# Any advice on finding DJ work?



## Soulful House DJ (May 29, 2013)

Hello everyone,

My wife has just accepted a teaching post in Dubai, so we are moving there from the UK in August. I have worked as a bar/nightclub DJ in the UK for twenty years, playing House/Soulful House and i am basically looking for any advice or useful contacts to help me in my search for DJ work.

I really would be willing to play anywhere, as long as it suited my music genre, and i have a Facebook page name... 'desperate.house.vibes.1' which has a couple of Soundcloud mixes on it if anyone's interested.

Thanks in advance for any help!


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## Bigo (May 22, 2013)

Hi, your best way is to go to the clubs around and check with the club manager. I myself a dj for the past 12 years but never got the chance to have regular gigs in town for so many reasons, which is part of the clubbing scene that we have to accept here in dubai. First of all its a very commercial driven , clubs owners care about having full house every night and des who play music that people like. Second it's pretty much closed community here the number of clubs around are managed and controlled by number of des and you have to enter this circle once you are in you will get a lot of nights , but its not easy because they don't let much in as the clubbing industry is a small in dubai compared to other big cities. When you will come you will notice 10-15 djs they rotate around all the clubs on weekly basis that's it. So take your time look around in lounges, Facebook is a good platform. Check infusion.ae it's a leading nightlife magazine here this can be your starting point. But have to tell you making a full living out of djing in dubai is not easy pay is not much and city is expensive. Good luck buddy


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

It's a bit of a closed shop, network and chip away is the best advice I could give. It's worth noting that most don't get paid at the end of the night, you invoice the hotel group that own the bar and your invoice goes in with the laundry bill, napkins, whatever and you'll get your money 4-6 weeks later if you're lucky. 

As such you need an entertainer's business license or whoever can flat refuse to pay you and you'll have no comeback. On the upside fees, even for bar gigs, are generally better than the UK which is why it's a closed shop. Also you may be expected to put fairly long sets and remember you're staff, no superstar DJ thing here which means not drinking or smoking on duty and the F&B mangers will treat you like a glass collector.


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## Soulful House DJ (May 29, 2013)

Hi Bigo, thanks for replying. To be honest it's the same as in most cities around the world. I was fortunate enough to have weekend residency in the biggest nightclub in Scotland for many years. Moving to Dubai i guess will put me at the bottom rung of the ladder, as nobody really knows me there. I will just contact anyone and everyone who's involved in the Dubai bar/club circuit and see what i can find!


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Soulful House DJ said:


> I was fortunate enough to have weekend residency in the biggest nightclub in Scotland for many years


What one? It might help if you have a bit of an established profile.


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## Soulful House DJ (May 29, 2013)

Hi Mr Rossi,

Thanks for replying.  

From what i have researched, it appears the style of music i play is reasonably popular in Dubai bars and clubs. As you say, it's really just about gaining myself acceptance into the 
right circles.

I honestly would be fine with the late invoice payments, the long sets, no drinking etc. It would be nothing new to me!


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## Soulful House DJ (May 29, 2013)

Mr Rossi said:


> What one? It might help if you have a bit of an established profile.


Amongst many other things, I have held weekend residency in Fat Sams, Dundee from 1989 - 1991, and again from 2001 - present


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Soulful House DJ said:


> Amongst many other things, I have held weekend residency in Fat Sams, Dundee from 1989 - 1991, and again from 2001 - present


I used to go there on Thursday nights around 88-89 and then you could find me needing scraped off the ceiling at almost every Rhumba after that. 

The best thing would be to pick up a copy of Time Out when you get here and try and get a weekly bar gig direct from F&B managers, I wouldn't bother hassling promoters just yet. As popular as house is, it's RnB and commercial stuff that properly rules the roost so even if someone takes you on, be prepared for endless requests for Rihana and the Black Eyed blo*dy Peas


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## Soulful House DJ (May 29, 2013)

Haha Thursdays was 'Going Full Tilt' with a different beer from around the world each week on a drinks promotion! Good times!

The Rhumba Club i have Dj'd, and i also helped to co-promote in the past too. Sad to hear about the Rihanna/Blackeyed Peas type requests, but that's normal everywhere... and again i just need to find the right venues to suit my style. I do know of quite a few venues which avoid commercial/RnB music, so hopefully i can find something there.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Soulful House DJ said:


> Haha Thursdays was 'Going Full Tilt' with a different beer from around the world each week on a drinks promotion! Good times!


I'd just left the school, was on the YTS and not much of a drinker (soon to change). In fact I was actually underage but went as it was the only place you could hear the Mondays, Public Enemy and Strings of Life all in one night. Due to having work the next day, it was really just about hanging around and some great music. 

When the Rhumba moved from Perth on a Friday, that's when it went proper west. Destroy tops and Purdeys for goalposts etc.


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## Juu (Jan 22, 2013)

you should ask some agencies to find gigs / residencies for you., I guess they are well connected. Couple of my friends (DJ, musician/singer,...) found through WOW Entertainers Dubai | Entertainment Consultants |


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## opps (May 18, 2011)

Try Big Beat Boutique, they are on face book and always looking for resident DJs


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## morff14 (Mar 4, 2015)

*Looking for DJ residency at Dubai*



Soulful House DJ said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> My wife has just accepted a teaching post in Dubai, so we are moving there from the UK in August. I have worked as a bar/nightclub DJ in the UK for twenty years, playing House/Soulful House and i am basically looking for any advice or useful contacts to help me in my search for DJ work.
> 
> ...



@Soulful House DJ.

Great to see your post although quite old. I'm in a somewhat similar situation.

I was curious how your struggle ended up. Are you working somewhere now? Used to? Any leads you can give me to start the hunt for a DJ job here? 

I'm from a country that hasn't even a club culture so Dubai is as closest to my passion and dream as it is going to get ( for the near future anyway). So I won't be picky/choosy about the occasional Black eyed peas requests or even slow jamz for that matter 

And not sure if I'm supposed to promote my self here or not so ill just save it for now but I'd love to share my Soundcloud profile if anyone is interested.

Thanks for anyone who can help. 

Yasir,


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## T'challa_Udaku (Nov 14, 2014)

morff14 said:


> @Soulful House DJ.
> 
> Great to see your post although quite old. I'm in a somewhat similar situation.
> 
> ...


Find the club's you think you might want to dj, pop in and get chatting to the djs. I don't dj anymore but I am good friends with a few of the djs who do some of the nights here (non house genre). Once you in with them they can help you much easier. Platinumlist.net has a list of gigs happening on a daily so check it out and see what interests you and go check it out


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## Soulful House DJ (May 29, 2013)

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't been on this forum for a long time! It's interesting reading back all the advice I was given before I arrived in Dubai. It is all pretty much bang on. Check out all the suitable venues, and meet as many of the relevant people as you possibly can. And keep at it.


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## Zayfran (Jul 19, 2015)

Soulful House DJ said:


> Hey everyone, sorry I haven't been on this forum for a long time! It's interesting reading back all the advice I was given before I arrived in Dubai. It is all pretty much bang on. Check out all the suitable venues, and meet as many of the relevant people as you possibly can. And keep at it.


^ Apparently there is a techno scene in Dubai? Any tips on where to find it?
What about Dubstep?


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## T'challa_Udaku (Nov 14, 2014)

Zayfran said:


> ^ Apparently there is a techno scene in Dubai? Any tips on where to find it?
> What about Dubstep?


The dubai parties website should have a few. As for dubstep I highly doubt one exists. I might be wrong


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## Zayfran (Jul 19, 2015)

^
This the one? Party


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## T'challa_Udaku (Nov 14, 2014)

Zayfran said:


> ^
> This the one? Party


Yes but don't quote me. It's a genre I am not familiar with nor do I affiliate with


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