Have the rules for opening DJs changed?

[Daily Crisis]

I'm beginning to like this thread, very informative

[Tenova]

This is a symptom of the gradual implosion and eventual death of dance music and rave culture.

The crowd just doesn't have the attention span anymore. They want the greatest night of their life, week in, week out, and they want it to be rammed down their throats every 10 minutes throughout the night.

There are still GREAT nights out there, with DJ's that still play by the rules. BUT - there are so many punters, and so many "DJ's" out there, that you can't help but find nights that cater to the majority of the paying punters.

And, unfortunately, those punters want to hear every hit song 2 or three times every night...

Y'know, people are having fun (Dj's, promotors, owners, punters) and getting paid - but it's such a shame that it has turned into POP culture.

See you on the other side.

Yes! Exactly. Our cultural attention span is at an all time low. It makes playing non-banger tunes to an EDM crowd so much harder than it should be.

[zimfella]

It's the reason I can't be bothered going out much now. Every dj thinks it's his time to shine and play bangers.

[sobi]

I think the problem with the "rules" and knowing how to open are looked at a little too black and white. Opening encompasses knowing your place, and which roles to play and when. If you are the very first DJ of the night, going easy and mellow is the way to go. You only have to warm the crowd up. If you are going to play right before the headliner, what the OP did seems spot on. I see the guy right before the headliner as having a duty to make a smooth transition from the last guy into the main DJ. That means building the set into the same energy that the headliner will have. You shouldn't maintain that energy through the whole set, but definitely get it there.

[Erik Mitchell]

Lots of great tips in here. Basically respect the headliner. I still think it matters no matter what genre you're playing.

[DJ SB]

This thread

OP, I completely relate.

Patch, i'm with you. See you on the other side.

[Cook]

Your obviously doing well at what your doing so keep doing it,
Remember, DJing is about reading the crowd, your always going to get people that CANT read a crowd so proceed with the beatport top 10 bangers, and get away with it.

Obviously the general rules are,
Dont play any of your headliners tunes/remixes
Listen to your headliners recent sets beforehand, dont play anything you think they might play
Dont try to upstage them,
Dont leave the mixer hot

And as stated, a warmup DJ isnt a 'Soft' DJ.

[Alubat]

Dont play any of your headliners tunes/remixes

+1
most important rule if there is any

[Timbo21]

All my main partying was between 1987-1996 for House.

People never danced to the first DJ on. I was happy when I did a warm up at The Cross and got a load dancing and I wasn't playing headlining tracks, but tracks with a good medium vibe. Back then every DJ played 2 hour slots. I realised being the first one on, it was unlikely anyone would dance, and my job was to set the mood whilst early arrivers had a drink at the bar, and hopefully in the last 1/2 hour get them dancing for the next guy on. Generally, the main DJ would be on after the guy who took over from me.

As a punter I only would get straight on the dancefloor if I arrived around 12.00-01.00 withe club finishing at 4.00. They would open at 10.00 or 10.30. I didn't want to arrive then and wouldn't want to be on the dance floor that early.