i'm not arguing the process or that its more difficult to open, but if you are an opening dj you are playing a certain energy or a certain sound and just as it is difficult to switch genres up as a producer, its the same for opener to headliner.  if you have a reputation for being a good opener, you're more than likely going to be booked for more opens than headlines, at least in vancouver anyway.  victoria, nanaimo or whistler, different story.  there's actually room to build up in those towns, but vancouver is run by several DJ's who run their own nights as apposed to promoters who book them.  So these DJ's turn their backs on anyone who has potential to rock rooms.  If you play well in Vancouver as a newcomer, you probably won't play again unless you find obscure indie places in houses.   so in the case of vancouver, you will NEVER be a headliner unless you are famous and from out of town or country.  That and not that I'm a good DJ, but my first gig I headlined with Ike, now I can't get opening gigs.  In my case I'm trying to go in reverse almost so I can build up my experience.  Vancouver is to new DJs and openers, like Nazareth was to Jesus.   If you don't believe me, ask Shiloh or Sonic Union.

Bill..

I've dealt with that guy that kinda runs the show down in Jacksonville...Can't remember his name,  but he does shows at Bourbon Street/The Blue Room...Cocky little dude from my experiences.

Joel...

Vancouver sounds a good bit like Atlanta,  which is almost exactly the same situation that it is in almost any city.  If you're not in the clique,  you're S.O.L.  Ask Kenneth Thomas....he had the same situation in Detroit.
The Solution?
Find a small venue where you can do something.  Work your tail off to promote it...Then move on to bigger venues.  You already have one leg up on ol KT because you've already broken into the producers circle.  It took him a while to get through that one.  If you'd like to talk to KT about it,  just PM me and I'll shoot you his number.  I know he'd love to hear from you.

My current issue?
I'm not having to simply build a group of people who like to hear me play EDM,  but rather simply a group of people who like to hear EDM.  Isn't easy,  but isn't impossible either.  I'll be happy to give ya whatever advice/help I can as well.

I'm not so sure that it's way more difficult to open than headline. The headliner has a certain reputation or expectation to uphold. The opener can pretty much get away with anything as long as the floor is moving. The headliiner has the aura that better be fulfilled or people will not want to pay to hear him/her again. I think the key is getting tracks released and lots of networking. I've seen plenty of "headliners" that are definitely nothing special behind the decks, so why are they there? Because they've either A) put out a significant amount of good tracks or B) because they've convinced someone that they are something special and deserve to be there. I also agree that confidence is key, not arrogance, but confidence that whenever you play and before or after whomever, you can rock it with your own style. Cutting out a niche and standing out from the typical DJ of your genre can make a big difference.

Just saw Icey last weekend,....yeah I remembered why I stopped listening to him... its like he plays the same set almost every time I see him.

Filler . . .hmmm.  Reminds me of Oakey.

youre right, headliners do have an expectation. but its the sort of expectation like, at my job, being able to work a UPS workstation (i can). its my job and ive done it long enough so that i am expected to do it right.

however, it isnt a bonus if an opener gets the crowd bumping. its his job. secondly, as an opener, it is your job to open for the headliner. the headliner is more important then you are. if the headliner is going to be playing house, you cant play dnb, you get to play house. you get to play lower bpm, less energetic, same genre.
think of it this way, as an opener, you serve the headliner and his needs. if he is playing 130 house, you have to play mid 120s house. you dont get to choose.

if you cant be trusted to open properly, how can you be trusted to headline?

also, by filler i mean floorfiller. never play subpar music as filler.

That's called either a stupid promoter or an arrogant opener.

Getting the floor to move requires great skill.  A good opener knows how to set a mood,  build momentum on a floor,  and have the floor primed to just a touch before blowing up when they go off.  They hand over a floor ready to blow up to the headliner.

Headlining just requires getting up and doing your thing.  Opening requires you to mold your thing to compliment someone else's thing.

My thoughts exactly.