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DJs' Tips For Promoting

Steve Lawler, Judge Jules, Matt Hardwick, and Eddy Temple-Morris reveal their top tips for putting on a club night.

james zabiela

It's the last thing that anyone does with any kind of event, but it's also the most important: promotion is vital. Tell all your friends, text everyone you know or email them all. That is what will make or break you. You don't have to have the biggest artist; you don't need to over-hype it. Just promote it everywhere so people can't ignore it.

Lee Burridge

Steve Lawler
James Zabiela

Putting on club night can be, at the best of times, like playing Russian roulette.

So Steve Lawler, Judge Jules, Matt Hardwick and Eddy Temple-Morris have revealed their top secrets to rave success, to help encourage young clubbers to do it for themselves.

The DJs' tips are part of an ongoing campaign organised by charity ActionAid.

The organisation hopes that the club night secrets will encourage people to organise their own party, and donate a night to their 'B*ll*cks To Poverty' tour.

Brendan O'Donnell from ActionAid said: "Music and protest thrive on the DIY spirit. ActionAid is calling on every DJ putting on a club night to donate a night to the B*ll*cks to Poverty tour.

"We want to bring together the next
generation of Pete Tongs or Razorlights –
who all started by putting on their own
shows – to say b*ll*cks to excuses, unfair
trade, HIV, Aids and corporate abuse."

james zabiela

I got into DJing just by putting on events. Being young is a real advantage. The younger you are the bigger your social circle is, which gives you a great opportunity to put on events. So have a go while you can.


Judge Jules

Promoters who try to organise a night for the charity won't have to go it alone.

ActionAid have said they will provide posters, giveaways, flyers and all the tools needed for a good night for any promoters that wish to donate a night to the charity.

What's more, each event will be added to the B*ll*cks To Poverty on Tour line up, and will have its own page on the charity's website.

So if you've ever thought about organising your own club night, now might be a good time.

More DJ Tips

"Artists, however big or small, are always prepared to do gigs for free, or at a fraction of their fee, for a cause close to their hearts. So just use this to charm talent, promoters and venues. Put a line-up together and throw a party.

"Likewise, clubbers and giggers are always happy that their money is going on a great cause, rather than to a greedy promoter, so get stuck in and organise something.

"It could be a couple of turntables in your local pub with your mates, to a mini festival with Snow Patrol heading the bill...it doesn't matter, just do what you can and you'll find yourself throwing a night together, having a laugh, and getting valuable experience in music, gigs and promoting at the same time as being part of B*ll*cks To Poverty. Brilliant."

Eddy Temple-Morris XFM DJ

"My main tip for up and coming DJs would be to get involved in producing records. The DJ thing will come. The biggest DJs are producers as well. If you can get a big production profile that's a great start. Then when you're putting on nights, the most important thing is to get friends involved.

"Gatecrasher started out as a group of mates thinking "come on, let's do this on our own". All the best clubs started off like that with a group of mates."

Matt Hardwick