DJ Derek plays the baddest reggae and dub you’ll ever hear, has a big following on the UK club scene, wears a shirt and tie, and has been drawing his pension for years!

I just bought an electronic Synth, so hopefully will be busting out a few of my own tunes in the near future as well.

While I am glad for the experiences, I am also glad I don’t do it anymore. If you don’t love it with all your heart, you will tire of the people you must deal with before long.

One day, work a wedding and the groom is asking you if you want to go smoke a bowl out back with him.

The next, it’s a Memorial Weekend crowd, which is usually a bit more afraid to get out of hand.

The next, you are dodging flying beer bottles.

The most important thing in any DJ’s repertoire: A stable of 12-17 minute tracks which give you ample opportunity to hit the head. Of course, we didn’t use laptops back then, so queuing was not an option. About 70% of our music was actually on Minidisc.

The biggest hurdle in DJing these days is the vast competition amongst other DJ’s. With technology making it cheaper to DJ there are alot more people DJ’s saturating the market. Over 10 years ago you had to spend $1000+ on equipment then another $1000 just on records to have a big enough collection to spin a party. Now it’s only a few hundred for a DJ midi controller and most use limewire to build a free music collection. For club DJ’s you’re lucky if you get $200 a gig. Most of the time you’ll get $100-$150

With club DJing you always have to be on your toes to find the next gig even if you have weekly residencies at clubs. Clubs/bars always shut down and have their peaks and valleys as far as crowds. Or you’ll get replaced by some kid willing to DJ for free so he can prove himself.

The big money is in mobile DJing. DJing weddings, birthday parties, corporate functions etc. Sometimes you gotta be the corny entertainer in a bowtie but the good thing is that the people are alot easier to deal with. The organizers aren’t shady like some club managers/promoters and the crowds aren’t drunk and rowdy. If you do a great job you’ll often get a nice tip on top of your regular rate.

DJing is a fun side job especially if you’re in college. It’s alot more fun than working retail or waiting tables. But I wouldn’t recommend DJing for a career.