Advice needed, first gig related

DjArcadian

So I've been collecting records and been a bedroom DJ for about 10 years now but I've been given an opportunity recently to be a relief DJ at a big club in SF. I'll probably be DJing to some 200 or 300 people in a 2nd room. Probably less as it's like a Tuesday/Thursday gig. Problem is that it's a Top 40 type club. I have no problem with that and certainly have the records to support at least an hours worth of play. What advice would you have for this? I figure I'll back my set with recent Top 40 hip-hop. Lots of Bay Area stuff. Some classic Michael Jackson / Prince bangers, etc. Should I even attempt to shake it up a bit? I'd like to try and build this up into a regular gig if at all possible but that's moreorless a pipe dream right now. I just don't want to suck.

Hawkeye

Keep in mind that in the moment where you start to play the Top 40 stuff + the classics everybody knows you cant come back to the unknown songs that are dope.

Yes, you can play one or two unknown tracks every 12-15 minutes, but no regular set out of dope unknown stuff.

You are the leader in kinda way and if you give them "Candy Shop" they want "London Bridge" too.

You have to read the crowd, if they are absolutley not reacting to the shit you are playing you are doing something wrong (that does not have to mean that you really doing something wrong, it just means that THEY THINK you doing something wrong)

It is the old game between the DJ and the crowd.

I know enough DJ's who play music they hate the whole evening because they get good money for it, you have to choose which one you be.




Peace
Hawkeye

JLR

I know enough DJ's who play music they hate the whole evening because they get good money for it

WHORE DJ'S

On_the_Red_Clay

sounds like the sandwich (known / unknown / known song) is gonna be your friend.