How to prepare a gig?
How exactly do you prepare for a gig?
Do you make a certain playlist and write down which effects and so on, you are going to use?
I really don’t “prepare” for a gig per se, as I know what I’m doing and who I am already. If anything I look more at the venue, is it a place that needs big room techno, or more lounge like tech house tunes.
I also double check all my gear and laptop to make sure it’s running properly.
It sounds like you are an experienced DJ. Though I am not, and maybe it would be a good idea to prepare? And if so, how exactly?
Well you got the gig for a reason I’m sure, be it they liked your demo cd or heard you playing somewhere else and asked you.
Don’t try to do too much, keep it pretty simple and straight forward until you feel comfortable in the setting and then try to incorporate EFXs and tricks.
Sure, you can always make a setlist and try to stick to it, but you can never judge exactly what to play and when, before the show. The set list will have to be quite flexible to adjust to the crowd. Like stated above, make sure all your songs are gridded(if you use it) and that everything is working. Then, double check it. 
I go about it a few different ways.
The first way is to create a playlist which i only do for large events. Taking this approach, I try to create a story or underlying theme and i put the routine together using a 3 act structure using long breakdowns as intermissions between acts. Doing it this way, i can go down the list and get some really aggressive mixes in since i will be rehearsing this routine 4-5 hrs a night, 3-5 nights a week, trying as much as is humanly possible; alot of trainwrecking, but necessary for the process. About a week or two before the gig, i’ll do a “preview” night with just friends and family and have them give me notes. Its always best to try the routine on many different sound systems as alot of times, when you play out, the system is top heavy and you’ll have to mix your highs and mids down a little. Sometimes i’ll take the routine on a test drive on a radio show or something but you have to be careful with some of the riskier transitions as trainwrecking on a radio show can shake your confidence alot and make you rethink things.
The songs are also never Final as if the crowd is feeling something else, you should drop something else if you catch my drift. The reason i put the playlist together in the fashion that i do is so i can personally get a sense of the flow i want to create for the party.
As for effects, do what feels right in the moment, but don’t over indulge.
Another way is to put together a bunch of songs you know like the back of your hand along with a few new releases and pop those into a playlist. Jump around the playlist during the set and you should be golden.
A trick I like to do it pick 4 or 5 songs to play though out the night, and leave everything open in between.
I then use other tunes to build up to those tracks. Like if a tune has a big analog bassline, I use tracks that have subtle stabby baselines to tease the crowd, and then when that big bassline comes in the crowd just goes ape shits.
Just one trick or way to do it.
Sounds like you do more a live performance than actual DJing Damien.
it’s a little of both. I’ll read the crowd and adjust accordingly, but i like to have the riskier transitions down pact. I’m also pretty big on story telling coming from a theatre background and all
I usually make playlist of music that I play all the time, Indie, Electro New School, Electro Old School, HiNrg, Rock En Español, Hip Hop, Top 40, New Wave 110 - 130 BPM, New Wave 135 - 150 BPM, New Wave 155 - 200 BPM, and so on. Everything is already beatgrid, and all the load markers, and loop points are in place. I have a gig bag and I make sure everything is in there. IE laptop, power supply x2, rca cables x3, Usb cables x4, iPod w/power adapter, CDs, headphones x2 plus ipod headphones just in case, Soundcard and VCI is in a flight case.
every DJ needs to prepare for his set.
i generally hit the club a week before on the same night (or talk with people who know the club) and get an idea of what the crowd is generally up to. i then make a playlist that has twice the amount of music i need. keeps my options open while keeping me on track with what i want to play.
double check all my gear, make sure i have all materials and make sure i am there early to setup and hangout with the staff.
what kinda music do you play?
I am probably as newbie as can be .. I have my first “real” gig this weekend. For now I will not really be “mixing” .. instead I will focus on choosing the right set of music. As I will be playing at an event in the french speaking part of Switzerland, I am asking a few friends from over there to give me a list of popular club songs in french. This should be useful to get the dance floor going as the french love to sing along.
Aside from this I am working hard on rating my favorite songs into a playlist. Eventually I will also try to follow Ean’s advice on adding “relations” between songs in the comments, but atm I have this in my head for the 100-200 favorite songs I like to play.
I am probably going to plan out the first 2 songs and 2 possible directions from there (hip-hop or electronic). Knowing the crowd a bit I know I can probably always also fall back to disco classics for a bit.
In the few occasions where I have stepped in as a backup DJ I have always tried to stick with a similar style for about 3-5 songs until I move on usually with a track that is a bit of a crossover between the current and the next style. So far this has served me well.
As for effects .. I generally think that they are mostly useful for transitions .. though they should be used sparingly. I think most people react irritated if you mess with their songs too much and its easy to get carried away. But if you are going to use effects make sure that you know 100% how the perform.
It depends on my mood. Sometimes I just show up and spin, sometimes I make a whole set list and try to stick to it. Lately I’ve just shown up and rock out.
What I used to do, though, is have a list of 20 songs I WANTED to spin, especially new songs that I might not default to, and then try and throw those into it.
i jus rock up n play. but ofcourse make sure iv bought all me gear lol
but other than that not much prep. a few beers and maybe a doobie but thats about it
intoxication 
Preparing a gig for me is grabbing my gear after work and getting in the elevator! 
(The lounge I play at is right below me in my building)
+1 with JesC
Having several playlist for diferent genres with everything processed inside is my best advice also. And the gig bag double checked would be also my advice. I use traktor and a good help is to reset the played state from the tracks on the playlists.
+2 I have forgot to reset played state a few times, especially if you are checking some tracks or warming up right before you start. Then you start and after a few hours can’t remember if you played a track during the gig or before.