Flashlight.
Be friendly.
Dance.
Have your Ipod already ready to go with a song/mix already picked.
If you feel a trainwreck happening, just pull out of it and try to start again. Dont feel obligated to it or something.
Its not your ability to stay in balance that is in question, it's your ability to return to balance from an unbalanced state.
DJM900||CDJ800MKII(2)||PDX 2000(2)||Yamaha HS50M(2)||Yorkville YSS2||Macbook||Traktor 2
http://soundcloud.com/ryanleomusic/
Things that help me with nerves:
1) Understand what type of crowd you will be playing for and what type of music they like (go to the club a few weeks in advance, soak up the vibes, etc).
2) Go out and buy/download all the tunes if you don't already have them
3) Put together a bangin' playlist of all the said tracks.
4) Practice non-stop. I mean practice until your hands cramp up and you pass out from exhaustion and vomit in your sleep, and then wake up and practice some more. The key here is to know your playlist and tracks inside and out to the point where you can DJ the set in your sleep. This is important because if you freak out up there your muscle memory and subconscious will take over and you will still be able to perform.
5) Get there early set up, try to bang out a 15 minute sound check set to familiarize yourself with the club's sound system and DJ booth.
6) 15 minutes before you go on, drink two beers and slam back two tequila shots
7) And finally the most important step HAVE FUN!!!
Have a pre planned playlist which you know sounds good and you have practised so even if you panic and don't feel you can plan your mix on the fly you still have a little safety net to fall back on.
|
Bookmarks