Gimmicks and antics while on stage, entertaining audiences beyond sound...

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
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Gimmicks and antics while on stage, entertaining audiences beyond sound…

While reading fellow DJTT forum member JWit post about “Your name”, I started to think about all the crazy names that people can come up to but those that had something happening on stage besides music rang a more solid memory.

I remember seeing a performance by Rabbit in the Moon here in Puerto Rico at the Electric Daisy Carnival…


*caution crappy sound ahead

I remember thinking… well, actually my mind was blank, the only thing I remember for sure was that I was at the right stage at the right time. I could dance, I could watch this crazy thing, I could do both, I could do neither.

When I first knew him about his music but experience his performance was just something way different from a guy jumping behind a laptop. And I say different because a regular DJ that can keep a vibe going on and build on top of it putting better and better stuff and mixing nicely can create a great feeling too. It’s just that this time my eyes were also being entertained.

Point is gimmicks or antics while on stage would raise awareness and create more solid memories on people. While costs among other sociocultural reasons can prevent a guy from wearing a LED covered suit, of a muscle suit, I would definitely create like a Superbowl kinda half time with some Drama students wearing masks or whatever just to keep things interesting.

I think we can see that already happening at a more subtle pace. At my local gig’s some DJ’s would carry a projector with some crazy shit going on on the wall while playing. Obviously space constraints, money, people willing to do something like that may prevent a more “complicated” performance but A flyer that say “Light show” or “visuals courtesy from whatever” may get me more interested to go to any given show.

Also its not necessarily a visual thing per se, you can also have someone playing a “novelty” instrument like Ean did with a guitar Hero controller. I know I would LOVE to see a DJ set being complemented by something like a Roland AX-7 keytar :smiley:

So what you guys think? It is a turn off to have some guy monkeying on stage? Would it raise curiosity? Would you be willing to create a more “complicated” show just for the sake to give your attendees a more varied and different experience? Could you tell us an experience from a show you went? Maybe it went good, maybe the guy caught fire due to a short circuit in the LED suit… You tube links and very welcome :wink:

Edit: Is the youtube URL thing broken or Im doing something wrong? :disappointed:

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I’m glad I inspired you!!
I personally like to put on a good song that is long enough and do some Tecktonik either in the crowd or up on stage if it’s more of a stage than a booth, then get back up and drop the next song

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I hear ya mate :wink:!

Just like you could see some people breakdancing in the middle of the crowd you can have similar action on stage, provided you have a stage of course. Damn, I remember a party seeing some people breakdancing and then some guy passing in a hurry and getting whirlwind kicked right in the chest. Drink flying and people gasping. Too bad that happened in an age with no cameras on cellphones…

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The youtube thing is broken i just realized yesterday and im going to fix it tonight (which means now cuz its night in aus)

5

upside down-under…

:slight_smile:

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For me I have to have fun. I’m not doing this for a living, I’m doing it cause it’s a great passion for me.

So I dance, I headbang, I sing along, I get out on the dance floor, I try to do something to hype up the crowd and express physically where the breakdowns and build ups are… trying to kind of conduct them to the beat.

It’s a good time.

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i second for going on the dancefloor :wink:. love to do that while my favourite tune is playing…even if it is just a minute but this always entertains the crowd and they will go more mad than before!

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Best stageshow idea I ever saw was The House Of God, a Techno club in Birmingham, UK. An old church building was being used for the event with balconies all around the main floor and the DJs raised up at the front with a huge ornate organ looming over them.

Halfway through the night, six figures in shrouds and hoods slowly walked in single file through the packed floor of dancers, each carrying a small viking longboat on a stick. The effect of these tiny boats navigating over the heads of the crowd like they were an ocean was amazing - way more effective than I am describing it.

And then they set off the diesel powered air raid siren indoors…

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Don’t spray liquor on anyone.

Not that it’s disrespectful.

It’s just a waste of perfectly good liquor.

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Nice! I cant imagine the acoustics a church could give to the bass sound:eek: I think location is make or break for a good party. If I was told about a party in a church I would definitely go.

Here in PR 10 years ago they did a rave at the Camuy Caves. They had the main stage INSIDE the big cave. It was crazy. I remember the inside of the cave with the people dancing, lights, the crazy acoustics of bass inside a cave and the peculiar odor of guano mixed with people sweat. When you looked up, you could see the bats flying around like crazy due to the strong bass sound and their sonar going bonkers.

They were planning to bring Deadmau5 to the same cave this year.
http://elratonenlacueva.com/ >translated to “the mouse in the cave”

This is the preliminar flyer they have of the party:
http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?113472

I heard it got cancelled, then I heard they moved it to a later date, I also heard the Department of Natural Resources spoke and said you could not do such a party inside the cave… Stories, stories.

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Usually when I see a DJ doing a Gimmick the crowd goes nuts. At Burning Man, I camp out at Root Society which is one of the two largest music theme camps out there.

Joachim Garraud plays a 3 or 4 sets at our camp. He has 3 gimmicks while playing out there:
If you aren’t familiar with him he has this whole space invader thing. So he ducks below the booth during a song, throws on an alien mask, and then pops up with his arms raised towards the sky. - The crowd goes nuts.
Another one is his midi keytar. He’ll throw down a long loop on the CDJ and plug in his keytar to his laptop and rock out a live song. -The crowd goes nuts.
Lastly he has a monkey suit. I don’t think I need to explain that one except that - The crowd goes nuts.

Oddly though, Bunny from Rabbit in the Moon (the dude with the LED suits and flame throwers) plays a few DJ sets at our camp and doesn’t use any gimmicks. We’ll I guess he yells into a mic once or twice but that doesn’t count compared to his normal performances with RITM.

There are a lot DJs that have gimmicks. A lot of them are masks (Blood Beat Roots, Deadmau5, ect.). As long as you know that the crowd likes it, then you should do it. But you’ll never know until you try it out. And if anyone hasn’t been to a Flaming Lips show, I would highly recommend it. I’m not even a huge fan of all their songs but the shows are unbelievable and are pretty much a big gimmick.

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Burning Man. Now that’s an event I would love to go. I have heard so many stories that IM completely sold to go there. Althou I have heard some pretty disturbing and scary stuff about that festival…

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I concur

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best time to try out gimmicks: Halloween.

Your throwing a party, or playing out at a club, just go crazy with whatever you can think of, cause its halloween. If the crowd liked it, do it next time.

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I tell people just as long as they have an open mind then it’s probably the best party in the world. After the first year nothing out there seems weird or disturbing. :slight_smile: If you want to go feel free to hit me up and I’ll give you tips on what to bring and what to expect.

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i usually bring in a giant pyramid of awesome. works on some crowds. if that fails i just appeal to my christian fans and bring a giant crucifix with a stack of marshalls.

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This guy’s got it figured out. :smiley:

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gimmick is a harsh word, has a lot of negative connotation. but many of the best shows that I’ve been to add some visual or interactive elements to the performance.

one that comes to mind and that will always stick in my mind as the epitome of “rocking a party” would be a Kid Koala show I went to in 06. In the middle of the show he turns the volume down and announces that he needs three volounteers from the crowd to come up on stage to have a glowstick liquid dancing competition. So three people from the crowd go up there and start liquid dancing with different coloured glowsticks and we all had to vote for which coloured glowstick dancer was the best. It was a really awesome way for the DJ to bring the audience into the performance and I think it’s one of the funnest parties I’ve been to because of that.

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LOL! Is that Diplo?

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yep. or at least, thats one of major lazers dancers.