Promise and Quality DJ Competition...

4 trance....fukk, im worried now!

i cant decide what to put on! hopefully ill have a revelation 2morrow!

Presentation...

The level of presentation amongst the CD's has ranged from nil to appalling.

Come on people, if a promoter opened an envelope containing one of these CD’s, it would only get played in the bin.

It’s a good job the competition did not ask for a professionally finished demon CD, as these entries would have been f**ked. However, I was surprised that, as yet, no one has even taken the time to print a lable. Handwritten CD’s look very amateurish to say the least.

This is a piece of well meaning advice to those who have entered; think about your presentation in future, it is the difference between being heard and being binned.

You do want your CD to stand out in the pile, don’t you?

Is it not more important what is on the actually CD though. I understand what your saying, but it's not exactly going to a record company, etc.

A lot of people don't have the resourses to do fancy labels, etc.

You have missed the point entirely...

No, it’s going to a promoter’s desk; a busy promoter. A promoter who does not have time to decipher badly written telephone numbers or email addresses.

The desk will have hundreds of CD's with badly written covers.

*scans pile of CD’s*…Oh, but look, this CD has an eye catching cover...*opens CD*

*reads insert*...this DJ has played at quite a few credible clubs.

*plays CD*...Hmmm, I might give this DJ a call.

You should see the level of professionalism in some of the CD's sent to the Promise office.

Think again.

Re: You have missed the point entirely...

But if the CD is really, really good, but that person can't get access to things to make fancy labels, etc, is that going to mean that you would disguard it for that reason.

Plus what would it matter where that person had previously played before, what would that matter. Apart from the obvious reason of them having experience of playing on a big stage. But I thought it would be the quality of the CD what decides the winner.

I can see both points of view really. Glad its not my job.

Re: Re: You have missed the point entirely...

Again Miller you miss the point completely.

It does not matter if the CD is the best in the universe. If the packaging is poor to nonexistent, the promoter will not give it a second glance. Even if you have networked with the promoter in the club, asking him to look out for the CD, when it arrives, if it looks shoddy, he will just bin it.

So I assume from this, you would send a handwritten tatty CV, or turn up for an important job interview in dirty clothes?

Presentation is very important.

Why would it matter where they had played? Now you are just being stupid.

You should stop being so arrogant, assuming that your CD will be listened to, because it is good, in your opinion. I suggest any of you who doubt my advice, to simply send handwritten CD's to Gatecrasher and Godskitchen. I'm sure you will have a peak time set by next week.

I would recommend asking Pete Robinson, the Always room resident, for a look at the presentation on his CD's. You might learn something.

Do you not realize how difficult it is to break the scene and get bookings? You need to be as professional as possible in this business.

Re: Re: Re: You have missed the point entirely...

I thought this was only a local dj comp, noy trying to get slots on at GC, GK, etc. I understand this may well open doors for the winner's. But I thought if the CD is excellent then the person should be worthy of at least a place in the semi's or whatever. That is where you can

Getting back to the point about weather they have played places before. Of course it would be brilliant if they had of played somewhere quite big before, but should not matter that much.
Your saying how hard it is to break into the scene, then you state that it would help if they had played somewhere biggish. Surely this is supposed to be for dj's that haven't made it yet, and are really desperate for this sort of chance?
Just because they haven't played somewhere before, surely when you see them play in the backroom, then that is where you can judge weather or not they could handly the pressure.

BTW Lee, I have not entered in this comp, or am I planning to. I can't mix for shit lol!!

Re: Re: Re: You have missed the point entirely...

pete showed me 1 off his cds ages ago.

they luk well gud

lee has got a point u wudant send in a dirty old scrufy job aplaction form to a employer. its the same thing really

Re: Re: Re: Re: You have missed the point entirely...

This isnt just a d.j comp!!!! This could be your ticket in the game you never know?

But with an attitude like "oh this is only a local competition" you will never get anywhere!!

You should be treating this like it was a competition to get in to gc, gk dont u

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: You have missed the point entirely...

BTW that is directed at everyone not just u geeza!!

its important. its all part of tjhe package.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: You have missed the point entirely...

But I'm not even entering, I don't dj mate lol!!

I just thought the main reason you would get into the final's or whatever was because of the quality of the actually CD, not the presentation of it, or where you have already played.

Re: Re: Re: Re: You have missed the point entirely...

This is a local DJ comp, unless you have access to a Promise /Quality club in another dimension.

Again Miller, you miss the point completely. I will spell it out one more time, maybe then you will understand, or maybe you will continue to post without thinking.

For the purposes of this competition, presentation is not an issue; I have mentioned it as a piece of free, friendly advice, based on my own experiences. For the DJ serious about advancing through the ranks, presentation is very important.

This is the last time I will say this, anyone who argues this point must be as thick as several layers of dogshit. I will even use capitals to emphasize the point.

A PROMOTER WILL RIDICULE A HANDWRITTEN CD, BEFORE THROWING IT IN THE BIN, REGARDLESS OF HOW ‘EXCELLENT’ IT IS.

I think you’ll find if you re-read the posts you are not paying attention and quoting my comments out of context, plus I never said it would ‘help’ if they had played somewhere ‘biggish’

Previous experience is always important, not only to give the prospective promoter background on your working history, but also it gives the promoter a direct link to earlier gigs. This will allow the promoter to check for blaggers. You can never have worked at too many places. Do you want to seem wet behind the ears?

The fact that many DJ’s have played at big clubs, does not guarantee future rebookings at other events. The circuit is very hard to crack.

To be honest, I don’t really care if people like you ignore my advice; to blatantly disregard well meaning words of guidance is arrogant and foolish.

Well presented CD = GOOD

Scrappy handwritten CD = BAD

*waits for another stupid post*

very strange this conversation,takes me back to the last DJ competition,i posted my entry under Foundations Door at 8.30pm on the last day,with a scruffy lookin cover..

inside were my contact details and play list.

i ended up in the finals and before the heats had never played out before.....people should look deeper than the surface of something,u never know what u could be missing out on.

Try sending a similar CD to all the major clubs; please post your feedback from the promoters.

The previous Promise DJ competition bore no similarity to the actual process of gaining bookings in the real world. You are kidding yourself to compare it as such.

a scruffy looking cd will get binned. it makes the impression that you have just flung the thing together in a couple of minutes and no matter how good the content of the cd is you won't get that booking. first impressions count big time especially when promoters are getting sent many cds per week.

why is shit being thrown at lee when he is just offering good advice? at the end of the day if you don't want a chance to prove yourself in a decent comp continue playing in your bedrooms caus of course playing in your bedroom is much higher profile than playing at the promise/quality dj comp!!!!!!

I agree with u mate! dont kno why people are giving Lee all this shit! at the start of the thread he explained what everyone had to do and where to send your cd's to! and heres people asking all these daft questions, When yous should be starting to mix your cd, as Lee said he only had 4 cd's to listen to this weekend, that just shows how much people are bothered about getting noticed and getting yourselves known!!

Get your cd's done!!!

Sorry for giving Lee so much shit people, really I am!

I was only stating what I thought, sorry if people do not agree, but I thought the CD would be the most important feature. That is all I was trying to say, I wasn't trying to start a big argument about this. At the end of the day I'm not really too bothered because I am not a dj, was only saying what I thought on this issue.

Lee if my thoughts on this were stupid, I apologise. I was only stating what I thought.

i thought this was a dj competition,nothing at the start of the thread saying it must have a pretty cover on it...some people like myself dont have them kind of printing facilities..

i will send u a cd with a 'no frills' crisp packet from kwik save stuck to it.....