Early to mid nineties when I found myself being drawn into the dance scene, most of the top jocks at the time were earning anything from £1000 - £2000 per 2 hour set. There would have been exceptions maybe, say if Junior Vasquez came to town or it was double time on NYE.
Dj's did not think they were anything special, in fact most were embarrassed by the fame they had encountered from having a good ear for music. Some would even carry their own record boxes !!! Even Oakie Cokie, when at the top of the Saturday night Cream summit only managed to secure a £200k two year deal, but he had to travel down most weekends from that London.
It was headline news when Healy was asking for £10k for a NYE set but that is peanuts to what is being laid out now. Whether or not a night was good was word of mouth between fellow clubbers and that filled the nights. The promoters stumped up their own cash and the best won, many have had their heyday now and done very nicely out of it.
Now clubbing has become some sort of "must do" for the 18 - 25 year olds. They are brainwashed by the media into thinking that The Tiesto House Mafia are the best thing since the Beatles. I call it clubbing, but most of these big earning nights are in stadiums or mass venues, the high earners taking what they can at that time. Can you blame them? Probably not, but they have sold out in my opinion. They will play music that they probably don't even like themselves. I would suggest that most are thinking about some sort of retirement fund?
So the only answer is to vote with your feet and wallet. I am more than likely never going to Creamfields for example even though its a 10 minute drive from my house. I am more inclined to listen to lesser known DJs in low profile clubs in the UK. Ibiza, slightly different but staying away from so called "big" names who think that they are Rod Stewart.
If you don't like it, don't do it.
