art of the warm up DJ

[DvlsAdvct]

Well, but it should be a huge step from being a strict bedroom DJ to a club DJ. Let alone a good club DJ. And a big part of that step is a greater appreciation for the art of the dance floor, beyond spinning songs. You aren't going to learn anything about dance floor energy spinning in your bedroom, but you will opening up a night club and keeping people tense and energized, waiting for the perfect time to drop that banger.

And, as far as what Animus said, I agree wholeheartedly. I don't understand the desire to spin for less than an hour. Good DJs don't need breaks, good DJs don't get stale and boring, good DJs spin more than 8 songs. *shrug* Good DJs can open a night, they can take the headlining spot, and they can close it, and bring something different each time.

But that is kinda off topic.

[DJ_Animus]

I would glady spin the whole night for cheaper than it costs to book the headliner for the one hour he will spin

[DJ_Animus]

I think the biggest problem is that the good DJ who can open, headline and close, is not recognized via a large fan base. Promoters hope that by putting as many people on the flyer as possible that they will attract more people, its an idiotic logic which results in very expensive door costs.

[djalexlaine]

reminds me that i need to buy some more lower energy stuff...
that being said, dub mixes often have significantly less energy which can be really helpful.

[DJ_Animus]

dub mixes dont have vocals, thats a true dub mix, so if the original had energy, taking away the lyrics doesnt kill the energy. the less energy bit is a common misnomer.

[djalexlaine]

the lack of vocals is a serious energy decrease. a great example is bodyrox - what planet you on. the energy difference between deadmau5's vocal mix and his dub mix is significant. driving vocals create energy. think of the difference between the crowd singing along and them not singing at all.

[olivetron]

depends on what kind of dub your referring to heh. dub with vocals can go over smooth

I'd love to be an opener (or closer for that matter) dj, a slow building set is my thing.
I'd actually prefer it over headliner. It is definitely an art form.
You have to maintain a balance of something that would make people stick around rather than exit right away and not playing what the headliner would/could possibly end up playing.

good article, maybe things will get a little better out on the dance floors

[PartyMcFly]

this is a fantastic article.

i love, love, love warming up a room. playing early on lets you get very eclectic and intimate with what you're playing... and it certainly does get you respect from the late night touring djs if you have a knack for it. playing from the heart early on in the night, gradually building the groove in the room, and doing it tastefully has opened up some intensely interesting dialogues with dj's i never imagined i'd have a chance to speak to. doing early sets well does get you recognized by those that matter. club owners are also immensely impressed when they see you can do it right.

i think the most enormous pleasure of warming up the night is being able to play a few heaters to the dancefloor you built at the end of your set. it's a humble little payoff, but the feeling is phenomenal.

this, to me, is the reason i love djing. i've been on both ends of the night plenty of times, but the early sets are the ones which i'm always feeling really proud of the next morning.

[cielomobile]

Interesting. In my experience, warming up is definitely often more difficult than playing peak hour. It's easy to just play bangers; subtly manipulating and sustaining dance floor energy in preparation for those bangers much more of a challenge.

I also find interesting the differences between opening for an EDM-focused event and a Top 40-focused event. I've spun something like fifteen Top 40 events and only a couple EDM-focused events (all the Top 40 events have been me from opening to closing), and it's definitely easier for me to open a Top 40 event. (Hell, Top 40 events are easier all around.)

For a Top 40 event, you just have to play medium-energy pop songs the crowd knows and gradually build up the energy (but hell, shifts back and forth in energy work too...it's fine to play something high-energy like Just Dance and then transition to lower energy song like the Whisper Song and then move back toward higher energy stuff).

For the EDM events I've opened for, I've been really unsure about what to play. It's usually been a mixed crowd (some EDM lovers and some normal mainstream music people) for me, so I haven't really been successful at opening except by playing pop and hip hop, but then it's difficult to transition into electro without pissing off the mainstreamers. But then do I open with deep house, or funky house, or what? What if people don't want to dance to that?

[Jester]

I brought a dubstep/ prog dj onto the crew so i didn't get stuck with the job anymore its always great to play out but sucks when youre little brother gets all the kudos just because he starts later haha