How to get noticed?
How to get noticed? Posted on: 13.05.2008 by Marcelo Alejandro Hi all, I feel as if I'm just about ready to stop being a bedroom dj and start mixing at clubs. How does one (or how did you yourself!) break out of the bedroom and start getting real gigs? | |
| Paul Davison 26.01.2009 | Hey guys. Once again, thanks for your advice. |
| Aracely Liesegang 26.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by RSDJMoniker
My first gig: As I was 11 years old I've been gone to a disco party in our youth club - i've seen these coloured lights and the DJ and I said: Thats want I want. 6 Months later i entered in the disco-crew from this youth club, where i played every 6 weeks - so at my first gig I was 12 years old, mixed music and it was very succesfull. There were 2 Technics SL1210 and from this time on, i went there every day to practice mixing and learn the old records. with 15 i win a DJ-Contest from a dance school and with 16 I played at all clubs in town (Stuttgart/Germany) from mixed to wave/rock/gothic to Trance/Techno in the 90ies. in 2004 I thought its the End because I didnt like this minimal style - but then I've seen controllers and software and I started a new career with my Numark total control and T Pro - its so exciting ! (when a track is too minimal - i let play 2 of them and its ok Now I am 36 and try to become international success... (perhaps you will help me... What I want to say: in these first years I learned to react of the feelings of the crowd - surely I have a playlist for the next 3-4 tracks in my brain, but this changes after every track i play. and thats the difference between guys who prepare their playlists and go straight trough - thats not how a real DJ should work - keep an eye on the people - not only in your notebook ! thanks for your time |
| Yuonne Cauthron 26.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by Jack Bastard
aaaah, two french blokes I could never get too much of. |
26.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by miyuru
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| Yuonne Cauthron 25.01.2009 | I believe "paying dues" provides a DJ a lot of important skills. I remember playing WAY more than my share of 8-9pm sets, and 9-10pm sets. And every time I move, I have to do at least a small share of them just to prove to other DJs that I have skills. (When I perform those, 'I just got into town' sets, I usually leave the computer at home, just to let them know I have skills outside that computational box) I've DJd in front of a crowd well over 1000 times, and every time I do it I learn something more about the job, reading the crowd and understanding the game. I believe I'll never learn all there is to learn about performing! "Reading the crowd" is a skill that absolutely can't be learned in the bedroom, and HAS to be learned in front of a dancefloor. "Paying dues" is a great way of learning that skill, without taking a primetime slot from a DJ who has learned that skill. However, if you got a gig. Take it, and be proud. Very soon you'll realize there are 30 other DJs chomping at the bit to get that gig off your hands. And you've gotta protect it! Hard work, practice, and taking every second on stage seriously will help you keep that job, AND get better. |
| cala mar 25.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by miyuru
Whenever i feel i've had a banging bedroom session i've never recorded it. Whenever i record something i feel nervous about the end product and when i listen back i'm never happy. Maybe because when it's live its all well and good to have imperfections - makes it real. But when i listen back to a recorded set i nitpick. |
| Senaida Podell 25.01.2009 | 1 |
| Carina Kosmo 25.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by miyuru
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| Steeve Lauritano 25.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by Iceman
EDIT: Back on topic, I played my first "gig" about a year of DJ'ing (using a VCI at that point in time). It was an isolated event, basically a friend who had a evening was wondering if I wanted to play for an hour to try it out, nothing major. I haven't played a real gig since. But since, I have played a number of houseparties etc, which are really fun because there's no pressure so if I mess up it's not a huge deal at all, and I can be rather experimental in my mixing. I have my first real gig coming up and I don't really feel ready for it, because right now I'm undergoing a period of transition in terms of my setup (more and more changing my MIDI assignments/translations to better faciliate 3-4 deck mixing). I might just play out on two decks only for the first couple evening s to get used to the sound and everything in the club. I'm rather insecure I guess haha, but I believe after playing for an hour, I'll be back in the zone. It's just the anticipation that kills you! That and, I sort of believe the longer that you DJ in your bedroom (and not in clubs), the expectations you build of yourself become bigger and bigger. At least for me...like even if I pull off a nice mix, it's just never good enough, there's always more things I could be doing (or less!) to make the mix perfect. At least that's my attitude! |
| Roberto Viccione 25.01.2009 | My foray into DJing was really coincidental and accidental. I wanted to be a DJ just so I could spin different music, cause, well, the DJs at the local clubs were terrible. I was tired of the same old school goth/punk mixed very poorly with metal and EBM. So I picked up some D labels to put together mixes and it came with a shareware version of eJay. I just started playing around with it, getting the ideas behind beatmatching, mixing, etc.. I did this for about 5 or 6 months, recording mixes, giving them to anyone that would listen, built my mixing to anything I could. And a friend was running an event at another club. He let me show up an hour before the club opened and I'd get to practice on the decks. Another friend of mine let me show up every Saturday for two months and taught me to spin vinyl. I spun my first gig on a prepared set and I rocked it. It was great. But I worked every day for hours to get there, and the people who were there loved it. It really just comes down to your comfort behind whatever medium you're behind. |
| Carina Kosmo 25.01.2009 | to be honest i was always really shy before my first gig. i started to play out when ive nticd that i can do things better then the people i see playing whilst im going out. especially when you know the songs they are playing its really easy to tell if they are doing a good job or not. im not sure what genre youre playing but go to the events where likeminded guys and djs are and you'll get the feel of it. HOWEVER always consider the fact that a evening club is NOT your bedroom. as a midi dj it might not be that much of a problem, but if youre playing dvs etc. it happens alot that the mixer is fucked, the turntables are wack etc. i usually have a few tunes ready to start off with to get used to the setup and the sound and start messing around with my tricketytricks. so dont judge a dj if it might just be the venue. (especially when hes using turntables and no pc) |
| Paul Davison 25.01.2009 | Thanks for all the positive support. And yes, I'll post something up in the mix section next week. It's silly really. On my quest for gear, I would ask any DJ that I came across for their recommendations and then explain what I wanted to do. Many times I'd get responses such as "If you're not using turntables, you're not a DJ", "If you can't beat match manually, you're wack", "Regardless of what you do, you need to start with turntables to pay your dues" I'm sure all of you have heard this one point or another. I've disregard all these comments because I know that with time I'll 1) Be equally as good as them if not become better 2) I don't care what they say. With DJTT it's different. You guys matter. It's DJTT that introduced me to controllerism. It's DJTT that's encouraging me and inspiring me to become a DJ. In this environment, I'm not scared of asking question. I guess that's why for my first gig I feel that I need the stamp of approval from DJTT. It's stupid but you guys are awesome! *hug Okay now...how about your first gigs. How long did it take before you decided that you were ready for your first gig? How did this go? What's the most important thing you learned from that gig? Mods, does this need to be posted in a new thread? |
| Alex Mayer 24.01.2009 | Make sure u play that Records Back by Hardwaks, etc.. tried to link it from beatport, but dont have time figure it out - BBB tonite. out p.s. jk, btw |
| Belen Wermes 24.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by Wuz
LOL !!! nice one, wuz ! |
| DJ Rodin' Flash 24.01.2009 |
Originally Posted by DvlsAdvct
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| Random X 24.01.2009 | @Bento & DvlsAdvct: I am just so glad I could stop you two before nuking my BCR... |
| sinior cliff 25.01.2009 | As with all forms of entertainment, music is a business with some of the stiffest level of competition to be found in any industry. A key thing to remember is that there is ALWAYS someone better than you and you should be grateful for any and every opportunity you get to play whether it pays or not. As an artist, ask yourself these three questions each and every morning you wake up- Am I happy with my work? How does my work help society? And what can I do to push myself? An artists duty (according to Stanislavsky) is to educate and entertain. Granted, music may not always be educational but when you look at acts such as Evol Intent or even Rage Against the Machine, their musical acts have been vehicles for a depth of social commentary which at one point was reserved for Film, Television, and the Theatre. Whenever something happens in the world that I feel strongly about, I try to incorporate clips and samples to express my opinions during my sets without sacrificing musical structure and integrity. Sometimes, I'll incorporate live musicians into the project when tables and keyboard are not enough. As long as you keep on keeping on and striving for your personal excellence, you will find respect amongst your peers. And don't worry about the haters, everyone will have them; it's just part of the game. Just brush it off and keep on your own work. And remember, to stay competitive, you must always push forward. Cheers -Damien |
| cala mar 25.01.2009 | It takes longer but you can acheive a crisper texture by oven baking. |
| Roberto Viccione 24.01.2009 | oh... Bento... you promised. I just... I didn't want anyone to know |
| Xavier Emanuels 24.01.2009 | In preparation for that article we did some top secret DJTT testing by placing dvlsadvct in the microwave for 3 min on high, the result was he came out how he went in. It was decided that "microwave dj" term was infact the correct terminology and so we proceeded with publishing the article. (@DvlsAdct - please dont hate me for telling everyone) On a serious note though enjoy yourself, do you best and good luck Also dont forget to tell us how you go when it does come up. In the meantime you could post some mixes in the mixes section for constructive criticism. Most imporantly, get your playlists organised and keep practicing - dont do any last second midi mapping changes or you will reget it. |
| Roberto Viccione 24.01.2009 | Every DJ needs to start at a certain point. In my mind, a DJ can be spinning for 20 years and still be a "microwave DJ". The paying your dues thing doesn't help anyone. If some kid comes up to me and he's been spinning for 6 months and can spin his ass off I'd want to give him a gig. If some guy has been spinning for 10 years aand has a huge name and just shows up and plays music with no logic, thought or skill, he gets no respect from me. If you are not capable of providing the services required of you and take the gig anyway with no intent of improving yourself then yes, you are taking a gig from someone who deserves it. If you are going to a venue and working your ass off to improve yourself, learn new techniques and make yourself better than everyone else around you then I believe you deserve that gig. *shrug* Good luck to you, sir. Kick ass when you're up there and as long as you keep improving then I don't believe you're a microwave DJ |
| DiscJoker aka GP 24.01.2009 | pretty much just practice, record ya mixes take notes on what you did wrong go back on work on it, practice some more. Like luv2xra said do parties for ya friends it really helps with working with crowds and seeing reaction of people. Pretty much how I thought about it, was like a sport, your gonna have to practice and work on plays and keep working on plays to make sure you get it right. Same for dj'n practice working on your beat matching and transitions until each one is clean. Then most teams have a scrimmage against another team or practice game, to see where there level of play is at. I call those house parties, use house parties to see where your skills are at. |
| mohammed farhan 24.01.2009 | Practice!! It's the only word u should practice in life. Learn how to play without the use of the computer, by facing it away. Start with soft gigs like friends parties to get use of a crowd and the technical difficulties while playing. Learn everything about music and how it's compose. Last but not least djranking s.com. |
| Joesph Vincze 24.01.2009 | My advice to get better is to record and listen to yourself every day. And watch other DJ's like a hawk. On the microwave DJ thing..... People are scared of new things. Hawtin took lots of criticism, even though he definitely "paid his dues" when he switched to 100% digital. This reminds me of the old hardware/software fights that happened back in the late 90's. EVERY DJ instrument, whether it be turntables, CD, or digital, has it pros and cons. Play to your strengths and try to improve on your weaknesses. Get other DJ's to listen to your mixes and give you feedback. It's all about the music brother. |
| DJ Rodin' Flash 23.01.2009 | I am no where near taking on any real sort of gig and neither do I want one. I have, however, spent a long time playing sports. And something that was drilled into me over and over again is that if you play crap competition you will not get better. And even if you get beat down in a game, you know where you need to improve so you can beat that team next time. If you want to go for it, go for it. Your learning curve will decrease a lot faster if you push yourself like this and proverbially throw yourself into the big leagues. |
| Belen Wermes 23.01.2009 | i honestly don't have much respect for microwave djs I've met, because their priorities as a DJ are not where mine are at. It doesn't really bother me though because those kind of DJs only get so far in the game. most microwave djs i've encountered focus their energies on all the superficial elements of the scene ie. they have a myspace, they mug for pictures, they have a dj moniker, they tell everyone they're a dj to look cool, they try to get gigs.... but when you ask them to give you a link to their work they have none because their actual skills are non-existant. basically they want to be a DJ for the image, they can't be bothered putting the real work in to improve their technique because that isn't important to them. So by the same token, I can't respect anyone like that. In this day and age DJs are a dime a dozen, your not doing yourself any favours by not paying your dues. I bedroom DJ'd for over 2 years before i tried getting gigs. I never started DJing to look cool or make a buck, it just started as a way to pass time by myself or with buddies on the weekend. |
| Paul Davison 23.01.2009 | This is quoted from Ean's article: |
| Roberto Viccione 03.12.2008 | Dude, get promoters to fly me out there, I'll totally spin with you. |
| Cristian Carmona 03.12.2008 | Yeah, is there any dj's in the l.a. area that want to help me play at gigs? |
| Roberto Viccione 03.12.2008 |
Originally Posted by B33SON
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| Hannes Deburchgraeve 03.12.2008 |
Originally Posted by DvlsAdvct
Oh yeah... I forgot to mention. The most important attribute a promoter looks for in a DJ is their ability to pull in people. That ability is only loosely coupled with being a good technical DJ. A lot of DJs find this confusing at first. |
| Anushka jayamaha 03.12.2008 |
Originally Posted by DvlsAdvct
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| Roberto Viccione 02.12.2008 | I got my start by working for the club promoters and meeting everyone they knew. If you can prove yourself as a "boots to the ground" kind of person, willing to promote and flyer and talk people up and get new people in the door then they might be more willing to give you a shot if you can take that same dedication to your DJing. Club promotion, in general, is not highly difficult, it just requires good timing, location and dedication, and requires the ability to meet the goals the venue has set for you. If they will let you throw your own party then spin it too. |
| Yani Waas 02.12.2008 |
Originally Posted by JesC
Club promotion is really not as hard as you might believe. |
| Anushka jayamaha 01.12.2008 |
Originally Posted by EULA
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| Cristian Carmona 01.12.2008 | Now you question is how do I get in, well thats is a hard one. Your going to hear this phrase or something similar to it...."Pay your Dues" Question is how do you do that... You have to sell yourself to whatever venue you want to dj at. Be it promo cd (hardly works), ask to guest dj (for free or drinks tix), have a friend that is a promoter or club djs. Make a myspace page with some demo mixes with info of where you have played and pix of your setup and you using it. Go to club where you want to play at, so you become a familiar face, not just some bedroom dj that want to get his feet wet and doesnt know what music is played at the venue. All you have to do is get your foot in the door once your in, you have to show the promoters/club owner/bar managers/other djs that you have what it takes to play at club. Ean did a blog on the main page not to long ago "How to get gigs..." Goodluck |
| Daaf van Wankum 01.12.2008 | It's all about who you know. If you really don't know anyone yet, start developing connections by getting in touch with local promoters and DJs, sending in promos and demos, etc. If you know someone in a band who gigs a lot, ask if you could warm up the crowd for them before they go on stage. |
| Joel Jr. 01.12.2008 | I've been a mobile dj for awhile now and i don't believe i'm to bad! Im wanting to play some tunes in clubs how could i approach this? Fizz Styles |
| Roygan Chy 13.05.2008 | Throwing house parties is a really good start. I started by having dance parties in my basement, which later lead to an invite to DJ for a going away party for my friend at a local club. That gig impressed the manager who offered me a weekly spot. It was Monday evening s, but it was a start, and being modest helps get your foot in the door. Another option is to either get your own PA, borrow one, or rent one. I built one with different pieces off of Craig's List. A PA will expand your venue options. We have a lot of bars that offer the occasional live music, but it's usually bands that have their own sound system. If you can find/borrow/rent a PA, then you can organize a dance party at your favorite evening spot (provided you clear it with them first). There is also less pressure at a place like this, rather than a full time club where the patrons are expecting more. Getting out and making friends in the local entertainment industry is really the best thing you can do. These people will hit you up later when they need to fill an opening set. Just being patient, but persistent, will get you pretty far. Good luck! |
| daniela klein 13.05.2008 | You might want to believe about playing parties for friends & such and get some real-world experience in an environment that's friendlier and more understanding when you make mistakes. Things come up in public that just don't happen at home, and a lot of professionalism isn't just playing well but dealing with crap. |
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