Who'd pay £30 to see a bald guy playing records? Quite a lot of people, it would appear, judging from the attendance at major dance events such as Gatecrasher, Creamfields and Homelands. But are these DJs worth the money they're minting? And are the hundreds of unknown DJs who hump their record bags around every night getting their just rewards? Tonight's Gatecrasher event at the Point Theatre will attract up to 8,000 dance fans, who will shake their booty to superstar DJs Judge Jules, Timo Maas and Sander Kleinenberg. You probably couldn't pick these guys out of a line-up, yet each of them will pick up a big fat paycheck just for stepping up behind the decks and spinning their sonic magic for an hour or so. Meanwhile, in clubs, pubs and venues around the country, young DJs are slaving away over hot decks, earning a fraction of what their famous counterparts are making, and hoping one day to follow their idols into stardom - and into the arena of big bucks.
The pay differential at each end of the dance spectrum is pretty wide. In financial terms, you're either havin' it large or havin' it very small indeed. At the top end, DJs such as Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold, Fatboy Slim and Judge Jules regularly earn five-figure sums for a night's work - and they don't even have to do a soundcheck. These are the premier league DJs, the Man Uniteds and Liverpools of the pitch control button, and they get paid big money because they pull big crowds. The first and second division DJs may not earn as much, but they never earn less than £5,000 a go; once everybody knows your name, then you are guaranteed a big payoff at the end of your set. And even if your last big chart hit was sometime back in the mid1990s, you can still trade on your past glories in front of a packed dancefloor. If, however, you are one of hundreds of DJs working regular four-hour shifts behind the decks in Dublin's clubland, then the idea of earning a four-figure fee is just a pipedream. Although the standard rate falls somewhere between £70 and £120 a night, some venues pay less than £50 for a set, and that doesn't include your cigarettes and beer, your drugs or your taxi home. You may be a better mixer than Pete Tong, but if your name isn't internationally known, then you just ain't gonna command Tong-size fees. As one nightclub owner in Miami told me: "The DJs work all night, they get paid shit, and nobody even remembers their name".
Of course, it's the same story in the realm of live music, although the gap is probably even wider. Your local Radiohead wannabes will be lucky to get the price of a pint out of their showcase gigs, while the real Radiohead will make obscene amounts of money just for getting up onstage and improvising their new album, Kid A. And Britney Spears probably makes more money in a day than her wannabes will in a lifetime. In this respect, young DJs are better off than most young bands: at least they'll go home with more than a broken string, and they won't have to hire a van to lug their gear to and from the venue. Just like their guitar-toting neighbours, every unknown DJ is hoping to someday become a big name in showbiz, so that they too can demand the massive fees which allow superstar DJs to live their jetset lifestyles. Easier said than done, according to one industry insider, who regularly books both international and homegrown DJs into his club. "Ten years ago, people like Carl Cox, Dave Clarke and Laurent Garnier rose to fame very quickly, moving from underground cult stars to household names," says Declan Forde of the POD and Red Box, who are co-promoting tonight's Gatecrasher gig. "Back then, dance music was a very new thing, so if you were there in the early days, then you had a bigger chance of success. The pioneering DJs opened the doors for dance music, but in a way, they've closed the door behind them, and it's harder now for young DJs to become big names. Everybody's doing it now, so it's harder to stand out."
Apparently, it's all down to who is the stakeholder, the one who is credited with pulling the crowd. When rave was young, the venues were the stakeholders; punters came down regardless of who was on the bill, because they knew that this was the place to be. Soon, the balance shifted, and the DJs became the stakeholders, because their name was the big draw; they could command bigger fees from the venue because if they didn't show up to play, then the venue would lose customers. "The punters come here because of the DJs," says Forde. "If we have a big name DJ on the bill, then we can be guaranteed a full house. If we're using a little-known DJ, then we can't be so sure of a capacity crowd." According to Forde, the Harcourt Street venue is committed to nurturing young DJ talent, via its "Homegrown" nights. The POD's Robbie Butler is in charge of booking young Irish DJs, and he has a skilled eye - or ear - for emerging talent. Some of the names to watch out for, who have played Homegrown nights at the POD, include Ben Carvosso, Casper and Davy K. The odds may be against them breaking big, but these young guns are hungry, and they are determined to push their skills up to international level.
Meanwhile, some of the more established, highly-paid DJs have been accused of complacency, and - more pointedly - of simply taking the mick. Last year, I heard one internationally-famous DJ being criticised for playing the same set everywhere he goes. "He just pulls the next record out of his box without even looking at them," complained one punter. "He might as well be playing a mix CD." Another top DJ was lambasted for lazily dropping classic hits like New Order's Blue Monday into his set - and getting paid £5,000 for this dazzling feat of mixology. "It's still all about skill," says Forde. "Some of the more established DJs have become lazy, but most of them work hard at their craft. The crowd knows when you're faking it, and they won't come and see you again. They also know when someone is good, so if you have the skill, then you'll pull bigger crowds. The punters really react to skill."
Without the popstar personality and image, it's all down to your ability to transport the crowd with just two turntables, a mixer, and a well-chosen set of 12inches. Do it well, and soon you may be swopping the public transport for the limo, and joining the superstar DJs in club heaven. And these days, club heaven is on tour, and coming to a big venue near you.
The new stakeholders are the British super-promoters such as Cream, Ministry Of Sound, Gatecrasher and Trade, whose names are synonymous with the complete, sensation-filled club experience. These superclubs don't just put on dance events - they promote an entire lifestyle. Where dance music was once all white labels and amorphous, movable parties, the superclubs have learned to brand dance music; the Ministry stamp is the guarantee of good vibes, a recognisable trademark which shines brightly through the dry ice and lasers. Like a top clothes label, the superclub keeps moving with the fashions - and keeps the trendy crowd dancing on the catwalk. Tonight's Gatecrasher event at the Point will deliver exactly what it promises: superstar DJs, big lights, big sound and big, big lifestyle. Leading tonight's charge is Judge Jules, whose euphoric sets usually bring the crowd where it wants to go. Supporting him is 28-year-old Dutch DJ Sander Kleinenberg, a relative newcomer to the pantheon of dance demigods, and German DJ Timo Maas, who has travelled the world playing funk-fuelled sets. They're not Bono, they're not Thom Yorke, and they're certainly not John Lennon. Yet, to the thousands of clubbers who will pack Gatecrasher tonight, these guys are the lords of the dance, big fish in an ever-deepening pond of DJs. No wonder the small fry want to crash the dance party - you do short, snappy, high-profile sets, you get paid handsomely, and everybody, absolutely everybody, remembers your name.
Gatecrasher, featuring Judge Jules, Timo Maas, Sander Kleinenberg, DJ Tiesto, Scott Bond and Robbie Butler, is at the Point Theatre tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets cost £31 from the venue and are also available through Ticketmaster, with a booking fee of £3.75 per ticket. Tel: 1890-925100. Website: www.ticketmaster.ie As part of the event, Judge Jules (who was voted "Best International Artist" for the second year running at the recent Smirnoff Dance Club Awards) is to broadcast his BBC Radio 1 show from the Chocolate Bar tonight.