Has the community spirit gone on CTW?

[SarahPVC]

The cost of it is atronomical though - i only have to go on what happens on Sundissential North day - when 75 people text me for tickets & i have to call them back cos i dont have the time to text!

[Rick D]

See this post hasn't moved along any then...

[Guyster]

From the point of view of someone that was playing at the night, I guess I didn't see as many people as I thought I would, but also, to be fair, i was shattered and didnt' get downstairs as much as I liked or hoped to. (my head just wasn't able to deal with it that night). So sorry to a few people I was going to meet and didn't - xpaulax for a start All the same, I still got to see q a few.

 

I was aware it was a Spinback night with a number of CTW djs playing, but I think the friday made it a bit more tricky to get to as I know it was a trek for me fromLondon (6 hours in the coach, left work at 2.30pm and got to Leeds at 9.30). All the same, I thought the night was well attended Well done guys!

 

All message boards have people jumping on to flood places with posts about nights they play and promote and how great they are, but you tend to find that if this is all the contributiuon they make a) people don't bother paying attention to what they're advertising and they leave again soon after. CTW's got this on occasions, but 4clubbers has it all the time too - you just get used to it (tho there are odd posts deleted, most just drift to the bottom of the page and that's almost better). If you want to get people from a site to come to a night then you damn well make friends with them, get to know them, and with any luck a few will... I know it's much more satisfying getting mates to come to a night rather than randoms.... the fun I have at Liquid, even if it's only a fwe CTWs coming, is ace - it's something me and Mac have built slowly since Feb, and it's really satisfying when you people turn up, even Creamy. But I'd like to think that I don't post up a load of crap about nights I'm involved in 'cos I know how lame it looks (Liquid every other friday 7-11)

 

 

With any luck, we'll have something London based coming up - at least we're certainly trying to - as we know it's not easy for London members to get u north all the time.

 

I'd be lying if I said I didn't promote myself on message boards, but I do it by getting to know people and not by snowing them under with bollocks.

 

Anyway - in answer to the question (ahem). I don't think CTW has lost its spirit. It just took an evening off

[Ian Cashman]

Guyster said:

I'd be lying if I said I didn't promote myself on message boards, but I do it by getting to know people and not by snowing them under with bollocks.

 

[Andrew]

In answer to the orginal question: Has CTW lost it's community spirit?

 

i don't think you'd get 123 responses (and counting) to the question if there wasn;t a group of v. passionate ppl who believe in the CTW community...

 

ps - i'd just add my support to the bottom-up, members-first, largely non-commercial, approach to the site... i think this is what makes CTW unique (and pretty special from what i've seen)... a beautiful example of post-modern community building if you'll spare the bollox terminology...

 

nb - much respect to james, sarah, kev, etc for making it happen

 

 

 

[Belle]

1 - Quality of DJs

 

This should be paramount on CTW nites. The fact is, everyone and their dog are becoming DJs these days!! I think it was a mistake to allow anyone to be labelled a CTW dj, because the term should carry some value when putting on nights. Some real promo would help the nights, as might combining the CTW nites with member meet ups. Not just SarahPVC saying 'hey everyone, come support our DJs!!! If I've never heard the dj, I won't be loyal to go, especially if all they had to do was submit a cd, that might not have even been done by them, to be named one. At least if it's a member meetup nite, it gives peeps another reason to go.

 

2 - Promotional stuff

 

Creamy, I understand what you're saying about 1 posters, but they're standard. Internet promo is how this industry has been able to get the word out globally, so I don't totally agree with the idea of restricting promoters to ones that give a damn about this site. Are the Tidy Boys personally coming on this site to promote tidy weekender? Is Scott Bond posting on occasion to get ctwers to go to gatecrasher? But, I understand your vision of being different than the other sites, and respect that.

 

I rarely post, but I know every one of your personalities and read posts and what's going on more than weekly. I don't think that should give me the right, or take away from my right to spread the word about what's going on. In Montreal, we keep the people that are promoting to one section. If someone posts in any other forum, it gets moved, end of story.

 

Excellent idea about making big guys pay , they make enough $$$ to be able to fray your personal costs of the site James!

 

Hope you don't mind me adding my thoughts. I know that I'm the long distance community member, but that's not my choice ehhe!!

 

Tina

[big_ee69]

Sorry to quote myself, but a lot of this was discussed in the CTW direction post here.

We don't have the critical mass to enable the amount of events / DJ's to be promoted, that are. And Creamy is right, far too many people join the site to promote themselves or their nights.

 

It's not enough to say that we 'should' be promoting, say, funky house when clearly there are not enough ACTIVE members on the site that actually like funky house, ro make this viable or worthwhile There is probably not enough members on the site to promote very much at all, other than member led clubbing meet ups, member holidays, and non-clubbing events (all of which we are Very Very good at..and all of which tend not to make anyone any money. (apart from the P&P, all bar one, Serious, easy jet ect) Which I think is the point.

 

+ In case it had slipped anyones notice. The rise and rise of Hip Hop, RnB, Thrash, Nu-Metal and Grunge means mostly everyone involved in House genres are getting older, and the audience is getting smaller. Pushing Hard House down everyones throat at very oppourtunity will only help drive more people away!!!

 

+ If you have 50,000 active members/ subscribers. You know that any promotion will deliver at least 500 people. If you have 500 active members you'll get 5. As Promotion and PR in clubland is all about numbers. CTW should (imho) concentrate on the basics, and leave promotion to the others, and concentrate on our USP, and what we are best at, which is being (to quote Mr Creamy, and in the spirt of FTB) a member meet-up site / clubbing site / events site.

 

love

 

i

[Tony P]

Belle said:

1 - Quality of DJs

 

This should be paramount on CTW nites. The fact is, everyone and their dog are becoming DJs these days!! I think it was a mistake to allow anyone to be labelled a CTW dj, because the term should carry some value when putting on nights. Some real promo would help the nights, as might combining the CTW nites with member meet ups. Not just SarahPVC saying 'hey everyone, come support our DJs!!! If I've never heard the dj, I won't be loyal to go, especially if all they had to do was submit a cd, that might not have even been done by them, to be named one. At least if it's a member meetup nite, it gives peeps another reason to go.

 

SPOT ON!!!!!!!

I couldn't agree more with this point.

 

As a DJ who uses this site and have done for some time now, I think it's of the upmost importance for Clubtheworld to have a select few DJ who are chosen to represent the site. As the way things stand at present, members are having difficulties supporting the few DJ's who are already known as "Clubtheworld DJ's", because of distances from one end of the country to the other etc.

IMO, I feel that if the amount of CTW DJ's is to increase, the likely hood of good turnouts at different events will lessen!!, due to people trying to support all these DJ's!!

Surely it would be far better to promote a select few, which in turn will benefit the website & also make your lives easier as promoters!!

 

This is not meant in anyway to promote or enhance my own means or to dig at any individuals.

 

I am not having a go, but a classic example, is when CTW had the privilage of hosting the second room at Camden Palace for Frantic (one of worlds biggest promotions), where I would have expected a good CTW turn out for support, however only four members showed, 0ne of them myself & another my girlfriend, leaving a turn out of two!! and also not even a CTW banner was on view, which doesn't really help promote the site.

In my eye's this was a huge wasted opportunity for CTW

I can see if this is how it's going to be at future events, then surely the club/promotions will not ask CTW back!!

 

I know this may seem harsh what I am saying but if im honest this is how I feel & I only want what's best for the site!!

 

As it stands at the moment I see myself as a CTW DJ & I am honoured to be one, which is why I have made the above points.

However if CTW decide that, yes a few DJ's is the way to go, then i feel that this will create a ladder for other DJ's to climb, also by stating anyone can become a CTW DJ, when they dont actually use the site, is not fair to the DJ's that regularly use, support & plug the site!!

 

I know this is long winded and hope it's made sense!!!!

 

RANT OVER and may we look forward to a succesful future

 

 

[Lisa]

+ If you have 50,000 active members/ subscribers. You know that any promotion will deliver at least 500 people. If you have 500 active members you'll get 5. As Promotion and PR in clubland is all about numbers. CTW should (imho) concentrate on the basics, and leave promotion to the others, and concentrate on our USP, and what we are best at, which is being (to quote Mr Creamy, and in the spirt of FTB) a member meet-up site / clubbing site / events site.

 

love

 

i

 

I, I disagree with you, yes CTW is a site for like minded clubbers to chat, meet up etc, however this is a clubbing site & by having DJ's for the site who play out on a regular basis for CTW is good promotion for the site which will draw more members in, therefore making the site bigger & better.

It surely is far better to try to promote a clubbing site at a club, isnt it???

 

I do agree that once you have members on the site there should be meet ups etc to keep all actively involved & if these meet ups could be arranged around a CTW DJ playing in a club, full of like minded people(potential members) then what better promotion for CTW could that be!!

[James]

Totally agreed with Belle & Tony P RE: CTW DJs

 

I've been trying to fathom out exactly what it is that makes a DJ a CTW DJ. Its extremely difficult setting a description for this and as Sarah has said you cant tie a DJ down to just one site/CTW as its not in their best interests.

 

Simply sending in a mix CD and getting a profile up is not what I class as a CTW DJ. I would say we have 3 or 4 CTW DJs on the site at most and I think this is a nice number as these people can be followed properly.

 

However, its still nice to have profiles up and the logo going out on other DJ's mix CDs as its all good promotion and as mentioned by Miss Diddy this promotion leads to more clubbers spotting the site and hopefully joining - which is what we all want.

 

Anyone with 'ClubTheWorld DJ' as their title is a ClubTheWorld DJ IMO - although there are a couple of others with other titles who I include in the CTW DJ list like Carl

 

[CreamyC]

This is my problem.

 

Tony P registered way back in May 2002, at that time it was suggested that we 'as a site' would support him fully. SInce then and to this very day he has given every inch of support to this site and in return deserves the support from us. Now heres the difference between Tony and some other DJ's. When he registered no one knew he was a DJ until a few weeks down the line when some of us was heading down to Smile @ The Viaduct, it was only then that he pointed out he was a DJ. So whats my point? My point is he never came onto this site saying 'hi everyone, I'm a DJ and I'm playing at blah blah's you HAVE to come and support me' only then to bugger off the site until his next gig. The reason why Tony has my FULL support is because he comes on here as a member - not a DJ. He does NOT come on here promoting his stuff every single post, of course he puts up posts and says where hes playing but so what? Hes a valued member of this site and always will be. I REFUSE to back anyone on here that just comes on to promote themsleves and dont give an arse about anyone else and I stick to my origional statement of deleting posts that have no interest to this site. Once again I will state there is no way CTW will turn into another 4clubbers and Gurn, this is a members site, not a site where people use it as an engine for their own benefits.

[Lisa]

CreamyC said:

This is my problem.

 

Tony P registered way back in May 2002, at that time it was suggested that we 'as a site' would support him fully. SInce then and to this very day he has given every inch of support to this site and in return deserves the support from us. Now heres the difference between Tony and some other DJ's. When he registered no one knew he was a DJ until a few weeks down the line when some of us was heading down to Smile @ The Viaduct, it was only then that he pointed out he was a DJ. So whats my point? My point is he never came onto this site saying 'hi everyone, I'm a DJ and I'm playing at blah blah's you HAVE to come and support me' only then to bugger off the site until his next gig. The reason why Tony has my FULL support is because he comes on here as a member - not a DJ. He does NOT come on here promoting his stuff every single post, of course he puts up posts and says where hes playing but so what? Hes a valued member of this site and always will be. I REFUSE to back anyone on here that just comes on to promote themsleves and dont give an arse about anyone else and I stick to my origional statement of deleting posts that have no interest to this site. Once again I will state there is no way CTW will turn into another 4clubbers and Gurn, this is a members site, not a site where people use it as an engine for their own benefits.

 

 

[Guest]

There are many DJ’s who use the site from what I can see, some are trying to use the site to their advantage and some are just using the site because they want to be part of the community. I started mixing 12 years ago and I’m still going strong 12 years later, half my life! I got into DJ’in as a form of release for me, I was bullied at school and used this as an escape so believe me when I say I put a lot of passion & feeling into my sets!

 

The point I am trying to make here is that I honestly don’t think that the site should have specific DJ’s working for them on various nights. The problem we have these days is that not every DJ can cater for everyone, how many times have you been to a club and thought, “this DJ’s shite!” and your mates really liked them, I know I have.

 

Surely it would be better putting on nights and advertising the music being played rather than a specific DJ, that way the community and clubbers know that they are going there to listen to a specific genre of music rather than one person.

 

I’ve lost track of the amount of times I’ve gone to see a new DJ and thought, this guy’s good but he’s playing for all his mates and not the club.

 

I suppose some up and coming DJ’s look to the site as a way forward to them, simply mixing a CD and sending it in to be heard should not qualify as one sole aspect. I have played numerous nights over Yorkshire to know that unless someone is willing to put in overtime they will get no where, granted getting a promoter to listen to your CD is hard work, but perseverance is the key.

 

When I first started looking at working the scene it was a lot harder to get heard than it is now, there were fewer clubs and people like Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold etc. were on the rise - and that’s what everyone wanted to hear not some back room DJ trying to make a living.

 

When I play I make my sets unique, I muck around with accapella’s, take samplers with me and generally try to make people remember when they have heard

 

Anyone can learn how to mix, it’s their style that makes them unique, and sometimes their technical ability

 

Take my old signature – “Individuality is a virtue”

 

Diablo

[Lisa]

I’ve lost track of the amount of times I’ve gone to see a new DJ and thought, this guy’s good but he’s playing for all his mates and not the club.

 

When I play I make my sets unique, I muck around with accapella’s, take samplers with me and generally try to make people remember when they have heard

 

Anyone can learn how to mix, it’s their style that makes them uique, and sometimes their technical ability

 

 

I think you'll find most DJ's play for the club aswell as friends & its about support, whether its from friends or the crowd in front of you!!

 

Also yes any1 can learn, with the exception of me, im crap!!, but most DJ's have their own unique stlye & this is what promoters & clubbers look & listen out for!!

[LittleMissLoud]

Tony.P, you have hit the nail on the head.

 

I would say there is only a small handful of us who actually come on the site and post without the agenda of promoting ourselves.

 

Yes, we will put up a post in event suggestions if we are playing, but it is solely to let people know where we will be playing if people would like to come and see us.

 

I come on this site as a member, to have a laugh and all the rest first and foremost, but as a "CTW DJ", I may be tarred with the same brush as many other DJ's whose sole reason coming on to the site is to promote themselves, and whose only posts are "Look where I am playing, come and see me". I, for one, do not EXPECT the support of all members, and EXPECT people to come and see me play, although it is lovely when they do.

 

On the DJ profiles page, how many of them give a flying [censored] about CTW? And how many of them do you see in, say, Serious Issues, Jokes Forum etc?

 

And who wants to go to a "Club the World" night when maybe none of the dj's they have built a rapport with on here is playing?

 

Club the World line-up's should consist of mainly PROPER CTW DJ's such as Tony, Carl, Andy, Chris H and myself (Sorry to anyone I have forgotton), who people know from the board not just as DJ's, but as down to earth, regular members who also happen to play out.

 

I'm sorry if this has got a few people's backs up, but this is what I feel, and I am not the only one.