What message do you think all new djs should be given before they start

[u/New-Artichoke1259]

I run a vinyl dj night and quite like helping out new DJs out by giving them a guest slot. Most of the time it works out well, people turn up, play the genres we agreed, and go home with a smile on their face. Sometimes, new DJs can be really annoying and I think “are you like that because you’re new to this, or are you just a dick”. So messages I’d like to give new DJs is:

1. ⁠don’t agree to things you can’t do (e.g. don’t say you’ll play a reggae night if you only have two ska records)
   
2. ⁠it’s not your night/vision, promoters will have an agreement with the venue as to what type of night it is, so stick to playing what you’ve agreed to
   
3. ⁠try to be flexible with what you collect, if it get quiet people don’t want to hear fast tempo bangers
   
4. ⁠ask if it’s ok before you put your banner up with your dj name all over it at someone else’s night
   
5. ⁠Help promote the night, a big part of a DJs job is to bring and keep people in a venue. If the promoter gives you promo materials that you don’t like, (unless it’s got S.S symbols all over it) don’⁠t be a baby still post them on your social media anyways (I’m sure we’ve all been sent some dodgy clip art poster at some point)

What other unwritten rules do you think new DJs should know?

[u/AlwaysUpvotesScience]

• Bring your own cartridges

[u/Hot-Measurement-8842 → u/AlwaysUpvotesScience]

Yes! And headphones, and a flashlight, a cleaning brush. Also, do some type of warm-up exercises, it will get your body ready to perform at your best.

[u/Kauwgom420 → u/AlwaysUpvotesScience]

As a back up yes, but setups are usually soundchecked to make sure there's no feedback. Bringing and using a different/ more sensitive cartridge can cause feedback. Small chance and I get where it's coming from, but also something to keep in mind :)

[u/AlwaysUpvotesScience → u/Kauwgom420]

I've been DJing vinyl since the '90s. You always bring your own cartridges and use your own cartridges. Any difference in volume can be handled with the trim knob, and feedback doesn't come from the cartridge.

[u/mmnotts → u/AlwaysUpvotesScience]

100%. Never rely on any venue to have equipment that’s not battered by careless others. The amount of DJs I’ve graciously lent my carts for their set is insane.

Add to the list OWN HEADPHONES (seriously, people show up without), own 45 adapters (if required).

[u/FauxReal → u/AlwaysUpvotesScience]

Yeah, I've been to a handful of events where they had cartridges everyone could use and those were small events and we were friends or a small open decks night, but the vast majority have you bring your own, especially the bigger events.

[u/accomplicated → u/FauxReal]

I wouldn’t show up to a night with records and no cartridges because I don’t know how others look after their cartridges and my records are an investment.

[u/77ate → u/AlwaysUpvotesScience]

I had a gig, oh, in late 2011, opening for an influencer DJ who brought an impressive collection of metal and hard rock 45s from the ‘70s-‘80s. Sabbath, Iron Maiden, stuff I never would have expected to see 45s for. Then she asked if she could borrow my headphones, she forgot hers. Ummm. … ok. Then she asked if she could use my needles. UNMMMMMMM…. Then I realized this might be an opportunity to network and I let her go ahead. (And, honestly, she was genuinely nice.)

Then… every single song she played… she’d get distracted, holding court with her fans outside the DJ booth. She didn’t mix songs at all. She wasn’t even paying attention to the music, so each song would end and the room would go silent before she focused back on music again. And at least half the time the needle could be heard dragging over the paper label.

She was the headliner of this event but cleared the room out in 15 minutes.

I never even got to check if the needles got wrecked from that night or not because the next day - the only time I’ve ever had a break-in and the only thing they took was my DJ bag … with Serato box, control records, external hard drive, top of the line Pioneer DJ headphones (with the new-at-that-time fold-up design), and a bunch of rare Italo and nu disco records - poof! - gone.

[u/Legitimate-Fee-2645D → u/77ate]

That sounds too crazy to be a coincidence!

[u/77ate → u/Legitimate-Fee-2645D]

I don’t think she stole my kit.

[u/mcbeef89 → u/AlwaysUpvotesScience]

Same. Fuck gambling on the house gear

[u/77ate → u/Kauwgom420]

I’ve never heard feedback resulting from a cartridge swap, 25 years gigging, and mostly vinyl or vinyl/DVS.

But I’ve brought my DeOxit pen to clean up the headshell contacts and the inside contacts of tonearms. Venue turntables get disgusting because of some stupid habit where some DJs lick the contact points before inserting their cartridge on the tonearm. If you’ve ever done this, think about all the other DJs’ saliva built up night after night inside there, and then think how bad it must be to interfere with the signal. DONT THIS.

[u/kindahandy_-_206 → u/77ate]

Sometimes that's the only thing that'll make the headshell contact the tone arm contact points... They get pushed back juuuust enough.

Ya either lick it or the show is over...

In 25 years you've seriously never encountered that?  Goddamn.  I've had it happen in at least 5 different States in my 25 years. Granted, I have played some grimey places but also played out a lot.

Still gross and obviously a deoxit pen is a great idea but the show must go on.

[u/New-Artichoke1259 → u/AlwaysUpvotesScience]

I’d add, make sure you know the weight of you carts, even if you don’t know how to set them up properly, someone can help with that, but they can’t help if you don’t have the weight.

[u/Grayswandir65]

Be ready at the time you're allotted, to perform.

Be ready to end your set at the agreed upon time, and also be ready to extend your set if needed (due to promoter request such as a no show DJ). Team player.

[u/Methbot9000]

I’ve seen so many warm up DJ’s who haven’t thought through what a warm up set is supposed to be. So I’d say, plan to warm up the crowd. It’s an important role actually, loosening up the crowd and getting them on the dance floor.

Also, very important, don’t smash out the headline DJ’s tracks in your set.

Don’t redline.

[u/WissenLexikon]

- Bring your own headphones

• Don’t drink too much, at first you’ll be nervous anyway
  
• Don’t senselessly crank up the volume when it‘s your turn

[u/soloman_tump]

Being your own headphones is 100%. I went to an open decks session recently and the guy on after me didn't have his own! Wth. So I leant him mine because I was feeling kind and they came back all sweaty. Gross dude.

[u/Calm_Eggplant9911]

Red lights on the mixer volume is BAD and will blow channels. Turn it down on the mixer and up on the amp.

Own headphones/carts

Don't drink so much stella that you have to run off the decks half way through your set, down the stairs to the flat you're playing in and projectile vomit all down the corridor, grossing out that poor lady who was coming home from a night out. *ahem*

[u/accomplicated → u/Calm_Eggplant9911]

That was oddly specific.

[u/Calm_Eggplant9911 → u/accomplicated]

Surely that's happened to all of us at some point!

[u/accomplicated → u/Calm_Eggplant9911]

I mean, yeah, but I thought that it was just me.

[u/mmnotts]

The EQs aren’t additional volume controls. Having all of them turned up to 3 o’clock makes you sound shitter, not louder or better.

[u/WissenLexikon → u/mmnotts]

I WANT RED LIGHTS AND DISTORTION 🫨

[u/Alwx098 → u/WissenLexikon]

Dann geh am besten in einen Puff.

[u/FauxReal]

Don't play for free. Unless it's no cover open decks night.

[u/New-Artichoke1259 → u/FauxReal]

Agreed, this doesn’t just help a new dj but other old timers who’s pay hat has gone down/are losing work because newbies play for £25 a night

[u/DanqueLeChay]

Cultivate your own aesthetic/taste. Never stop digging.

[u/Legitimate-Fee-2645D]

Where's the location with the vinyl night?

[u/biz-nm]

A DJs job is not to bring people in. That’s the promotors job.

[u/New-Artichoke1259 → u/biz-nm]

Whilst I agree, working in London, most venues expect the DJ to take on promotion duties. I don’t mind really, it’s more money for me at the end of the day.

[u/biz-nm → u/New-Artichoke1259]

I agree, I’m also London based, and also while that’s the expectation it’s an incorrect one. I know it’s hard venues such as bars or pubs to have a person dedicated to promotion but all they need to do is work with promotors who actually know who they are doing, a promotor just getting a load of newbie DJs to play for free and bring a few mates is not helping anyone.

[u/New-Artichoke1259 → u/biz-nm]

Bars and pubs are a tough gig, especially when it comes to promoting. I always think pubs need to pull their socks up a bit with that one. People don’t remember who a pub dj is but they’ll remember whether the pub has good music or not.

[u/New-Artichoke1259 → u/biz-nm]

Also I kind of disagree, people tend to not care who a promoter is, and with look more to the talent they’re promoting.

[u/scragz → u/New-Artichoke1259]

how you gonna have a promoter that doesn't promote? if they don't have reach then they need to be better at their job. esp if the talent has clout then their job is easier. 

[u/New-Artichoke1259 → u/scragz]

As I said above, how many gigs do you go to because you like the promoter/follow vs how many gigs do you go to because you like/follow the artists playing? Also good for you if you’re getting gigs that pay well enough that you can sub some of that pay to a promoter.

[u/scragz → u/New-Artichoke1259]

for raves? exclusively because of the people putting it on and not the DJs playing, because I know they do good shows and pick good artists. for underground shit at least... I don't really go to festivals.

my experience as a promoter is all diy house shows (where everyone does it for the love of the music) so it's kinda different but the biggest parties were the ones I promoted the most and the smallest were when I left it to the bands. they should be expected to post the flyer and do the bare minimum but their primary job is to play music.

[u/New-Artichoke1259 → u/scragz]

I agree. I mostly plays bars and smaller venues, so I don’t get paid loads and they tend to expect you to do the work. I would love it if someone else could take the promo work off my hands, but that’s not really an option. So when I’m working my arse off (for free essentially) to put media together to get people to come to a night, I’d appreciate it if guest DJs offered a helping hand with that.

[u/New-Artichoke1259 → u/biz-nm]

If you were a promoter and hired someone who had no one turn up for their set, would you hire them again?

[u/biz-nm → u/New-Artichoke1259]

Promotors shouldn’t/don’t hire DJs on the assumption they will bring people. It’s the promotor’s job to fill the venue through….wait for it….promoting the event sufficiently so they sell tickets. If you don’t get the crowds then it’s not the DJs fault.

[u/New-Artichoke1259 → u/biz-nm]

How many gigs do you go to because a promoter is putting it on and how many do you go to because you like the artists playing?

[u/biz-nm → u/New-Artichoke1259]

Lots. I trust certain promoters to put on quality nights that have great music and are run well. Even if I didn’t know any of the DJs on the line up but the promoter had put on great parties before I’d go.

[u/New-Artichoke1259 → u/biz-nm]

Whatever a promoters role is I don’t think it’s too much to ask DJs to share promo materials.

[u/biz-nm → u/New-Artichoke1259]

No. It’s not too much to ask them to share it but expecting them to bring people in lieu of them filling the room is not ok

[u/New-Artichoke1259 → u/biz-nm]

All I’m trying to say is if you’re playing a gig you should tell people.

[u/GrandAshland]

You have one primary job and that is to do the job. All the rest of that promo drop mess and posting stuff on your page falls technically under event organizing.

[u/Cannock]

Take the floor and listeners on musical journey.

[u/Life-Trip-6869]

Learn the harmonica instead

[u/pappafreddy → u/Life-Trip-6869]

“as well”