IndustryStandard …I’ve never DJ’ed to make a living, but started off playing mobile gigs up here and had a residency in a late night/dance bar in London for about 8 years (from around ’97 I think) and it’s a proper fucking learning experience. Would play from 9/10pm through to 3am and put up with all the things you mention above and more. The last couple of years were even tougher as they moved to monthly residencies, meaning it was really hard to build any kind of following, plus a percentage of punters would come expecting to hear one type of music and you couldn’t cater for them at all. The odd golden night that would make it all worthwhile though.
Fascinating how it changed the music I consumed (costly vinyl in those days too), trying to find the middle ground between what you liked but also what you thought would work in that context… also very liberating when it all ended to be able to entirely focus on music you love with no other considerations.
Have done some cracking parties and events since though, just way less frequently… been asked to do weddings and the like (absolutely love playing disco/boogie/edits sets) but even then find I can be a bit niche which inevitably makes it fucking hard work, always happy to jump on when the main act has had enough and the refreshed punters have taken over the floor though 😉
