I`m a long-time DJTT-member from austria, I just had to register with a new name as I found my DJ-name one year ago, so I also had to change my name in the community from “Byzantine” to “Blofeld” at some point
Yesterday I was playing at a small club in Vienna. It was this kind of party, where you know before, that it will be crap… It was a birthday party for a friend’s friend and the theme of the evening was “Rock Star”. I should have put down the offer when I heard this
So we have:
private party
dumbass theme
very mixed crowd (in a musical sense)
You see, actually I just played at clubbings with certain music styles (Electro, Breaks, Fidget House, World Dance Music) during the last year and I was blessed with great crowds and wonderful nights.
But yesterday was different: First of all I asked the “sound-guy” which channels of the mixer I should connect my Soundcard to, as this thing was like ancient with about 20 cables hanging out of the back in a very confusing way I think this is not such a dumb question, even if his reaction was… let’s just say unfriendly. Well this was the first time of the evening that I was thinking to myself f… off.
Then I started with a Downtempo Electronic set which always get’s the crowd in a good mood… normally. Then I tried some Electro Rock Remixes (you remember? It should be a “Rock-Star” night). Some girls started to dance and I was happy to get the crowd started. Then it got ugly… some guys came to me and they all wanted to hear 80’s stuff like “Last Night a DJ saved my life”. So I had to play that crap and asked myself why the hell the guy payed a DJ for a job an iTunes playlist could do as well! After a while I returned to more electronic stuff and even some Balkan-style Electro which kept the crowd on the dancefloor. Then again the next wishes where 80’s, Rock Classics etc. but we are not talking about the good stuff here! Well, after a while a guy came to me and told me what I have to play to make the crowd dance, this was the moment where I lost my temper and told me that I don’t give a f… for what he says. And believe me, it takes a LOT to make me talk that way Then he said to me: “Well, then you are not a real DJ”. Fortunately he stepped away very fast after he said that, so I did not have the chance to do something I would regret.
after that I packed my things, threw it in my car and drove to another club to hang out with some friends.
Well, maybe some of you guys have a smile on their face now as they have experienced similar evenings.
The one thing I learned yesterday: NEVER play at a party, where you know or think that you don’t fit into the concept of the evening
listen, I did get payed, but not good enough for a friday night, which I could have spent so much better. One thing that most non-DJ’s forget when it comes to DJ-salary is that sometimes you “sacrifice” your friday-night for parties you would not attend at a guest.
If anyone asks me to play something I’d rather not if the music is loud I tend to look at them blankly and just give a thumbs up or agree to play it and don’t.
Works if you play a normal gig, but when you are getting payed to play at a themed party you are basically getting payed to make the themed party better musically. If its Rockstar/80s rock theme party - It wouldn’t make sense to start playing Tech house or minimal.
I’ve had a couple of themed party requests by friends, turned them down because I know I would not have fun and I would not be able to satisfy them.
With all due respect, I think a DJ, any DJ should have patience enough to handle annoying patrons. Losing your temper will only come back negatively to you and reflect badly on you regardless if you deliver a good set or not.
I agree with what people are saying here though. If you don’t think the music fits who and what you want to be as a DJ, just say no.
Had similar situations…I’m from Serbia, town called Nis. It has 4-5 major clubs (about 2000 people capacity). But here in Serbia people are just…wicked. Most of those clubs are visited by people who wants to listen to music that is not suitable for dj-ing.
But I find it very interesting to do a demanding gig. I mean, one night I have worked with a local acoustic (!) singer, and he is playing a guitar and signs stuff like my way, dust in the wind and so. Imagine me sweating in front of 500 people trying to keep their attention during my show…horror! But it was very good exp, at situation like that you can best learn about crowd feeling.
We can learn a lot of things of these nights…
I play every 15 days in my father in law’s barbecue at his house, can you imagine that?
I start with 128 bpm house, electro, tech stuff then I play mostly psytrance full on morning, then after 1h30 I can get to 148, 150 bpm, really dark and deep psy stuff (he loves it, and he loves the way I perform), then, when he’s drunk (and I’m pretty drunk to) I start to lower the bpm with some prog trance and trance.
Around 4h of playing I start to play some oldies dance, romantic music and I end with some smooth jazz, chill out and ambient music by the end of the night I can make people sleep at the couch with my music
To resume, the best way to learn how to please your audience trough all night is to learn what they like. I mean, why did you leave your bedroom in the first place? It was to play for people, right? to please them? Otherwise you could stayed at your bedroom.
I agree I have much more fun playing just fullon or electro, but I want to make my family happy, I want to please them as they are the only audience I have for now…
