First Gig

[Techtranceman]

First Gig

Hi all

I am a first time poster but have been reading DJ Tech Tools for a number of years.

I have been booked for my first DJ Gig in a local club for a Trance Classics night.

I have the a few queries that i wold appreciate any time you can spare to help me.

1. • Handing Over to the next DJ - I am on first and was wondering what the general rules are on handing over to the next DJ? What BPM do I leave my last track on, is this something that is agreed beforehand? Classic Trance songs have a varied BPM Rang compared to general Trance.

2. Taking over from a previous DJ - What would happen if I have planned to play an opening track say 10bpms slower than the bpm of the DJ before me - what do you do to handle this - I understand building and decreasing bpm ofver multiple songs? Is it acceptable to let the previous records stop and start my track from scratch. I have heard this at Trance Gigs before on Handovers - usually when the next DJ is playing an intro Mix. Do you always need to keep the music playign between DJ’s?

3. General Query I have always wondered - How do DJs avoid playing the same songs on the night? In the world of DJ’s moving around the globe and getting to the club with minutes too spare how do DJ’s avoid repeating songs, especially on a night where there are multiple headliners all with the right to play the latest popular songs?

[the_bastet]

1. Take the time to meet the other DJ’s on the lineup. They should know your style. Let them choose whether they want to mix out of your set or to start fresh. Some DJ’s use intro’s and intro tunes, so this will vary greatly between artists.

2. Feel out the crowd. If they are loving that last track, let it be. Let it play out and start your first tune during a window (time in music without beats) in order to create the illusion of a verse change and intro. If the crowd really isnt feeling that last tune the dj played, turn on Master Temp (Keylock), bring it down until the two tracks are in mixable range and mix your first track in bringing the tempo back to where you want it to be slowly.

3. This one is really a part of observance and experience. Always pay attention to the other dj’s playing before you and adjust your set whenever you hear tracks already played that you wanted to play. Never play tunes made by the headliners themselves.

[deevey]

@Techtranceman

1. • Handing Over to the next DJ - I am on first and was wondering what the general rules are on handing over to the next DJ? What BPM do I leave my last track on, is this something that is agreed beforehand? Classic Trance songs have a varied BPM Rang compared to general Trance.

You are going to be beat matching everything anyhoo so tracks will stay within a reasonable mixable BPM range unless you start your set at +8% … For warming up, I would keep tracks around -4%. For classic trance I’d be starting the night around 126-128bpm is a good starting point. If a track is way too fast originally, leave it out of the set.

Remember you are only there to get people grooving as they walk into the venue and get their bearings, not get hands in the air at every breakdown.

@Techtranceman

2. Taking over from a previous DJ - What would happen if I have planned to play an opening track say 10bpms slower than the bpm of the DJ before me - what do you do to handle this - I understand building and decreasing bpm over multiple songs? Is it acceptable to let the previous records stop and start my track from scratch. I have heard this at Trance Gigs before on Handovers - usually when the next DJ is playing an intro Mix. Do you always need to keep the music playing between DJ’s?

The only time I would slow it down by that much would be if the previous DJ was completely banging it prior to my set. A good warm-up Jock wont do that. You can always let the prior jock know what you are planning to start with so he can build it up/down to the level you need. Warm up jocks need to be restrained, I’ve seen plenty of beginner djs who never got a second gig because of : Too Fast, Too Loud, Too Early

Likewise I’ve seen headliners clear the floor by starting things way too slow after a high energy support set. Headliners and support DJ’s alike need to communicate & work with each other to provide the best possible night.

@Techtranceman

3. General Query I have always wondered - How do DJs avoid playing the same songs on the night? In the world of DJ’s moving around the globe and getting to the club with minutes too spare how do DJ’s avoid repeating songs, especially on a night where there are multiple headliners all with the right to play the latest popular songs?

Sometimes its inevitable, especially if there’s multiple DJ’s who may not be in the main room prior to the gig. Just stick around the main room until your set time (whenever possible) to make sure you aren’t overlapping on anything already played. I’ve been to a huge amount of events where I heard the same track three or more times by headliners who weren’t there when the previous guy played that track. Sometimes headliners will ask around (other DJ, lighting or sound guy) if XYZ track had already been played.

Lastly I’m gonna touch on levels.

If there is an sound tech or resident dj present, ask them where they want the master volume to stay, and keep your channel meters in the green (you will get praised for not cranking it).