Playing in a club/mobile, What to do in between toons!

0:00 Had an email from someone and they've asked me this

Alright folks, had an email from someone and they've asked me this. Should they be standing around whilst one track is playing prior to them waiting to bring the next one in? In other words, imagine this scenario. Let's say for example you're in a nightclub. You've got a track here playing on your vinyl turntable, your CDJ on your PC program or whatever. That one's playing quite happily. That track has got five minutes before you know you want to mix the next one in. Should you just be standing around? Well that's the question that this chap's asked. Well the answer to that is no, because believe me there is a lot to do. One hell of a lot to do. Now first of all I want you to imagine this scenario. Let's go to America years ago when the cowboys used to herd, I don't know, the horses or the cattle across the plains. Now if you think about it, if they knew that those cattle...

0:51 They were continually thinking about what direction those horses, the

Those horses would just go in a straight line, they could sit there on their horse quite happily and chat to each other. They were continually thinking about what direction those horses, the cattle, would go. At any one time they could all of a sudden just zoom off and run away and they would have to shoot after them as fast as they could and try to herd them back in that straight line. What a DJ has to cope with. The crowd, you must imagine them as the cattle, as the horses. They're happy, they're dancing to the music, but all of a sudden they may not want to dance to that music. They may start to go off slightly and you've got to try and herd them back. So here's the deal. The track you're actually playing could be fantastic. All of a sudden you may see something change on the dance floor.

2:14 I have to wait about 5 minutes to mix the other one in

Therefore, the track you've actually got ready to mix in may not be the appropriate track to mix in. So, guess what? You may have to take that off and put something else on. So your mind has to be continually active and you've got to continually look at the crowd to make sure they're happy. Also, another thing, the guy said, I mean no disrespect, but he said, right, where are we now? One thing that's been bothering me, what to do when I'm playing a record. I have to wait about 5 minutes to mix the other one in. Should I just stand there? Well of course no, because people want to see the DJ enjoying themselves. That sometimes is a very important thing, because if the DJ's jumping around, bouncing and having a lot of fun, the crowd will get vibes from that, they'll get feedback, and they will do exactly the same. If you're just standing there like this, then they're going to think you're either a plonker, an ignorant nutter.

So, you've got to jump around and enjoy yourself. Always try and look at the crowd and follow what the crowd want. And always think about the music you're going to play. Don't just go in and slap a record on. Look at the crowd because they will tell you what tunes to play next. Practice and enjoy.

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