Re: What do Swing DJs do in the day/to earn a living?
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 10:55 am
Hi there Swing DJ's - I'm brand new to this site, so allow me to introduce myself to all you swing lovers. First of all, in case you're wondering, this actually is my real name. Honest! You'll also have to forgive me for my technical ineptitude but, being an 'oldie', I'm still coming to grips with the whole internet thing... It's brilliant, but it still baffles me a bit.
Anyway, I was trawling through this wonderful forum and decided that this would be as good a place as any to jump in. So...
1. Yes - 'ish'... I make my living mostly from DJ'ing, but not exclusively from playing swing. The swing scene in Scotland is too fragmented with individual groups for it to be an income earner. I DJ at a 'social swing night' every Tuesday in Edinburgh - after the workshop/lessons finish - but, as entry is only £1 (that's about $2!), once the venue has taken its share I'm lucky if I get enough to cover my petrol & beer expenses! But (although I'd LOVE to) I don't do it for the money anyway - it's the music, the people, the dancers and the atmosphere that I really love, and I (usually!) earn enough out of the work I do on other nights to subsidise my Tuesday night folly.
2. During the day, I'm mostly responsible for looking after all the media promotion for a very popular clubnight here (called 'VEGAS') that I've been involved with since it began 7 years ago. We play all sorts of music - including a pretty large amount of swing - and I'm also one of the resident DJ's (as 'Dino Martini'). The club only operates once a month in Edinburgh & Glasgow, but we have the occasional 'special' in a big venue with live bands, and in the past we've played host to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The Ray Gelato Giants, The Jive Aces & Sophie Garner & Her Swing Kings amongst others. The (meagre) income from that covers my rent and a dry biscuit every second day.
The rest of my time is spent looking for other gigs - mostly private events, corporate functions, weddings, festivals, specialist club nights (apart from swing nights, I particularly like doing soul/funk/jazz nights). I also do a bit of radio production & presenting from time to time. When I'm not doing that, I'm usually trying to keep one step ahead of the debt collectors, while managing to stay two steps behind the people that owe me money! But don't get me wrong, I'm definately NOT complaining! I've had masses of fantastic experiences and gigs over the years, including ones in Skibo Castle (yes, the place where Madonna got hitched), London, New York, North Carolina, Barcelona, Adelaide & Melbourne.
Even though it's 'feast or famine' when you're a freelance DJ, I love it!
Anyway, I was trawling through this wonderful forum and decided that this would be as good a place as any to jump in. So...
1. Yes - 'ish'... I make my living mostly from DJ'ing, but not exclusively from playing swing. The swing scene in Scotland is too fragmented with individual groups for it to be an income earner. I DJ at a 'social swing night' every Tuesday in Edinburgh - after the workshop/lessons finish - but, as entry is only £1 (that's about $2!), once the venue has taken its share I'm lucky if I get enough to cover my petrol & beer expenses! But (although I'd LOVE to) I don't do it for the money anyway - it's the music, the people, the dancers and the atmosphere that I really love, and I (usually!) earn enough out of the work I do on other nights to subsidise my Tuesday night folly.
2. During the day, I'm mostly responsible for looking after all the media promotion for a very popular clubnight here (called 'VEGAS') that I've been involved with since it began 7 years ago. We play all sorts of music - including a pretty large amount of swing - and I'm also one of the resident DJ's (as 'Dino Martini'). The club only operates once a month in Edinburgh & Glasgow, but we have the occasional 'special' in a big venue with live bands, and in the past we've played host to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The Ray Gelato Giants, The Jive Aces & Sophie Garner & Her Swing Kings amongst others. The (meagre) income from that covers my rent and a dry biscuit every second day.
The rest of my time is spent looking for other gigs - mostly private events, corporate functions, weddings, festivals, specialist club nights (apart from swing nights, I particularly like doing soul/funk/jazz nights). I also do a bit of radio production & presenting from time to time. When I'm not doing that, I'm usually trying to keep one step ahead of the debt collectors, while managing to stay two steps behind the people that owe me money! But don't get me wrong, I'm definately NOT complaining! I've had masses of fantastic experiences and gigs over the years, including ones in Skibo Castle (yes, the place where Madonna got hitched), London, New York, North Carolina, Barcelona, Adelaide & Melbourne.
Even though it's 'feast or famine' when you're a freelance DJ, I love it!
Hell no...