Thread: How Does One Become A Burlesque DJ?

OK, so I am a mobile DJ - part of my living comes from this. Weddings, parties, corporate events *yawwnnnn*, plus rock clubs and biker events too. I have been doing this for all of the 21st Century so far, and used to run a multi-genre club night in Cambridge from 2002-2005... have all equipment and music that anyone anywhere could require, and am hosting my own burlesque night in Cambridge in October.

I can provide sound, lights and music to pro-night club level for any venue that isn't a stadium / warehouse.

Yada yada yada.

Now I attend various fetish / alternative clubs, mostly in London (e.g. TG), and have noted the rise in burlesque and associated cross-genre music. The DJ's, however, all seem to be (a) born into the job and (b) in the main not especially into the scene themselves. Enquiries to the clubs in question produce a stony silence commonly associated with the closed-shop gig.

So my question: how does one get into DJing burlesque events? Who do I need to sleep with in order to get a gig?

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Hmmmm Many clubs these days use agencies. They treat DJs as a commodity and don't really care who the agency sends.
Do you have a limited company? That can help, and in fact I think some of the larger chains will only use DJs that have their own company. Something about tax liability.
Good luck with it, anyway. As a mobile DJ, you might find club work a bit boring.

Originally Posted by kay_superstar

Hmmmm Many clubs these days use agencies. They treat DJs as a commodity and don't really care who the agency sends.
Do you have a limited company? That can help, and in fact I think some of the larger chains will only use DJs that have their own company. Something about tax liability.
Good luck with it, anyway. As a mobile DJ, you might find club work a bit boring.

Limited company - only used to dodge VAT, and I don't take that much money to warrant it... however I do have business accounts, am registered as sole trader with IR AND pay my taxes to them, have all the relevant documentation (PAT, PLI, Public Performance Licences), issue contracts for every gig and do black tie work for more than one agency.

Club work, boring? You should come out and do an all-day wedding, now THAT'S boring...

I think the best thing to do is to put together a mix CD of about 45 - 60 minutes long with a track listing and send to promoters, clubs and agencies with your full contact details. Chase up with a call and ask if they have checked it out and ask for thoughts.

If someone likes what they hear they may book you or ask if they can represent you as your agent....
Hope that helps and best of luck. xxx

Originally Posted by candy_kittenx

I think the best thing to do is to put together a mix CD of about 45 - 60 minutes long with a track listing and send to promoters, clubs and agencies with your full contact details. Chase up with a call and ask if they have checked it out and ask for thoughts.

If someone likes what they hear they may book you or ask if they can represent you as your agent....
Hope that helps and best of luck. xxx

Thanks for the idea - but that would involve recording / copying tracks and then distributing them, which is illegal... and where to start? I have a (fully legal) laptop DJ system with 14,000 tracks on it!

Clubs, as I have mentioned, have not even had the courtesy to reply to emails, so some names / websites of promoters would be helpful.

Hi
We are looking for a burlesque dj/compere but its quite a way from you in merseyside.

Originally Posted by sharron l'amour

Hi
We are looking for a burlesque dj/compere but its quite a way from you in merseyside.

What do you mean - 's only 200 miles!

I could be interested in doing that for a reduced fee for the experience, can you send me some more details please? (i.e. date, times, venue, what you need - just me or the whole roadshow, plus what styles of music you require)

Hi
The first event is on may the 3rd we have a dj for that but need a compere, the next is 21st june, we havent got anything sorted for that.
We will be having 2 or 3 girls, a guy and a short fashion show, we will need a dj who can act as compere aswell, is this something you would consider, we also hire a stage and lighting which you could do if you can.
Let me know
Sharron

Originally Posted by sharron l'amour

Hi
The first event is on may the 3rd we have a dj for that but need a compere, the next is 21st june, we havent got anything sorted for that.
We will be having 2 or 3 girls, a guy and a short fashion show, we will need a dj who can act as compere aswell, is this something you would consider, we also hire a stage and lighting which you could do if you can.
Let me know
Sharron

Hi Sharron,

Thanks for the offer - sadly I am out on both of those dates already but may be free for future events; I just have the lights that come with the disco, I wouldn't be able to provide a stage and full lighting for that I'm afraid.

(looks like this)



But thanks for the offer!

Do you have a current copy of MIM (Music Industry Manual)? There's loads of promoters listed in there, though sadly not by genre.

The thing about tax and the sole trader, so I've been led to believe, is to do with liability. If HMRC can't get their percentage out of the sole trader (e.g. if he's gone bankrupt) they can try and get it from his clients, as if he'd been employed by them, especially if they'd been using him regularly. The big clubs and promoters won't take that risk.

To make a mix cd, you wouldn't need to record the tracks in their entirety - just the segues between them and any voiceovers you put in - the promoter is interested in hearing you, not the music. They should already know what the music sounds like. I'm sure there's nothing illegal about recording your own output, and it's not as if it's for general release. The cd is just a vehicle for getting your product across to the promoter. You could always put it on a USB flash stick - they're almost cheap enough to give away now.

C'mon, weddings aren't that bad. At least every one's different from the last - especially if a fight breaks out, or the client scarpers without paying I did a gig once where the venue had no electricity for about 2 hours. I couldn't even offer a discount, because I was at the bottom of quite a long food chain on that occasion.