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HIRING A ROADIE CAN BE A SMART INVESTMENT.
I think we all dream of it from time to time – showing up at our events 15 minutes before start time, to find our equipment already perfectly set up and ready for us to rock the party. No hour or two hauling gear across a hot parking lot and up a flight of stairs into a venue, just plugging in and playing. With a good roadie, this dream could very well be a reality.
Why use a roadie?
If you’re like the majority of mobile DJs, you’re a one-man show. From planning to preparation to performance, you are the one to make your events happen. The benefits of this are obvious – you get the keep all of the profits from your work. No employees means higher pay for you. However, going solo also comes with a few downsides.
It all starts with loading up your car. If you don’t have a trailer or an enclosed garage, you’re probably tasked with getting all of your equipment into the trunk, tailgate, or cargo area by yourself. Make sure you leave extra early because setting all of this up by yourself is going to take a while. Once you arrive at the venue. you have to pull out your cart (please tell me you are using some sort of cart or dolly) and transfer all the heavy equipment back out of the car again. Then comes everyone’s least favorite part – getting all of that gear into the room you’re working in. What stands between your car and the venue today? A cobblestone path? A small non-functioning elevator? It’s the kind of mystery no one likes. Now you get to set all of that equipment up and hopefully have enough time to do your final timeline and music prep before doors open.
When things wrap up at the end of the night you wish you could walk to your car and head home, but now it’s time to tear everything back down. Roll it to the car, load it up, drive home and, if you’re unlucky and don’t have a garage, take it all inside so it doesn’t get stolen overnight.
Roadie benefits
So how can we escape this weekly nightmare? By hiring a roadie. Will it cost us a bit of money? Sure, but listen; I know we aren’t rockstars, but we still deserve to have a little less stress in our business. The good news is that roadies don’t have to suck our profits dry. There are plenty of ways to find cheap help for our events. If you know a new or young DJ that is trying to learn the craft they may make a great roadie. I remember when I was new and eager to learn I would gladly do roadie work for free in exchange for some mentoring or simply to watch an experienced DJ perform. If you have friends with a high school or college-aged relative they may be willing to work for very reasonable rates – typically $20 per hour or $100 for the night.
In comparison to the total earnings of a good-paying gig, the expense of hiring a roadie can be considered a wise small investment.
With the current COVID-19 situation, it may be worth networking with industry peers in your area. Everyone could use a hand right now, so offering your services as a roadie to a fellow DJ is a way to earn some money on nights you aren’t working, while also building relationships with friends and associates. Sure, you won’t make as much as you would DJing your own event, but it’s an opportunity to support others and stay involved with the DJ industry.
So what do you think – is it worth hiring a roadie for your events? Have you ever hired a roadie? What’s your go-to source for roadie help?