“Rock Star” Life.
I realize the name of the article may sound like I’m glorifying the rock star lifestyle. But it’s the closest thing you can get to what it is a Strip Club D.J. does. If you’ve ever heard songs like Midnight Train to Memphis by Kid Rock or Under and Over It by Five Finger Death Punch, then you’ll know how they sing of having a normal life whilst others dream and wish and hope to have theirs. The ways we can relate to that are all too familiar. Late nights/early mornings, alcohol, drugs, loud music, naked women. All of it is just the norm for us, much like the gods of rock n’ roll. And we can find it just as lonely at home as they do out on the road. It can be a very isolated existence. But that’s why D.J.s in this industry are such a specific breed because not just everyone has the talent AND the fortitude to handle the rigors of our alternative lifestyle.
I think we all know the day that we weren’t ever going back to real life. We were leaving work to an empty road and possibly a sunrise. A pocket full of money, a buzz that was a bit too heavy, and more than a few lipstick marks on our face or shirts. “This…is the life.” Or so we thought. The first year or two can be a very immersive experience. The dream life you and your friends have always talked about is now your reality. There’s no way to explain it to the people around you because they just won’t understand. They look at you with envy, awe, or, more often than not, both. And, until recently, you couldn’t even talk about it to other D.J.s. They were competition not your friends. Of course, there are those friends that only want you around for your money or your connections. Friendly calls eventually turn into “What can you do for me?” calls…one’s you start to ignore more and more. But you’ve gotta share all this awesome with somebody right?! That’ll be easy; every girl loves the D.J.! Until you realize almost any regular girl will turn up their nose at a strip club jock. That leaves us few options, which is usually swimming in the entertainer pool. That can lead to it’s own very large set of problems. As time marches on, we find ourselves a little guarded in how we deal with the vigor of this so-called perfect life.
I know what I wrote above can seem a little daunting, even pessimistic, which is something I’m not known for. But I feel even that’s just a phase as well. It’s all about an education in this rock star world. The party life starts to take a back seat after a while. Sure, you still drink with friends and have a fun night out a week, but it’s not the “dream life” it once was. You find yourself saving money, buying nice things, going on quality vacations, and even weeding through the b.s. friends (who you’ve kept around, cuz they just don’t know any better.) and found some honest to god FAMILY. Even some of the roughest amongst us find a wife, settle down, have some kids and stop moving around so damn much. And then there’s the “George Clooneys” of the bunch. Perpetually single and living the good life. Either way, we all go through those phases we’ve read or seen in one-too-many late night Behind the Music episodes on VH1. Cuz honestly, no one else is up at 6 am, and there’s not a damn thing on 1400 channels of tv then, either. In the end, we all seek happiness. Acceptance. Love. And even in this crazy environment, the possibilities are out there. But that’s an article for another time. Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Ron “D.J. Ron James” Sparkman
