i thought i would give my take on this, cause i have sometimes been accused of having a high fee even since back in the day when i used to charge 50 quid for a set in huddersfield ;)

it's not arrogance. it's all to do with the way you're perceived. i think at first it's a real struggle to make any cash out of djing. tbh you don't care cause that's not the motivation AT ALL. but what you tend to find is once you've been in this game a while, and you get a bit of recognition, the 'order' of the dj's on the flyers tends to be the higher paid ones at the top and the lower paid ones at the bottom. there's simply no getting away from it. it's shit. it really is. but it's the way it is.

and i think agents and dj's catch onto this and set their prices according to where they percieve themselves to be in the general status quo. the promoters see it also as a benchmark to how 'big' the name is too. the more you pay for someone, the more you need the guy to be at the top of your flyer in big lights saying 'i'm a big dj please suck my cock harder than the other guy'. there's no malice in it. it's just what you have to do and it's a circle we CANNOT escape from (unless of course you're a free party promoter, in which case cocks are defo not suked hahaha).

take my perspective for example. it has taken alot of years (15/20!!) for chrissi to get my fee to where it is to a point where, sure a few promoters fall off their chairs, but the majority only fall off slightly but then gain composure and eventually we get the booking sorted. why?

there is the age old thing of NEGOTIATION you know. alot of dj's and agent set the benchmark fee a a 'this is what i think i'm worth' but are totally willing to negotiate for the underground clubs and the ppl that can't genuinely afford it. i think that's a huge problem with promoters who are just into this for the love of music - they don't realise the business side to it. if you're a promoter - NEGOTIATE!!!! dave clarke charges 5 grand for a set if you enquire but you can bet your bottom dollar that he doesnt get that for that small club in bristol that only holds 700 ppl. most dj's and agent WILL negotiate if you set your case out clearly, come across as professional and passionate, TRUST me. especially if the artist is a music person and not part of a hard house consortium where they dont give a shit. i will say no more. hahaha

so in conclusion, you can't really blame the dj's. you can't blame the promoters. it's just the way things are. and no matter how much we wish it wasn't, performance is a business IF you want to make a living out of it. if you DONT want to make a living out of and you have massive talent, i salute you massively, but i can assure you that once you get that first 50 quid in your pocket from a booking that enables you buy more music, better studio equipment a more confortable surrounding to make your music, then you're more than likely going to be in the trap of wondering how you're gonna get another 50 quid. sad but TRUE.

the real test though is can you achieve this without being greedy? join the hip hop scene and i think you might have a few problems. but the techno scene is gnerally music based. people in this scene give and take. and if they dont - move on and book someone else.

Just my 2 cents guys.