Doing my first show, need lots of advice!

[alexvont12]

1. Make a mix, memorize it pretty good, and put it on a cd.
2. Press play.
3. Put on your cans and bob your head to the music.
4. Have Virtual DJ open and blank, but pretend to be constantly changing things when the mix starts to switch songs.
5. ????
6. Profit?

[DJChron169]

I know I'm not there yet, but everyone starts somewhere right?
and uhm I didn't say I already made the mix, I said I'm learning how to mix live IN ableton.
I get what your saying though And btw (I have lights and smoke machines )
haha but yea, I get it, I just gotta get the crowd started, and then keep them going, just get pumped over my music as much as I usually do, just this time with a bunch of people watching

[DJChron169]

1. Make a mix, memorize it pretty good, and put it on a cd.
2. Press play.
3. Put on your cans and bob your head to the music.
4. Have Virtual DJ open and blank, but pretend to be constantly changing things when the mix starts to switch songs.
5. ????
6. Profit?

:/ that wasnt good advice at all

[legend4ry]

I think this thread ridiculous.

"Well, I just need someone to give me advice on HOW to keep the crowd pumped haha."



Well if the people are INTO the music; they will enjoy it - if they are not you won't... There is no magical formula to grab a crowd.

I have 5 years of DJing out live experience and I still get the odd gig where a promoter will book me for the wrong kind of club night and the stuff I play doesn't suite with what the crowd want.

Just do it - if you flop, you flop! It isn't the end of the world; everyone has shite gigs and no ones first gig is perfect. Practice, be yourself and stop acting like there is a simple and direct path to do this, there isn't.

I would of NEVER taken a gig without any prior experience; that just says to me you care more about the crowd and the 'fame' then having love for the music, DJing and the whole roots and culture of Dubstep.

Infact, this thread is an experience of why so many people who have been into this sound for ages are trying their hardest to distance them self from it as far as possible.

[Dystinkt]

on a serious note with what to do on stage, just get lost in what your doing, people dont go to a club to watch a dj dance, they go to dance and hear the music. in my small experience of club djing, nobody gives too much of a fuck about whether or not the djs dancing

[alexvont12]

:/ that wasnt good advice at all

My best advice for vvv

I dont have a turntable, and I dont know how to DJ (reffering to disk jockeying?) Someone heard my music and wanted me to play it at a youth conference to end the night off. Its going to be about 300 people they said, nothing big.
They said just bring your laptop and keyboard and play some music, and my friend Garrett is a light technician and will be doing the lights with the show.
I'm so scared this is going to be bad.

...Or talk to your friend Garrett and see what he expects from it all

[DJChron169]

Legend4ry, if you think this thread is ridiculous then why post?
I do care about the music, and don't really care about 'fame' it was never my intention to become famous, ever.
You see, I live with a "If you see an opportunity, take it" mentality, if you fail, you learn, and I made this thread so that I could learn a bit, before hand.
I have a month to learn, so why not do it?

[mks]

I am trying to give you helpful advice but you haven't answered any of my questions.

I deduced that you want to do a DJ set, but was confused at first when you said that guy "heard some of your music" and I didn't know if you wanted to do a Live PA or DJ your own music. I think you meant he "heard some music that you like to play".

You mentioned a keyboard. What keyboard is it and why do you need it if you are going to do a DJ set unless it is a midi controller with knobs and/or faders. You will need that.

Someone mentioned that you need at least two outputs from your soundcard. Do you have this? It will be very difficult without this.

Have you started warping your tracks if you going the Ableton route? You need to get a least two hours of music warped unless you want to sound like a big old trainwreck pile of shit.

Setting up a DJ template and getting used to it is a bit difficult to do, especially if you are a novice and have never worked with the program before.

etc. etc.

[legend4ry]

Legend4ry, if you think this thread is ridiculous then why post?
I do care about the music, and don't really care about 'fame' it was never my intention to become famous, ever.
You see, I live with a "If you see an opportunity, take it" mentality, if you fail, you learn, and I made this thread so that I could learn a bit, before hand.
I have a month to learn, so why not do it?

I'm posting because I have an opinion on the matter - if you thought what I said was irrelevant then why reply?



Its illogical - unless your set is going to consist of pressing sync on a DJ software and fading between them at the start/end of the tracks a month won't even get you close from going in the bedroom to a venue - even for born 'naturals' and if you're just going to do that then its a bit of a cop out due to years and years of deep DJing cultural history will be smacked in the face and I find this an insult to dance music.


My advice is to just play the songs on ableton (you can use the demo..) and add some effect triggers to them and stuff to spice them up a bit to give some sort of "performance" - its simple to learn, little > no room for mistakes and if they just want to hear your music played live then this is the easiest way.

A month is a stupidly short time to find your feet when it comes to DJing no matter how much you prepare, how good you are - your first ever gig is about fighting your nervousness and getting used to a out of bedroom scenario. Without having at least 12-18 months experience prior, DJing at this gig seems a bit of a over assessment.

[Undrig]

Here's advice I wish people gave me when I first started

1. Don't preplan anything. See what the vibe is. I know ppl here say otherwise. Fuck em. Don't start with bad habits and have one foot in the grave while the other tries to hold the door open. If you paint it by numbers before you walk into the club, what's the point? Bring more tunes than you could ever need and plan on feeling the crowd out. ONLY THAT will actually get people dancing (especially if the floor is empty when you start) If you preplan your set and you're halfway in, the crowd ain't eating out of your hand, and you know the remainding 30 mins is more of the same(?!) then you're a slave to the technology and using it as a crutch, if you don't deviate from the original gameplan. It's a tool like a hammer. You can use it to build a cathedral of a fuckin porta potty.
It sucks that all you have is ableton, as you it kind of begs to be preplanned (setting warp grids and all...and i'm assuming you're not going under the hood like crazy with it)

2. Get into that shit. Watching a dj getting excited by the music he/she is playing gets me more pumped. Esp when it's good music. If you're worried about people not getting into the music because you're just up there pressing play. That is exactly what you will do and that is exactly what will happen. I'll be the first to admit I prefer 90 min sets because I usually don't start really getting into shit until about 40 mins in, but I digress.

3. Take chances in a live situation. The best shit I ever learned was winging it in a club. It doesn't always come out 100% golden, but in the age of autosync and whatnot I think crowd's appreciate that sometimes (within reason)

4. Even once you go under the hood with your respective weapon of choice, don't feel like just because you have technology that you need to use it to some crazy extent. Never let technology get in the way of the music you're playing. It should stand on it's own. The simple tunes sound best when left simple. The more whacked out bangers don't need to be more whacked out by triggering fx. Just because you have a bazooka on your shoulder doesn't mean you need to fire it off at everyone who walks past the speakers.

4. don't look like you're checking your email

5. don't check your email

6. don't judge my mix below on feeling the crowd out. I was battling over the counter sleep meds when I mixed it in the comfort of my barcalounger.

cheers!

[Sonika]

Yeah man don't look like your checking your email, but more importantly, don't check your email

[DJChron169]

That was the best advice anyones given me yet Undrig
and I have ableton, But I think I'm just going to use Virtual DJ, I'm not prewarping anything.

[Undrig]

Since you're on a time constraint, use whatever you can to get thru the gig. Don't expect to perform any miracles or cure any ailments. Once it's over grab a copy of Traktor and never look back. I know people here are giving you shit, and you'll run into those same ppl in a club (and what a shocker....all of them will be other djs) don't let it get the best of you. Djs are alot like singers in bands. All insecure like the only girl who came to the beach wearing a one piece. If producers got all hung up about which programs and hardware were best as djs do, djs would have alot less quality music to play.

Be professional with the promoter and club owners always. Your first gig will be alot like your first sexual encounter. It'll probably go horrible, but if you're a nice guy you may get a 2nd chance from the ppl who gave you the first one. Let us know how it went.


Also one more tip: Learn the art of an opening set. As you'll be doing alot of them to start. This might require you to dig deeper and branch out from your original musical tastes, but it's becoming a lost art these days specifically with people just starting out. Alot of people just starting out tend to think coming out guns blazing is the best idea and it always comes across as condescending to the crowd and the rest of the djs when it gets played that early in the night.

Here's one I did at an outdoor festival as the sun went down. real chill and then ramping it up because I knew that's all the next guy was going to play lol
http://kobnet.net/~epsy/undrig/djsets/U ... et.set.mp3

Do research on the djs you're opening for (soundcloud etc) and if they're style is fairly predictable, take one for the team and dedicate your hour to setting up the pins for them to knock down. This will earn you the respect of your peers and lead to many more gigs from other djs who are aware enough to appreciate this.

Learn how to tune hunt in a very quick manner. If you're anything like me, I know EXACTLY what I like the moment I hear it.
Install winamp http://www.winamp.com/ (or for mac http://www.winamp.com/mac )
go to Juno http://www.junodownload.com/
find some label/artist/letter in the alphabet you like
sort the list in juno to display 500+ tracks at a time
under the "play all" header instead choose "open .m3u"
Blammo. Now you got 500 tunes in a winamp playlist to snipe thru and pan for gold with.

[DJChron169]

Undrig, you are by far the most helpful person on this website so far.
Fortunately for me, my gig isn't at a club, its an afterparty for a youth conference (meaning I doubt there will be any DJs)
Second of all, its a purity conference... so that whole "first sexual encounter" reference isn't cutting it, but I get what your saying (:
And my third and final note, I'm not using anyone elses tracks, I'm using a bunch of mine that I've been working on, a few remixes of gospel tracks, and few originals as well that a lot of people seem to like (:

[Undrig]

A purity what? Sounds like something scared dads with beautiful daughters organize. You mean to tell me you're not even trying to get your pecker wet when the smoke clears?

Just don't play any of this
http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Dubstep ... 437&sr=8-1
It may very well resurrect Jesus, but he won't be very happy.

[Brothulhu]

A purity what? Sounds like something scared dads with beautiful daughters organize. You mean to tell me you're not even trying to get your pecker wet when the smoke clears?

Just don't play any of this
http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Dubstep ... 437&sr=8-1
It may very well resurrect Jesus, but he won't be very happy.

My little sister got me that for Christmas as a joke, shit is terrible

[Mad_EP]

I think this thread ridiculous.

Amen

I have 5 years of DJing out live experience and I still get the odd gig where a promoter will book me for the wrong kind of club night and the stuff I play doesn't suite with what the crowd want.

I'd even take it a step further. For the first year or two - I was CONSTANTLY booked for the wrong kind of crowd. I broke out on Ad Noiseam & Hymen when they were both primarily post-industrial noise labels.. Even tho I had written a few hardcore tracks, I mainly wrote hiphop/experimental funk/whatever... I think playing to the wrong crowd for ages and learning how to even turn THOSE cats, is an education not even the best of the Youtube tutorials could ever teach you. Seriously, I kept getting booked for one Gothic Noise Fest after another... but when I learned how to write tracks so funky that even a cybergoth in 24" platform boots, dressed head to toe in PVC and having electrical wires sticking out of their head... yet STILL got them to shake that ass like a 2 Live Crew video.. only THEN did I know I had tapped into something special. After that, when I would play gigs more appropriate to what I was doing, I would get people jumping on stage to dance, demands for encores, etc.

Learn the hard way - it is almost always the best way. Not as fun while doing it, but you come out a better musician and performer on the other side.

[DJChron169]

I love all the haters on this thread (:
I just came for advice, not hatred jeeze, and if it goes bad, who cares? Worse case scenario its just me having fun with my music even though everyone else isn't, boohoo.
I'M SO TERRIBLY SORRY for wanting to have a bit of fun, its a purity conference, for a church, get the heck over it.

[Undrig]

but when I learned how to write tracks so funky that even a cybergoth in 24" platform boots, dressed head to toe in PVC and having electrical wires sticking out of their head... yet STILL got them to shake that ass like a 2 Live Crew video.. only THEN did I know I had tapped into something special. After that, when I would play gigs more appropriate to what I was doing, I would get people jumping on stage to dance, demands for encores, etc.

Learn the hard way - it is almost always the best way. Not as fun while doing it, but you come out a better musician and performer on the other side.

[Mad_EP]

I love all the haters on this thread (:
I just came for advice, not hatred jeeze, and if it goes bad, who cares? Worse case scenario its just me having fun with my music even though everyone else isn't, boohoo.
I'M SO TERRIBLY SORRY for wanting to have a bit of fun, its a purity conference, for a church, get the heck over it.

To be fair - I haven't really seen much h8torade in this thread... and anything that comes close is due to your own postings.

I "Signed up" Because I had 2 months to learn how to DJ, thus giving my three things I need to succeed, Opportunity, initiative and inspiration. I've already got 30 minutes of a mix ready and learned some nice eq's and effects in ableton and can smoothly pull off most of my transfers, and I've still got a month left.

Sorry - not to be an ass... but 2 months is MORE than enough time to prepare for a first gig if you are willing to work at it. I'm not saying you will have mastered it - but of all the established cats I know.. none of em had 2 months to prepare for their very first gig. They just worked their asses off - put in some blood sweat & tears. That's all there is to it - no shortcuts, nothing else that someone on a messageboard can tell you. Practice your ass off - record your practices, listen to em back objectively, find your faults, and try to fix em next time through.

Rinse. Repeat.