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By Gamal Hennessy
The idea of the aspiring musician or dancer who comes to New York to make a name for themselves is a classic nightlife story. How many movies start off with this basic premise? How many real people have left their town or their country with their guitar on their back, dreaming of packing the Garden?
Of course the reality has little in common with the myth. The world class producer is not going to hear you humming to yourself on the subway and book you for the Knitting Factory. Musicians, DJs or any type of performer faces stiff competition to perform in the center of the universe. While most of being a working musician in New York is about perseverance, personality and luck, we have some tips to help you along.
Love What You Do
The most important thing about performing in New York is your love for performing. It is the only thing that will keep you going when you are out there hustling. In the business of art, you have to love your art because the business aspect sucks. This isn’t because nightlife operators are terrible abusive people (though some of them are). It is because the level of competition and the size of the city itself will magnify your obstacles.
The Elements of a Gig
I’m not a musician, but being a DJ is one of my hustles and a lot of my friends are musicians. People outside those communities aren’t aware of all the work that goes into the show before the show even starts. This list will give you an idea:
· You have to find the venues where you can play.
· You have to contact management, set up the gig, deal with the contract (often there is no contract)
· You have to promote the gig (social networks like myspace and facebook help, but I think the response rate is still only about 10-15%, so if you invite 40, you might get 4, if you invite 100 and you might get 10) because playing to an empty room isn’t fun.
· You have to deal with your equipment whether you are setting it up after the last band went on, breaking it down before the next band goes on, watching it so it doesn’t get stolen, or the inevitable situation when some part of your equipment of the venues equipment doesn’t work.
· If you’re a DJ you have to find some way to handle requests, which is universally annoying.
· If the gig does pay (and many don’t) you have to go through the motions of getting paid. People often don’t run up to you with fistfuls of money. If you have other people in your band or other DJ’s that play with you, you have to pay them. When its all over you might realize that the cost of the gig was more than you got paid for it.
All this takes energy and effort. And keep in mind that while you’re doing all of this you actually have to practice your music and find some way to eat and pay rent, because performing might not pay your bills. Playing a gig in New York is equal parts hustle and talent. Actually, hustle might be more important than talent.
The Power of Advertising
If all of this seems disheartening, it might help to look at your gig as an advertisement rather than a paycheck. Consider this; if you are trying to build an audience, or sell your music, get better paying gigs or get discovered what better way to let people know about you besides actually hearing you play? Your show is a sample of your art. It is a path to build a following. So when you start out, play for exposure, not for cash. Cash can come later. Just make sure you have a job so you can eat while you’re waiting for your big pay day.
The Magic of the Moment
There are many aspects of performing in New York that are stressful. Many venues don’t pay musicians or DJs to play. Most nightlife performers don’t get discovered. But in spite of all that, there is still something great about having a good show. Performing is a rush. You can’t eat applause and a full dance floor won’t pay your rent. The people that you make smile or come up to you and compliment your set won’t get you on TV or buy your CD, but money can’t create the feeling of connection, pride or euphoria that comes from a good set.
Have fun.
Gamal
By Gamal Hennessy
Clubs were full last Tuesday night celebrating the historic victory of this country’s first black president and began counting down the final days of our worst president. While the tears and champagne were flowing, few people realized that a new player is also coming to Brooklyn, one with a distinct anti-nightlife platform and powerful supporters. Did the election we celebrated give rise to a new enemy to nightlife?
On Monday I got an email from a nightlife operator with a link to Daniel Squadron’s Nightlife Control Plan. I didn’t know who Mr. Squadron was, but I read his plan and I didn’t like what he had to say. No one involved in nightlife, who has seen the rise in power of the community boards, or understands the arbitrary way some boards operate would take the position that CB’s need to have more power without accountability or capriciously decide that any area has “too many bars” and essentially cripple on of the few industries that can continue to bring revenue into the city during an economic downturn. I came to the conclusion that I didn’t support Mr. Squadron. I also quickly understood that my support didn’t matter all that much. I didn’t live in his district and I only found out about him a day before the election. There was no time to get the word out and mobilize support against his election.
So spent the next few days following Sun Tzu’s advice and started to find out more about the new state senator.
It appears that Daniel Squadron is the son of influential attorney Howard Squadron and the former aide to U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. His campaign against the 30 year incumbent Martin Connor received endorsements both from political heavyweights like Schumer and Mayor Bloomberg and from local community groups seeking change. The following is a comment taken from The Brooklyn Paper
Daniel Squadron has the endorsement of almost all the Williamsburg leaders and newspapers this week. Folks, we need fresh blood. The coming years will see budget cuts because of lower government incomes. We need young fresh faces that have no old liabilities to fight for our rights...Lets all come out en mass and vote Daniel Squadron
It also appears that Mr. Squadron has links to nightlife that pre-date his Nightlife Control Plan. Based on his account given in July of this year, he once owned a nightlife establishment in the city. This should give him an idea of the pressures and difficulties in owning a New York bar. It should also help him understand the perspective on the community boards and police in relation to the clubs.
But if he does understand what nightlife operators are going through, where does the Nightlife Control Plan come from? Why is it worded to help the community boards restrain bars, but doesn’t openly mention actual standards of proof for them? Does his plan offer the venues protection and support, recognize them for the cultural and financial impact they have on the city? Will his plan build on the strides made by police and operators to keep the city safe or will it drive a deeper wedge between the two sides?
Since Daniel Squadron is the elected senator in Lower Manhattan and he does have substantial political allies, it is not inconceivable that his Nightlife Control Plan will evolve into a law. We can hope that the state senate understands the benefits of New York clubs and reject overly stringent controls. We can hope that lobbyist from the nightlife industry deliver the message that nightlife needs support as well as control. And all of us, especially me, can keep a closer eye on the people who claim to speak for our best interests.
Have fun.
Gamal
By Gamal Hennessy
Even with welcomed change in White House, the US recession is predicted to last well into 2009. In the past, recessions have led to a dramatic rise in violent crime. Nightlife specifically gained a reputation for being dangerous. Will history repeat itself? If so, what can natives and operators do to mitigate the problem?
Historical parallels
There is a historical link between economic stagnation and violent crime. “Every recession since the 50’s has led to higher crime” usually with a year lag between the economic trouble and the onset of the crime wave. While nightlife in New York experienced an injection of creativity during the last downturn, crime was also an issue. Nightlife was associated (and not always fairly) with muggings, rape, robbery and drug related crimes. Last week’s Trends report predicted an upswing in the nightlife industry. Do those same factors point to more crime?
Unclear Causes
Predictions are mixed because there are distinct differences between past financial crises and this one. Some experts say falling wages and fewer jobs will lead to higher crime as people become more desperate. Others claim that there are fewer potential victims today because electronic banking and video surveillance are so widespread. Mayor Bloomberg has used the specter of increased crime as one of the justifications for his rewriting of the term limits laws, but California has been embroiled in a prolonged financial crisis without seeing a rise in crime. Part of the reason that predicting crime is difficult may stem from the fact that some of the factors that link economics and crime are indirect.
It is easy to assume that if people lose their jobs, they can turn to crime as an alternative to work, but the more likely culprit in a crime spike will be stress not greed. When people suffer from large amounts of anxiety they are less likely to cope with situations in a rational manner. They are more likely to lash out as a way to release their pent up emotions. This lashing out can translate into more crimes including assault, domestic violence and rape. The crime isn’t committed to make money. It is committed without thinking. When the alcohol use increases to deal with the stress and the hormones inherent in nightlife are added to the mix, the threat of increased nightlife crime rises.
Complications
The threat of increased crime also brings new complications to natives and operators in the nightlife space. For the past year, venues affiliated with the New York Nightlife Association and the NYPD have been working together to create a safer nightlife environment. But recent friction between the police and the clubs is building. Within the past month, there have been reports of a major lawsuit from certain clubs against the police. If relations between clubs and the police deteriorate just as a crime wave is building, the results could be a decrease in overall safety for everyone and more animosity between the two groups. There are anti nightlife officials gaining power. They could be willing to use any perceived link between crime and nightlife as a weapon to attack our lifestyle.
Be aware, take care
Nightlife natives need to be aware of their own internal situations when they go out. Stress relief doesn’t need to descend into amateur displays of violence. Over indulgence will only make your situation worse.
At the same time, nightlife operators need to be aware of potential spike in both financial and stress crime and plan accordingly. The image your venue has might be more important as reality, since it will only take a few incidents to draw increased scrutiny.
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