I guess this could become a series, although…

When I wrote my last newsletter counting the cost of my tour around North, South and Central America back in February (here), I got quite a big response from people. I got some messages from non-DJs saying how interesting it was to lift the lid on the practicalities of touring. I got messages from other DJs relating to what I’d written and sympathising with some of the challenges I’d described. Interestingly, I got a few responses from DJs who are playing and earning magnitudes more than me and yet found things I said still resonating.

When I wrote that piece, I guess I needed to vent a bit about how difficult I’ve been finding it to make a living off these trips, but I wasn’t necessarily trying to make everyone wake up to the ‘harsh reality’ of touring, or get sympathy from my peers. I think I want to be honest about what my life is like, not sugarcoat or gloss over the difficulties, but also not contribute to some dramatisation of the DJ struggle. DJing is and always has been a privileged profession. Yes there some struggles and grind and whatever, but it’s usually the least precarious position in the club. Working down a mine this is not.