It's been quite a while since I posted here but the gig I did on Friday absolutely warrants crowing about. Through let's say, various connections & circumstances I managed to snag myself a spot at a bar to play at Leeds First Friday's 15th birthday party - in Bar Fibre's Penthouse no less. For the uninitiated, Leeds First Friday is a big monthly social event for transgender folk, their friends & allies. People who go have a broad spectrum of tastes & I wanted to reflect that as much as possible without being too 'Fibre'-y (think the kind of stuff Capital Dance plays all day long & you won't be too far wrong).
First of all I was of a mind to DJ the event without hauling laptop & controller around (they wouldn't fit in my handbag anyway
).
So Pioneer Rekordbox was the order of the day. About 6 weeks ahead of time I started prepping in earnest making edits & remixes of tunes I thought would go down well. The idea was that I might play until midnight when the Penthouse would be opened up to regular VIP card holders & I could have the option to go on til 3am - so I amassed a collection of classic house tracks too - 450 odd in total on the main USB stick - and an emergency premix - and a warmup premix - and backups & backups of the stick. I didn't have any way to check the USB would even be read by a CDJ2000 let alone work.
By sheer coincidence it turned out a regular of the LFF event lives not far from where I work & said I could pop round & check my Rekordbox exports worked on their CDJ900.
They did, so that was a load off my mind. Ah but by the time Friday came around I'd added loads more tracks to the collection so as Friday night approached I got nervous again.
I arrived at the venue at 5.30pm but we weren't allowed in until just after 7pm (I was to start at 9).
On getting in there, first I had to switch the gear on.. I knew the power switch was on the right hand side at the back of the decks & mixer but where?
Hahaha.
I got the first player to read my stick just fine, pressed LINK on the second.. both players could see all the tracks yay!
I found deck one's channel on the DJM900NXS.. but not deck 2... hmmm. I checked the input selectors... nope still nothing.
Lucky nothing was enclosed & I traced the RCA cable from the back of deck 2.
It was free at the other end!
I plugged them into the mixer & I was in business.Everyone started to arrive after a ceremony out on the street & I played my premix until I got a great intro from the coordinator and a rousing round of applause as I pressed play on deck 1... An acappella of Pink's 'Get the party started' - edited so she sings 'get this party started on a Friday night' as opposed to Saturday night..
Here's how it went down...
Pink - Pink Party Friday Acapella (Keyed)
Lizzo - About Damn Time (Purple Disco Machine Remix – Extended)
Dimitri From Paris, Chic - Le Freak (Dimitri From Paris 2018 Remix)
Spiller - Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) (Extended Vocal Mix)
Bee Gees - You Should Be Dancing Groovefunkel (Quantised)
The Human League - Don't You Want Me (Purple Disco Machine Extended Mix)
Jackers Revenge, Lissat - Voulez Vous
Donna Summer - I Feel Love Juski Edit
Abba Vs Robin S - Gimme Gimme Gimme Love Juski Edit
Baccara - Yes Sir I Can Boogie Juski Edit
Sister Sledge - We Are Family Juski Edit
The Shapeshifters - Lola's Theme (Original Vocal Mix)
Armand Van Helden - You Don't Know Me (Feat. Duane Harden)
Madonna - Into The Groove Juski Edit
Yazoo - Don't Go Juski Edit
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax - Juski Edit
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams Juski Edit
Animotion - Animotion - Obsession Juski Edit
Livin Jam - Dreamer (Juski Edit)
Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
Sclub 7 - Don't Stop Movin' (Jewels & Stone Remix)
Steps - Tragedy Juski Edit
Cher - Believe (Juski Edit)
Gala - Freed From Desire (Full Vocal)
The Original - I Luv U Baby (Dancing Divas 1995 Remix)
Tori Amos - Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix - Radio Edit)
Tim Deluxe Feat. Sam Obernik - It Just Won't Do
Lady Gaga - Born This Way Juski Edit
Whitney Houston - How Will I Know Found Love Juski Mash
Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (David Solomon Remix - Extended)
Erasure - A Little Respect (Juski's 2017 Rework)
Garbage - Cherry Lips Juski Edit
Zz Top - Gimme All Your Lovin Juski Edit
Metallica - Metallica - Enter Sandman Juski Edit Alt (yes REALLY...)
***FIRE ALARM *** apparently triggered by somebody vaping in the loos - which killed the main PA (VOID!!! VOID PA!!! FLIPPING GORGEOUS SOUND!!!) for a while - circumvented by cranking the booth monitors & pointing them out from the booth
New Order Vs Dua Lipa - New Monday Rules
Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin Juski Edit
Snap - Snap - Rhythm Is A Dancer Juski Edit
Kylie - Can't Get You Out Of My Head Juski Edit
Nicki Minaj - Starships Juski Edit Acapella Intro
Bob Sinclar - Rock This Party
Pitbull Ft Tjr - Don't Stop The Party
Tinie Tempah - Girls Like (Feat. Zara Larsson)
Chris Brown - Yeah 3x
Rihanna - Only Girl
Martin Solveig Feat. Dragonette - Martin Solveig Feat. Dragonette - Hello
Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand
The Black Eyed Peas - The Black Eyed Peas - The Time (Dirty Bit)
Soul Central - Strings Of Life (Stronger On My Own) (Danny Krivit Re Edit)
Alison Limerick - Where Love Lives (Dancing Divas Remix)
Tensnake - Coma Cat
Sunkids Feat Chance - Rescue Me
Pulse Featuring Antoinette Roberson - The Lover That You Are (Soul Solution & Hex Hector Club Mix)
Alex Gaudino - What A Feeling (Extended Mix)
Loveland - Let The Music Lift You Up Full On Vocal Mix
Ultra Nate - Free Juski Edit
Incognito - Always There David Morales Remix
Source Feat Candi Staton - You Got The Love
Kings Of Tomorrow - Finally (Original Extended Mix)
Soft Cell - Say Hello Wave Goodbye Almighty Mix Extended
Requests? WHAT REQUESTS?
I can hardly believe I smashed it just by educated guesses like this.. but apparently I did.
I messed up a few mixes a tiny bit - loops take some getting used to on CDJs but I was blown away by how responsive those players are compared to my trusty Denon MC7000.
The feedback I've had since then.. this might not be my last stint there... not bad for my first attempt on CDJs huh? I finished just after midnight, an absolute wreck wrapped up in spent nervous energy.. I packed up (put my USB sticks in my pocket & headphones in a bag LOL) & by 1am was at The End having a gentle decompress & some very large gin cocktails.
I got to bed about 5am, woke at 8.30 & drove home. That left me a couple of hours to chill, then load the car (goodbye van!) & go to my favourite castle for a wedding.
How on Earth I managed that on so little sleep I've no idea but the client was very happy at the end of the night.