taste - work experience is vital if you want to get some of the bigger gigs around. Contacts are essential if you're going to get ahead. The local club scene can is something of a closed shop, so get out there and make yourself known by attending the venues, clubs and bars that the industry does business in. A bar job will give you opportunities to meet promoters and other DJs as well as a useful bargaining chip when looking for work at bigger venues. The pressure on the bar manager to turn a profit is immense. As a result they may try and dictate what you play. How you take such demands depends on how much of a purist you are, but it might be worth compromising if it means keeping the job, but it wholly depends on what your motivation to work in the industry is. Be open to constructive criticism, and talk and listen to everyone you meet - you will get better because of it, develop much faster and make a whole lot more contacts. Have an open minded, friendly approach to the music, the industry and the people you meet, and DEFINITELY display ambition, passion and a willingness to learn. DJ-ING IN CLUBS Contacts. Contacts. You cannot overstate how much getting gigs in clubs relies on networking, contacts and personal relationships. Of course, you need to be technically good, knowledgeable about your music and be able to keep the crowd happy as well, but you'll