First Gig This Thursday!

[sweetie]

best of luck - i'd do a two hour indie set at every gig if I had my way - make sure to put up a playlist!

[paul1404]

Good luck - main thing is to enjoy it as well this will come through to the crowd - Any little probs laugh em off

[Eski75]

best of luck - i'd do a two hour indie set at every gig if I had my way - make sure to put up a playlist!

That's why I set up my own night! lol

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Eski, you remind me of myself.
Going on by what you've posted over the past year, there are a lot of similarities.
At the end of the day, your passion for the music you like will show through and you'll be fine.

I was the same. I was in a band that were quite successful and the most people I played in front of was around 30,000 at a festival in Belgium. I used to be physically sick with nerves. I got into DJing quite easily and went straight into a club. I was sick with nerves when I first started out and almost every week through worry. In the end I had to get through it and all was well.

Don't be disheartened if it doesn't go to plan from the off. These things take time sometimes and word of mouth etc will help.
I'm also in the same boat as you when you say that the gigs that you would love to do are few and far between. If I could do Indie/Alternative and Retro gigs every week, I'd be the happiest bloke ever but unfortunately it's not like that. Weddings and other functions are my bread and butter because I'm self employed. I can't really pick and choose at the moment but the thing is, I think it works well because when those gigs do come along, they are such a refreshing change and I know that I am doing something that the guests will love.

Good luck with it mate. I am sure it will all be fine.
Nerves are a good thing. It may not feel like it at the time but it means you're bothered!

[sweetie]

What band was it, Gary?

[Eski75]

Thanks very much for the kind words everyone. The night went pretty well, not as many in as I would have liked but to be expected for the first one perhaps?

One major blunder on my part (lesson learned...........concentrate at all times!) pressing play on the track that was playing and thus momentarily pausing it DOH! Got a few deserved jeers and ironic applause for that which I brushed off with a big smile and a bow!

Only second disappointment of the night from a performance point of view was that I got two requests which I didn't have. I dealt with this by simply saying sorry and promising that those tracks would be available next time.

Is it normal for people to stand next to you chatting idlely to you whilst your trying to concentrate??? I'm sure it comes with experience but I found it really hard to concentrate on what I was doing with somebody blathering on about god knows what. Naturally I was polite and tried to smile and laugh in the right places despite barely hearing a heard they were saying and trying to cue up the next track!

That said, at least now I have experienced that very pleasant sensation of putting a tune on and seeing a positive reaction. For those interested in the setlist..............here goes!

Club Foot - Kasabian
Slow Hands - Interpol
Everyday I Love You Less & Less - Kaiser Chiefs
Little Thoughts - Bloc Party
Teddy Picker - Arctic Monkeys
Inhaler - Miles Kane
Mens Needs - Cribs
Under Cover Of Darkness - The Strokes
Kill The Director - The Wombats
Lump - Presidents of The USA
Pelican - The Maccabees
Shoot The Runner - Kasabian
Hawiian Air - Friendly Fires
An Honest Mistake - The Bravery
Blue Monday - New Order
Somebody Told Me - The Killers
Banquet - Bloc Party
Quiet Night In - All The Young
Red Morning Light - Kings of Leon
Inbetween Days - The Cure
She Bangs The Drums - The Stone Roses
Theres No Other Way - Blur
The Only One I Know - The Charlatans
Panic - The Smiths
Just A Day - Feeder
Burn Baby Burn - Ash
Kill Your Television - Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Stutter - Elastica
Song 2 - Blur
My Generation - The Who
I Predict A Riot - Kaiser Chiefs
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
Let's Dance To Joy Division - The Wombats
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
L.S.F - Kasabian
Step On - Happy Mondays
Creep - Radiohead
All The Things That I've Done - The Killers

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Nice little set there mate.
To answer your question - Yes, it is perfectly normal for people to stand there and talk whilst you're trying to do your thing. It all comes with experience though and once you're all cue'd up you'll be nattering away with them and pause for a second to press play of cue up the next track once you get a feel for what the punters really like.

The problem though (and it's one that often occurs at these types of nights) is that before long, you will see that (a) Certain bands / tracks will pack out the dancefloor and (b) The same tracks may get requested week in, week out. It's really easy to get stuck in a rut and predictable where you know what will keep the dancefloor busy (same with all clubs I guess?), so the same things may get played each week.

For example: I replaced a DJ at an Alternative Club in Southampton (Nexus) many moons ago because he became too predictable. The manager said that he had a bet with someone one week and the bet was £5.00 for every song that he predicted that got played in a row. He said he predicted 7 songs.
When I went to check out the club before I started, a punter said to me that the DJ always played the same Blur track (Song 2) and although it was a good song and everyone danced, it got boring. There are so many Blur songs he could have played yet he played the same one everytime.

That's not being negative towards you because I've just noticed it was in your set above, I'm just trying to explain in the nicest way possible that there are many bands out there there who fill the dancefloor quite easily with a number of tracks. When you are doing nights like this and promoting them yourself, the last thing you want to do is become predictable and boring.

I did one of these nights in town for 13 years and always tried to keep it fresh.

I am pretty sure you will be spot on!

[Eski75]

The problem though (and it's one that often occurs at these types of nights) is that before long, you will see that (a) Certain bands / tracks will pack out the dancefloor and (b) The same tracks may get requested week in, week out. It's really easy to get stuck in a rut and predictable where you know what will keep the dancefloor busy (same with all clubs I guess?), so the same things may get played each week.

I'm glad you said that because it was on my mind a bit as to how to tread that fine line between giving people something familiar (like you, I can do obscure with the best of them) and keeping it new and fresh, hence The Maccabees in there, a lesser known Strokes track (i.e NOT Last Nite!) and Ned's Atomic Dustbin. That said, the minute I started to feel like the John Peel of Mansfield somebody comes and asks for Sit Down by James!

I think that because indie isn't indie anymore.........for DJing purposes we probably have a new genre we can refer to as indie cheese! Song 2, Sit Down, Buck Rogers, Chelsea Dagger etc etc...........................good tunes though!