What Should A Warm Up Dj Play

[Simon M]

So theres a only a few punters in and the night is young ..What tunes should you play and what tempo ?

Simon

[Girthdevon]

So theres a only a few punters in and the night is young ..What tunes should you play and what tempo ?

Simon

Fast & furious, tried & tested floorfillers............

......are those which I would avoid like the plague

Girf

[Simon M]

Ive done some real storming sets to the bar staff ya know ,

ps. I did play from my sales box once ,in the first 90 mins , it was very successful

Edited May 17, 2007 by Simon M

[Peter99]

So theres a only a few punters in and the night is young ..What tunes should you play and what tempo ?

Simon

Some nice mid tempo seventies and eighties soul toons that are cooooooooooolio!

[Guest Simon]

Some feel good fairly well known NS with some mid/uptempo Tamla mixed in to get the crowd into the stride of the evening, this will then enable the more upfront djs to raise the bar & take the place by storm later on in the evening.

Simon

[Sean Hampsey]

So theres a only a few punters in and the night is young ..What tunes should you play and what tempo ?

Simon

Disco & Boogie

[Simon M]

Disco & Boogie

Hey do you remember Searling playing Quite storm stuff at peak time .... around 1987 ?

[Rbman]

Disco & Boogie

Yea, right on :dance:

[Guest Rowly]

So theres a only a few punters in and the night is young ..What tunes should you play and what tempo ?

Simon

Whatever ya fekkin want! (within the the parameters of the advertised sounds on the flyer of course....)

[Guest Bearsy]

I would play tunes ive never played before to see if there is a floor reaction from the empty room, slow to mid tempo

[Guest mark shepherd]

everything that you have that the main act has and might play - that should set the cat amongst the pigeons........

[Guest James Trouble]

The warm up DJs job imo is to leave the often self indulgent cock fighting to the egos who are on at peak time and to build the momentum and excitment of the night with a well put together mix of classics and solid floor fillers. It's an underrated skill that not many have. A bit of a "water carrier" role, a good warm up DJ will often be forgotten after the lights come on at the end of the night, but they can make or break the party.

Come and see Val Palmer at work next weekend at Soul Revolution, one of the best in the business IMO

Edited May 17, 2007 by James Trouble

[Simon M]

Sorry cant make it James ..Val did play some poppy stuff imo at the last SR all-nighter amongst some gems

Edited May 17, 2007 by Simon M

[Simon M]

everything that you have that the main act has and might play - that should set the cat amongst the pigeons........

Ahh ha

[Guest]

Disco & Boogie

Uptempo / rousing Polka tunes .....

Malc Burton

[Guest]

everything that you have that the main act has and might play - that should set the cat amongst the pigeons........

I have seen this happen , but I will not reveal who it was that who spat the dummy out / threw the teddy out of the pram / took his ball in / got the mammary on ( delete those which are not your favourite term ) , when the other act on the night " stole his thunder " ......

It was not a pretty sight to witness , but it was very funny ....

Malc Burton

Edited May 17, 2007 by Malc Burton

[Guest Paul]

So theres a only a few punters in and the night is young ..What tunes should you play and what tempo ?

Simon

Hello,

A warm-up DJ should have a nice opportunity to play tracks because they are good rather than having to playing tracks because of rarity or demand.

And that's an advantage because you can gradually introduce people to some new and different sounds.

Paul Mooney

[KevH]

Hello,

A warm-up DJ should have a nice opportunity to play tracks because they are good rather than having to playing tracks because of rarity or demand.

And that's an advantage because you can gradually introduce people to some new and different sounds.

Paul Mooney

ditto, play a mixture of knowns,unknowns,midtempo,crossover,modern and r'nb,,have i missed anything???

[Simon M]

I would play tunes ive never played before to see if there is a floor reaction from the empty room, slow to mid tempo

This sounds about right .. How about B-sides like Magoo

[Guest]

stompers none stop infact id play the nightwatch ten times call me old fashioned

[Makemvinyl]

everything that you have that the main act has and might play - that should set the cat amongst the pigeons........

They do that anyway

[good angel]

everything that you have that the main act has and might play - that should set the cat amongst the pigeons........

Yes Ive seen that done

Kev

[Russ Vickers]

Hey do you remember Searling playing Quite storm stuff at peak time .... around 1987 ?

Unfortunately, yes, was very frustrating, RS to me is a legend, but this was very disapointing, killed many a good night stone dead, never to recover. Agree with JT on this subject.

Russ

[Bazza]

The warm up DJs job imo is to leave the often self indulgent cock fighting to the egos who are on at peak time and to build the momentum and excitment of the night with a well put together mix of classics and solid floor fillers. It's an underrated skill that not many have. A bit of a "water carrier" role, a good warm up DJ will often be forgotten after the lights come on at the end of the night, but they can make or break the party.

Come and see Val Palmer at work next weekend at Soul Revolution, one of the best in the business IMO

This is very true

Bazza

[Tony Smith]

some records

[Dave Thorley]

Now days I play this role all the time. Just play the very best set you can, as if you were the main dj of the night. Try and blow away every other dj there, and suprise the crowd. Forget ego, at the end of the day you are a paid, or not, entertainer. Please the dance floor and you can't go far wrong.

Here endth the first lesson.

[Guest dundeedavie]

everything that you have that the main act has and might play - that should set the cat amongst the pigeons........

in that case .... give the warm up a better spot or have a more imaginative guest

[Dave Thorley]

Now days I play this role all the time. Just play the very best set you can, as if you were the main dj of the night. Try and blow away every other dj there, and suprise the crowd. Forget ego, at the end of the day you are a paid, or not, entertainer. Please the dance floor and you can't go far wrong.

Here endth the first lesson.

Tonight I'll mainly be drinking a 12 year old Glenlivet

[Simon M]

Tonight I'll mainly be drinking a 12 year old Glenlivet

Dave do you hang about with Gavin these days

[Simon M]

I do thing that as its usually collectors who come early doors , that someone should spin from a sales box ..or is this a very bad practise ?

[Jerry Hipkiss]

I would play tunes ive never played before to see if there is a floor reaction from the empty room, slow to mid tempo

The reality is that playing slow to mid-tempo IMO doesn't create any atmosphere, certainly not early doors, and so the place will feel flat to punters coming in, so the next DJ has to play a blinder to get 'em going. Remember, first impressions are lasting impressions (cue for a song )...

[Guest Richard Bergman]

Dub ......then plonk your self next to the beer pumps for 15 mins......

[Simon M]

in that case .... give the warm up a better spot or have a more imaginative guest

With Dj's ,these days , only adding about 5 tunes a year to their playlists or little hotbox's the above is sound advise

Edited May 18, 2007 by Simon M

[Shaun W]

The reality is that playing slow to mid-tempo IMO doesn't create any atmosphere, certainly not early doors, and so the place will feel flat to punters coming in, so the next DJ has to play a blinder to get 'em going. Remember, first impressions are lasting impressions (cue for a song )...

And remember, you'll never get a second chance to make a first impression

[Steve G]

Play what you want! Put the pressure on the "fighting cocks" as James calls 'em. But don't play too safe.....

[Simon M]

Play what you want! Put the pressure on the "fighting cocks" as James calls 'em. But don't play too safe.....

Yep , play what they may play and make them move on .... Turn the Heat up

[Guest]

It depends on the do, but in general I feel a warm up DJ should NOT play a lot of slow and mid-tempo flipsides, sales box tunes or weird stuff that is not all that good after all is said and done. Avoid 'this would be good for playing early doors when no on is there yet' type sounds! I have been to many nights that started off with the wrong atmosphere because of poor selections by the warm up DJ's.

[mischief]

I have been to many nights that started off with the wrong atmosphere because of poor selections by the warm up DJ's.

agree..

I know of warm up dj's to have played for there selfs with the attitude... well its only 8.00 there not gonna dance anyway...

Play the right set and it builds the night.. If you get two dj's playing an hour each and they play for thier selfs then the 3rd dj becomes the warm and thats 3 hours lost of the night..

Warm up dj's play your best stuff.. get them dancing early let the dj's after you have the problem of keeping them up.. at least you can say.. I never had that problem.

[Guest CapitolSC]

The warm up DJs job imo is to leave the often self indulgent cock fighting to the egos who are on at peak time and to build the momentum and excitment of the night with a well put together mix of classics and solid floor fillers. It's an underrated skill that not many have. A bit of a "water carrier" role, a good warm up DJ will often be forgotten after the lights come on at the end of the night, but they can make or break the party.

Come and see Val Palmer at work next weekend at Soul Revolution, one of the best in the business IMO

The only reason Vals a warm up dj at your do is because thats where you put her.

Vals a top flight dj with a fantastic collection and knowledge of the music and was a regular dj at the 100 club Allniters in the 80s

Al H

[Simon M]

Quite a worthwhile thread , I bet some promoters are having a rethink now ....but maybe not

[Steve G]

Quite a worthwhile thread , I bet some promoters are having a rethink now ....but maybe not

It is - but I think the problem is in the title.....

Who is a warm up DJ then? At most clubs I frequent it tends to be the residents who go on first.

And, excludsing a handful of genuine big name exceptions (and I do mean a handful) who would be arrogant enough to determine who'se a warm up and who'se not? It sounds like a throwback to the 70s when DJs were demi-Gods - it sure ain't like that now.

Steve

[Simon M]

It is - but I think the problem is in the title.....

Who is a warm up DJ then? At most clubs I frequent it tends to be the residents who go on first.

And, excludsing a handful of genuine big name exceptions (and I do mean a handful) who would be arrogant enough to determine who'se a warm up and who'se not? It sounds like a throwback to the 70s when DJs were demi-Gods - it sure ain't like that now.

Steve

Its nothing to do with the individual or name Steve it's a question about the music selected .. Ive seen top names do very early spots in the 80's and then drive off to another nighter (Pat Brady told me he was doing three nighters on any given Satyrday back in the 80's) . Im sure lots of DJ's have warmed up in their time its just a thread for what you would play really or would you use a sales box or any other tactic

Edited May 18, 2007 by Simon M

[Steve G]

Its nothing to with the individual or name Steve it's a question about the music selected .. Ive seen top names do very early spots in the 80's and then drive off to another nighter (Pat Brady told me he was doing three nighters on any given Satyrday back in the 80's) . Im sure lots of DJ's have warmed up in their time its just a thread for what you would play really or would you use a sales box or any other tactic

I understand that - it's just that a few of the posters have implied a significant difference between warm up DJs and big names,,,,to which I say there are very few big names these days,,,,,,without self publicity there are five or six of us on at Letchworth tonight, any one of us can go on first, middle or last......anyway I've already said my piece on what should be played early doors earlier, so I am now off out for the evening .....Steve

[Rbman]

Play the best fucknig records you've got and knock the early doors punters sideways and get a booking for a later time next month