SCOTLAND SOLD SHORT?
' C' ' N ° lt’s sometimes called an epidemic and
l oftenajoke: the fees and riders that
DJs demand to play in Scotland. A
c0uple of grand for two hours is the
norm on the big name Circuit, not
including VAT, agency fees, business
class flights, five-star hotels, meals and
C b e r S s d b e e n IaXIS, an insane amount of money for a would-be promoter to shell out.
Scotland is home to a great
number of small clubs With around
400 capaCity, as opposed to the
superclubs that can hold 2500. There
t d t ‘ ‘ t b ‘ t U "f is little scope to book a DJ whose fee
t a e O a S l J] b can’t be covered from the door
charges, let alone the other costs.
While there are a number of acts who
drop their fees to play Scotland, we
are at times considered a dance mUSlC
.m .M ,, ,. . backwater and, due to the small
e O S t e r S capacity clubs, not worth a big Dl’s
prime Saturday night time. Although a
few like Cream can programme a
Work. Thanks to the high
D] Q flies the flag for Scotland
fees and rider his manage-
superstar bill, the smaller venues cannot hope to compete.
The climate in clubland is fierce. To stand out from the rest, clubs often ’ resort to a big name. Many of these , bi names, however, only play me d , t .y M, O n t o wEatever’s being caned on Radio 1;
last year it was Euro trance, this summer it'll be hard h0use. Although they have pulling power, big name
spinners are rarely extraordinary. .,. N The flipside of this coin is that the \‘ '1 ‘. . locals have a better chance to shine. DOES bootland always miss wmwmmmmwmw extortionate fees, the talent is booked on the music they play, not the name they have. Scotland boasts some outstanding DJ talent; Edinburgh's ° ° diverse clubland is Widely celebrated l n t h l S W, a ? and Glasgow is internationally famous for its deep house, Slam techno and
unique electronica.
While some ignorant DJs and agencies write off clubbing outside of . , London and the States, once here, . ° ° the are invariably impressed by T s t S C r l t l C s l l n d . Scotytish clubbers. It's the musm that matters here, not the name in neon script. And ultimately, that attitude makes for a healthier and more sustainable club Culture.(Simone Baird)
22 THE usr ll 25 may 2000