the cost of a big named DJ...

hey guys,

im seriously in considering in bringing down a big named techno DJ out here in Hong Kong to jumpstart the techno scene...

Does anyone know off the top of their head how much these dj's cost in US dollars? (ballpark figure)

I cant bring down somebody thats too "underground" like Adam Beyer, Dave clarke or Renato Cohen because the people out here are pretty close minded and infatuated by mainstream progressive trance.

I was thinking somehting along the lines of Mauro Picotto..

any thoughts?

(just to give you an idea of how bad the techno scene is out here, people in hong kong dont even know who Technasia are)

dave clarke = underground?

umm, did you not read the post? it was in quotes, meaning it is coming from the eyes of Hong Kong locals...

and of course Clarke is not underground. Techno is not underground in general anymore anyways. :roll:

haha adverse!

TOLD!!!

I've never taken a likeing to Technasia, although sooo many people do. Ummm, bit like John Thomas...I can remember being really trashed and I still found no connection of any type to his records (can't understand why I own some of his logistics stuff :?: )

Charles Siegling as a dj, eh ok I suppose, didn't push the boundries musically though

I think it's wack to book someone more commercial just to get the crowd... you're just compromising yourself.... why not just start a small night with mates, and get a bit of a scene going first... once you have a core of 1-200 people, it's easier to take a risk... to be honest, for clarke who you say is underground you're looking at least at a four figure sum, probably at least 3000 gbp.... Piccotto is probably going to be the same... firstly, do you really want to risk this kind of money on a new venture? and secondly, do you really want someone who is not truely representative of the techno underground, just because you think they will pull the crowd.... All the best nights going in my book, started small, and then just booked the people they liked, not because they thought it would pack the place out... Start small, and when you have a core of people who always come out, maybe then you can think about getting a guest who is say on their way to australia from Europe and fancies a stopover... then travel costs are shared, and for someone even more underground (Than Clarke even!!!!) is only going to cost a few hundred gbp.... more viable... No-one in knows these underground names? They soon will once you've had them on a few times, and it would be really cool if someone got a credible underground event going in Hong Kong.... Remember, you can't just jump in at the deep end with promotion, we have the same problem here in the UK... I did 5 techno nights in Nottingham last year, and most of the time no-one knew who the **** the guests were... and I had put on Paul Langley, Tobias Schmidt, Sir Real, and Michael Forshaw... we effectively broke Langley in Nottingham, and now when a night is promoted with his name on the flyer, it's always rammed, but this is only because we got off our arses and made it a mission for everyone to know how good he is. I think you just have to educate people....

wise words from crime there... you will find most clubs which seem massive now started small and built up a hardcore following over the years.

well said crime.
start small, gain a reputation and it will grow.

at the end of the day, do you want an underground promotion?
or a '2 a penny' night that sticks on an 'underground' dj, then try's to call itself underground?

i have a feeling picotto runs through the most wanted dj/pa. not too sure though? :roll:

although i do agree with some of the points crime has made, i dont think anyone on this board has ever stepped onto Hong Kong soil and understands what goes on in this city.

From 1997-1999 the Rave scene exploded due to the British influence, but steadily has declined and is almost dead right now. People here dont know even the difference between trance and techno, breaks from jungle. To them its something different from "cantopop".

My purpose is to not only just fill the place with people and run away laughing to the bank. If that is the case, i would try to book someone like Paul Van Dyk or Tiesto. Right now Picotto is arguably the most mainstream guy i can think of that may have an appeal in Hong Kong due to his trancey past. In my eyes, he may be the only person that can probably open things up for the techno scene out here in HK. After people listen to his set, they may actually notice that he didnt play trance and begin to explore into the realms of techno (hopefully!).

Of course i would love to bring someone like Speedy J or Andreas Kauffelt to Hong Kong, but honestly is that an economically wise decision? I think its kind of hard to convert these candy raving lolipop sucking chinese kids to convert from euro cheesey trance into listening to cutting edge techno without some kind of role model like Picotto. It is VERY sad i have to say this, but it is soooo true. Hong Kong is a copycat scene, and just jumps on the next popular thing. That is why it can never be a Tokyo for instance. I am just trying to play my role in promoting the music that i love to a buntch of clueless dancers. I have already tried in the past year in throwing techno nights at small clubs but no one is really interested because they're not "big names."...

the price of a dj really depends on the country becasue its highly linked to the local fame of the guy. funny i was chatting about this one week ago, it seems in some countries people like clarke or surgeon are bigger than carl cox.

as an example people like james ruskin, adam beyer or ben sims almost never play in france, coz here they arent really famous as dj and then promoters dont wanna pay the sum these djs ask for playing in germany or in holland.

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Originally Posted by Adverse

dave clarke = underground?

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MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY :wink:

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Originally Posted by tekara

I have already tried in the past year in throwing techno nights at small clubs but no one is really interested because they're not "big names."...

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Is it not possible that people may not have come even if you had booked a reasonably big name? Like I said before, you just gotta keep hacking away.. even if you're doing parties to just 100 people, better to do this than comprimise yourself just by booking someone more well known.. if it's at the level where you think that the only person you can book is piccotto, then people NEED educating there... Like I say, a good night is a good night no matter who the guest, it's better to get strong foundations than rely totally on a big money guest to get the people in.. What would happen if you booked piccotto to find no-one came out? you'd not only have an empty club, but a hefty load of money to pay out of your own pocket... Like I say, relying on a guest to pull in your numbers is a BAD move...

here are very good thought i totally share, crime.. but if you wanna get money, i mean at least dont lose and make zero, then you have to book a big name, thats the only way, most of the promoters will tell you.

it just seems our thoughts are too idealistic :(

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Originally Posted by tioneb

here are very good thought i totally share, crime.. but if you wanna get money, i mean at least dont lose and make zero, then you have to book a big name, thats the only way, most of the promoters will tell you.

it just seems our thoughts are too idealistic :(

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Not true....

Most people who put on big nights are lucky to break even, the ones that do have been going for years and have built up a reputation for being good whatever.....

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Originally Posted by crime

we effectively broke Langley in Nottingham

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I thought he played at Pure Filth before Pneumatic... :D:D:D:D :P

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Originally Posted by tekara

umm, did you not read the post? it was in quotes, meaning it is coming from the eyes of Hong Kong locals...

and of course Clarke is not underground. Techno is not underground in general anymore anyways. :roll:

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sorry misread..

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Originally Posted by Analbumcover

I thought he played at Pure Filth before Pneumatic... :D:D:D:D :P

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yawn

Pneumatic and filth were pretty much run by the same people... who are you anyway, anal?

Most people who put on big nights are lucky to break even, the ones that do have been going for years and have built up a reputation for being good whatever.....[/quote]

i have to agree here
getting a scene going from the ground up will make it last longer.
if you book a name people may come for the one show in droves but you probably won't get them back again unless you keep shelling out for top names.
we just had a big night with chris leibing here in london and it didn't really do all that well for people. it probably would've done just the sam had it been myself and chris lib and some other london dj's to be honest.
but c.l. was really expensive and consequently the promoter lost a lot of money meaning that night probably won't happen again.

try something smaller and see if you can get a few people talking about the music first rather than talking about the dj.

[quote="crime"]Pneumatic and filth were pretty much run by the same people... quote]

I don't think so.

As far as I know Picotto is a brutal DJ, what's the point in booking him?

Anyway if I were you I would try to break in some new faces over there, people who keep it real and don't cost the Earth. There's loads of people like that on this board...

Other than that you could Umek or DJ Rush or someone I'm sure...

I wouldn't bank on the crowd suddenly waking up to techno just because Picotto plays it, unless you put "Techno set" after his name and really ram it down their throat in the PR/promotion of the gig.

[quote="Small Paul"]

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Originally Posted by crime

Pneumatic and filth were pretty much run by the same people... quote]

I don't think so.

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Dave being the link, so is dave nothing to do with filth then?

Can't be bothered anymore

the leibing thing at the fridge didnt do too well? that is a shame, we need good nights that can pull in the european sounds - especially in london

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Originally Posted by Jimfish

the leibing thing at the fridge didnt do too well? that is a shame, we need good nights that can pull in the european sounds - especially in london

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i think it was a little to do with poor timing... as it was also Atomic Jam's 8th Birthday.....

If it wasn't for AJ, i'd deffo would have made the efforts and get my ass to London...

suppose its one of those things....