Valentine's Day Gig...Need Advice
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  1. #1

    Default Valentine's Day Gig...Need Advice

    So I've landed a Opening Set at a local night club for Valentine's Night. This is my first gig with this club so I want to avoid stepping on any toes and ruining chances at another gig.

    The club is primarily Hip hop, but also some top 40 to. My main concern is getting the party warmed up for the main DJs without playing the big tunes and burning out everyone before the main show. Any one got any songs that I should definitely not play or some good songs that might work for an opening set.

    I was thinking of playing some AlunaGeorge Deep House remixes with some other deep house and working that in with some hip hop to build the energy. I've only got contact with the other DJs through the club promoter so I'm not sure if my message will get to them and I'll get a response before next week.

    Any advice is appreciated. Also I'm in TN if you have a good regional song awareness of the area.

  2. #2
    Tech Mentor Mr_Moo's Avatar
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    In my experience from djing at "underground" events and doing my fair share of commercial stuff, I always want to "warm up", when actually you'll find the punters just want tunes they know. If its early doors and people go to that club for going to that club and it isn't going to empty at the slightest hint of a bad tune, then I'm sure playing some noncommercial nice house tunes will go down nicely. Maybe even some older hip hop/chart stuff so as not to play the big tunes. But as I said, its a bit diff when playing in a commercial environment.

    Is it unknown hip hop or charity stuff?

  3. #3

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    Thanks for the advice

    no it's not unknown hip hop or for charity, It would definitely be a fairly commercial environment

  4. #4
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    Primarily hip-hop with some top 40? And you're going to jump in with deep house remixes of hip-hop and top 40?

    That plan could use a rethink. You're on the right track with AlunaGeorge though, as that is something that girls will dance to. Play the "bitch anthems" to get the girls dancing, most guys will then be on the floor trying to dance with said girls, and when the next DJ comes on... Well who knows what they'll do, but you left them with a full floor that should be easy to maintain and if they fluff that up then they need to reconsider their chosen profession.

    But primarily hip-hop and some top 40 is definitely not deep house.
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  5. #5

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    Funky house mixes of commercial songs girls know is always good, for a warm up, or some older house songs, armand van helden - you don't know me etc? girls dance, guy dance. Easy.

    Your only warming up so your only getting people into the vibe of things to come.

  6. #6
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    I used to do a weekly residency at a Top-40/hip-hop club on Friday nights. Some nights I was headlining, some nights I was opening for a guest DJ. Stay away from any really big tunes for obvious reasons, (Blurred Lines, Yeah!, Wobble, etc.). Getting people dancing with 128 hard-hitting electro remixes right out of the gate is difficult. I typically start at the 100bpm hip-hop/twerk remixes of popular tracks, as it's typically easier for the average listener to dance to.

    As Sambo mentioned, there are a couple "Bitch Anthems" to start working with right before the main DJ goes on which should fill the floor up nicely. Here's some of my personal favorites I use:

    Beyonce--Single Ladies (duh)
    Iconopop--I Love It
    J. Dash--Wop (this might be a US one, I still don't understand why girls love it so much)
    Give It 2 U--Robin Thicke feat. 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar
    I Just Wanna Love You--Jay Z ft. Pharrell
    Lady Gaga--Do What U Want
    Lana Del Rey--Summertime Sadness
    Nelly--Hot In Herre

    Have fun! A Valentines Night out at a club should definitely be VERY interesting, so I'd stick around and watch the night unfold. For more than one reason
    Last edited by DJ Sunshine; 02-13-2014 at 03:58 PM.
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  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sambo View Post
    primarily hip-hop and some top 40 is definitely not deep house.
    Yea I understand it's not, thanks for the feedback though. I was more looking at a early set probably playing as the doors open. so starting with an empty room. maybe a few people there, but not enough where they're gonna want to be dancing at the start of my set. So basically just wanted to play recognizable stuff that isn't originals but has a nice bit of groove and rhythm, and as people are showing up the energy's building and then drop in a classic hip hop track and get the party going. Anyone else try something like this before? I'd like to have a different set than the normal. Thoughts?

  8. #8

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    Thanks DJ Sunshine great advice about the twerk remixes, and id forgotten about a couple of those anthems thanks for the reminder

  9. #9
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    Soooooo, how'd it go?
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  10. #10

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    Unfortunately due to the winter storm that came through the event got moved a day later and I couldn't do it.

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