Who is the Secret DJ?

I’ll trust most people once and I think the call is genuine based on judgement
Someone’s history as an earner doesn’t mean squat if it’s all gone
His book (again have to to take it on trust) paints a picture of really really bad health issues killing the main earning power
It’s not a 20 quid I am not going to give to a more worthy causes, the donkey sanctuary will still get their straw! Thought of it also appreciation for his plague rave work on Twitter which will have had a cost to him financially and indirectly
All total judgements mind, he could be doing racing lines in Sven Vaths bath right now but I think it’s a well directed 20quid

just had my morning coffee apologies for banging on
 
jimmiz said:
Can someone please explain why all these dj's over 50 have no health insurance? Him, Padilla, Alfredo... They are not little dj's, but strong professionals.
Just wondering...
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Also interested in that aspect.

Some musical guidance would be helpful as well. Not much recordings to be found on the web.

First search result on youtube is a good one though:

 
Bahamas said:
Also interested in that aspect.

Some musical guidance would be helpful as well. Not much recordings to be found on the web.

First search result on youtube is a good one though:

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Interested , too. Whats the price for a healt insurance for a typical DJ over 50 ( approx ) in UK or US and ESP ? Can it be 1000 E / Month or more ( depends what you want , incl teeth ) ? Practical , non glamourous problems.
 
Springal said:
U.K. not required thanks to fabulous NHS health care system ! What is the score in Spain ? Is that where Tim lives ?
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In germany freelancers need privat insurance. Maybe you can go to the statutory health insurance , but you have to pay the
part of the employer , too. Can be 900 E / Month. Privat insurance similar.
Think some of them want to save 1000 E / month
 
Buckley said:
Give or don't give, of course. Maybe don't encourage others not to by talking of things you don't know about.
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Don’t know about what? This is a discussion forum, not a charity. The guy literally makes a secondary living on his experiences and what he stands for. If he’s lost his DJ money then that’s up to him. As is a decision not to purchase appropriate health insurance. To seek £20k to cover his decisions in life is grotesque. There are many more worthy causes to donate money to.
 
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Tourist said:
I commented on this after Padilla's passing, but I think a lot of ageing/unemployed DJs will struggle financially because in the 80s/90s, there were still a lot of casual contracts on little more than a handshake, because this was all new and people were innocent (a time when DJs simply liked playing offbeat records instead of seeing it all as a professional career) and before the silly money entered the picture and in José's case I read that CDM ripped him off (*though he still had a relatively good life). I think because it was all a bit messy and people were having a good time spunking the money away without realising, that terrifying far-off thing known as advanced middle age didn't enter the lexicon... creating a ticking timebomb. Cash in hand gigs don't get you too far on the social security, where in Spain awkward questions will always be asked in the annual declaracion... Am generalising wildly here because all these guys have had unique life experiences and some were luckier/sillier than others but I predict a lot more crowdfunders in the years to come as Father Time catches up and there's zilch to fall back on. In TSDJ's case I think a lot of people will help him out because he's seen as a renegade Robin Hood fighting The Man and because there is a lot of goodwill given what he's been through, but in the future I can see compassion fatigue set in if every jobbing DJ gets the bucket out..
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True, but middle / old age isn’t a new concept. They knew it was coming, even if they didn’t want to think about it. It definitely sits uneasily with me to compensate for someone who probably earns more per gig (if not now, then certainly for a good period of time) than many people earn in a month and frittered it away / didn’t sort his insurance out. I don’t know much about Padilla’s financial situation (or TSDJ's frankly), but I know he was a pioneer and had a major impact on a whole culture and millions of incredible experiences for lots of people.

But as @Buckley says – you don’t have to donate. Some people will want to help out a guy in need, some will think it’s grotesque.
 
4tothefloor said:
Don’t know about what? This is a discussion forum, not a charity. The guy literally makes a secondary living on his experiences and what he stands for. If he’s lost his DJ money then that’s up to him. As is a decision not to purchase appropriate health insurance. To seek £20k to cover his decisions in life is grotesque. There are many more worthy causes to donate money to.
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I quoted the bit that you clearly don't know about: 'paid exceptionally well for being a headline DJ for over two decades.'. It is indeed a discussion forum, so if you say something that's clearly rubbish, you might get told that.
 
TheDre said:
probably earns more per gig (if not now, then certainly for a good period of time) than many people earn in a month
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Never has done. Most of the DJs who have been around for ages, that didn't turn into Guetta etc, or didn't fleece every idiot they came across, like Rampling, aren't earning great money.

It's easy to equate being well-known to being well off, but they aren't the same thing.
 
Buckley said:
Never has done. Most of the DJs who have been around for ages, that didn't turn into Guetta etc, or didn't fleece every idiot they came across, like Rampling, aren't earning great money.

It's easy to equate being well-known to being well off, but they aren't the same thing.
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Thats it

Some good years , yes. But in addition not more than a normal worker. I spoke with some. And in the goog years : Big cars , goooood life
 
feynman said:
Interested , too. Whats the price for a healt insurance for a typical DJ over 50 ( approx ) in UK or US and ESP ? Can it be 1000 E / Month or more ( depends what you want , incl teeth ) ? Practical , non glamourous problems.
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Yup, when CoVID collapsed the industry, jobbing people in it, of all professions, will have struggled to pay those premiums.
 
Buckley said:
Never has done. Most of the DJs who have been around for ages, that didn't turn into Guetta etc, or didn't fleece every idiot they came across, like Rampling, aren't earning great money.

It's easy to equate being well-known to being well off, but they aren't the same thing.
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I would have thought that similar well known DJs are bringing in more than the average wage in the UK (£30k ish) though, even it it's not tonnes more? Maybe I'm way off though!
 
Tourist said:
I hear you, I can understand why people might feel reluctant to chip in when their own granny struggled without any social media reach, which is why these things are ultimately pretty subjective and down to your own judgement. Has this stranger enriched your life in any way or has their story struck a chord? I dunno, it's a tricky one because there are millions of others who obv also need that support. I guess I'm wary of rushing to judge people who were naive/reckless in the past. Dance music is the Peter Pan of careers and my guess is 20 somethings nowadays are a lot more savvy
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If anyone here has a granny who's struggling, post here and I'm a happy to forgo a £7 Costa coffee and sandwich to chip in. I'm not going to look for reasons why it's her own fault she's in this situation.
 
TheDre said:
I would have thought that similar well known DJs are bringing in more than the average wage in the UK (£30k ish) though, even it it's not tonnes more? Maybe I'm way off though!
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Nope. With no job security or employment rights too.
 
TheDre said:
I would have thought that similar well known DJs are bringing in more than the average wage in the UK (£30k ish) though, even it it's not tonnes more? Maybe I'm way off though!
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This inspired me to look back at old emails for DJ fees.

As an example, in 2006, when I looked after Dusted at Eden, the DJ fees were about:

Big Headliner: 2000 euros
2nd on bill: 750 euros
3rd (still big name) 350 euros
3 more DJs you've heard of 600 euro between

No limos, no flights, no guaranteed retirement
 
Buckley said:
I quoted the bit that you clearly don't know about: 'paid exceptionally well for being a headline DJ for over two decades.'. It is indeed a discussion forum, so if you say something that's clearly rubbish, you might get told that.
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How is that clearly rubbish?! You are defending the indefensible
 
Another thing is perhaps that medical facilities on the Island are less developed than on Mallorca or the mainland?
I can imagine people postpone medical check-ups and treatments for that reason, and in the end they face more intense treatments and heavier bills.
 
Buckley said:
This inspired me to look back at old emails for DJ fees.

As an example, in 2006, when I looked after Dusted at Eden, the DJ fees were about:

Big Headliner: 2000 euros
2nd on bill: 750 euros
3rd (still big name) 350 euros
3 more DJs you've heard of 600 euro between

No limos, no flights, no guaranteed retirement
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2006?! The source data is somewhat dated. The world has changed a few times since.
 
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