So i got my first gig...

[FinancialGrime]

and i am so nervous! Its on the 10th of October

Its a 2 and a half hour slot, opening for another EDM house/dubstep/trap DJ at a bar in downtown Fullerton. (California)

Im going to spend ~4 hr a day or more practicing until then

Is there any tips or advice i can get ?

I have not performed anywhere before and i'm pretty nervous.

They also told me to make sure i can bring in a lot of people to the bar, and i dont know if i know enough people to do this.

So nervous, please let me have any advice. =) Thanks!

-CJ

[Stewe]

Just practice x2 and when gig comes make sure you play music that ladies shake and dance to it and all guys should be happy too! Also bear or two can make any harm to your nervous

[mrlhelms]

Truth is they probably only care about # of butts through the door + at the bar, especially for an opening set, so relax, do your practice, and enjoy the ride, the first one is always awesome!

[Eliot Han]

just remember why you wanted to do this in the first place .... breathe, and have fun.

[tokenasianguy]

Truth is they probably only care about # of butts through the door + at the bar, especially for an opening set, so relax, do your practice, and enjoy the ride, the first one is always awesome!

Yup, bar owners usually do.

I'm going through this right now, with a bar and a restaurant. From my experience as a former club DJ and promoter, they can't really expect or depend on you to bring a consistent crowd. No matter who you are or how many people you know, the number of people you get out will usually become smaller and smaller from your first gig at said venue, to your last. Case in point, I went to see Danny Tenaglia at ARC in NYC for his weekly residency 10 years ago...Danny is a guy that could easily fill a venue in my city for up to 4000, at up to $75 a pop, and yet, at his residency in NYC, there wasn't even 50 people.

Nevertheless, bar owners seem to only care about getting asses in the seats spending a lot of money, but with some decent DJ'ing skills and some salesmanship, you might be able to convince them that they should focus on the music, and stop having unrealistic expectations that you're going to be able to bring 50 people out every single time you play.

If you ask me, DJ'ing as a profession is half about having the skills, and half about having the personality. You have to be able to create and maintain a rapport with people. Get on their good side, tell them excatly what they need to know, and sell yourself in a way where you can always turn things in your favor...Like being able to convince them that it's not just about putting the asses in the seats, but about creating a good vibe through the music.

[calgarc]

1. Your audience is probably drunk, so they won't notice a mistake or two
2. Enjoy your self and relax.
3. Try and record a few seconds of video or take photos with you phone. Something nice to look back at in 5 years