Set Rut

[Have a disco]

Do you feel you get stuck in the same old routine where you play the same songs, megamixes remixes, etc etc week in week out. What do you do to breakout of the thing we call set rut????

As I am an upfront DJ I can use newer tunes, but do you dig out lesser known classics to break up your usual nights set???

[BeerFunk]

OK, before I can answer, I have to know... what is an 'upfront' DJ?

[Penfold42]

what is an 'upfront' DJ?

Someone's .....who's up front.....:shrug:

[wensleydale]

an upfront dj doesn not play "megamixes".
the lazy dj's way of doing it.

i guess given your terminology badger i must be a backward dj, but i still have enough pride not to dig deep enough into the box to get to the megamixes.

[PropellerHeadCase]

Nothing wrong with megamixes, Wensleydale - I play the Grease Megamix and Back to the Sixties (OK, that's a medley, but you know) all the time, I regularly play the Beatles Megamix, Stevie Wonder Megamix and some 70s and 80s megamixes, too. Great tools. Have played the KC & the Sunshine Band and Vengaboys megamixes a bit, too.

'Up front' merely refers to playing tunes before they are "big".

[djsteve10]

Playing megamixes or not so long as you can fill that dancefloor is what matters.

[wensleydale]

Nothing wrong with megamixes, Wensleydale - I play the Grease Megamix and Back to the Sixties (OK, that's a medley, but you know) all the time, I regularly play the Beatles Megamix, Stevie Wonder Megamix and some 70s and 80s megamixes, too. Great tools. Have played the KC & the Sunshine Band and Vengaboys megamixes a bit, too.

'Up front' merely refers to playing tunes before they are "big".

each to their own.

i just see them as a bit of a kop out.

i cant imagine stevie wonder is a particular fan of the stevie wonder megamix.

[A1DL]

Do you feel you get stuck in the same old routine where you play the same songs, megamixes remixes, etc etc week in week out. What do you do to breakout of the thing we call set rut????

As I am an upfront DJ I can use newer tunes, but do you dig out lesser known classics to break up your usual nights set???


as can everyone else on this forum, Clifford.

[soundtracker]

I'm stuck in a rut, better add a second-rate Rick Astley ****-up! That'll solve everything!!!!

[Corabar Steve]

I'm a round the side DJ myself.

As anyone who has had a conversation with me lasting more than a few minutes will know, my head gets filled with some very random thoughts. I tend to just let them go.

I apply this tecnique when DJing & it all works out fine.

The only ruts I've ever encountered http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjP9OXdX3mk

[Vectis]

As you might imagine living on an island with a relatively small population, I tend to see familiar faces popping up at different gigs, therefore this acts as a reminder that I need variety in everything I do.

Which isn't a problem, because I love trying out different things. Keeps my mind active which at my age is a good thing :p

I tend to stick with a similar format for each type of gig, I think people appreciate that, but am guided by requests and tend to spider out from there. Sure, there's half a dozen guaranteed floor-fillers I'll use every night, but even then I try to shift them around so it doesn't get stale or predictable. eg. normally kick off a 70s set with 'Can You Feel It' or 'Disco Inferno' because they've got great lead-ins, but you can guarantee that when I start with something else, within 2 or 3 songs I get a request for these...

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

If you are doing clubs or pubs on a regular basis, then you can get away with playing new tunes, but generally, people dance to what they know and won't be at one of your gigs very often. Even if they were, they probably wouldn't remember what you played.

[soundtracker]

normally kick off a 70s set with 'Can You Feel It' or 'Disco Inferno' because they've got great lead-ins, but you can guarantee that when I start with something else, within 2 or 3 songs I get a request for these...

Always best to kick off a 70's set with an eighties tune!:D

[Vectis]

Always best to kick off a 70's set with an eighties tune!:D

Yeah, I know that, but no-one else ever remembers... Anyway, if you work on the century-numbering principle, 1980 is the last year of the 70s! :p

[soundtracker]

Yeah, I know that, but no-one else ever remembers... Anyway, if you work on the century-numbering principle, 1980 is the last year of the 70s! :p

Shame it was 1981 then!!!!:D

[Corabar Steve]

http://planetsmilies.net/sign-smiley-438.gif (http://planetsmilies.net)

[soundtracker]

Knowledge is Power!!

[Vectis]

Knowledge is Power!!

Suggest you go and edit this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_You_Feel_It), then, clever-clogs! :D

[soundtracker]

Suggest you go and edit this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_You_Feel_It), then, clever-clogs! :D

That's all American information! I refer my learned friend to the Guiness Book of hit Singles . Entered chart 28 Feb 1981. Not a good idea to rely on Wikipedia!

[Vectis]

That's all American information! I refer my learned friend to the Guiness Book of hit Singles . Entered chart 28 Feb 1981. Not a good idea to rely on Wikipedia!

Ah! So you were talking about the date it charted.... well that explains it. I, of course, was referring to the date it was released :D

[soundtracker]

Ah! So you were talking about the date it charted.... well that explains it. I, of course, was referring to the date it was released :D

Of course you were! I never doubted you for a second!;)

[Shakermaker Promotions]

In my opinion, Megamixes serve some purpose. On the whole I don't tend to use them but at times they may come in useful if I need to go the loo or something...honestly. The only megamix I really use if any is a Ska megamix which is 7m 50s long and always works but I really prefer to use the real tunes.

As for being upfront etc....not sure what to say about that. I always go to every gig with an open mind and work off the cuff as they say unless I have pre-requested tunes etc. I don't tend to pre-think what I am going to do and just lately using the Denon has made me think about what I want to do a bit more because the tunes aren't infront of me to browse through. I like to come up with stuff that maybe other people don't expect.

I have a lot of people thankfully that follow me to residencies I do because they know they are going to have a good night (no ego there, just feedback). It would be easy to get stuck in a rut with a lot of the same faces there everytime and thankfully they can't guess what I am playing next because I work a bit harder at making different everytime. I used to get stuck in that rut that we all talk about because it's easy to play the tunes that fill the dancefloor everytime because they ask for the same tunes all the time.

For example - Last night I played 'Hey Boy, Hey Girl' by the Chemical Brothers. I used to always mix 'Born slippy' by Underworld with it and it always filled the floor without fail but I tried something else last night and mixed 'Renegade Master' by Wildchild with it (I've tried it before) and it worked even better and people came up afterwards saying that they hadn't heard that tune for ages. It may be a simple mix and around 10 minutes of dancefloor time but it made the night for some people just by trying something different for once.

[Corabar Steve]

Ah! So you were talking about the date it charted.... well that explains it. I, of course, was referring to the date it was released :D

Wasn't it recorded in 1979? :sj: :sj: :sj: :sj: :sj: :sj: :sj: :sj:




































OK, I know it was recorded in March 1980, but I like stirring

[soundtracker]

Don't Steve- he's confused enough already!:confused:

[Vectis]

Wasn't it recorded in 1979? :sj: :sj: :sj: :sj: :sj: :sj: :sj: :sj:
Just got off the 'phone with Germaine, and apparently it was written in 1978 ;)

[Corabar Steve]

Jermaine can be a bit flakey, his memory is going. I wouldn't believe it. :sj:

[soundtracker]

Why would Germaine Greer know? Ring Jermaine Jackson - that's your best bet!

[axeman]

"when in a hole stop digging" my mam use to a say that !!

[theoloyla]

I'm definately not an upfront dj and I do often play the same songs at different gigs. If they work well then I use them again but I do try to very things a bit if I know that some of the audience have seen me before.
Incidentally is it only "upfront dj's" that seem to have a lack of work and financial remuneration?!

[BeerFunk]

I have to say, these threads make me very intrigued to go and listen to Badger DJing! :D

(There was a thread about that before, which DJs on this forum you would like to hear)

[Dragonfly]

well............ i'm a stumpy dj and to be honest when i start back gigging getting stuck in a rut is something that concerns me greatly as i'm going to have greater problems than before climbing out of it :D :D :D :D


i try and play different tunes when i can ........ remember its not necessarily "new tunes" that can break up the monotony of the usual gig ...... just different tunes !!!

[Creature]

never use set lists and extreemly rarley play mixes

[PropellerHeadCase]

i cant imagine stevie wonder is a particular fan of the stevie wonder megamix.

Well, as I'm not planning on playing to Mr Judkins it's not a problem.

[Tony Scott]

This is great stuff, seems to be a general wind-up going on towards DJ Badger's 'I'm so far ahead of you lot' attitude and he, without fail, bites every time...........LOVE IT! :D :D :approve:

Just a comment on Mixes, I tend to create my own using coolEDIT and save them as an mp3.
I usualy take 3 or 4 current tunes which I've found work together and mix them, I also do the same with classic tunes that I always tend to play together.

I keep them for a month or so or till I get bored. I then scrap them and start again with new tunes.

I supose it's being lazy but I find I get great crowd response, it's all my own work and makes life easier for me.........it also gives my roadie a chance to look good when I go to the bar or loo etc, he just does the 'head down with headphones on' bit and the crowd think he's a top DJ! :D

EDIT: just wanna add that this practice only makes up about 10% of what I play.......my whole night's not made up like this!

[rob1963]

There is nothing wrong with playing megamixes, as long as you don't overdo it.

I often play the Grease megamix, and I've had a request for the Beatles megamix for tomorrows wedding.

It's nothing to do with being lazy though. If something works well, it makes sense to use it...whether it's a megamix or not.

[nigelwright7557]

Do you feel you get stuck in the same old routine where you play the same songs, megamixes remixes, etc etc week in week out. What do you do to breakout of the thing we call set rut????

As I am an upfront DJ I can use newer tunes, but do you dig out lesser known classics to break up your usual nights set???

I wish I had set rut.
I could put my set on an MP3 player and sit back and relax.

I find my gigs are hard to gauge.
Heavy metal at a 60th birthday party.
Club music at a 50's engagement party.

[Penfold42]

Good thread.............








I've never laughed so much..........:D :D :D :D :D

[BeerFunk]

Just a comment on Mixes, I tend to create my own using coolEDIT and save them as an mp3.
I usualy take 3 or 4 current tunes which I've found work together and mix them, I also do the same with classic tunes that I always tend to play together.

I keep them for a month or so or till I get bored. I then scrap them and start again with new tunes.Interesting... I also re-edit tracks to make them more mobile/commercial DJ friendly. More often than not, I edit 12" mixes into 4-4½ minute formats, and another recent example was when I did the opposite, and added an intro on to 'American Boy'.


It's nothing to do with being lazy though. If something works well, it makes sense to use it...whether it's a megamix or not.Yeah, they have their time and place, but some megamixes should never reach a mixer :mad:

And it can be 'lazy', when the DJ just bungs them on because he can't be bothered standing at his decks and... doing his job! :rolleyes: