Adding showmanship to your set

[city_boy07]

the thing is most people wouldn't have an idea what you are doing even if you showed them.

Your right!

Although sometimes I wonder why I get such a good response from crowds when other Djs on the night are far better then I am! And then my mate pointed out to me that I am 'entertaining' to watch whereas the other Djs who I think are better, in my mates words 'seem to forget the crowd are there'

He went on to say that I just dance around behind the decks like a mad man and ppl like to see that the Dj is having a good time like someone posted here before!

[Nicky H]

Depends on the setting - I know most people round here go out to get wasted and don't really care what the dj is doing.

If you think people would be interested in seeing what you're doing then hire some gear first and see how it goes mate - if there's a few of you then maybe one could do a full on vj set and mix the stream in with that.

[sarasin]

Your right!

Although sometimes I wonder why I get such a good response from crowds when other Djs on the night are far better then I am! And then my mate pointed out to me that I am 'entertaining' to watch whereas the other Djs who I think are better, in my mates words 'seem to forget the crowd are there'

He went on to say that I just dance around behind the decks like a mad man and ppl like to see that the Dj is having a good time like someone posted here before!

This ^^

I have tested it.

I had residency in a club and one week, just stood there jamming.

The next week, I jammed and went off like a loon.

Result was that the more energy you give the crowd, the more they give back.

Simple really.

[3heads]

I always dance like a maniac behind the decks as well. A year or two ago at an open air party, I actually managed to dance a little pit into the dusty ground behind the decks. Didn't even notice it at first, but was quite annoyed by it, after a friend had pointed it out to me

[Dohjo]

Ya. People love when you show enthusiasm. That has always been my problem, but my last gig when epicly well. The crowd was happy, I was happy. Super fun

[geminimech]

I think I gave you the wrong impression friend, I still think track selection is the most important aspect of djing. For the most part, the guys who are super technical also have really good track selection because they've been at it for years if not decades. When I mentioned the ipod djs, I meant the guys who are playing the same 12 songs (which happen to be this weeks top 100) every set with very basic mixing . There are lots of guys who play amazing sets but don't do any crazy technical stuff (jamie jones being one of my favourites in terms of being the kind of dj who just has raw track selection).

I suppose we have different opinions whether the dj being the centre of attention is a good thing or not but regardless, I appreciate your thoughtful input!

Fair enough .

To be clear, I'm not against a DJ being the center of attention, if the folks in attendance are there with the intention of seeing the performance in conjunction with the music. I would just be bummed if when I go to see Sasha in a couple of weeks, he was jumping around the booth like a maniac instead of focusing on laying those sweet ass tracks and epic remixes on me

[loverocket]

I'm from the oldschool way of thinking. Its not about the DJ, its about you and your friends going out and having a good time, dancing to music you enjoy. Not having the DJ be the center of attention. Let your hands do the showmanship through that sweet music.

this^ and when the crowd is going off to the MUSIC and they scream on a break, without you instigating a thing, it feels real and a lot more satisfying.

>

[sarasin]

this^ and when the crowd is going off to the MUSIC and they scream on a break, without you instigating a thing, it feels real and a lot more satisfying.

>

Indeed...you doing a good job then.

But helping em along is not a bad thing. They want to enjoy the peformance. If you look busy and don't make eye contact with anyone in the front...its not a good thing either.

[031999]

i grab my midi fighter with like a 20 ft usb cable and go the edge of the stage and mash on buttons, maybe even let the crowd press a few buttons, (i have it mapped so that they cant destroy the mix). I might grab the mic and sing along to a song with the crowd, little stuff like that.

[dripstep]

Purely an observation, but the top 40 "mainstream" DJs that get hated on are the reason the DJ moved from a position of music provider to rockstar status.