On Djing...

Haa, I'm much more comfortable in the role of "entertainer" on a stage vs making small talk with strangers for the purpose of hyping myself. I'm making myself go to an event tomorrow that's a birthday celebration for a local promoter, so I'll at least be in the same room with people involved in the local scene, whether I actually interact with anyone is tbd.

Totally hearing people re. the challenges of the "social" side of getting work. Social anxiety, under-confidence, self-subordination and a general horror of self-promotion held me back for literally decades, and SSRI's have been a major driver in getting me through to the other side. I wouldn't go as far as to say that overt self-interested schmoozing will land you the gigs - that's never a good look - but, at the risk of sounding horribly conceited, if you're good at what you do, people will naturally want to work with you.

When I was working in clubs in the late Eighties, I was able to retain a certain amount of detachment, up there in my booth, but I've found that bar work operates at a much greater level of direct personal connection. So, yeah, eye contact, fist bumps, a cheerful demeanour and a certain amount of "performance" behind the decks are all part of it now. I also make time to chat to people before and most especially after the set, when people I don't know often engage me in conversation - and, not least because they're usually people who I want to come back, making them feel welcome and valued strikes me as all part of the service.

Also, for gigs, I dress up. I want to look like one motherfucking cool sixty-year-old hot daddy, and knowing that I look good, in an eye-catching way, gives me additional confidence and gets me into the role.

Now we want to see pictures!

Oh, go on, prod my narcissm, why don't you; some 2022 "looks", mostly not in situ.

Originally made for COVID-cancelled Trinidad Pride 2020, the cap has a rainbow on the underside of the brim (which I didn't realise when I saw it in the shop window, but was more than happy to go with). I like its stealth.

https://i.imgur.com/ZhQ4eCY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/byvyxf2.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/AFPL8DY.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/YCUM0si.jpeg

Snazzy and stylish!

Thank you! In the run-up to my 60th birthday, I decided I'd had enough of premature grandad invisible normcore, so grew a beard and had a reboot. It has genuinely boosted my general sense of wellbeing.

Sharp! Those jeans rule.

Thanks! I wanted to wear them for Trade's 30th at Egg, the weekend before I turned 60, so my partner customised them for me. Admittedly though, I'd be channelling more of the spirit of The Clash in 1976 if the paint splatters weren't by, ahem, Farrow & Ball.

(Well, you've got to use those sample pots for something after you've gone out and bought the cheaper knock-offs for the actual job, and besides, I totally own my innate bougie-ness.)

The only time I landed a cold call gig was when I had a radio show at the local college radio station, so there was some kind of "presence" for them to relate to - having a prominent timeslot helped. Otherwise, everything has been social nepotism. I've literally been flown to other countries from replying to people's livejournal posts regularly and having interesting looking setlists, but the promoters/people getting me there would openly admit they'd never actually heard me DJ.

As I'm also a visual artist, can say that I've actively had offers rescinded (by people I obvs wouldn't want to play for after hearing something like this) because my "aesthetic" didn't match theirs. This deffo happened earlier in life for me too, but for being fat and queer and not for the kind of art I made.

Super on point about just asking people, though, re: map's comments. If you're not super aggressive about it, it can cut through some of the business-y awkwardness. If you're an introvert and talking to new people is exhausting for you, imagine how it might be for a promoter with similar inclinations having the "obligation" of talking to dozens of new people a year. You don't have to be a butterfly or barfly, just be easy to deal with and low stress.

Promise y'all can do it. I have intense anxiety, am gonna be in lifelong therapy, and I've off and on managed it when it's been relevant to my life.

I'd trade all of my international press for a quarter of Mike's class and panache, though. Lookin sharp, friend.

Just booked my first honest-to-goodness gig. A bar downtown is doing a night featuring DJs who also produce tracks, so I'm cooking up a spacey and hypnotic set to showcase some of my stuff.

nice!

my gig was fun, I was fairly anxious beforehand because I had never used a fancy deck combo before, I was half expecting my usb sticks to fail, and I had no idea if anyone would show up. After the house DJs warmed things up, I came on, got plugged in, pulled up my intro track, and it wouldn't load. At that point I was ready for utter failure, but I loaded the next track and just started there. It was extremely loud and the sound in the booth was terrible, one shitty monitor and busted headphones, luckily I brought my own headphones too. I made the most of it, but from where I was standing it was very chaotic and difficult to discern anything. I like to do long transitions with lots of overlapping sounds from both tracks, but it was far too noisy to really get too creative with EQs and whatnot, so I mostly was just mixing through sheer brute force and bass pressure. Next time I'll probably need to do a lot more mixing through the headphones if I want to get really detailed. Anyway, there was a ton of energy, and quite a big and enthusiastic crowd there for a Monday night, probably the biggest I've seen for this event. From what I understand, it sounded fine out in the bar, so that's good. I had one other track fail to load, but otherwise everything else was fine. The promoters seemed pleased and I'm fairly sure they are going to put me in some more events coming up. So despite nerves and a few technical challenges, it was definitely a success overall.

On a side note, I've been connecting with people through a whole bunch of local FB groups related to the local scene. One group I joined recently, billed itself as a more exclusive group for true techno heads. I was encouraged to promote my gig on there, but I got a lot of snark and negativity from a couple people because the flyer said EDM on it. It was suggested that I'm going burn my credibility playing such gigs and that I should even use a different name if I'm going to do them! The truth is though, the people who put the gig together are all really nice and supportive, it's billed as an EDM night, but is typically a blend of a bunch of different styles, and people were psyched to hear an hour of techno. Not sure how much I should take stuff like this to heart or just ignore it. I definitely want to play more techno-centric gigs, and don't want to screw that up, but I can't really be so elitist about everything.

hell yeah, way to go!

I was encouraged to promote my gig on there, but I got a lot of snark and negativity from a couple people because the flyer said EDM on it. It was suggested that I'm going burn my credibility playing such gigs and that I should even use a different name if I'm going to do them! The truth is though, the people who put the gig together are all really nice and supportive, it's billed as an EDM night, but is typically a blend of a bunch of different styles, and people were psyched to hear an hour of techno. Not sure how much I should take stuff like this to heart or just ignore it.

i would lean toward ignoring that big-time but then i'm deathly allergic to that kind of shit. if these people are nice and want you back and the energy is there that's like a 10 / 10 imo.

pretty much where I'm at as well, I can't abide by the gatekeeper attitude, I'd much rather work with people who about keeping it positive

some of the edm djs where i live are fucking cool people even though we have slightly different itches that need scratching. i can support their thing to a degree, especially if they give me enthusiasm back. eventually it's like if you're not really on their wavelength, you can try to move on to something else. having the gig experience is such a crucial first step i think, playing in shitty chaotic conditions etc. i'm pretty fucking sure the snobs aren't out there working so.

It’s gonna feel v strange DJing a roller disco event in Providence tomorrow while my friends and family deal with a hurricane back home

please tell me you're going to bring some industrial vibes to the roller disco

that's fucked karl, hope you find your zone for a minute.

Thanks map.

xp haha, i wish! i’m anticipating some kids and families so while there will be a fair amount of dreamy druggy vibes i’ll try to avoid overt references and sex sounds in the vox, it is a city-run space aiui

Welp, got a last minute booking tonight from 1-3. Don't have a set planned, never been to this club, using pro decks for the first time. What could go wrong?

How'd it go?

Friend asked me to play the "headlining slot" at her wedding, lol. First time playing out in years.

a friend and beloved community member died of cancer around 2 1/2 years ago and there was finally a big memorial at our local pub with a bunch of DJs and musicians. I have temporarily inherited his collection of ~3000 records, myself and 2 other DJs who knew him picked out sets from his records, we had a DJ station setup offstage so we alternated with bands, it was a great time but my set was bad transition-wise, I'm glad I was the opener. then I got to watch the pros do it... (i.e. folks who have regular paid gigs, unlike my low key work-trade situation)

also yes moodles plz report

The gig went fairly well, although not without some hitches. It was at an after hours lounge space adjacent to a small underground warehouse club that was having an all night party. I got there a bit early and asked the sound tech if I could try out the decks before they opened. He set up a somewhat lower grade all-in-one Pioneer system, which was a bit of a surprise to me because I had been told they would have Pioneer 3000 CDJs and a mixer, but I tested out a couple tracks, it seemed straightforward enough and sounded good coming through the house speakers. So I had my tracks cued up and was ready to start when the DJ who put the gig together showed up and put away the all-in-one system and started to set up the CDJs and mixer. That was all well and good, except that once it was all set up, they could not get any sound to come through the main speakers anymore. It seems there was some issue with the sound being fed to the house mixing board via an ethernet hookup. This resulted in the DJ and sound guy dicking around for an hour trying to sort out the issue, while I wondered if I would get to play at all. My suggestions of "switch back to the other decks" and "unplug and reboot everything" fell on deaf ears. Ultimately, they just rewired all the speakers so that they bypassed the troublesome mixing board. I finally started my set around 2 am, ran through a bunch of atmospheric housey stuff since the place was still fairly empty and then shifted to harder techno and rave stuff as people started to filter in. As 3 am rolled around, I wondered if I would need to wrap up, but I kept playing for another hour. People drifted in and out the whole time from next door. I mainly got a fairly positive response despite the fact that there definitely some messy transitions here and there and by 4 I was pretty shot. So a decent experience, hopefully this leads to some opportunities at their main space, but it was nice to have the DJ/promoter that I've been working with think of me when they needed someone on short notice like that. I had been wondering if I would have any more gigs before November

nice!

i'm getting asked to sub in for a few friday / saturday nights at the gay club, which means i've got to round up all the top 40 type stuff i have into one playlist, that floor is brutal on a weekend if i don't churn through that stuff for at least an hour or two.

^i just had to put together the pop tracks i like, or can at least tolerate. that's finally up to more than four hours.

i think last night was the best set i've done that i can remember? just flowed all night. went all over the place but it made sense. i usually notch the intensity down after last call, and i was somewhat surprised to get the most energetic dancing of the night to some darker more sinuous house tracks. i'm pleasantly surprised that more often than not people seem to be into the frankie knuckles / erik k remix of "forever more" by moloko. i do a whole drag karaoke performance to it lol.

<3

damn that sounds fun

:) the handful of people who are into it seem to have a good time.

and last night was rough. the weekend crowd just wants to sing / scream along to hits. i did ok in that department but definitely had some periods where i lost the floor. it's more stressful because the poppier tracks are 3 ish minutes long so i'm mixing, finding the next track, mixing, next track, etc. spent half the time needing to pee very bad. also had a really entitled requester at the end who i yelled at. he requested david guetta (pronounced david "goota" i guess, idk, i found that pretty funny and pretentious in the moment though) 3 times 15 minutes before i'm ending. literally 3 minutes before i'm wrapping up he barged into the booth and said the dance floor was looking a little sad. no shit bitch it's my last track that's the point. i yelled at him "get the fuck out of my booth" and basically pushed him out which is a no no but god damn i was not in the mood to put up with that shit.

there is a gate that i leave open because the lock is a little wonky but i will probably make sure it's closed after midnight now.

another friday night. shout out to boxedjoy, tim f and stevie d for helping me beef up my playlist. jury's out whether or not i play any david goota

I feel like I've improved as a DJ recently. I got called up to do a last minute gig last night and I'm listening back to the set now and it's so fun. It's not so much the song selection, just the blending works really nice

awesome :)

that's gratifying, wtg.

ok that was the first friday night at this club that went really well. i'm finally playing more of what works for these people and really lighting up the floor. so much joy last night! many singalong moments. funny to be playing these huge pop tunes that can sound so slick and crass on their own and instead have this communal almost sacred experience. not to be too over the top about it but it's true. those faces! god, just beautiful. i was really being outward facing and performative too, not usually what i'm best at but for some reason i just slid into it last night.

two highlights. going techno for a minute with tiga's "easy," which is based around the lyric "i don't want to work for my money, i want it to be easy." sick production on it too but a different thing from the buzzy electro house that is an anchor for this floor. people kinda like "what is this?" before the lyrics set in and them everyone is hands in the air.

and dropping "forever more" to a happy settled in group of dancers after last call again, just kind of bathing in the yearning.

still gotta work on the 'i have to pee so bad' situation. hard to bust it to the bathroom when all these "ft. tiesto" kind of things are 3 minutes. speaking of, i'm not familiar with the guy's work at all and have no idea how he's rated here but some of these collabs he's doing lately (charli xcx and then this one called "voodoo") are reliable bombs. anyway i discovered there are outhouses on the side of the club that are usually open, just need 5 minutes tops.

maybe something from this for the break

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQWg-XCvDBRy47PvRHs1wItoChZplAa7awDpQ&usqp=CAU

I can get to the toilet and back in 3 minutes flat, but it’s never a stress-free piss.

lol i literally skipped the line on friday, begging this random girl to let me in front of her. she didn't look amused when i thanked her after.

my ex used to piss in jugs behind the booth no joke. i have too much exposure for that i think but it's crossed my mind. pee drama is real i could keep posting about it but i'll stop for now lol.

My top tips for pee drama:

1. Dance! Last time I played (a 3 hour set), I drank almost 2 liters of water and I never had to pee because I was sweating so much. I'm dancing all the time when I'm DJing.
2. Prepare a minimix of two or three songs so that you have a couple of minutes of free time without interrupting the flow of the mix.
3. 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light'. Gives you time to pee AND smoke (if that's your thing).

ha i guess that’s the nice thing about a low stakes happy hour. the bathroom is close to my booth so i just put on a longish track and do my business without too much trouble

did my usual happy hour tonight. had a couple people come up and tell me they loved my set, and even the host (who can be kinda catty sometimes) told me that the people he was chatting with told him they loved what i was playing. nice little confidence boost! i’m booked to do the “christmas” party next month and i am really psyched about it - it’s always been a dream of mine to do a xmas dj set!

also pro-tip: if you’re using DJM-REC on your phone to record your set, don’t try to take an instagram story while you’re recording or it’ll pause. just learned this the hard way lol. (gonna review what actually recorded and post it on the mixes thread at some point)

oh that's really nice to hear dr, way to go. xmas set sounds like fun!

last night was fun, i had a sing/dance-a-long with a random girl to kylie "spinning around"

As 3 am rolled around, I wondered if I would need to wrap up, but I kept playing for another hour.

!!!

I play in a band and when I tell friends the gig starts at 9p, they're like "but that's my bedtime!"

From my experience it’s hard to get a dancefloor really going until 1/2am - venue/genre dependent of course.

was doing my usual sunday thing at the record store, playing jazz funk, disco and deep house vinyl to a crowd of mostly disinterested normies shopping for adele and bon iver records. these dudes come in and are speaking italian, come up to me as i am wrapping up the set. store closing in 20 mins so i’ve stopped mixing and switched to mellow exotica and brazilian type stuff

the store doesn’t have a listening station, they could tell i was wrapping up so they very apologetically asked in broken english if i could audition some disco and krautrock records for them (so they could hear condition)

anyway we get to talking, turns out the older one is beppe loda

whaaaaaaaaa

note to self, always talk to the italian guys who come in at the end

yeah he had proper cute goofy old guy vibes. we were talking about the cosmic jokers record he had grabbed and he excitedly took out his iphone to show me his sms chatz with harald grosskopf

the other wild part cane up while talking to the younger guy (bit older than me, so maybe 50?) who is a local balearic / disco dj who i knew of via reputation and several mutuals. turns out the used rane rotary i randomly stumbled upon and took home from my local guitar center belonged to this guy (not beppe) before it ended up with me.