$15 for a reggae DJ night is a joke
October 2nd 2006 12:54
Saturday night we had every intention of heading to dancehall with Nasty Tek at Hermann's, otherwise known as Wentworth Bar, at Sydney Uni. I was tossing up how much I wanted to go. In the end what stopped us going was the price tag. A $15 cover charge is too much for a sound system night in my opinion. These guys have their own sound gear so after printing off a few posters the profit is close to 100%. It isn't like they have to pay bands. Most local gigs you go to are about a tenner. This often includes bands of 8 members meaning with 3 bands there is sometimes 25 band members you have to pay. To charge 15 bucks for guys spinning vinyl is ridiculous. So we didn't go, not the end of the world.
On the Sunday we thought we would head down to One Love at the Addison Rd centre in Marrickville. We had images of reggae on the grass and a wonderful day it would have been for it. To our surprise though it was inside and 15 bucks as well! Remembering that Addison Road Centre is a council owned site! My council as it happens! What a joke. These guys haven't even the rep of Nasty Tek and they think they can charge 15 bucks. The thing is, events held on council sites should have to allow for all council residents to enjoy it, meaning the thing should be free or merely help cover some costs.
When you think 45 rpm is a mere 6 bucks and Dynamite is only 5, one has to ask whether certain events are less about the money and more about lining the pockets of certain individuals.
On the Sunday we thought we would head down to One Love at the Addison Rd centre in Marrickville. We had images of reggae on the grass and a wonderful day it would have been for it. To our surprise though it was inside and 15 bucks as well! Remembering that Addison Road Centre is a council owned site! My council as it happens! What a joke. These guys haven't even the rep of Nasty Tek and they think they can charge 15 bucks. The thing is, events held on council sites should have to allow for all council residents to enjoy it, meaning the thing should be free or merely help cover some costs.
When you think 45 rpm is a mere 6 bucks and Dynamite is only 5, one has to ask whether certain events are less about the money and more about lining the pockets of certain individuals.
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Comment by Anonymous
Far out for 19 longtime most medium independant events have been sitting on $10, do you think that these events should be 10 bucks forever? Like somehow these events are not effected by inflation over a mumber of years?
You have to pay money for door staff, the enetainment, advertising and even pay the venue a tax for everyone who comes in. But I'm getting the idea you have NEVER put on a night like this of any kind!
By the way Sydney is by far the most exspensive City in the country to put on an event of any kind. Also your idea that this was just a night of blobs spinning 45's is so ignorant like there's nothing else more to it, I'd also like to bet your never DJ'd either and have the opinion that's piss easy to do.
Go sit down or go into the city a see how much a club will charge you to go into a place with kids with no DJ experience playing sub standard MP3 downloads on a crap system, rude door staff and expensive drinks.
Oh yeah one other thing...........
FUCK OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Glen
Reggae
My favourite example: December last year I put on a weekend event. Friday night club night with DJs, Saturday night with 6 bands and Sunday a harbour cruise with 3 bands including 2 bands from Melbourne. ALL FOR 30 BUCKS. So I know mate, I know.
Comment by curious
may I ask you a question Glen?
Do you have a job outside of putting on these events?
And if not, may I ask if you actually plan on making ANY profit from these so you can re-invest in your business?
Its not an easy feat to promote fringe music in this mainstream city (as you know), the reason I'm asking is also to find out how long you have been promoting events here, because unfortunately its become more and more difficult to maintain a decent venue (as in: not a smelly pub, but nightclub with good sound and decent location with owners / managers that arent crackheads).
by the way, have you been to a club in the CBD on the weekend lately?
They will charge you $15 minimum for ANY venue with 'only' DJs playing commercial house or top40 R&B on shitty sounds with rude doorstaff & overpriced drinks...
anyways, food should be free too, but we gotta pay these damn farmers dont we?
Comment by Glen
Reggae
Using Dynamite as an example, they can charge a fiver on Oxford St, but they run their nights frequently, similarly to us, and with good support you make enough to advertise your next night and some money for new records with maybe a little bit left over.
If you are chasing a mainstream market then running a reggae night at a bar which is part of the uni I go to (because I have realised the nature of Sydney and need a regular income) then you have to expect complaints over a 15 dollar cover. Students are poor and so are most reggae lovers in Sydney.
I'm not saying I am more experienced or have greater insights than you, but I have enough of both to know money is rarely made from these things - the money is in owning the venue and also people with few dollars want to spend what they do have on beer.
Comment by Anonymous
Pal everyone chooses for themsleves what they like as entertainment, not you. Neither paying a band or a DJ is greater value than the other, it comes down to what people PREFER. But most importantly who the f*ck are you to judge what is a reasonable price for a Sound System night.
I got no idea what the costs for your nights are, how many people you attract or how much you make and couldn't care less. Judge not or you will judge yourself.
You made your democratic mind up and decided to give it a miss that night, kind of tells me your not really into the type of night otherwise you wouldn't have belly ached about the price.
Take my advice, stick to what you do and don't comment on the logistics and profits (pfft) of other peoples events.
Comment by Glen
Reggae
The original post was a reflection on my weekend. I was going to go, but what stopped me was the price, and the price only. If that, combined with my knowledge of the industry (I don't know everything, but I know a bit), doesn't allow me to crisiticise, then you may well expect to never face criticism in your life. I hate to tell you this though, you want the public to support your night and I am part of that public, so expect the occasional piece of public criticism or get out of the game.
As well, it's not as though I am saying my nights are better because they are cheaper, they won't be better to many people, but a simple observation about the price of your night is warranted, in my opinion.
Comment by Anonymous
[B]I love how I wasn't allowed to comment when I had no clue because you made assumptions and now it is a matter of minding my own business [/B
I think you did a pretty good job of making comment. I just got the feeling you didn't put on events but who cares?
Look before I go too far let me point out something to you, you start a blog with the words 'Rip off" and "Joke' in the title, if you don't like getting slapped back try a different tact.
I don't give a stuff about your nights but object to others who want to judge what value I or anyone else invovled can put on the nights you mentioned.
It's like 'well I do this and therefore everybody else must be similar'. You go on like some junior socialist who wants everybody to get an equal amount of bread crumbs.
Don't care about your knowledge of the industry or what you think is a good price is. Unlike you I never comment about the logistics of other peoples events EVER! That's their business. If they want to give themselves away for free that's their business, if they want to make a sh*t load of cash I not going to begrudge them. But hey that's just my maners.
As I think I've made clear I don't apprciate your opinions or interested in your views on the scemes of putting on events no matter what they are.
As far as putting a value on your opinions go I'd say as you did in your title 'Joke' and a 'Rip off' of our time. Go sit down!
Comment by Glen
Reggae
The main problem I have with your rhetoric is that you seemingly think feedback shouldn't be be a part of the club running process. Okay I didn't hold back in the title, but I did justify the strength of my language. Personally I would want to know if price was holding back people from coming to my nights, but as you said, you aren't interested in my opinions.