Is it too late to DJ publically?

**squidot** · 08-20-2012, 01:38 AM

[QUOTE=XRS;519981]

Originally Posted by squidot

Actually I do have mechanical rights, state tax ID, and city seller permit. I sell them for $5 ($2 profit). It's very low scale, but I always believe in doing things legit. Some labels haven't replied but I've sent an email to the copyright.gov site as kind of a compulsory rights agreement thing. I keep all receipts as well. But I know that Djing at a venue I would not be held liable for royalties since that is the owner's responsibility.

I mix the stuff at home and then burn CDs

kudos to you then sir and keep on truckin if you're doing it legit.

i agree with what matt blaze said as well. just practice live mixing for at least an hour or two every session and record everything. you will make mistakes, but usually they don't sound that bad when you listen back and most of the crowd isn't even going to notice these mistakes. on the flipside you will also have some awesome moments happen on the fly...and sometimes these great moments are actually born out of mistakes.

i am in a similar situation as well. i have been programming sets for more than a decade (off and on) and now i want to start gigging live more often. i've done many house parties and a few bar gigs but i'm ready for them to become a regular occurrence for me. i'm always prepping songs and doing a lot of practice, getting used to my new gear and the world of traktor, so i'm almost ready to give it a go.

**teambama** · 08-20-2012, 05:20 AM

Originally Posted by dj matt blaze

Just get out there and do it. Don't over think. I am in no way trying to knock you or discourage you from getting out there in front of a crowd but this is what separates the "real" DJ from the bedroom DJ that has like you said been, "closet mixing for 5-6 years". Live Djing is different than playing a track over and over again and meticulously deciding what effects you are going to use and where you will bring in the next track and exactly setting the EQ, and the tempo and when all is said and done, you don't like it, just erase and do it over. The best thing for you to do is to practice mixing and record the mix, even if you mess up, keep going, then listen back to what you did. You will see that a lot of your mistakes don't really sound as bad as you thought, though the result is different from what you set out to do, it still works. You will also get a more fulfilled feeling when you do something totally on the fly that sounds sick, whether it be beatmatching or a loop or an effect, you will get an even bigger "high" than you have gotten now from preprogramming mixes. You have to feeeel the music. As said above, its all about phrasing. 99% of the time, the music is symmetric meaning there is a 2 or 4 bar phrase, 16 bar verse, etc. So its very easy to mix in and out. Use loops and effects to mix in and out as well, just keep practicing and it will all click. Its never too late to play in front of a crowd.

great advice ....

**Jester** · 08-20-2012, 05:22 AM

Come on in the waters' fine.

**V-Hoff** · 08-20-2012, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by XRS

will I be laughed out for not having high end Pioneer stuff?

Originally Posted by dope

By the crowd ? Nope. By other DJs or promoters, maybe. That's one of the downsides of controllerism.
Prove them wrong if their assumtion is not big enough to prevent you from playing.

The best answer is that! I've been in that position and I prove them wrong, at least the floor said it to me

and it feels great

**Woah** · 08-20-2012, 03:35 PM

Don't worry about mistakes, if you've been djing for 5 years you could easily correct them quickly and the crowd won't really know a thing. I've just started doing gigs and I've done 3 or 4 now and I never once prepared. IMO when playing out live song selection and timing is waaay more important then tight mixing, mistakes don't really matter that much, choosing the right track at the right time does.

Jack Bastard · 08-20-2012, 03:57 PM

The couple who run and dj at the night I play at only started it 4-5 years ago when they were in their mid-30s. Stopped clubbing, had a family, now they're out djing and running a really popular night. Never too late if you've got a real love for it mate.

**tokenasianguy** · 08-21-2012, 01:17 AM

Like the bestselling career book "what colour is your parachute?" says, everyone has their own hurdles. For some it's being too young, for other's it's being too old. Maybe it's not having enough experience, having too much, being too big, too skinny, too ethnic, etc. etc.

For the most part those things apply to the workforce, but the same principle applies...Whatever your "challenge" is, you have to find a way to overcome it, because everyone has their own personal challenges to overcome.

I'd say your age will probably be a "hurdle" but as many have said, you can overcome that by showing "experience" or using it to your advantage by illustrating that you're "experienced".

**XRS** · 08-21-2012, 10:10 AM

Thanks everyone! It really does help to get this advice / support. Whenever I start to doubt whether this is a good move, I listen to my mixes and feel, "yeah, I can do this". Means a lot to me for the feedback guys. Each one was appreciated. Going for it. Hey, you only fail if you don't try right?

Thx again