A plan B for DJs

The arrival of COVID-19 has greatly changed the world of DJs. Used to making crowds dance in bars and at various festive events, they suddenly found themselves without a playground for several months. This dark period, marked by the rise of the second wave and a re-containment, even forced some to reorient themselves. The newspaper presents the situation of six prominent Quebec DJs.

From model to DJ … to author

• DJ Name: Evalicious (djevalicious.com)
• Real name: Ève Salvail
• Age: 49

Known internationally for her modeling career, notably with Jean-Paul Gaultier, Ève Salvail has had a brilliant career as a DJ for the past fifteen years. Without work in recent months, she took the opportunity to write her biography, Be you and you are beautiful.

Eve Salvail has traveled the globe as a model for nearly 30 years. When she embarked on her DJ career, under the name DJ Evalicious, she was able to take advantage of the contacts she had all over the world. In recent years, she was often invited to put on music at “private parties of famous people” and at several corporate events.

“I have stuff that comes up every year, like the Maserati and Tag Heuer launches,” she says. I also do fashions shows, especially in New York. “

With the pandemic, everything was canceled. “I had other events planned in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The big season for a DJ is summer. “

At home to write

Suddenly finding herself with a lot of free time in front of her, Ève Salvail took the opportunity to finish writing her biography, which will appear on October 28 by Éditions de l’Homme.

“Containment [du printemps] forced me to write. I’m lucky I had that because when the weather started to shine, I could have gone out. But I forced myself to stay home to write. It has been wonderful for me. “

The book, whose preface is by Jean-Paul Gaultier, will relate all the significant events of his life. It will also include drawings designed by Eve herself.

The perception of failure

For several years, the model-DJ has been lecturing on failure and the perception that surrounds it. It was someone from his entourage who gave him the idea of ​​writing a book, after seeing his lecture.

“I’m an alcoholic, but I’ve been sober for four years,” she says. I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs. I talk about this a lot in the book. I grew up in Matane, then I became a model. I’m talking about what happened backstage. “

Living in Montreal for four years, Ève Salvail moved to Quebec full time. Possessing Canadian and American passports, she has been able to benefit from financial assistance from both governments in recent months.

For this fall, she plans to focus on releasing her book. And his future as a DJ? “I am starting to withdraw quietly,” she said. I am 49 years old. Working until three in the morning is starting to be difficult. But I am not completely putting an end to this. “

She believes people will be transformed after the pandemic. “I don’t think it will be the same anymore. Myself, I got used to not sticking to the world anymore. “

A show in his basement

• DJ name: DJ Bee (beegelinas.com)
• Real name: Bee Gélinas
• Age: 40

Past experiences

After a stint at MusiquePlus, and a few years living in California, Abeille Gélinas started working as a DJ ten years ago. She divided her time between corporate events and residences in restaurants or bars.

The impact of the pandemic

“I had a lot of booking, especially corporate events. Most of them have been replaced in 2021. “

In the spring, she had a first request to do a live on Instagram on the Rythme FM account. She then began performing live, for fun, on the Twitch and Facebook platforms.

She was entitled to the PCU. “I didn’t have any major business to pay. Being already an artist, I am used to living with financial ups and downs. “

His plan B

This fall, she will launch the concept State of mind. “It will be in my basement. I will meet women who inspire me for different reasons. There will be conversations and music. It is a 100% heart project. “

The show will air on Twitch, Facebook and YouTube.

The post-pandemic

“I believe people will be even more connected to themselves. They will appreciate the small moments, the human connections. I think the celebrations will be done differently. “

Radio studies

• DJ name: Djoolz (a1djs.com)
• Real name: Julien Fournier
• Age: 37

Past experiences

Actively working in events for 20 years, Julien Fournier co-founded the company A1 Djs with Pierre Belliveau. “In 2019, we had, I believe, 121 events. This year was shaping up to be our biggest year ever. We had a lot of contracts for F1, a lot of corporations, weddings, events in bars, festivals. “

The impact of the pandemic

“We had to repay a lot of deposits. We had a lot of clients from New York who were to get married in Montreal and who had called on our services. “

Even if he started working in some bars again this summer, with the deconfinement, Julien Fournier noticed that the atmosphere was no longer the same. “We were asked not to make people dance. It’s a bit counterintuitive. It’s quite special. “

“At the same date last year, we already had 52 confirmed Christmas parties. It’s a really big time of year for us. There, we have zero. I don’t think there are any companies that are going to risk having an event like this. “

His plan B

Julien Fournier admits it without hesitation: he is looking for another job. “I took the PKU,” he says. The money I make in bars doesn’t allow me to survive. They pay us a lot less than before. “

Because he knows music well, the DJ decided to enroll in the Promedia Radio and Television School. “It’s my short-term alternative. “

The post-pandemic

“I don’t know if it will leave any consequences. I already feel that people are fed up. This summer, in the bars, I felt that the world wanted to dance, I felt that they were a little frustrated. “

A new album on the market

• DJ name: Poirier (poiriersound.com)
• Real name: Ghislain Poirier
• Age: 44

Past experiences

Known as a DJ and producer, Poirier has released 11 albums in the past 20 years. He also stood out for remixes of artists like Pierre Lapointe, Champion and Kid Sister. In Montreal, he presented popular parties like Bounce Le Gros and Karnival.

The impact of the pandemic

“I must have had a really good year 2020. When the pandemic happened, I was disappointed, but I was also zen, because it was not just happening to me. There was no injustice. “

As a DJ, Poirier reports doing 80 to 90 events a year. “My biggest season is definitely summer,” he said. “

His plan B

Poirier had a different start to the pandemic than his fellow DJs because he had already planned to release his 11th album, Soft Power, in June.

Despite the uncertainty of the pandemic, the producer does not think of reorienting himself “in the immediate future”. “My first job is to compose music,” he explains. The job of a DJ is the performance aspect. But creating music, for me, is essential. “

The post-pandemic

“I think people are going to want to party more than before. Society is not going to change. We are in a system that has deep roots. “

From Canadian DJ to “COVID police”

• DJ Name: Wordy Word
• Real name: Vincent Aubry
• Age: 47

Past experiences

For 15 years, he has been the DJ at the Canadiens games at the Bell Center. He also plays music for the Alouettes and Carabins, in addition to occasionally playing for the Rocket and the Impact. Before the pandemic, he also worked three or four nights a week in some bars.

The impact of the pandemic

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years. It’s my only livelihood, says Vincent Aubry. I sometimes met other DJs who were also postmen. And I wondered why they weren’t full time DJs. There, I understand more … I know who was the cicada and who was the ant! “

After a spring when everything was stopped, he briefly replayed in bars, with deconfinement. “But our salaries have gone down by 30 to 50%,” he says. And the atmosphere was special. When it’s only half past midnight and you start playing Still Loving You, by Scorpions … “

For the Canadian, Vincent Aubry participated in a few virtual events on Zoom at the start of the series. And if the next season takes place, even without spectators, he should be able to return to the Bell Center. “The DJ is supposed to be there. There is music to play during the pre-game warm-up. And during the game, you play for the players instead of thinking about the crowd. “

His plan B

After taking PKU for the first four months of the pandemic, and after working in bars this summer, Vincent Aubry turned to another option a few weeks ago. The DJ has agreed to work as “COVID police” on the set of the series Another story.

“I tell people to put on their masks and glasses. We are like the “necessary evil”. We also have our little sticks to watch the distance. “

The post-pandemic

“Will people be transformed? This is the question that kills. But I can see that those in the 18-25 age group want to party. They think they are invincible. “