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Advice from DJs plaese (Nervous Related)

phatmoneysackphatmoneysack Melbourne 1,124 Posts
edited August 2007 in Strut Central
{{{warning - long winded question}}}Hi! Next week I will be playing my first paid gig. Its for a friend from high school's sisters 21st.Its a masquerade party...When I asked her what she wanted me to play she said
i really cant think of any songs....-young hearts run free-the beatles-mayyyybe blondie-duran duranand then like, some funky music like michael jackson and maybe some old oldhip hop but nothing too boppy. just stuff that will get ppl on the dancefloor! but no trance/dance/techno or anything with a heavy bass or electro.its a masquerade party...not a rave and its above a restaurant and i toldthe lady that there wouldnt be anything like that.
to that I replied
I've got loads of nice stuff which fits your description perfectly...Groovy, smooth, funky, great to dance to but kind but also slighty sophisticated at the same time..if ya know know what i mean? This is how i envision it. 10-11 smoother danceable stuff to get the party warmed up11-12 increase the tempo a bit and mix that up with a few suprises 12-1.30 drop the floor-fillers - 80s and 70s disco, rock, pop, funk & new wave..e,g, duran duran, chic, james brown, the clash, madonna, prince, blondie, sugarhill gang, david bowie, talking heads, eurhythmics, AC DC, etc...but nothing to cheesy like kenny loggins or "land down under"
She seemed to like the idea - but I am worried about her friends, who are the commercial house type of beckies. however it dawned on me that since I can't play hip hop - for the first hour and a bit I will probably be playing a large amounts of slower tempo funk and disco i.e. "funky sensation", "juicy fruit", "mary jane", "don't look any further" - most of it she and her friends may never have heard before. The question is - is all that unknown funk too much? - should I bother with the slower tempo stuff at the start or should I get into it quicker and play more well know classics?I worried if i stick to hard to one genre i'll bore the crowd - but i don't wanna get too cheesy either (my crates arn't the deepest).

  Comments

  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
    Just lace em with a few well-known cuts between the not-so-known cuts, a dash of Rick James here, a dash a Prince there, with a little Stevie on the side.

    Maybe mix in a few recongized original source material, stuff like Leon Haywood "I Wanna Get Freaky With You" -- stuff they'll recongizefrom hip-hop but not really hip-hop itself.
  • CosmoCosmo 9,768 Posts
    Sounds like you're in for a long night.

    Just keep the people moving, you'll be fine. Granted not everyone is going to be happy but you'll get the idea.
  • bass_feverbass_fever 974 Posts
    Don't sweat it dude, I've been there b4...Just mix up what you got and don't play "ante up" on repeat and thangs will be aiight!
  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts
    Sounds like you're in for a long night of 80s tunes.[/b]

  • Tonearm_RobberyTonearm_Robbery 699 Posts


    It's a Masquerade Ball?

    Get paid first, then wear this all night.



    You'll be fine.

    (seriously - the only person you have to impress is the one signing the check.)
  • DJCireDJCire 729 Posts
    Keep it familiar here and there, play joints you know people will recognize, then you can get into funkier ish, then maybe go back to some known songs... Should be good from there...
  • DongerDonger 854 Posts
    A good friend of mine simpilfied DJ'ing to me when I first started: "Feel the force, don't force the feel". Just remember those words and you'll be alright.
  • mr.brettmr.brett 678 Posts
    You'll probably be surprised at how fast those three hours are going to go by. It sounds like you're worried about the first hour more than anything, but it's only an hour. If you sprinkle in tracks from stevie wonder, rick james et al. mentioned previously, you should be good and you'll wonder where all the time went.
    Regardless, there's no point in worrying about it. Either you'll have a lot of fun or you'll learn a few lessons about dj'ing... you can't go wrong with either of those.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    The question is - is all that unknown funk too much? - should I bother with the slower tempo stuff at the start or should I get into it quicker and play more well know classics?

    I worried if i stick to hard to one genre i'll bore the crowd - but i don't wanna get too cheesy either (my crates arn't the deepest).

    Why even bother tryin to throw curve balls at this bunch. Hit em w/ ALL KNOWN BANGERS!

    Dont kill yourself.

    -the beatles

    WTF?
  • eliseelise 3,252 Posts
    I was once asked to play a masquerade ball once. Yeah, and he asked for masquerade music [/b].

    pffft. please.


    You'll be fine. At least they didn't ask you to play to some Axel Rudi Pell.(I just googled Masquerade Ball and found him...cheeesy!!)

    Plus they are all at least 21 years or younger, right? Expect some requests...all...night ...long.
  • Young_PhonicsYoung_Phonics 8,039 Posts
    Masquerade Music?


    Paging RASHIED
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Yeah, and he asked for masquerade music [/b].



    Masquerade Rap
  • bass_feverbass_fever 974 Posts
    Yeah, and he asked for masquerade music [/b].


  • DJBombjackDJBombjack Miami 1,665 Posts
    (seriously - the only person you have to impress is the one signing the check.)



    Also, tell her that the only person you'll take requests from is her. Saves you a BUNCH of hassle from her 'best friends' etc. And if they complain about any of your music, just tell them it's what she wanted to hear.
    Whenever i've done private events this is always the way i've approached it, it shuts up interfering assholes real quick.
  • phatmoneysackphatmoneysack Melbourne 1,124 Posts

    Also, tell her that the only person you'll take requests from is her. Saves you a BUNCH of hassle from her 'best friends' etc. And if they complain about any of your music, just tell them it's what she wanted to hear.
    Whenever i've done private events this is always the way i've approached it, it shuts up interfering assholes real quick.

    wise advice sir.

    yeah it was primarily the first hour i'm worried about. but i've done plenty of house parties before you guys are right, time can go pretty quick.

    It will definately be a major 80s event - but i've got that locked down.

    thanks for teh advice all.

  • kitchenknightkitchenknight 4,922 Posts
    generally i don't play 80s...I can play 80s hiphop, but that is not what folks mean when they ask for 'EIGHTIES!!!'

    So, anytime I'm djing with someone else (corporate parties) I'll tell them, 'you go last, and and i'll end early if you are playing 80s...because once you go 80s this party ain't coming back.'

    Seriously. it is a serious moment of commitment.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    (seriously - the only person you have to impress is the one signing the check.)



    Also, tell her that the only person you'll take requests from is her. Saves you a BUNCH of hassle from her 'best friends' etc. And if they complain about any of your music, just tell them it's what she wanted to hear.
    Whenever i've done private events this is always the way i've approached it, it shuts up interfering assholes real quick.

    And drunk Beckys actually abide by this? Its the "right" thing to do, but you know cats dont give a shit.

    Ive done weddings where cats dont care what the bride & groom want. "Play MY SHIT, Fuck everyone else!"
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    Yeah I did a wedding last weekend where some third aunt twice removed sitting at the table in the back kept fucking with me all night, even going so far as to grab my hand mid-blend. I finally lost it and I told her that if the bride and groom were feeling it (which they were) that's all that mattered and if she had a problem she could take it up with them. She left shortly afterwards.

    I am doing a loft party next month where I have already told the people throwing it that I won't be doing requests except from them, they are like "no, it will be a very casual event, nobody will give you problems" but I already KNOW how it will go down.
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