View Full Version : What to do if you've played a crap gig - frustration
Okay, say for whatever reason (alcohol, drugs, depression, fatigue, your girlfriend not giving any, crap crowd), you've played a crap gig - traincrashing and bad track choice - what do you do to get rid of the frustration (if you feel it)?
I come off the floor a couple of times mad at myself and thinking of chucking my records into the river. The feeling lasts until my next good gig (say next week). That's too long and makes me nervous before playing.
Oh yeah, is anyone else superstitious - i.e. if you see a certain junglist face, you know it will be a crap gig, or if you see your favourite junglette, you know you'll storm?
Hmm...
first of all i will just say that i dont got any experience as a dj or standing in front of a crowd and playing music. but this is how i do and it works fine for me:
when i get frustrated or really fuck up something, i put my head off it. first of all i reflect what i did wrong, for example if you picked wrong tunes, maybe you should pick them in a diffrent order etc, etc. After that, when i reflected it (found an answer for what or why i did it wrong) i do anything else. everything except for in your case dj:ing. maybe read a book, go out for a walk, hang out with friends, go to the movies. everything except for the thing you get frustrated about. you shouldnt do what you like when you are frustrated, cuz if you do that it will get worse... trust me ;). and then, when you feel more confident you should get back and try it again, if it dont work, then try again. but try not to get too much frustrated :).
its a long process but it works (for me anyway).
hope this helps. :hold_hand
For me every hole's a goal... nah, i've had some shit events - but the thing is, they're usually down to the shit crowd! because i've got everyone going before, and its not my fault that they want to scowl and not rave..... new years eve, i had an awesome evening, once we got to midnight the shit hit the fan - everyone was drunk, it was a grimey venue and some bloke got a bit violent - i still got paid, and 90% of the crowd said boh.... its just the 10% that pisses me off... the event after new years eve i was a bit nervous at, but since i had a diferent dj as support, it was different....
Patchie-C
03-03-2005, 17:45
The best thing to do is when uve played your shyster set is neck about 4 or 5 pints of stella (presuming uve had a fair amount of bevvies already)wait till the next dj is two or three tunes into his set then go tell the mc that sum fit biznitch wants him over at the other side of the club, offer to hold his mic whilst he goes and then find the mains plugs for the decks and pull em out, being carefull to keep the pa and mixer working, now strip off naked and go onto the stage and start dancing round in circles singing, down the mic "oh, being silly is fun, 0h being silly is fun". when u wake up the next morning u will have totally forgotten about how bad your mixing was. :miss_rep:
:-O
... now strip off naked and go onto the stage and start dancing round in circles singing, down the mic "oh, being silly is fun, 0h being silly is fun". when u wake up the next morning u will have totally forgotten about how bad your mixing was. :miss_rep:
boh~! don't give a fuck hey ? wicked.
Just try to forget it for a few days man, get drunk and go play some old school or breaks something different, really loud. Or some Tech Itch, whatever. Make sure your friends still understand how deeply talented yet misunderstood you are. Forget everyone else, they'll get over it. Read some poetry.
Just play a couple of tunes that you really like and get fired up to like when you're raving and not dj'ing. Fuck the crowd for a couple of tunes cuz no-one gonna notice if you having a bad night. As soon as you bang on that special tune, you will feel a little better, bang another special tune and you will start bouncing with the crowd, after 3 tunes you will be having it and you'll have forgotten about the trainwrecking, then just switch back to playing for the crowd and rocking the house. If this fails, a couple of badboys (stella) might do the trick. :teeth:
Make sure your friends still understand how deeply talented yet misunderstood you are.
(Y) :uberlaugh
:teeth:
ye man, basicly dont think too much bout how shit your last gig was, just look ahead to the next. If youre in the middle of your set and starting to realize the peeps aint feeling you, just play 3-4 safemixes* to get yourself rolling again. And about keepin n touch with the promoters, after the (shit) set dont even talk to them, and act all drunk. Next time you see em, just serve the "oh dude, wicked party the last one, i was so wasted, how did i sound, really? that bad..!? sorry bout that, i'll make up for it next time, dont you worry, i'll stay sober for that one..."
work (almost) every time :jackson: :slick:
*safemixes: every dj practices at home, and while at it you discover some tunes go well together. is advisable to note those, and have em handy when creativity goes AWOL, when tired, or when tryin to impress that blonde with her booty hangin outta her panties..
nickdawg
04-03-2005, 01:03
Every dj has an off night every once in awhile. The best thing to do is just forget about it and move on....people aren't going to doubt that you have talent as you landed the gig in the first place. Many people don't even notice the slips (unless they are VERY bad wrecks), and most dj's are aware that every dj makes mistakes from time to time.
Back in december I did a house mix at a party and wasn't familiar with the gemini mixer, and I trainwrecked literally like a third of the songs I played. Even though there weren't a lot of people there I still felt like shit so what I did was record a mix the next day at home that came out really good. That eased my nervousness for my next gig and I was good to go after that.
For me every hole's a goal... nah, i've had some shit events - but the thing is, they're usually down to the shit crowd! because i've got everyone going before, and its not my fault that they want to scowl and not rave..... new years eve, i had an awesome evening, once we got to midnight the shit hit the fan - everyone was drunk, it was a grimey venue and some bloke got a bit violent - i still got paid, and 90% of the crowd said boh.... its just the 10% that pisses me off... the event after new years eve i was a bit nervous at, but since i had a diferent dj as support, it was different....
Last gig (electro breaks/tech/dnb) , had a girl come up to me demanding Miss Kittin Rippin Kittin. I was heading that direction but told her I'd drop it in about 15-20 mins, depending on the mood. Bitch started walking around screaming "the Dj is crap". Should have sent a bouncer at her.
What pissed me off was my trainwrecking not the bitch...
Have to agree though that if the crowd is pumping and raving before I come in, I hardly make any mistakes or at least I don't feel bad about them them even if I'm a bit off my head. A floor emptied by the previous dj is a bitch though.
now strip off naked and go onto the stage and start dancing round in circles singing, down the mic "oh, being silly is fun, 0h being silly is fun". when u wake up the next morning u will have totally forgotten about how bad your mixing was. :miss_rep:
You're right, I'd forget about how bad the mixing was - if I was alive the next day. :-)
Just try to forget it for a few days man, get drunk and go play some old school or breaks something different, really loud. Or some Tech Itch, whatever. Make sure your friends still understand how deeply talented yet misunderstood you are. Forget everyone else, they'll get over it. Read some poetry.
Good idea with the different stuff - bad idea about the poetry :-)
And about keepin n touch with the promoters, after the (shit) set dont even talk to them, and act all drunk. Next time you see em, just serve the "oh dude, wicked party the last one, i was so wasted, how did i sound, really? that bad..!? sorry bout that, i'll make up for it next time, dont you worry, i'll stay sober for that one..."
*safemixes: every dj practices at home, and while at it you discover some tunes go well together. is advisable to note those, and have em handy when creativity goes AWOL, when tired, or when tryin to impress that blonde with her booty hangin outta her panties..
Great advice about the safemixes. As far as promoters are concerned even after a crap (IMHO) night, they still book. Which should tell me that I don't have a fucking thing to worry and mope about.
Got a gig tonight with some friends - rush job. The club has a great sound system for a small (tiny venue), gonna play some hippity hop then head to a dnb gig for some dancing. Maybe come back to finish the night off with some dnb afterravers... wish you lot could be here.
don't worry bout it too much bro. we all have our shit days dude. Just go back to your place and just practise some mixes that YOU know will work, even if they are just simple ones. You don't have to bust out the Mampi Swift shit to get the crowd rockin'!
It happens to the best of us believe me. just go back to the lab and work out a strategy :2thumbs:
NEVER HAPPENS! :gpeace: HAHA
(i dont get any gigs! haha)
^^^^^^^^^^
worlds best not DJ :mr_cool:
:teeth: :gslayer:
just make sure there aint no dat or md recorder, if so seek and destroy :antitank:
thebreaka
15-03-2005, 04:07
I remember when i first played out about a year and a half ago. Id only been DJing for about a month and wasnt ready at all. After being encouraged to give it a try i agreed.......
I was awful!!
Played bout 4 tunes and really knocked my confidence after.
Shrugged it off tho and now a year down the line ive learnt alot and have got alot better.
My advice would be to take a shitty set on the chin and dont worry bout it.
Hey dustek can i ask how long u play?
djstrategy
05-04-2005, 21:45
yer ive played out and had a preety shit night due to poor turnout or not mixed as well as i do.................if the turnout outs shit theres nuffin you can do bout it but if the mixin aint goin to well ....... try and go back to basics i no it seems silly but just recap on stuff and dont try nuffin to complicated until you get back into the vibe
at the mo im struggling with a few minor things and im working on em..........best way mate
o wouldnt know ive neva played hopeing to oneday thou
Critical
15-04-2005, 23:21
just make sure there aint no dat or md recorder, if so seek and destroy :antitank:
lolllollolollol
Had a last-minute-emergency-save-my-ass call from a promoter on Saturday. Turned up instead of going to a party.
I got chucked off the decks because a friend of the owner wanted to play some eurohouse. Badly.
:gaywhite:
I told the promoter and owner to kiss my skinny white ass.
:shit_happ
He.
mr teknyne
05-05-2005, 19:42
take it out on somebody who cant defend themselves. an old lady or baby perhaps :twisted:
ITS NOT YOUR FAULT
To sum up and after recent event.
Ive been djing for a very short time...
Less than a year as a dnb dj...
A little more as a ghettotech dj.
But I love dnb and any chance I get I play.
There have been some gigs where I've left unhappy with myself because I'm a perfectionist and I missed beats and brokes mixes. And I think of myself as a crap dj despite everything.
And there have been gigs where I left feeling on top of the world and people were telling me they had the night of the their lives.
I've played with my heroes and I've been spit on.
I'vw learnt a technique since I posted the first post: When you've played a good gig and you're really happy with yourself, make a weird physical movement, one that you don't make normally. Repeat until that movement binds with the memory.
:devilslay
And when you feel like shit, repeat that movement and you'll remember the good moment.
I got chucked off the decks because a friend of the owner wanted to play some eurohouse. Badly.
:gaywhite:
.
eurgh....Euro house.??? sounds nasty!
I'vw learnt a technique since I posted the first post: When you've played a good gig and you're really happy with yourself, make a weird physical movement, one that you don't make normally. Repeat until that movement binds with the memory.
:devilslay
And when you feel like shit, repeat that movement and you'll remember the good moment.
that's actually a magic technique - congrats for learning
take it out on somebody who cant defend themselves. an old lady or baby perhaps :twisted:
ITS NOT YOUR FAULT
hahahaha
if i play shit, seek and TAKE the md-player home, analyze and fix what caused the mistake
jungle_slut
25-05-2005, 13:00
bad equipment is the leading factor in me fucking up. If I see that the equipment is bad I'll usually just mix really quick.I dunno, just practice more, and get tossed b4 playing that always helps me. I play best when I get drunk.
jungle_slut
25-05-2005, 13:02
actually just throw a handful of X out into the crowd during the dj b4 your set, so it kicks in on everybody by the time you get on.
I don't think they need any more drugs...
Raves here are like a combination of old skool raves and mod parties - e and speed, love and violence.
I don't think they need any more drugs...
Raves here are like a combination of old skool raves and mod parties - e and speed, love and violence.
it's the problem almost everywhere, isn't it?
people who actually want to hear the music own turntables....
the kids are there to get blasted, not to listen.
- not to speak of minorities here.
jungle_slut
27-05-2005, 16:31
it's the problem almost everywhere, isn't it?
people who actually want to hear the music own turntables....
the kids are there to get blasted, not to listen.
- not to speak of minorities here.
Thats very sad indeed, here in the northwest states(Oregon, Washington) we(as in the elders of the scene) try to teach the kids that its about the music not the drugs. drugs are definatly more around in the all ages venues, but the 21+ venues people are more likely to have a few pints at the ost and rock their socks off.
Scene over in Europe definatly has more people in attendance but we are slowy building something that will have to be respected.
*Cough* Noisia *cough* Evol Intent....yeah thats us
Knmo_Elitist
20-06-2005, 20:12
Thats very sad indeed, here in the northwest states(Oregon, Washington) we(as in the elders of the scene) try to teach the kids that its about the music not the drugs. drugs are definatly more around in the all ages venues, but the 21+ venues people are more likely to have a few pints at the ost and rock their socks off.
Scene over in Europe definatly has more people in attendance but we are slowy building something that will have to be respected.
*Cough* Noisia *cough* Evol Intent....yeah thats us
In addition to the ammount of people that go to parties over seas (I lived in Germany for a while) theres also less drugs involved at those parties.. mainly because those people show up ready to drink some pils (beer) and dance their asses off... or watch the dj's do their shit. I remember the 2nd party I went to in Mannheim, there was an out door area with a inflatable pool it was great... until someone accidently poped the pool with a ciggarett.....
seank_dnb
04-08-2005, 21:19
9 times out of ten if you have played your normal ways then it is down to the crowd not feeling your style!
nothing can be done!
just make sure you rock the next one to get your confidence back up :2thumbs:
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