A Worrying Time For Night life?...

I decided to write this after the terrible News involving Luminar Venues across the UK, going into Administration and under pressure to close, forcing thousands of people to be out of work!

Well then! Where to start?

8 Years ago when I first took to the Decks at Bar Ice Southampton, DJ s were still revered as "special".
People wanted to be where the best DJs were, playing the best sounds. It was all about supporting the Bars with the most loved and most entertaining DJs.
Bar Ice was 100 capacity with a great open plan outside area with sun umbrellas and tables. Summer 2005 was a great time for this small and cool looking venue. Even though it was a small venue we rammed it every weekend. Manager Paul Salmon did a very top job running the place also. Everything that could have gone right for us, Did! We had the best mix of outdoor with indoor atmosphere. Groovy house music and chart dance (the "original" funky house) Armand van Helden's, David Guetta's, David Morales, Bob Sinclair etc would be the mould of the soundtrack in this venue. We were different and smack bang in the middle of a flourishing restaurant section of the City.
The best bit was, all the people would applaude me and smile at the sound of the music that got them moving. People would ask to shake my hand frequently and enjoy the live 12" Vinyl Bootlegging & Mash-ups I had to offer. An unforgettable time.

It was always one DJ job to the next after that. No real gaps inbetween jobs and as long as I was keeping my finger on the pulse and staying up to date with the latest sounds and crowd likes / dislikes, then I was winning.
But now in this day and age. The Internet has taken over. Vinyl is long lost and forgotten and even its replacement the CD is on its way out in place of Laptops and Midi Controllers.
This means that anybody can be a DJ nowadays. The technology does the hard work for you. All we have to do now is Turn on laptops and press buttons.

What has really turned the tide for music everywhere is the fact that if anybody wants to hear a song they can! Google, YouTube, Blogspots, Myspace, Free Download sites and the list could go on! The result of this is there is no underground scene any more. Music is easily accessed and out there for all to hear. On line radio is easily accessible allowing you to hear what you want, when you want.
7 years ago, a nightclub would be the first place you heard anything new. Now people want to hear a DJ play what another DJ played last night on a radio station or what they saw on MTV Dance or even what they heard on YouTube. If its been on Line, on TV or on the Radio then its in demand and as DJs we have to keep on top of all these new releases.

Saying that though, for every 1 great tune that comes out now, there are several mediocre tunes that come out also. There is a constant flood of Average music material being released which makes it hard to concentrate on keeping a good DJ set together. Instead of having the luxury of a hope that each week we will have a new and different set to play, what we do get is an undying will from the crowd to play ONLY what is hot on Scott Mills playlist! But of course we will play them! Personally I enjoy playing what the people want because that is what gets them up and giving me some love via the dance floor and I love them for that in return.
But the moment I try to go brave with a new and unheard gem from my music selection I instantly become the villain lol. Not every time mind you. sometimes if the timings right the crowd will love the unheard track that's been showcased. Its all about timing. I learnt once from a great manager that anything in a DJ set is possible according to timing. If the timing is right and the tune is right, you will have them in the palm of your hand.

Thats what makes a DJ great. Tune selection. Something that a lot of todays new digital DJ Boys dont seem to think about. How to build a dance floor, keep them there, hold them on the floor, bring them up and then down towards the end. Programming of Tracks and reading the crowds reactions towards the music. This is where a DJ can earn his right to a £200 a night pay check. Too many bedroom DJs who have learned to mix tracks on software with funky effects turn up on club doorsteps asking for DJ work at a rate of £60!
Leave it to the professionals boys ;). Fair to say that we all gotta start somewhere. I warmed up for Mr. Chris Connor at Ocean And Collins and earned my stripes before getting my ears wet with Kaos and Oceana Southampton! I even worked the lights on the DMX which was fun.


Numbers in Clubs have dwindled. Especially after 2010 and 2011. the big recessions in the country have forced a record unemployment figure amongst 18 - 25 year olds, the main age target for night life.
If the people are not working or making money, how will they want to keep coming out every week and supporting club life? The saving grace is Birthday parties. Everybody has a birthday every week and for this the Night club still holds the best night out for all 18 - 21 yr olds. But are people booking cheap halls and having parties there? A booked hall with a good mobile DJ and crates of alcohol will beat the cost of a night out hands down! No Taxi fares, No Door charges, No cloak room charges and no extortionate drink prices (my most recent outing saw me paying £2.50 for a water!!).
Nights in booked Halls are cheaper but do they match up to the atmosphere of live lighting and big sound systems of Nightclubs? Of course not!! Nightclubs will always be the closest thing to the true musical and clubbing experience.

The enemy is Money. People will always want a night out but not as frequently as the days before recession hit our shores.
In light of this I have noticed many venues turning to solely trade for Students. Students are great. Fun and up for parties and they are always about during term time. The time when their student loans are about. What happens if Government cut student loans further? Will this have an affect on Student night life? I really hope not. I love seeing Students party weekly. If the student clubbers stop coming out frequently and the non-student clubbers also continue to dwindle in numbers, what happens next?!

I hope that the era of the Nightclub is not coming to an end. Im sure that when the countries unemployment situation betters itself, Nightclubs will flourish yet again to the standards that they once were. Making DJs and the love of Clubbing in our City Centres Great again.