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Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:16 pm
by Cillit Bang
Widowmaker wrote:the guy in his pic, hurr durr
It's Ash, i'm just on a different account lol.

Having a job and a DJ career is no challenge, it's not difficult, especially if it's part time, you just have to dictate the days you're able to work and the days your not.

If anything your employer will/should be supportive, especially if it isn't a "career" that you're juggling with DJing, for example a part time retail job.

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:26 pm
by herbalicious
Cillit Bang wrote:
Widowmaker wrote:the guy in his pic, hurr durr
It's Ash, i'm just on a different account lol.

Having a job and a DJ career is no challenge, it's not difficult, especially if it's part time, you just have to dictate the days you're able to work and the days your not.

If anything your employer will/should be supportive, especially if it isn't a "career" that you're juggling with DJing, for example a part time retail job.
Yeah...but, if you're talking 9-5 (which he is) most will be rather unaccommodating of your flexible needs.

Temping could be a good shout...but, no real job security though. Part time probably won't bring you enough cash to live (presuming you're not a big time, grand a pop, worldwide DJ....).

Shift work could be a good compromise (as long as you can then dictate that you can't work weekends)...that also means that you'll likely be working unusual hours and staying up until 5/6 in the morn for djing won't leave you fucked up for work on Monday.

I don't DJ or anything...just thoughts, just thoughts...

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:36 pm
by Widowmaker
im talking part time as i go to college, i dunnno ill figure something out... thanks guise

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:44 pm
by DRTY
honestly mate, go to an agency explain your situation, theyll randomly call u up with work which u can turn down or accept as u wish. Being a temp you also get more pay than normal staff!

Obviously not sterdy work or anything, but could be a winner. Imagine it'll be proper shit stuff though, but it's £££

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 1:10 am
by AxeD
I plan to get some gigs going in the next few months too. Took a break from college this year and
I have an extremely flexible job, I can actually walk in do work and write down my hours :D

But in your situation I'd go for an agency too.

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:42 am
by wub
Widowmaker wrote:Need advice on this, currently unemployed but i really need a job, however i don't know how i would balance the two seeing as ill be playing out alot more in 2011, im not really in the position to be picky on what job i can have but don't want to get fired for taking time off to play gigs..

intrested in how some of you guys do it :dunce:

Get yourself a 9-5 office job w/ decent internet connection and little or no web monitoring. You can spend the day researching tunes/self promoting/dicking about on forums, and still got enough of the evenings and all of the weekends left to play loud music to people.

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:37 am
by koro inu
there a literally hundreds of people doing 9-5s and djing a lot as well. when i was working 2 jobs (one day, one night) i was still able to find time to gig, do radio, promote and produce, so really, unless you're gigging every week night, i would assume you'll be fine.

of course, you might not be able to stay all the way through every party, you might have to be stone cold sober for a few as well, and you might have to take a few days holiday, but that's what they're for innit.

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:24 am
by MikeE
Harden zeeeeee fuck up :-P

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:36 am
by LA_Boxers
wub wrote:
Widowmaker wrote:Need advice on this, currently unemployed but i really need a job, however i don't know how i would balance the two seeing as ill be playing out alot more in 2011, im not really in the position to be picky on what job i can have but don't want to get fired for taking time off to play gigs..

intrested in how some of you guys do it :dunce:

Get yourself a 9-5 office job w/ decent internet connection and little or no web monitoring. You can spend the day researching tunes/self promoting/dicking about on forums, and still got enough of the evenings and all of the weekends left to play loud music to people.
This.....pretty much explains my life right now.


Sure you wont be playing out more than twice a week to begin with. More than likely one of those days will be a weekend too. Sure you can put up with one morning/day of tiredness a week.

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:37 am
by wub
LA_Boxers wrote:
wub wrote:
Widowmaker wrote:Need advice on this, currently unemployed but i really need a job, however i don't know how i would balance the two seeing as ill be playing out alot more in 2011, im not really in the position to be picky on what job i can have but don't want to get fired for taking time off to play gigs..

intrested in how some of you guys do it :dunce:

Get yourself a 9-5 office job w/ decent internet connection and little or no web monitoring. You can spend the day researching tunes/self promoting/dicking about on forums, and still got enough of the evenings and all of the weekends left to play loud music to people.
This.....pretty much explains my life right now.


Sure you wont be playing out more than twice a week to begin with. More than likely one of those days will be a weekend too. Sure you can put up with one morning/day of tiredness a week.
Also applies to weeknight events that you're not necessarily playing at, but want to go down to anyway to check out/network.

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:49 am
by LA_Boxers
wub wrote:
LA_Boxers wrote:
wub wrote:
Widowmaker wrote:Need advice on this, currently unemployed but i really need a job, however i don't know how i would balance the two seeing as ill be playing out alot more in 2011, im not really in the position to be picky on what job i can have but don't want to get fired for taking time off to play gigs..

intrested in how some of you guys do it :dunce:

Get yourself a 9-5 office job w/ decent internet connection and little or no web monitoring. You can spend the day researching tunes/self promoting/dicking about on forums, and still got enough of the evenings and all of the weekends left to play loud music to people.
This.....pretty much explains my life right now.


Sure you wont be playing out more than twice a week to begin with. More than likely one of those days will be a weekend too. Sure you can put up with one morning/day of tiredness a week.
Also applies to weeknight events that you're not necessarily playing at, but want to go down to anyway to check out/network.
Energy drinks are your friend!

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:14 am
by ashley
I do a 9-5 and go to more gigs each week than most :\

I manage it, whats the problem lolz?

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:17 am
by herbalicious
wub wrote:
Widowmaker wrote:Need advice on this, currently unemployed but i really need a job, however i don't know how i would balance the two seeing as ill be playing out alot more in 2011, im not really in the position to be picky on what job i can have but don't want to get fired for taking time off to play gigs..

intrested in how some of you guys do it :dunce:

Get yourself a 9-5 office job w/ decent internet connection and little or no web monitoring. You can spend the day researching tunes/self promoting/dicking about on forums, and still got enough of the evenings and all of the weekends left to play loud music to people.
I have one of those :D Nothing to promote though :(

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:19 am
by koro inu
i think, and i'm just guessing, that if you've not done a 9-5 yet (was the op just finishing uni/college?) then you're never sure how much time it'll take up. you've spent much of your life doing something you care about, and it takes time to work out that the 9-5 doesn't always need caring about!

everyone finds their rhythm. sure, monday nights might fall into non productivity mong, but that's ok.

if you love doing the music, you'll make the time, and you'll enjoy it too.

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:50 pm
by T_macabre
the only way to balance both is sleep depravation

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:52 pm
by ashley
T_! wrote:the only way to balance both is sleep depravation
and 14 hours kip on a weekend!

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:19 pm
by T_macabre
ashley wrote:
T_! wrote:the only way to balance both is sleep depravation
and 14 hours kip on a weekend!

Ash knows!

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:46 pm
by LA_Boxers
Its what Sundays are made for!!

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 4:49 pm
by T_macabre
LA_Boxers wrote:Its what Sundays are made for!!
i very nearly typed that exact statement. work super hard mon-sat
sleep all of sunday

Re: Dj's that play out, how do you balance work and gigs?

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 3:04 am
by HRKRT
I dj at least once or twice a week, as well as the odd task session. But I don't find gigging that bad, you cam just turn up for ur slot and leave if need be. But I find that if you're promoting those gigs its a different matter... I struggle to balance promotion, gigging, uni work and looking for a job. The key is knowing where the boundaries are