So I'm DJing for the first time this week..
Brian
7,618 Posts
and I'm just wondering if any of you mufuckaz got any tips or advice on stuff I might have overlooked. I already scoped out the place and know the deal on everything so I'm covered on that. I think I'll be okay as long as I control my drinking which may be the hardest thing to do. Any advice?
Comments
- make sure your check list includes:
1) sexyback
2) "some hip-hop"
3) "something i can dance to" b/w the "something more dancey" remix
- bring CDs or mp3 player to plug into your mixer just in case something dumb happens and nothing works
- bring back up needle(s)
- promote. promote. promote.
- make sure girls are there. make sure to make them dance.
- introduce yourself to staff - door people, bartenders, etc. make sure they know your name, and make sure they know who's you're people. be nice to them. i like to ask them if they'd like to hear anything before the night gets started.
blah blah blah
ps. don't forget your dj gloves
pss. GOOD LUCK!
not a diss, well maybe a diss but don't get your feelings hurt.
i think it's a little sad that people who never DJayed out before are jumping into it with microwave. you could still rock it though, one of the people i DJ with owns just 3 crates of vinyl but he still kills the parties so it doesn't really matter in the end.
I've read on this board about how that shit (microwave) would crash and that emergency crate saved the night from being ruined.
Maybe someone who have been in this situation could break it down even further.
as far as Microwave stability goes, im fully confident in it at this point in time and the only thing i can see wrecking shit is some dumbass spilling beer on my shit in which case i won't need to worry about playing anymore cos i will be hauled off to jail for beating the shit out of them.
You call this DJing?
Forgot 'that birthday song'.
next time tell them to write their requests on a dollar bill, 1 request per bill, any donomination.
just have a good time!
This is the truth. When the dj is acting all sad and pissed it rubs off on the crowd. Have a good time, and don't let little shit piss you off. Just have fun.
I propose that at the beginning of 2007 hatters should pull the gigantic "I'm real hip hop" stick out of their collective ass and accept that most DJs are more concerned with making sure people have a good time, rather than maintaining some ambiguous code of realness based on pleasing the marginally relevent DJ Premier.
That sort of fanboyish devotion may seeme awesome in your bedroom, but it doesn't mean shit in the club.
Good luck, Brian!
some more advice, have a couple of mini sets you know you will play. like if you are gonna play one song, you know what you are gonna play the next 2 or three songs. songs you know sound good together. if you have 3 or 4 mini sets like that, it helps the night go smoother, and involves less thinking. obviously you bail on the mini set if the first song clears the dance floor tho!
good luck, and have fun. i'm sure it will be a blast!
This is a good call too. If you get flustered you have something to fall back on. Pre planning a whole set however is not a good look, but having mini sets is a really good idea.
Also have a song long enough to allow you to run and take a piss even if there is a long ass line. Although I guess with Microwave this isn't as much of a problem.
I was actually going to say the same thing. Always bring an extra ... 9 times out of 10 you need it.
i keep two pre-recorded mini sets (about 15 minutes each) in my itunes, one fast and one slow, in case i have to piss... i've never had to use them, but a friend of mine told me that one time he was djing at a club that was too packed for him to run to the bathroom during a record, so he just pissed in his pants right in the booth! ... if you don't pre-record a little set, you are going to want to make sure you have rapper's delight, the long version of do i do, or strafe - set it off ready to go
I think the DJ press straight up dropped the ball on the piss stories. It's something I always wonder about, especially with those dudes like Tony Tenaglia (sp?) who play for eight hours at a time.
I was looking for a good weed (always helps my DJing) photo and found this on the Lynn, MA Police Department web site. These guys are obviously up on their shit. Bet they still play records at the station house!
Damn, I'd have at least tried to piss in a cup or something.
that said, bring a bed pan?