Industry Loop: Dj’s need more time!

I don’t understand event’s organizers who limit DJ’s to a 10-minute set. What the hibba is a DJ supposed to do in 10 minutes? 10 minutes is literally just two songs! You telling me you paying a disk jockey to spin two songs? Two songs? Come on man.  

The best DJ’s tell a story. The best DJ’s take you on a journey. How is a DJ supposed to take you through a bag of emotions with two songs? You’ve got to be one heck of a DJ to leave a mark in 10 minutes. Perhaps a DJ that specializes in scratching would be able to register an impression. 

But the larger bit of the craft is left short-changed. 10 minutes would make sense for performing artists. Performing artists would usually create a mix down of 10 minutes which would include all their hits or choruses thereof. The same can be said for a dance act. 10 minutes would make sense for a dance act because again, a mixdown of all the hits, few stand out moves and the audience is wowed.  

However, you cannot do that to a DJ. Especially with genre’s like house and Hip Hop. Actually, any genre. You can’t do it in 10 minutes. Most events are day events that go beyond midnight. Give each DJ a day slot of two hours. If doors open at 3 pm, the first DJ would’ve played until 5 pm. The next until 7 pm. The next until 9 pm. Performances start at 9 pm. That’s four DJ’s.  

Each DJ act specializing in a different sound. House, Afro Beats , Namibian and Hip Hop. People will get value for money. Your event will be heard above the rest. People will talk about your event months after it transpired.  

Perhaps one of the reasons why event organizers end up squeezing DJ’s into 10-minute sets is because of a delay in the start to the event. Kama “aye my bruh, daar is dani mense nie, hoe kan ek nou speel?”.  
That’s unprofessional. My mentors would always lecture... “give the same type of energy and quality you’d give to an audience of 10 000 people to 10 people”. I stand by these teachings until today.  

There will never be “No one”. There will always be at least a table of people. That’s probably 10 people. Give that group of people your best for the next two hours. You’ll never understand the influence of these 10 people. Perhaps from that 10, 5 will look you up on social. 3 will consider booking you and 1 will eventually book you with full payment. Don’t underestimate people’s influence.  

Think about it this way...the art of your set should be way much more important than waiting for people to come. What good does getting squeezed into a 10-minute set do for your brand? 

Let’s come to an agreement asseblief tog. DJ’s need more time. 10 minutes will not cut it. Do not delay an event because “people are not here yet”. DJ’s...you are not Black Coffee yet. Relax. Take your slot and give it your all. 

Until the next loop, we say “GMTM”!
NSK is a professional MC. For bookings, email naobebsekind@gmail.com
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