Hi all!
I have my first gig on Saturday at a small club nearby, and I'm opening up for the other two DJ's. I start at 10 and only go for 30-45 minutes, but a gig is a gig! I gotta start somewhere!
I'm not even sure how busy the club will be by the time I start/finish, but doing my thing in front of people (read: anyone) is going to be a new experience. I know there have been a few topics about this, but I've got a few unique questions of my own that I'd like to address!
First, my set. I plan to put together 2-3 playlists of songs I can go through and between that will work for my set. I don't like to pre-plan as that feels a bit...Cheater? I don't know, what are the thoughts on this for a first gig? The only thing I'm going to for sure plan is my closing song since that way, when I know I need to wrap it up, I have something to go to.
Second - I got an email from the owner with the following info (regarding setup):
"Set up wise think it'll be okay to check it out the day of. We have normal xlr outputs and have a DI if you only have RCA."
I only found out about this on Sunday night, and they're only open weekends, so I have no chance to get to the club to check the hookups. I'm running an S4 with my MBP (which he knows and is cool with, none of that CDJ's or bust mentality at his place), so I want to make sure I'll have the necessary cables. This is what he told me, so I'm hoping someone can give me direction as to if I need to bring (or should bring) anything in particular!
Also, since I'm opening (and have a shorter set), I don't want to step on the toes of the other DJ's that night. I obviously intend NOT to play any huge bangers, but am I at fault if I play a song that was "on the charts" within the past few months, or does that make me the ultimate dick DJ? I wouldn't be pounding out Party Rock Anthem or anything (since that's still a hugely popular tune and I won't be on long enough), but you get the idea!
Finally, any other good tips for this sort of situation? I've only ever mixed in my living room for myself, so doing this in front of ANYONE is completely new, and especially for me at a club experience. Should I bring anything to hand out? Should I have a sound plug ready to drop my DJ name? Should I pretend none of that stuff even exists?
One other thing...If it goes well, in other noob experiences, should I ever approach the owner about coming back for a longer gig at some point, or should I expect him to contact me? And should I get him some sort of reference card/sheet/whatever so he has a way of getting in touch with me later?
Thanks for the tips all!
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