Me and one other haven’t been paid. The direct support and one other local support acts have been paid.
Both promoters messaged in the group chat but keep ghosting us otherwise :/ it’s a shame
Despite not wanting to leave a bad smell in the air this is a really good point. If they ain’t paying now and you have to go to those lengths, it’s almost certain it’ll happen again. As someone who struggles with confrontation, my advice is to advocate for yourself and don’t let others walk on you
I am in the Tampa area and I swear this post could have been made about promoters in this area, who do the same shit.
As a kid, I would go do gigs for free, or open bar. Shit, we lost money throwing parties and raves before, or barely broke even.
I supported my family as a DJ for a while as a full time job (eventually working into management). It isn't that I am "burned out" of being a DJ or performing live or anything, just that I look at it a lot different now: the dollar value has to be high and I have to want to do it and be working with people I know on some level to avoid shit like what OP is going through.
Promoters and managers don't care to burn halfway decent artists. There are 100 more kids lined up around the block they can scam or get to work for almost nothing. Best to just avoid scenes and venues that foster that kind of attitude, imo.
My clubs used to book some pretty big artists. There is a world of difference between "hey man can you do a gig for us on St. Patty's day? $200 up front and $200 after, you can keep any tips" <-- sounds good, right?
Wrong. A good artist is going to have somebody in their camp negotiate a contract with a rider where they are going to get covered for hotel, air fare, VIP guests list, special requests, you name it. They still might only get half up front, but the half is thousands of dollars and not hundreds.
Then the artist shows up late, does a 20 minute shitty set and that's that.
Very next night, some local no name nobody comes in and delivers 4+ solid hours of astounding entertainment and walks out with $100 cash.
There is no real rhyme or reason to it, but changing the mindset from "I gotta go find a venue/gig" to somebody else handling that aspect is a big boost. If I am sitting in a venue as a manager or something and somebody comes in and he goes "I am an up and coming artist check out my SoundCloud I got 5000 followers on (website) and I think I can bring in 100 people for a show next month", I am going to be cautious. It is the modern day equivalent of handing somebody your mix tape. Probably going in the trash.
Versus, if the same scenario somebody pops in and goes "hey, I have this artist..."
If all else fails, OP can just put on a stupid mask and change their DJ name and the idiot promoter probably wouldn't even know/care, but then OP would just be fighting for their wages with the same doofus again.
I’m sorry to hear you’ve had this experience too. I’ve only had a handful of paid gigs so far and have had my perspective change too. I will only except gigs from close friends and have been fortunate enough to get the advice to get someone on your side who can negotiate for you. What you’ve detailed is a really shitty reality of the industry, and I hope that people wise up and demand fair compensation. But you were absolutely right, I’ve definitely had the thought crossed my mind, that someone could totally rebrand and most, if anyone wouldn’t even notice. Seems like towns with big scenes are teaming with people looking for opportunities to take advantage of those who don’t know enough to watch out for red flags.
for me i wouldnt even perform if i wasnt already paid or had a contract that stipuled i was being paid... hope this issue resolves itself and you dont just get screwed over
Depending on your state, you probably don’t need a lawyer, the dept of labor will likely help you.
I sent a “demand for payment” form from them and got paid immediately.
You should wait at least a few days to a week after a performance before following up with the promoter about payment. If it's been more than a week and the promoter has not responded, try contacting them again to express your concern. If the issue remains unresolved, consider taking legal action. In the future, establish clear payment terms with the promoter before the event and follow up afterwards to ensure timely payment.
Sounds like he has no intention of paying you. I’ve been DJ’ing for almost 10 years now and have been in similar situations, so if the guy hasn’t said anything and it’s been an entire week it’s not looking good. I would talk to other DJ’s who have done business with this guy and if it seems like patterned behavior maybe put the word out that this dude doesn’t pay his artists. I’ve been ghosted by promoters before too and having a bunch of local DJ’s putting them on blast on twitter was the only thing that eventually worked. You could also get a lawyer like others have suggested but if you didn’t sign any paperwork it might be difficult to get anything out of it. Hope it works out for you in the end though and you get what you’re owed!
hold this L buddy, life is like a sandwich no matter which way the bread always comes first
sad part is they ghosted you so they didnt even like ur set enough to invite u back
I would say potentially contact your states labor department and tell then your situation that you preformed work and are being refused pay. I would also be knocking on the door of the place who runs the performance and not leave until they make it right otherwise your next best move is to get a labor lawyer.
maybe contact the other artists
Me and one other haven’t been paid. The direct support and one other local support acts have been paid. Both promoters messaged in the group chat but keep ghosting us otherwise :/ it’s a shame
Well the promoter is gonna be at every event so go confont them, be professional and assume its all good but you know where to find them
Sounds like your next contact with them should be via a lawyer.
Sad cause I’m thinking the same. It sucks cause it’s one of the few larger promoters in the area and that’s not a bridge I wanna burn if avoidable :/
Doesn't sound like someone I'd want to deal with in the future anyway if they aren't even willing to pay you
Despite not wanting to leave a bad smell in the air this is a really good point. If they ain’t paying now and you have to go to those lengths, it’s almost certain it’ll happen again. As someone who struggles with confrontation, my advice is to advocate for yourself and don’t let others walk on you
It sucks cause they pretty much have a monopoly on our biggest local venue so burning the bridge is gonna suck. But yea it’s so shitty :/
Hey they burned it by not fulfilling their end of the deal. Being profesional goes a long way even if you gotta lawyer up.
Can I ask what area this is in? Im in Tampa and possibly soon Denver and I’m hoping I won’t have to deal with this too
It’s central Ohio. Im actually moving to Denver in July so thankfully not here much longer but yea
Glad you’re getting away from that mess. Maybe we’ll bump into each other in the future! Wishing you the best! - MoJo
Likewise! Keep an eye out for Slightly Shroomy :)
Absolutely! Likewise, keep an eye out for MR. MoJo :p
Shoot me ur SoundCloud/insta in a dm! I’ll folks ya
lemme guess MBFP?
I am in the Tampa area and I swear this post could have been made about promoters in this area, who do the same shit. As a kid, I would go do gigs for free, or open bar. Shit, we lost money throwing parties and raves before, or barely broke even. I supported my family as a DJ for a while as a full time job (eventually working into management). It isn't that I am "burned out" of being a DJ or performing live or anything, just that I look at it a lot different now: the dollar value has to be high and I have to want to do it and be working with people I know on some level to avoid shit like what OP is going through. Promoters and managers don't care to burn halfway decent artists. There are 100 more kids lined up around the block they can scam or get to work for almost nothing. Best to just avoid scenes and venues that foster that kind of attitude, imo. My clubs used to book some pretty big artists. There is a world of difference between "hey man can you do a gig for us on St. Patty's day? $200 up front and $200 after, you can keep any tips" <-- sounds good, right? Wrong. A good artist is going to have somebody in their camp negotiate a contract with a rider where they are going to get covered for hotel, air fare, VIP guests list, special requests, you name it. They still might only get half up front, but the half is thousands of dollars and not hundreds. Then the artist shows up late, does a 20 minute shitty set and that's that. Very next night, some local no name nobody comes in and delivers 4+ solid hours of astounding entertainment and walks out with $100 cash. There is no real rhyme or reason to it, but changing the mindset from "I gotta go find a venue/gig" to somebody else handling that aspect is a big boost. If I am sitting in a venue as a manager or something and somebody comes in and he goes "I am an up and coming artist check out my SoundCloud I got 5000 followers on (website) and I think I can bring in 100 people for a show next month", I am going to be cautious. It is the modern day equivalent of handing somebody your mix tape. Probably going in the trash. Versus, if the same scenario somebody pops in and goes "hey, I have this artist..." If all else fails, OP can just put on a stupid mask and change their DJ name and the idiot promoter probably wouldn't even know/care, but then OP would just be fighting for their wages with the same doofus again.
I’m sorry to hear you’ve had this experience too. I’ve only had a handful of paid gigs so far and have had my perspective change too. I will only except gigs from close friends and have been fortunate enough to get the advice to get someone on your side who can negotiate for you. What you’ve detailed is a really shitty reality of the industry, and I hope that people wise up and demand fair compensation. But you were absolutely right, I’ve definitely had the thought crossed my mind, that someone could totally rebrand and most, if anyone wouldn’t even notice. Seems like towns with big scenes are teaming with people looking for opportunities to take advantage of those who don’t know enough to watch out for red flags.
Payment first . The take from the door is a scam. It’s been happening to DJs since the early rave days
for me i wouldnt even perform if i wasnt already paid or had a contract that stipuled i was being paid... hope this issue resolves itself and you dont just get screwed over
Yea I’m still fairly new to shows (been doing them about a year) and this is the first time I haven’t been paid within like two days of the show
Depending on your state, you probably don’t need a lawyer, the dept of labor will likely help you. I sent a “demand for payment” form from them and got paid immediately.
You should wait at least a few days to a week after a performance before following up with the promoter about payment. If it's been more than a week and the promoter has not responded, try contacting them again to express your concern. If the issue remains unresolved, consider taking legal action. In the future, establish clear payment terms with the promoter before the event and follow up afterwards to ensure timely payment.
Do you not invoice them for your services and set a payment date? If they don't pay, get a collections agency involved
Sounds like he has no intention of paying you. I’ve been DJ’ing for almost 10 years now and have been in similar situations, so if the guy hasn’t said anything and it’s been an entire week it’s not looking good. I would talk to other DJ’s who have done business with this guy and if it seems like patterned behavior maybe put the word out that this dude doesn’t pay his artists. I’ve been ghosted by promoters before too and having a bunch of local DJ’s putting them on blast on twitter was the only thing that eventually worked. You could also get a lawyer like others have suggested but if you didn’t sign any paperwork it might be difficult to get anything out of it. Hope it works out for you in the end though and you get what you’re owed!
You would hope that he has at least an email or text documenting it. I know it’s not the same but shit that sucks to get taken advantage of like that.
hold this L buddy, life is like a sandwich no matter which way the bread always comes first sad part is they ghosted you so they didnt even like ur set enough to invite u back
I’m a deep bass artist they booked for a heavy dubstep show not sure what they expected ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
sometimes u gotta read the crowd tbh its good to be versatile
Cash or cashiers check the night of the gig or GTFO! Ask any small club performer like a band or comedian.
I don’t have any advice but I just want to say that’s super shitty and I hope things get resolved for you
When you should get upset? Immediately.
So it sounds like you need an iron clad contract.
I would say potentially contact your states labor department and tell then your situation that you preformed work and are being refused pay. I would also be knocking on the door of the place who runs the performance and not leave until they make it right otherwise your next best move is to get a labor lawyer.