Calling all OCUK DJ's

Alfie

Alfie

Alfie

Associate
Joined
4 Dec 2008
Posts
1,620
Location
Sheffield
I have been mixing drum and bass for years and without blowing my own trumpet I am very good. The problem Is I just don't have the confidence to play out to a big crowd. Despite knowing I'm good, I even crumble when someone walks into my bedroom, I just get all shaky.

I go out to so many clubs and hate it cus I know I could be making money and mixing better than plenty of the residents.

I would like some advice on how to get over these feelings, has anyone else been through the same thing? I just can't stand it if my mix isn't perfect and I always go for the ambitious mixes, maybe I should simplify?

Confidence boost and advice please.
 
Start small and do bigger and bigger gigs, I would start DJ'ing at friends parties or something to get you going as they will be more forgiving.

I have the same issue with my singing, i'm fine until its infront of anyone :(

I think practice is the only thing you can really do to get over something like this.
 
I have the musical talent of a flatulent dog but I know I would be exactly the same as I have been learning the guitar.

My advice would be to start small. Get a few mates found for a free house and provide the tunes. They should expect anything as they're not a paying croud and you can try showing off the ambitious stuff and then if it all goes belly up you can just laugh it off and move on.
 
Do it is the easiest way, or do something totally different. If you for instance know of anywhere doing kareokes go down there and sing, you might feel like an idiot but it makes you a lot more confident when being in front of crowds. A few years I wouldnt touch microphones, doesnt bother me at all really now.
 
Just go for it!!

Once you're there you'll love it. You may have the odd glitch but overall the atmosphere will keep you going.

I've only done a few small parties for friends and family and let the technology do the work rather than having any actual skill. I was nervous at the first party (40 people) but after 30 mins I loved it.

Doing a Halloween party on saturday where there should be around 150 people there.
 
Ive dj'd at plenty of clubs etc in my hometown never had a resident spot though, there are two routes to go down to get into a club.
1. Plenty of clubs have special nights on that are not organised by the club but by a 3rd party, i was lucky as in my case people from my college were the 3rd party knew me from dj-ing at parties etc and asked me to play, once you have done a few of these if you get good reaction it gets easier to get more as you start to know the people in the scene who are organising these events and they get to know you.
2. if you want to go straight to be employed by a club rather than just doin odd nights here and there you probably wont be able to go straigh into doing no matter how good you are. you will probably need to start off doing light mixing etc and work your way up to getting an off peak dj-spot, and then it builds from there.
 
I have been djin for 11years + now Drum and bass & old school ... played with Nicky B, Ray Keith, vibes etc... Dont play as much anymore as i have other work to do

Best thing to do is:

Make up a set
Make sure the start is awesome as it gets everyone goin
Just stay in your own world behind the decks and just have a laugh
Bring a friend (get him to rig up ;))

Everyone gets nervous it just gets a bit easier each time

Let us know how it goes
 
Just go out and do it! :)

Don't worry about making mistakes mixing.. You'll probably think a mix is bad but 99% of people on the dance floor won't have even noticed. Club systems are generally very forgiving too so you can get away with a lot. Just don't take it too seriously, just go with the intention of having fun and doing something you love doing, if you screw up a few mixes don't let it bother you! I've done a few horrific trainwrecks in clubs in the past and by the time the next tune is brought in, everyone has forgotten about it! :)

Get practicing at a few house parties, have a few drinks and just have a play about with someone else etc, you'll soon have the confidence.

Maybe try streaming online? That was how I started then I ended up with a time slot on DI.fm and they eventually paid for me to go to Sweden and Norway to play live for them! :D
 
I started at friends parties (for free) and then went on to paid gigs at friends of friends parties, eventually onto bars, then clubs. All from either word of mouth (friend's friends were at a party, or were recommended by a friend) or from people hearing my performance (club managers hearing me whilst out in a bar etc.)

I did get lucky when starting out in bars though, a friend called me because his regular DJ was sick. I ended up replacing him :p

You'll only be able to combat the nerves by just getting on with it. Once you get that euphoric feeling, when the crowd really respond to *your* music/mixing, you'll never be nervous again. Just drop in Snapshot or Original Nutta' and you'll see what I mean :p
 
If you party a fair amount, you are bound to meet people hosting smaller nights.

Get your demos out and start off with a warm-up set. Smaller crowd, time for you to get a feel for playing outside your bedroom, and take it from there.

I've been bedroom djing for 10 years now, but only since last year did I move from house-party to bar to actual club. :)
 
i doubt it is so much about confidence and more to do with concentration.

if someone walks in your room you start to use brain power to think about stuff other than mixing, you need all the concentration possible to mix hense why you may mess up

invite people round while you have a mix so you can practise making lots of mistakes, once you get used to making mistakes while people are there you wont mind so much if a few slip out in a mix. 99 times out of 100 people are completly deaf to any mistake you will make and those that do hear usually dont care, your idea of a crap mix vastly different to the audience, and thats in your favour ;)
 
try recording yourself and putting it on youtube, a virtual audience. If you are as good as you say then you should get enough positive comments to help you make the step to live performances.
 
As already said. Houseparties for mates

Even a very big clubs and venues things mess up. Mics turn off, speakers blow etc. At Vfest this year, cant remember who was playing but the speakers bust and they all carried on playing, just rocking out any everyone was loving it. Global gathering 06 the speakers stopped working when Proteus was playing (nice sig street btw)

Have a couple of drinks may help too (not a bottle of vodka though!)
 
jaxon said:
99 times out of 100 people are completly deaf to any mistake you will make and those that do hear usually dont care, your idea of a crap mix vastly different to the audience, and thats in your favour ;)
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Massively massively huge point here. I remember really botching a mix, but because I was bringing in the most popular track at the time (Sexy Cinderella) no body gave a crap and they still went mental :/
 
Guest2 said:
Even a very big clubs and venues things mess up. Mics turn off, speakers blow etc. At Vfest this year, cant remember who was playing but the speakers bust and they all carried on playing, just rocking out any everyone was loving it. Global gathering 06 the speakers stopped working when Proteus was playing (nice sig street btw)
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Hes my DJ hero.. Him and Lab4! :)

I played down in Chesterfield once and I had no end of problems with the kit.. The guy playing before me was on CD decks and they plugged the 1210s into the wrong channels when I started, meaning my left fader was right deck and vice versa, then the mixer blew halfway through my set, then the headphone socket was dodgy on the replacement mixer so I had loads of crackling! A lot of the kit in clubs has taken a beating so isn't usually the best to play on..
 
I learnt to mix of crappy belt drive decks, I then went into a DJ comp at my uni, and it was my first time using direct drives! :eek: Needless to say, I trainwrecked all the mixes, and after that experience I now have no problems playing out, even tho most of the event's I have done have been borderline squat parties... I wouldn't say no to playing at fabric however... For the record (haha!), I use 1210's now. :p

My advice, just play for free in room 2/3 for a few nights, even if you trainwreck, it's not the end of the world... It's all about confidence, and having to deal with shonky decks with crazy out of whack pitch control! ;)
 
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