KEEPING IT FRESH IN THE CLUB (dj related)
thewaxbandit
112 Posts
i've had a few weekly residencies for a few years now
and week on week i've played pretty much the same set - i bring in new joints here and there but its pretty much commercial hip hop hop and standard soul/funk classics and finish on a little house/electro
i find it very difficult to deviate from what works - because it works so well
BUT
i know a lot of heads in the area cuss me because they know exactly which song and scratch i'm going to do, and i try really hard to switch it up sometimes, but i immediately start losing the floor and so go back to old faithful
the trouble is, is that we don't really have a 'scene' as such but i do play in some of the trendier bars and i have to keep an edge of 'cool' to what i do without going all 'David Guetta' - and the trendy kids only dance ironically and then your average becky will just go crazy and what me to play really commercial. And everyone else wants 60s beatles/kinks/stones and 2004 commercial indie (which i just cannot play because i hate it).
i'd be interested in any advice any regular club or touring djs could give me and in particular any new joints which really work at the moment
its really becoming a problem for me right now, because i love djing - i always have but its not fun anymore
thanks
b
and week on week i've played pretty much the same set - i bring in new joints here and there but its pretty much commercial hip hop hop and standard soul/funk classics and finish on a little house/electro
i find it very difficult to deviate from what works - because it works so well
BUT
i know a lot of heads in the area cuss me because they know exactly which song and scratch i'm going to do, and i try really hard to switch it up sometimes, but i immediately start losing the floor and so go back to old faithful
the trouble is, is that we don't really have a 'scene' as such but i do play in some of the trendier bars and i have to keep an edge of 'cool' to what i do without going all 'David Guetta' - and the trendy kids only dance ironically and then your average becky will just go crazy and what me to play really commercial. And everyone else wants 60s beatles/kinks/stones and 2004 commercial indie (which i just cannot play because i hate it).
i'd be interested in any advice any regular club or touring djs could give me and in particular any new joints which really work at the moment
its really becoming a problem for me right now, because i love djing - i always have but its not fun anymore
thanks
b
Comments
Play the stuff you love at the bar gig, and be that shameless cheese-whore in the club.
Finding the right bar with a decent pa system can be the tricky part though.
Another alternative might be sharing your club spot with a guest/s; they might bring a different energy and direction to the evening, you might be surprised by what else can work, both bounce ideas off each other and stuff. I started DJing when a friend* with a residency invited me to come along for similar reasons to what you're describing. I think he was getting a little disallusioned and actually told me he wanted help. It was weird as he had all of the technical skills, confidence and experience that I wanted, while I brought tunes along he hadn't played and gave him a break during the night without spoiling the vibe that he had set up. Maybe you know some kid that deserves a shot?
* Thanks T*by
places i play are only really bars - but they kinda turn into bar/club from like 11pm - 1am
i feel you on getting the guests in - the few times i've done this, i've had to take over again as the other guy completely
lost the floor! You see its difficult here (South UK) because you have to please the hipster kids, the disco mums, the beckys and the throwback rock dudes (who i actually ignore - i refuse to play stones/beatles etc... i personally hate that shit). And its sometimes tough for a new jack to suss a crowd and make them vibe out.
I guess its hard for my ego more than anything, i used to promote and DJ a few 'niche' nights. Nothing too specialist but just typical golden era/underground hip hop, funk and reggae nights. But the bottom fell out of those nights with the rise of electro and dubstep - so now i'm stuck with a rep for rockin parties in this kinda semi commercial way, but i used to have a rep for playing 'good' music (whatever that means).
I'll definitely keep trying out new people to dj with, but many of them just don't have the versatility or skills required to keep a crowd hype
maybe the "if it aint broke don't fix it" applies here - if the floor is full - keep the bangers coming....
cheers
b
From my experience, If you only play from a select playlist, regulars will get used to those tunes and tend to accept nothing else - This is even more so at venues where you are constantly riding the edges of "commercial" music.
TAKE SOME RISKS BROTHER!!
Sure, you might clear the floor a few times, but you will quickly learn what the crowd respond to, and how far you can go - and then take it even a little more further..
And, I have to add.. you can't tell me that even when playing a set of the more "accessible" end of whatever you play, you still can't find enough different tunes to spice it up every week? If this is your problem then you really need to go search for some new records pronto!!
Apologies if I sound all aggresive with this, but experience should tell you it's not always a good idea to force those played out tunes and mixes on the crowd. Infact, don't try to force the dancefloor at all! Hold back for as long as you can, create a relaxed vibe, let people chill and hang out. When the club management do that "switch" from bar to club (lower the lights, move the furniture or whatever they do) don't make the switch in sounds until you are confident the time is right. Leave people hanging for just that little bit longer, and trust me, they will be more responsive to great dancefloor music that is perhaps unknown to them.
good luck with it man, but do yourself a favor and search for some new sounds. There is so much great music from the last few decades (even within the confines of hip hop and related) that you should never need to play the same set more than once.
but i do constantly try and switch it up, i'm always adding bits here and there - but i tend to fly through stuff pretty quick
to keep their attention, so i kinda run out of stuff if i don't plan it very carefully, i'm the only dj at the venue who can keep the floor pretty much all night. but its just getting frustrating.
and i always hold back til the room is ready, but often that can be so late that the bar manager gets annoyed that no ones having fun - and then i have to turn it on pretty quick. And believe me in this town - its near on impossible to get the crowd moving all night to music they are not familiar with. Last night for example i was playing Bounce Rock Skate Roll and someone asked me to play some disco !? i was kinda like "ummmmmm......well you know this is kinda DISCO" (admittedly not a roller disco but hey!) and wanted La Freak & Carwash etc (i was intending to play La Freak anyway but still)
sometimes i feel like my life is one of the 'best/worst request' or 'nightmare DJ' threads on here
i'm gonna try something different tonight - the venue is a little more student friendly and i can take more risks
SO..........
i guess i'm asking which jams work for you?
thanks
b
i did cover a guys dj spot in a stripclub for one day - and that was enough
however - it didn't lose its novelty!
b
organize your own party and go loose!
you say you tend to fly through your mixes..
perhaps tone it down a notch, at least for the opening part of the night. Let the records play out for a little longer than you would normally. Another verse / minute whatever. It may help create a more relaxed vibe. People tend to want to talk and and groove where they are sitting or standing early in the night, and having the DJ manically flying through tunes at breakneck speed may set up a kind of anxiety in the room. Perhaps keep the fast mixing for when you know you well and truly have the floor.
The other point is about having the manager on your back, thinking people aren't enjoying themselves..
This is a hard one to combat. It's real important to try and establish a good professional relationship with the manager - This may help in having the manager trust your judgement to know where the room needs to be taken at the various times of night. If he starts getting on your case, perhaps point out the various people that you can see tapping their feet or bopping the heads to the music, people grooving along at the bar waiting for drinks etc.. Of course every manager is different, but generally their biggest concern is making sure people are spending money - So you may need to be a little forceful in your response: keep a smile on your face and your voice calm, but let the manager know that the room just isn't ready to be taken into that next gear yet.
I'm guessing this is your regular DJ residency, and from the sounds of it you DJ all night there - So this is a great opportunity to really try out a few different tactics throughout the night. And it certainly helps if you have a good trusting repoire with the staff and management.
One other thing: You also mention that you tend to play Hip Hop and funk classics early on, then switch up to House & electro later.. This may also be problematic.. That is quite a large divide from early to late, and that transition may sound a little forced. Search out some interesting but funky sounds that might help ease that transition. There are quite a number of related styles you can use to creep up in BPM - Some great sample based music / beats & breaks etc (that many dudes on here produce).. It might also help pad out that playlist a bit more as well - and more importantly, help keep that manager off your back. The transition wont be so abrupt, tempos will be energetic, you will be establishing a nice cool party vibe that can lead in effortlessly into your killer dancefloor tunes..
try taking a risk in your peak set every few songs. Play a couple of your standards, then test the crowd out on something not so familiar - then back to your standards.
or.. the way around: Play a few unknown (but accessible) tracks, and then throw the crowd a bone by giving them something they know - Then back to a couple more solid groovers that aren't necessarily huge hits. Both methods will help pad out that tired playlist. Rinse and repeat. That's the great thing about having a residency: It's your crowd every week, so train them.
Don't forget that good DJing is as much about challenging the crowd as it is about entertaining..
enjoy
thanks for your words, but i do pretty much most of the things you are suggesting anyway - i've been djing regularly for about 15 years. i have good relationships with all my managers, but at the end of the day - they want people dancing and buying drinks
i only fly through the mixes once the dance floor is hype - up until that point i let everything breathe and play mostly obscure but accessible music while everyone is relaxing and drinking
the fact is i do need to switch up towards the end of the night, the crowd gets bored after about an hour and a half of hip hop and funk/soul and they want something else - and i don't force anything. All my segues are well programmed - this is my problem. They are a little too well programmed which is why i end up doing the same set often.
My question is really (to regular working djs) which jams (of any style) are working out there in club/pub land right now?
peace
b
I would think this would depend on a alot of different factors.
Hipster Space, Old Man Pub, 30s-Something Lounge, Classic Rock Bar, Dirty Hip Hop Spot, Red Rope Club,etc.
There are too many genres/sub genres to ask such a broad question, unless your talkin straight ubiquitous bangers.
And the still would be different according to the area/region.
I would look at it as a chef.
The menu could have half of familiar shit, and the other half is your shit & some space to get risky.
I was lucky to play in a spot that let me play whatevrr the fuck i wanted to. But that was when Hip Hop wasnt the dominant flavor of the times. I got run out and quit when the boss and Becky only asked for Hip Pop.
i'm talking "straight ubiquitous bangers"
"Hipster Space, Old Man Pub, 30s-Something Lounge, Classic Rock Bar, Dirty Hip Hop Spot, Red Rope Club,etc."
my crowd really could be any of these on any given night
this is why my job is getting tougher
peace
b
I don't know man, if you're having to ask other people for good music, maybe it's time to take a break from the game?
Or, get out more.
I haven't played as a resident at the same spot for ages but I found that throwing in unexpected stuff really helped. It's a matter of choosing the right moment.
Changing you complete set is not going to do the trick but you need to change it up a little. I personally hate it to do hear dj's play the same stuff or do the same mixroutines.
I have heard someone throwing in Sookie Sookie by Grant Green in every set he played up to the point that I just couldn't hear that song anymore.
As a dj it's your job to keep the crowd happy but also to educate them and introduce them to new stuff. If this isn't possible at the spots you're djing then you may want to consider looking for places that give you more freedom but there will be less pressure from barmanagers to keep the dancefloor filled.
And yes, taking a break from the game isn't a bad thing.
Make a new folder and leave out some of your go-to jams that you play in sequence. If you have enough music (which you should at this point) it won't be hard to find an equally effective song to play.
dont play sets that are all rap, all house, all reggae etc, play all those cuts in the same set.
dont be bogged down by BPMs, the problem with most DJs is that they want to blend every record which ends ups forcing a predictable pattern of what to play next. i rather hear face melters back to back unmixed then a predictable 95 BPM blend every 90 seconds. you will not lose the floor just because there isnt a super smooth transition, honestly most listeners dont even care about the "blend", they just want to hear good music.
DJs are also way to safe these days and think they need to have every song on the planet on their laptops. challenge yourself, bring a crate of 50 records instead of Serato.
be true to yourself and believe in the music you play even if its outside the box. fuck a request.
soulstrut standard
and its been pretty much zero help so far
thanks for your comments anyway guys
b
grateful
What's the point in asking then? You've trapped yourself in a box and still don't see that the answer to your problems is letting yourself out of the box. I find it hard to believe that after 15 years of spinning records out, you think that Cosmo Baker can suggest 10 songs that will kill the floor in any situation and magically keep you from playing your cheeseball routine.
Ouch! There are actually some very good suggestions in the thread, but it appears you have backed yourself into a corner at your night and are not willing to take the risks to get yourself out.
Having guests was going to be my suggestion as well - it makes things so much more fun and interesting to play off someone else and they make me think about/hear my records differently.
Three songs back and forth is the best!
It's a fascinating problem - I sweat it when I play more than two or three of the same songs two months in a row at my night! Clearly, I should relax a bit.
My take is you're not looking for advice, but that these are the questions you really want answers for:
How about: Be thankful you have a set of regulars who come out each and every week to hear the same set of tunes. Lord knows I wouldn't be a return customer.
Throw your set in the garbage and start anew.