350 plus £50 per hour overtime.Admitedly cost of living is higher but £70! There is no way they are making money and are legal

QUOTE

There is no way they are making money and are legal

Well obviously there are gonna be a few who are legal but I go with djcs its easy to 'say' you have PLI and PAT testing but probably not so forthcoming in showing you the documentation.

I just got involved in a local community hall which i have talked about on here before. I suggested they cover themselves and in future always ask for certificates as proof or a) the functions don't go ahead
b) they use a nominated disco who has the necesssary paperwork

Since May I have had ONE disco supply docs, all the others could'nt and guess who has been picking up a lot of work as the 'nominated disco'.......... at MY price!!

Spin

Spin,
I fully endorse your comments and this is why I have now followed a similar approach to yours and approached the 2 local village hall committee's near where I live.
Will keep you advised of their comments and response.
I have no problem in advising of what my rates are and perhaps a statistician amongst us may like to work oput what the average is around the country and how it varies in different parts of the country.
£70 a night doesn't surprise me, we have the same around here and some people are just not interested in the fact that you have this and that, they just want cheap entertainiment, to quote someone who rang me recently, 'it's just playing records isn't it'.
Cris

I agree with Spin regarding the documentation, it is easy to SAY that you are covered, and announce the fact on your website but when it comes to prove it then its another matter .

I really don't have all of the answers to this one!, whilst I was away yesterday I took an enquiry for a "posh" Stately Home on the 21st December - being so near to Christmas, and the fact that the venue were possibly charging around £1500 just to open the doors for them , I though I would be justified in charging a paltry £25 more than my usual rate just to test the water so to speak .

The response wouldn't have been much different had I asked to sleep with his wife!! - "I've been quoted £85 by another company he said!!", well could luck to him and them . Okay so i've lost nothing by trying since my original quote would also have been higher than £85!

I wonder how many Discos visit the venue they are being booked for prior to reckie the place, and i wonder how many would have the truthfulness to say that with the equipment they had, they wouldn't be able to give them a professional show.
I would have thought it would be best to be honest instead of ploughing ahead with it and ending up having a bad night and people giving you negative feedback.

Maybe this could have gone as a new thread about turning down a booking due to not having the full capability to do it, but i'll let admin decide that one.

QUOTE

I wonder how many Discos visit the venue they are being booked for prior to reckie the place, and i wonder how many would have the truthfulness to say that with the equipment they had, they wouldn't be able to give them a professional show.

This probably shows another of the main differences between a pro DJ and the guys doing it to earn a few bob on the side.
A pro will always have enough gear. For example the venue I'm doing tomorrow needs more power than I usually take, so I've borrowed a Bose 302/802 rig from a mate of mine, which I'll use alongside my own system. At other gigs I've hired additional eqpt if I felt it was necessary.
It's your reputation that's at stake, without that you're nothing!

Hear Hear , i dont know about you guys but i have a minimum of 1 meeting with a bride and groom or customer to go over details, and where possible rig up the day before and do a soundcheck, but then again this is quite a small town so there are no real distances to travel between gigs