The Five Steps To DJing Success, #4: Playing Out -

[@Goadude666]

Great book and great series Got my first gig last week in almost 20 years, so i was nervous offcourse. I got the time to prepare everything but the gear. So I practiced at home on a laptop, changing to gear wasn't easy but I managed it well. Then on gig night there where 2 CDJ2000nexus and a djm900. It took me 10 minutes to work everything out and the night went on smoothly. The hardest part was working with someone else's digital collection. So i grabbed my usb sticks and it was much easier. Then i could concentrate on the music and not the searching of. Afterwards i realized i forgot to record it, that's the only remorse of the night. Now on to the next one, with a better library and knowledge....

[@digitaldjtips]

So glad to hear you got that gig down! (Even if you forgot to record it...)

[@SimonePhoenix]

This info is on point. I actually went through training at a DJ academy here in my city and was warned about this very thing. I froze, didn’t take the leap and to this day, I’ve NEVER played out. DON’T be me, guys! Respect.

[@digitaldjtips]

It's never too late :)

[@nativitymusic]

Hikey, this should actually be number one. At least in my experience and those of the working blue collar DJs that I know around my town of Long Beach CA, this is the only thing that really teaches you everything. And by everything I mean about things like 1) troubleshooting equipment: most bars/small venues/clubs won't have proper backline or a FOH engineer so you learn quickly how prepared you need to be w/ your gear/cables/operating PAs at venues + figuring out how to fix your own gear when it sh_ts out at an event w/ a packed dancefloor 2) becoming a better crowd reader. you can DL all the hottest tracks “they tell you” on record pools or spotify playlists or beatport/resident advisor top whatevers, but if you don’t understand the context of each room from venue to venue, night to different night, time of night to time of night, type of people to diff kind of people, those lists won’t do jack for you. you’ll also learn gut instincts on when you push and pull. when to introduce new and “different” music/grooves/bpms after you’ve won them over w/ familiar tracks. and you’ll learn how to deal w/ drunk people who want to beat you up for not playing the music they like even when the dancefloor is packed LOL 3) professionalism, customer service, business etiquette. ultimately if the bar/venue isn’t making money you’re not keeping your job as a DJ regardless of how many great songs you’re playing and if the dance floor is packed. this is a really HARD lesson to learn. you’ll learn to swallow your pride real quick. you’ll also learn how to deal with management or lack of management LOL. how to be firm with your rates and when/how you want to be paid. you’ll learn how to befriend the bar/wait staff and the security, which is extremely important when dealing w/ unruly guests. if the onstaff team doesn’t have your back and people get in your face and you don’t have backup you’re f_cked. and last but certainly important you learn how to control your party time and how much intoxicants you can/should be while DJing. because any real working DJ with a respectable reputation will know that if a certain venue blacklists you for being too drunk or being aggressive w/ patrons and staff that staff/managers/owners/investors will tell all the other venue/bar owners about you and it’ll be hard for you to get any DJ gigs where you live. Bonus: bar DJing is way different than venue DJing which is way different from rave/warehouse DJing which is way different from corporate DJing which is way different from wedding DJing vs mobile DJing versus FM radio DJing from podcast DJing which is way different from DJing an hour set vs 4 hr residency vs 8 hr marathon vs B2B/opening/headlining/closing/after hours. You can read as much as you want and watch as many interviews and documentaries and youtube clips, but only DJing night after night through the good sets and the sh_tty ones will teach you all of these things. Thanks for always sharing the awesome tips Phil! hopefully this helps one of your readers coming up and learning.

[@digitaldjtips]

The 5 steps are progressive so you can't have playing out come before music, gear and techniques but we hear you it's definitely going to be a the foundation of everything you do once you get out there :) Thanks for the great write up

[@mackenzoandskytv8601]

THANK YOU PHIL FOR SENDING ME FREE COPY OF YOUR BOOK ROCK THE DANCE FLOOR.

[@digitaldjtips]

You're welcome :)

[@post-mastersodium3136]

Ah, my first paid gig . . . that was horrible, lol. I'd already played out a bunch, for free "volunteer based" events (burning man parties, where your contribution is a "gift", and old school raves which just didn't really pay), and a club manager asked me to come play at his club, cause he absolutely loved my sets. Come the night, I was very confident and ready. Start playing, and it just wasn't going right at all. Levels weren't balancing regardless of what the mixer showed, tried matching them in the headphones to no better results. Patrons of a dubstep/glitch hop club were asking for pop hip hop tracks (which I didn't have), none of my mixes were going right. I just knew I blew my chance completely. Go, get paid, and the manager still asks me back. "It's never that hopping this early" he tells me (it was more of an afterhours club). Goes to show, just do it, roll with the punches, and even if you think it's bad, it probably isn't as bad as you think it is.

[@digitaldjtips]

"even if you think it's bad, it probably isn't as bad as you think it is." < wise words

[@aviraj270]

The 7 ps are used in the Australian Army as well haha

[@digitaldjtips]

Seems like they're pretty universal!

[@DJDRFUNKJUICE]

Step 4. Mm Between weddings or the adult expo event. I'm going share my event I did for a adult event in Las Vegas for Plus Size lady's :D I love the B-B-W's. But more of the story its the part on the gear part that got me which I should of know from the start it was someone else sound system and the plug inns after few mins way before the event start it I got the plugs the way I want to sound out the speakers that they rent it out for that 2 day events was Okay but the plug was next to someone else booth and it keeps hitting the plug so it keep going in and out that was a ugh bugging but I got that hand. Anyways I was reading the crowd even it was a event that everybody meets there favorite models but it was a lot fun at the end of the day it was a fun event and the crazy side of the story was that the DJ that they book for there night club events they said that both DJ's was playing was not setting the mode and the temple right specially the ladies they said I was doing way better then the other DJ's who was doing the night club special well a less I got some good comments on those 2 days of that events at the expo. I hope I can do something like that more of the expo events in Las Vegas,NV and the club events as well to really get into with the crowds and just have fun with it. Life too short plus that's what the fun part been a DJ you learn different vibes with the crowds and playing out with the right tunes as well. And now i'm going to do the last comment on step 5 I can't wait to leave a side of my story on this comment :D. Funk Up Salute Peace and Salute

[@axelbraaten7469]

First gig at a club was a nightmare. 3 weeks prior I DJ’d a event at the same club that went very well organized by a third party group. The place was jam packed, everyone was happy with what songs I played and mixing style. The club owner was a DJ and said he liked my set and wanted me to come back sometime. I end up saying yes then suddenly Start getting advertised on the clubs Instagram as a (hip-hop, rap, EDM, mashup) genre DJ. In my head I’m like sick this is I can do all that he advertised for. I arrive at the club it’s 9pm i start mixing some rap/hip-hop. I’m already shitting my pants and the club owner comes up to me and says play 90s. I’m like bro i don’t really play 90s but I can try. He then is not pleased gives me his mix and says play this. Well the club owner that’s a DJ wants me to play his mix ok fine I guess I have to. Later in the night the club is barely filled and full of older individuals (24-30) whom I never experienced as a crowd. I said fuck it I’m going to DJ how I would and start getting into this sort of mild future house type set. This mother fucker comes up to me drunk as fuck and kicks me off my own DJ board and starts djing for me while his girlfriend attempts to Dance with me. I’ve never felt so awkward and helpless in my life. At the end of the night I get my check and get the fuck out of that shit hole. Week later I try and deposit the check and they won’t accept it because there’s no date. Some people think they got it bad.... - lol check out my my mix on my channel

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks for sharing so honestly! Thing is if you grab a sheet of paper and write down everything you learned from that, there's a personal blueprint for improvements for your next gig that is priceless.

[@_cr8ive_]

According to a very rough estimation I worked out that in a world with 8 Billion people on the planet . . . @ 176 K subscribers . . . only 0,0021% are, or want to become DJ's . . . . C'mon guys, JOIN DIGITAL DJ TIPS . . . THE WORLD NEED MORE DJ'S . . . THERE'S A SHORTAGE ON THE PLANET....

[@digitaldjtips]

I LOVE your ambition for us! You made my day with this comment :) - Phil

[@_cr8ive_]

@@digitaldjtipsNo problem Phil. You guys make it easy to support and get excited about what you offer. On behalf of all DJ's around the world , I dedicate this song to you and the crew....cause you simply are... kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWLbf3h5gNiSpKM

[@digitaldjtips]

Thanks :)

[@samuel3227]

Im worried about reading the crowd

[@digitaldjtips]

IT comes from practice, but you CAN learn it ... take a look at this article: www.digitaldjtips.com/2011/12/how-to-read-a-crowd-and-what-happens-if-you-dont/

[@AKEVELFAN]

When they are pissed or bored it's easy...they usually tell you! LOL

[@VictorKibalchich]

don't have a dab of your mate's MDMA before you go on, doesn't work out well, lol

[@digitaldjtips]

No comment!

[@VictorKibalchich]

@@digitaldjtips you too huh? A mistake only made once!

[@loqardusbq1299]

it helped me, tho..in combination with coke but Im not recommending it

[@digitaldjtips]

Enough! (I know, I know, I started it...)