Potentially two gigs coming up, I'v never played live before. Thoughts, suggestions?
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 27
  1. #1
    Tech Wizard
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Halifax, United Kingdom
    Posts
    67

    Default Potentially two gigs coming up, I'v never played live before. Thoughts, suggestions?

    Hey guys

    I'v been DJ'ing for approximately 4 months, all bedroom (kitchen) practice and I'v been doing a lot of music production too (but that's neither here nor there.)
    I have two potential gigs coming up: a 16th birthday party, but it's not til June. and the big one: New years eve at a pub.
    I'v said yes because I think I would be stupid to turn them down, I want to start a DJ career really quite ferociously. Do you guys have any suggestions or helpful words or basically anything for me? I'm obviously a tad nervous, I should go for it though, right? Are there songs that I should have nomatter what? any techniques I need to be using etc? any help at all will be GREATLY appreciated!

    Thanks in advance DJ's!

  2. #2
    Tech Wizard
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Halifax, United Kingdom
    Posts
    67

    Default

    My friend says that DJing at a pub on new years eve is really really boring, and easy. No mixing involved apparently?

  3. #3
    DJTT Moderator Dude Jester's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Noiseeland
    Posts
    12,426

    Default

    You have access to an amp, speakers etc?
    Acer E5 i7 16GB 512SSD 2TBHD ~ WIN 10 ~ TSP 2.11 ~ AUDIO 6 ~ DUAL X1s ~ DN-X1600 ~ SPECTRA ~ TWISTER ~ ATH-PRO500 MK2 ~ ZED6FX ~ AT2020

    " I’m the Dude, so that’s what you call me. That or, uh His Dudeness, or uh Duder, or El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing. "

  4. #4
    Tech Wizard
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Halifax, United Kingdom
    Posts
    67

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jester View Post
    You have access to an amp, speakers etc?
    First question I'v asked is if they have a PA system, If not Il have to hire/borrow one!

  5. #5
    Moderator keithace's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    5,239

    Default

    two schools of thought:

    1. Never take a gig you can't handle. You can do more damage than good to your reputation very easily.

    2. Never turn down an opportunity.

    If you play a pub for new years you need to be versed in 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, popular dance music. This includes some classic rock, disco, rap classics, 80s euro pop, 80s and 90s "old school" dance...its not easy...yes no mixing...but it's not easy...

    and you better have every record known to man...or atleast most of them...

    good luck either way...
    Weapons, not food, not homes, not shoes
    Not need, just feed the war cannibal animal

  6. #6
    Tech Wizard
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Halifax, United Kingdom
    Posts
    67

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by keithace View Post
    two schools of thought:

    1. Never take a gig you can't handle. You can do more damage than good to your reputation very easily.

    2. Never turn down an opportunity.

    If you play a pub for new years you need to be versed in 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, popular dance music. This includes some classic rock, disco, rap classics, 80s euro pop, 80s and 90s "old school" dance...its not easy...yes no mixing...but it's not easy...

    and you better have every record known to man...or atleast most of them...

    good luck either way...
    Thanks buddy, I'l probably spend the next 2 weeks compiling masses and masses of music, from the 60's right up to 2015. Truth be told I don't know if I can handle it as I'v never played live, I'm hoping to get a small party together first to make sure people like what they hear.
    My thinking is a good place to start is by compiling every "Now #" collection there ever has been. I'm well versed in 80's rock and I don't really have any problems bringing in tracks I don't know so hopefully that'l help.

    SO definitely no mixing? Just play track, play track, play track?

  7. #7
    Tech Wizard
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Halifax, United Kingdom
    Posts
    67

    Default

    Well Iv played live, I practice every day, just never to a crowd!

  8. #8
    Tech Mentor souldancer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Curacao
    Posts
    448

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Dark Passenger View Post
    Thanks buddy, I'l probably spend the next 2 weeks compiling masses and masses of music, from the 60's right up to 2015. Truth be told I don't know if I can handle it as I'v never played live, I'm hoping to get a small party together first to make sure people like what they hear.
    My thinking is a good place to start is by compiling every "Now #" collection there ever has been. I'm well versed in 80's rock and I don't really have any problems bringing in tracks I don't know so hopefully that'l help.

    SO definitely no mixing? Just play track, play track, play track?
    Best thing you can do for yourself is becoming a member of a dj pool. you can start with a month. Suggestion to get a lot of music from different genres with intro's and outro's is DMS POOL take the highest plan with unlimited downloads. Bit expensive for 1 month but worth it. It will give you a full arsenal of all kind of music. And you can mix the different genres pretty easy.
    http://soundcloud.com/thom-b/
    2011-04-14-the-corners-of-my

    KONTROL S8, 2x KONTROL D2, XONE DB4, traktor audio 10, kontrol x1, pioneer hdj 2000, software traktor scratch pro 2 & ableton suite 9

  9. #9
    Moderator keithace's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    5,239

    Default

    mix when you can...slow fades...cold starts...beat mixing some tracks together...
    Weapons, not food, not homes, not shoes
    Not need, just feed the war cannibal animal

  10. #10
    Tech Guru ImNotDedYet's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Posts
    1,646

    Default

    For New Years at a pub, it's likely not going to be straight dance music. You're more like a mobile DJ in that scenario. You need to be across the board music-wise, don't worry about transitions, just keep the music that keeps people interested, or what little dance floor there is packed. So, you're going to have to probably do some work to find out what's working at that particular time, then keeping music of the same era/genre once you find the sweet spot - which will change as people get more drinks in their system.
    2 x Technics 1210 MKII, Pioneer-DJM 900 Nexus, Traktor Scratch Pro, NI F1,
    Ableton Live 9.6 Suite, Ableton Push, Studio One 3, Moog Sub37, Roland Alpha Juno 2, Korg MS-20 Mini, Yamaha TG-77, TR-8, Rhodes MKI Stage, Wurlitzer 200a, couple pedals, couple amps, lots of software and a freakin iPad

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •