Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Anthony.
Hi Mike, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started dj music about seven years ago in a little bar called luckys… I was not good when I started but I loved music… over the years, I learned a lot about music and what it takes to dj… people think all the dj does is push play and sits around all night, some djs do that and other djs hate this cuz it makes the rest of us look like we don’t do anything for the money you are paying us… it takes a lot to walk in a place and try to play music and get people to dance… how to rotate the dance floor and make sure everybody gets a chance to hear the type of music they like cuz when you dj it’s about what other want to hear not what you like in most cases… yes there are times I don’t want to play a person request cuz I know it will kill the dance floor so I don’t play it I am not trying to be mean but I am going with the crowd and the vibe on the floor… I just wished more people understood what and how we do things or handle stuff like when somebody comes up and says play something I can dance to and they walk away, how do I know what that person likes or wants lol that happens every weekend or drunk people who hold there drink over your gear and you have a lil panic attack cuz if they spill that on your gear the night is over. But I love to dj music and will keep doing it till I can’t anymore; the fun I get to have at work making people dance and smile and have a great night out is always fun for me and I love when people come out and say hey you’re doing great or I have not hear this song in so long… being able to take people back in time to a place or a moment with music is awesome. I am dj now for a few places in town that I love and I love the people I get to see every week when I go to work.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Covid really hurt me… I couldn’t get any money from the gov for almost eight months… so with no income coming it really hurt me a lot… other things are just little things djs have to do which is deal with clubs not wanting to hire you cuz your not “one of the boys” a lot of clubs only hire people they know… not who is better at the job… another thing is knowing what works and what does not work in bars and club and trying to give ideas to managers only to get told to shut up and play music or they let you go cuz you might make them look bad cuz you got better ideas.
I got told by one bar my music was too urban & we don’t want that type of crowd here… as a dj we know when a manager says urban what they mean… to me if people are dancing and the club or bar is packed and you’re making money which is the goal… then why do you care who comes into party and dance… I just don’t understand some bars who still think like that… it sucked for me cuz it was a nice gig money-wise to work at but I will never go back there to work cuz I play music for all types of people.
The other challenge is bars or clubs who don’t want to pay the dj a decent amount for what all we do and bring to the table… I think all djs should make at least $200 a night when we dj a bar or club cuz without us there is no vibe and people tend to leave if the dj is bad …a good dj can bring more people in or make people stay longer in the bar… let’s be real the clubs and bars are making money some of them make great money on the week but don’t wanna pay the dj… but will pay bands more money when most bands are not good and they can’t play everything you wanna hear… we as dj can play anything and everything all night with no breaks standing up for 4-6 hours… some places will say no were good we have a jukebox thats cool but that jukebox cant read a crowd and the money people put into is money there not spending on drinks which is where the bars and clubs make their money on… as a dj there is a lot of things we deal with just to try to do what we love
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m from Fayetteville, North Carolina. I’m a driven, passionate and charismatic DJ with a unique approach to music.
My blend of Pop. Hip-Hop, Latin and Dance music is all about connecting with listeners through high-energy, lush melodies and massive beats. Showcasing my talents at local clubs and bars every weekend. I love being able to make people happy with music and letting people have fun night out and they can forget about their life problems while they dance.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can book me through my social media pages… I am open to do parties or events. They can support me by following me…or hire me to work there next event 🙂
Pricing:
- $350 for private parties & events
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/djmiz_910
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/DJMIZ910
- Other: www.mixcloud.com/DJMIZ_910
