Djing For The First Time Tonight, Any Tips

[Guest greentangerine]

So tonight I am doing a couple of sets at a local night, I have DJ'd a few times in the past on a laptop but never vinyl and never just northern/soul. I have been collecting for about 3 years but only really got to a point this year since upping my spending that I have enough records to DJ, and that are fresh and exciting to me. I am youngish for the scene at 32 so my main worry is the tunes I love are old hat to the veterans of the scene, but I am hoping that will give it a wider appeal.

So has anyone got some tip for a first timer, serious ones!!!

[Mach]

keep sober,. till you,ve finished your set,..especially if your unfamiliar with the equiptment,..

[Soulgirl85]

Dont play the b side of a record, and dont play the slipmat!!! iv`e seen it happen many a time

[Simon M]

Dont swear or play white 60's garage/ mersey beat tunes

[Julianb]

Play to the 'floor' and not for yourself. Play requests even if you don't like them yourself.

Have a great time.

Julian

[Guest]

Brush your teeth !!

[Guest greentangerine]

Big Chris, last set is 1.30 till 2... sober might be tricky...

[Jumpinjoan]

Unless you are on first, make sure you take enough records with you. There is always a possibility somebody will play a record that you were intending to play.

Plus never ever plan your set in advance. Every night is different.

Deciding what you are going to play before you even set foot inside a club is an absolute no no!

[mischief]

Brush your teeth !!

Good call..

in Rimini when I was djing some one asked me for a request and when I answered they said yuk you been eating Garlic...

my reply was errr yeh i'm in Italy TWAT

[Citizen P]

Unless you are on first, make sure you take enough records with you. There is always a possibility somebody will play a record that you were intending to play.

Plus never ever plan your set in advance. Every night is different.

Deciding what you are going to play before you even set foot inside a club is an absolute no no!

Or, you could do like I do,

remember what you intended to play 20 minutes after you've finished

Tony

[Daz Mc]

And most of all...............enjoy it

[Jumpinjoan]

Good call..

in Rimini when I was djing some one asked me for a request and when I answered they said yuk you been eating Garlic...

my reply was errr yeh i'm in Italy TWAT

[Raym]

I would add:

Que the records up (when the sound kicks in via head phones turn the record back 1/2 a turn) so when you press the play button the sound kicks in perfectly. Else if not queing in then put stylus on record and give it a half turn by hand to make sure the stylus is locked into a groove - else every now and then the stylus will fly off and hit the slip matt when you press the start button.

Ray

Edited November 27, 2009 by Raym

[Manfromsoul45s]

Based on most comments the best advice is Don't!!!!!!

[Guest greentangerine]

Whats the view on well known tunes..... Checkerboard Squares, Clifford Curry, Archie Bell and dare I say it Frank Wilson.....

[Rob Wigley]

Get a thick skin !

[grant]

Whats the view on well known tunes..... Checkerboard Squares, Clifford Curry, Archie Bell and dare I say it Frank Wilson.....

they are always sure to fill the dancefloor at a local soul nite

[Jaco]

Whats the view on well known tunes..... Checkerboard Squares, Clifford Curry, Archie Bell and dare I say it Frank Wilson.....

What's the night promoted as?

If it's an oldies night then the sounds will fit in even if they have been done to death.

[Manfromsoul45s]

Get a thick skin !

A crash helmet and a gumshield!!

[Stevie]

Whats the view on well known tunes..... Checkerboard Squares, Clifford Curry, Archie Bell and dare I say it Frank Wilson.....

Aaaaaaaargh - you've now opened a very contentious can.........

[Naughty Boy]

Unless you are on first, make sure you take enough records with you. There is always a possibility somebody will play a record that you were intending to play.

Plus never ever plan your set in advance. Every night is different.

Deciding what you are going to play before you even set foot inside a club is an absolute no no!

Very good advice indeed ive seen one or two over the years caught in that trap.

[Stevie]

............dare I say it ...............

OVO

[Guest greentangerine]

Night is billed as Northern, mod, ska, latin and R&B..... I would say I was more northern early wigan, twisted wheel era, and motown in my tastes...

[Geeselad]

go for a piss before you go on, LOL.

[Ian Seaman]

get mullered 1st then give everyone your life story on the mic before each record that starts at 1rpm loud up to 45rpm , only joking , just enjoy it and most importantly use ovo !!!!

Ian.

[Guest greentangerine]

I just want to play good tunes really loud on a friday night.... but there does seem to be so many view's on what is good and acceptable.... for me I am struggling to justify a collection if I only ever play it at home with a glass of wine once a week.

Isn't the fact that people will be dancing to any soul, better than the alternative tunes available in a city centre on a Friday night....

[Guest greentangerine]

what's OVO?

[Guest MissHongkongfuey]

I would add:

Que the records up (when the sound kicks in via head phones turn the record back 1/2 a turn) so when you press the play button the sound kicks in perfectly. Else if not queing in then put stylus on record and give it a half turn by hand to make sure the stylus is locked into a groove - else every now and then the stylus will fly off and hit the slip matt when you press the start button.

Ray

Ouch!.....Top advice above! That happened to me

Have a few drinks to relax the nerves and enjoy yourself. I was brought a bottle of Champagne as a pressy for after my first ever vinyl set. I drank the lot within 20 mins of my spot and i was still so nervous that i wanted to wretch.

Best of luck!

[Guest MissHongkongfuey]

what's OVO?

Awww Bless!...........Original Vinyl Only

[Jumpinjoan]

I just want to play good tunes really loud on a friday night.... but there does seem to be so many view's on what is good and acceptable.... for me I am struggling to justify a collection if I only ever play it at home with a glass of wine once a week.

Isn't the fact that people will be dancing to any soul, better than the alternative tunes available in a city centre on a Friday night....

I really don't want to sound horrible when I say this but no doubt I will do.

Why do you feel you have to justify your collection? Are they not originals?

[Baz Atkinson]

id say congratulations on securing a dj set at a soul do you are now part of a very small elite crowd of 24000 soulies who have had similar experiences!!!

good luck

BAZ A

[Stubbsy]

I just want to play good tunes really loud on a friday night.... but there does seem to be so many view's on what is good and acceptable.... for me I am struggling to justify a collection if I only ever play it at home with a glass of wine once a week.

I sympathise as I know exactly where you're coming from

Isn't the fact that people will be dancing to any soul, better than the alternative tunes available in a city centre on a Friday night....

/quote]

Course it is

You'll probably be a bag of nerves so a couple of sherberts just to relax you might be an idea (as long as it is only a couple)

If you're doing last spot anyone whose still there will probably have had a few and be well up for a dance so would recommend dancefloor tunes and nothing too obscure.

Just go for it and enjoy it

Edited November 27, 2009 by Stubbsy

[Steve L]

keep sober ,. till you,ve finished your set,..especially if your unfamiliar with the equiptment,..

On the contrary, my advice would be to get some beer down ya

Does wonders for the nerves and if anyone comes up moaning you can just tell em to F...off

[Guest pls1]

what's OVO?

its a cartel like policy that rips off the dancefloor

[Jumpinjoan]

its a cartel like policy that rips off the dancefloor

What?

A bit like Phil does at your your beloved Burnley?

[Citizen P]

On the contrary, my advice would be to get some beer down ya

Does wonders for the nerves and if anyone comes up moaning you can just tell em to F...off

Oh, you've met me then?

Tony

[Dave West]

I would add:

Que the records up (when the sound kicks in via head phones turn the record back 1/2 a turn) so when you press the play button the sound kicks in perfectly. Else if not queing in then put stylus on record and give it a half turn by hand to make sure the stylus is locked into a groove - else every now and then the stylus will fly off and hit the slip matt when you press the start button.

Ray

good advice indeed, find out how the deck works early doors then 15 mins before your spot watch the DJ to see how he cue's up. Make sure the volume slider is all the way down on the deck your gonna play then when you switch the deck on, slide volume to level required, that way you wont here the deck speeding up to required speed through the main speakers.

Relax

Enjoy yourself

Have a very thick skin....

Westy

[Naughty Boy]

id say congratulations on securing a dj set at a soul do you are now part of a very small elite crowd of 24000 soulies who have had similar experiences!!!

good luck

BAZ A

kinel Baz nice one

[Guest pls1]

What?

A bit like Phil does at your your beloved Burnley?

burnley is the best , the music is awesome , but i dont see the relevence of your remark , it would still be good regardless

i am a paying customer joan and like the vast majority of us i just dont care about OVO.

what if something isnt available on OVO ? the dancefloor misses out

Edited November 27, 2009 by pls1

[Jaco]

burnley is the best , the music is awesome , but i dont see the relevence of your remark , it would still be good regardless

i am a paying customer joan and like the vast majority of us i just dont care about OVO.

what if something isnt available on OVO ? the dancefloor misses out

This doesn't seem to make sense. If Burnley was based on a CD policy how would it be different from anywhere else?

[Guest pls1]

This doesn't seem to make sense. If Burnley was based on a CD policy how would it be different from anywhere else?

because of the choices the dj makes .

[Steve L]

burnley is the best , the music is awesome , but i dont see the relevence of your remark , it would still be good regardless

i am a paying customer joan and like the vast majority of us i just dont care about OVO.

what if something isnt available on OVO ? the dancefloor misses out

Please, lets not get into that...........................................

[Jumpinjoan]

burnley is the best , the music is awesome , but i dont see the relevence of your remark , it would still be good regardless

i am a paying customer joan and like the vast majority of us i just dont care about OVO.

what if something isnt available on OVO ? the dancefloor misses out

Oh, so you are missing out at Burnley?

Be sure to tell Phil and Co that tomorrow night won't you

As for not seeing the relevance of my remark? I will say the same about yours!

[Dave Rimmer]

its a cartel like policy that rips off the dancefloor

Well there's an interesting view !

I mean, it's not as though a dancefloor pays to get in is it ? The dancefloor is usually there before everyone else, in fact it's usually there all the time, unless it's a portable dancefloor, or it gets covered with carpet at times.

So how can you rip off a dancefloor ? Unless there is now a faction that supports the human rights of dancefloors, you know, not to many dancing at once, no overweight people, a brush and polish once a week, that type of thing. Of course you have to be able to envisage a dancefloor as an entity in it's own right rarther than just some strips of wood laid down specifically for people to dance on.

I wonder if they have a Union with Union Reps that go round visiting them ? They must do surely, I mean to say, there are so many different types, big ones, small ones, round ones, square ones, oblong ones, wooden ones, tiled ones, the list just goes on and on. I bet the Dancefloor's Annual Conference in Blackpool is busy as well because dancefloors won't get much chance to go to the seaside.

Perhaps you mean rip a strip off a dancefloor, but that would be an infraction against the dancefloor's human rights, so you can't mean that.

I'm still puzzled.

To Greentangerine: In terms of your first DJ spot, keep it simple, but most of all ENJOY YOURSELF.

Edited November 27, 2009 by Dave Rimmer

[Jaco]

because of the choices the dj makes .

Yeah I get that but aren't they able to make the choice because they have the product that other events don't have.

If everybody had access to the same tracks via CD everybody could make the same choices.

This would mean that there would be little to distinguish one event from another, surely?

Edited November 27, 2009 by Jaco

[viphitman]

I would add:

Que the records up (when the sound kicks in via head phones turn the record back 1/2 a turn) so when you press the play button the sound kicks in perfectly. Else if not queing in then put stylus on record and give it a half turn by hand to make sure the stylus is locked into a groove - else every now and then the stylus will fly off and hit the slip matt when you press the start button.

Ray

Hm,...if you keep doing that with your tunes for a while you get that nice ....ssssssssssssssssssssssss.... for the first few seconds.....I buggered so many records that way myself :ph34r:......Many Djs do it but I just try to fade them in now....

Be gentle with dem waxings!!!!!

[Guest pls1]

Oh, so you are missing out at Burnley?

Be sure to tell Phil and Co that tomorrow night won't you

As for not seeing the relevance of my remark? I will say the same about yours!

i didnt say i was missing out at burnley did i ?

please dont boss me about and dont put words into my mouth either . i am as entitled to an opinion as anyone , even if the majority of people on here disagree with me

Edited November 27, 2009 by pls1

[Steve L]

I'm off

[Guest pls1]

Yeah I get that but aren't they able to make the choice because they have the product that other events don't have.

If everybody had access to the same tracks via CD everybody could make the same choices.

This would mean that there would be little to distinguish one event from another, surely?

why cant the dancefoor and djs have full access to every format ?

as for the bit i quoted , i cant beleive you just said that !

[Andyf]

Well there's an interesting view !

I mean, it's not as though a dancefloor pays to get in is it ? The dancefloor is usually there before everyone else, in fact it's usually there all the time, unless it's a portable dancefloor, or it gets covered with carpet at times.

So how can you rip off a dancefloor ? Unless there is now a faction that supports the human rights of dancefloors, you know, not to many dancing at once, no overweight people, a brush and polish once a week, that type of thing. Of course you have to be able to envisage a dancefloor as an entity in it's own right rarther than just some strips of wood laid down specifically for people to dance on.

I wonder if they have a Union with Union Reps that go round visiting them ? They must do surely, I mean to say, there are so many different types, big ones, small ones, round ones, square ones, oblong ones, wooden ones, tiled ones, the list just goes on and on. I bet the Dancefloor's Annual Conference in Blackpool is busy as well because dancefloors won't get much chance to go to the seaside.

Perhaps you mean rip a strip off a dancefloor, but that would be an infraction against the dancefloor's human rights, so you can't mean that.

I'm still puzzled.

To Greentangerine: In terms of your first DJ spot, keep it simple, but most of all ENJOY YOURSELF.

But to split hairs Dave, since dancefloors aren't human they can't really have human rights. Perhaps wooden rights is more appropriate except for the lino ones of course.

As for the DJ'ing I would plan the first two or three tunes allowing for the possibility of them getting played before hand and then go with the flow and enjoy yourself