First Gig

C

Cynapse

New Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Hi Guys,

I have just managed to secure my first dj gig in a small club in bristol and I have been reading that the step up from bedroom DJ to a loud club is quite difficult at first. I was wondering if anybody had any first gig tips for somebody making the step up from bedroom to club? Its not strictly a dnb night so I thought about playing dark rolling tunes as its easier to mix and better for a warm up set?

Cheers!
 
Just enjoy it man. dont worry about it too much. try and plan your first few mixes then just go with what u think the crowd are feeling! good luck!
 
What time you on? expected to be a fair few people? 10? 20? 50?

If your on first i recomend heading down as early as poss and make sure everythings ok before your slot.

I headed down early for my first proper club set a month ago... to find the 1210's had been given to the venue's sister club that day... So couldnt play at all :/.
 
that sounds gutting man! I was there for a previous night and there was about 10-20 max so i think andy c style double drops will look a bit stupid tbh.

Iv heard that its a lot harder to mix in clubs because of the latency/louder volumes and basslines?
 
Yeah deffo check the equipment before. Just have fun, also most people dont notice small mistakes anyways so dont work yourself up over them. A intro mix or if you're really nervous the first few mixes planned out can be really helpful aswell. I dont know the kind of venue and party bit liquid works most of the time as an intro, or the more minimal deeper stuff (depends on the event/venue tho obviously). Also a few mates or at least one that comes with you is always helpful, that way you have at least one dude listening during most of your set which definitely helps with concentration ect.
 
Cheers cele, big help. Its more of a 'bass music' event with a few different genres. I think il just do a the minimal deeper stuff as its my sort of dnb so i know it well and the less complexity will definitely help as its my first gig. Gunna try and bring some mates just to give me some feedback at the end...I think il keep it simple this time and experiment more if i get booked again... cant wait for it!
 
if possible, go down the venue earlier and check out all the equipment/try mixing a bit, monitoring on a club system can be a little tricky, if you haven't played out yet.
otherwise don't stress it, i'd suggest you have your first 2-3 mixes thought out beforehand and then just jam and have fun.
a beer or two helps to ease up a bit :)
 
Cynapse said:
that sounds gutting man! I was there for a previous night and there was about 10-20 max so i think andy c style double drops will look a bit stupid tbh.

Iv heard that its a lot harder to mix in clubs because of the latency/louder volumes and basslines?
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well you're not mixing by basslines but by drums so that isn't that much of a problem, though if you've always mixed in your headphones it can b a bit irritating at first but you get ued to it pretty fast. EQing is a bit tougher to get to sound nice, but that shouldn't pose to much of a problem
 
do you play vinyl or cds/digi? If you play vinyls do you have technics? My first gig was also my first time using technics (i had numarks at the time) and to say it was a learning experience is an understatement. no double drops occured that night
 
Yeah its more about the louder basslines just distorting everything else which i guess makes it a bit harder. I started on a controller as i didnt have any money and just put a piece of paper over the screen lol but iv just bought some CDJ1000 mk3's so just getting used to them at the moment. Id say im pretty good at beatmatching so not too worried... its more about the stories iv heard about how it takes ages to get used to extra volume and latency issues especially if you dont have a booth monitor. I think this place does so should be alright!
 
Cynapse said:
Yeah its more about the louder basslines just distorting everything else which i guess makes it a bit harder. I started on a controller as i didnt have any money and just put a piece of paper over the screen lol but iv just bought some CDJ1000 mk3's so just getting used to them at the moment. Id say im pretty good at beatmatching so not too worried... its more about the stories iv heard about how it takes ages to get used to extra volume and latency issues especially if you dont have a booth monitor. I think this place does so should be alright!
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youl be fine then mate. especially on warm up duties, just take it easy with the nice long blends and enjoy it!
 
like johneysvk said: definetely check the setup before, i played my first gig this summer and the mixer was totally fucked (left channel much louder than right, cracked master-slider etc)... if i wouldnt have checked before it wouldve been quite a surprise, which doesnt make you feel more sure actually^^
 
ShirPan said:
like johneysvk said: definetely check the setup before, i played my first gig this summer and the mixer was totally fucked (left channel much louder than right, cracked master-slider etc)... if i wouldnt have checked before it wouldve been quite a surprise, which doesnt make you feel more sure actually^^
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Yeah I reckon I will be first of the night so il try and go in and check on the equipment. Cheers for the reply...have made me feel a lot better about it... Just gunna go out and have a good time!
 
It's pretty much all been said tbh.

But yeah, defo plan your first 3 or 4 tunes to get you off to a flier and settle you down a bit while you adjust. I still do this quite a lot of the time!

Be prepared to mix in your headphones if need be.

Try and enjoy yourself. Chances are you'll be the only person that notices/remembers any small mistakes you might make, so don't worry about it. People are always their own worst critics when it comes to DJing.
 
Cynapse said:
Yeah I reckon I will be first of the night so il try and go in and check on the equipment. Cheers for the reply...have made me feel a lot better about it... Just gunna go out and have a good time!
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If your the first then go as early as you want and start playing as early as you want mate ;). Then by the time you got people on the dancefloor you'll be well into it.
 
I'd half agree with getting down there early, just to get in your comfort zone, nothing worse than feeling like your rushing turn up a bit late then clang a few mixes because your not comfortable.

I wouldn't say its a lot more difficult than mixing in a bedroom, I actually found it easier at first because I felt I could hear everything crystal clear. Obviously its going to be louder but that can work to your advantage. Look at the positives.

I wouldn't be too fussed about planning mixes, especially for a warm up set - this is why scoping out the venue is good beforehand, and especially on the first couple of tunes, if the crowd is digging the steady rollers vibe then stick with it, if not use your head and change it up - you are the DJ after all.

Lastly - enjoy it. Some of my first sets years ago I was more nervous than anything and it ruined the enjoyment for me.

Good luck (y)
 
On my first gig I was so nervous and went to do a double drop as my intro, and mish mash came and jogged one of the needles! Then went on to play a below average set. Was a learning experience tho! If you have confidence in yourself you'll be fine. Not too much confidence tho. Just get out there and enjoy yourself
 
Ah this thread brings back lots of memories!!

Tbf everyone has already covered everything, only advice I could give is when down there early, play a few tunes at club volume, walk round the front and have a listen to the system. I do this every gig to see how I can EQ to match the rig (y) Having everything at 12oclock isnt necessarily the one.
 
The most important thing you need is decent monitoring. If you don't have a decent monitor you're going to have a bad time.

Like people have said, plan your first few tunes and practice the mixes a few times so you know when to start them. Give yourself plenty of time to cue up your tunes as the needles jump and skip a lot more in a club environment.

After you've got the first few mixes down you'll be away and loving it.

There is no better feel for me than having a load of people screaming for a rewind after a huge bassline has hit them.
 
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