Sunday update - insight and beats

Everyone! Get excited! This entry is two posts combined into one!



Setting up a playlist is a topic of endless controversy in the DJ community, because there are so many ways to do it, and often times a DJ will consider *their* way the only way to do it correctly. That, of course, is hogwash. The best way to do it is the way that works for you and gets you to a creative and entertaining set. I will share with you how I do it, and you can take it from there.

First, get comfortable.

Pic is shameless click-bait. Sorry. Not sorry.

Ok, so this may not be the best way. But, it's a great picture, and vaguely associated with music, so why not include it?

Assuming (dangerous, I know) that I know how long I am going to play and what genre(s), here is how I get the set list put together. These are in the form of questions that I go through a process of answering. The answers form the set list.

1. Do I have enough music? For example - if I have a 1hr DJ slot on a multi DJ event, I always make sure I have 2hrs worth of music in my set list. The main reasons why are: you don't play the entire song. Even an awesome 4 minute track is going to get chopped down to 3min 30 or less due to cueing and mixing in to/out of. The other reason to have extra tunes is when you decide to deviate from the set list. No set list ever survives contact with an audience. Ever. If you blindly grind through a pre-chosen set list without regard to how the people who came to dance are reacting, you are a bad DJ. 

2. How will you "pace" the set? Once I have chosen my songs, I generally sort them by BPM, from lowest to highest. But, it is important to keep in mind the following caveats. Most club-goers do not dance every minute of the evening. They leave the dancefloor to socialize, get drinks, go to the bathroom, etc. In fact, the bar or club manager may specifically demand that you partially clear the dancefloor every so often so people will go to the bar and buy drinks. That's how the venue makes their profit. Another variation of BPM sorting is setting up "waves" in your set. These are 3-4 tunes that build up in speed and intensity to a crescendo, and then the song of the next "wave" brings the energy down a bit, and then builds it back up again. This method is a good way to satisfy club-goers desire to do stuff other than dance, and bar manager's desire to sell drinks.

3. What happens after my set is done? Is there another DJ coming after me? Is there a band playing? Is the club closing? If another DJ is coming on after you, it is good etiquette to coordinate the changeover ahead of time. What song are you ending on? What type of music are they going to play? How will you handle an equipment change over, or him getting his songs loaded up while your last song is finished. Working out these details will result in not only a less stressful situation for you, but a better experience for the people at the club, a more professional image of you in the eyes of the club manager, and better relations with other DJ's.

Class dismissed! Now, onto the fun stuff. Played a gig at Galaxy Hut in Arlington on Monday March 18th and recorded the set. Played a lot of new material for the first time in a venue, and really had a great time! I was opening DJ for Kahnjaige and DJ Looseleaf. Looking forward to performing with them again!

The Sync button.

And this is all I am going to say on the issue.

How do I prepare for a gig?

I suspect I will always feel like a "beginning" DJ. Never comfortable, never satisfied, always trying to do better - that's the way to operate. But, I have found a few processes that work for me, and I will share them with you. The first revolve around preparing for a gig.

Why leave too much to chance?

When you are playing a gig, there will be many things that are completely out of your control: weather, club manager's mood, electrical failures, crazy club-goers, etc. Do not obsess over these things. Instead, focus on what you can control. The preparation you do for your gig is one of these things. 

1. What is expected of you? Find out when you are supposed to be there, when you start, when you stop, and who your point of contact is at the venue. Now, you would think that the club manager or promoter who booked you would give you all this information up front. Oh how wrong you would be!!! Sometimes you have to beg, threaten, and wheedle even these basic points of information about the gig that you are supposed to play at! It's happened to me. It will happen to you. 

2. Recon - the Army does it, and you should too! Where are you playing? If it is a brand new venue, or in another town, or both, do some recon. While a new club in a new area is not enemy territory, a few less unknowns can help the night go smoother, with you and your audience having more fun. Some things to think about: How are you getting there? Where will you park? If you are taking the bus or subway, will it still be running at 3am when you stagger out? If not, how are you getting home? Do DJ's and the staff come in through the main customer entrance, or is there an unmarked door in the alley that you should come in and out of? Also, if the club is new, seriously consider either getting their very early on the night of your gig, or going as a guest a few nights prior and getting the layout of the place. Where is the DJ booth? (It's hidden out of sight in some clubs, or right in plain sight in others). Where can you stash your gear that's safe and secure? Bathrooms- you'll want to know where they are. Go early, before they turn into hazardous waste sites....ew.

Ok - you've gotten your itinerary, and done your recon. You aren't done yet. On to the music, which is the most important part of the night!

3. What music are you expected to play? Some clubs operate with very strict music policies. Know them, and follow them if you want to get paid and get asked back again. Wednesday night might be disco night, Thursday is polka, Friday is dubstep, etc. On the other hand, some clubs give much more leeway to the DJ's. This is a good thing, but respect why the club exists. They are there to make money, and as much of it as possible. It might not be the best venue to do a 4hr exploration of industrial b-side's from 1986 to 1991, unless that is the niche of the night. In which case, feel free to play Front 242's "Welcome to Paradise." Clearing the floor and keeping it clear, or worse yet, causing people to leave early is no way to get asked back. Now, in theory (hahahahaha!), the person who booked you has some idea of what type of music you play. Now is the time to be pro-active. Call or email them and say, "I plan to play three hours of face-melting DnB and dubstep, are you cool with that?" 

Hope these tips help people out there. I learned these because some of them happened to me, or to people I know, or I have read about them on cool sites like www.DigitalDJTips.com. This list is by no means comprehensive, but by following it and paying attention to things that you can control, you can minimize your own jitters, have more fun, give a better music experience to the club goers, and increase your chance of getting asked back.

Next up - whipping that lazy mule of a playlist into a dancefloor slaughter machine......