Chapter 26

Ten Items to Take with You When DJing

In This Chapter

Tooling up for a night of DJing

Remembering things that will help to keep you going through the night

Getting home with your head out of the clouds

From the obvious items like your CDs, records and headphones, to the less obvious matter of taking some refreshments and something you can use to record your mix, the ten items I describe in this chapter are everything you need for a successful night on the decks.

You may want to stick a note of the following items to the back of your door or next to your car keys, so that you can check it before you leave the house. (And take the list with you, so you know to bring everything back!)

All the Right Records or Bits

You may have thousands of records or CDs in your collection. Make sure that you take the right ones with you. Checking for one last time that you’ve picked up the right box or CD wallet won’t hurt! Also take a carbon brush to clean your records, and a soft cloth for CDs.

If you’re a digital DJ, you’re likely to take your entire setup, not just a drive with music on it. Don’t assume that a club will have a digital setup for you to use – most don’t (this is why it’s important to research a club’s setup before you turn up). You need to pack your computer, controller (including control vinyl if you use it), audio interface, cables and music, to make sure you aren’t caught out by anything when you arrive.

Boot up your computer and test that everything works before you pack it up and leave for the night; have a quick glance to check that your music library is all there too! In a perfect world, you have a backup controller, computer and audio interface – but because you’re unlikely to want to spend money on backup kit, make sure at the very least that you have a backup external hard drive containing all your music and a copy of the software’s music library database.

Making It Personal with Headphones and Slipmats

Have a last check to make sure that your headphones still work and that you have any adaptors you need to make them work. If you use headphones that you can repair with spare parts (like the Sennheiser HD25s), take your bag of tools and spares.

Put your slipmats between some records in the record box so they stay flat and undamaged. And remember to put them back at the end of the night!

Using your own slipmats prevents any problems with fluffy, thick, dirty slipmats that a club may use. Basic slipmats on a club’s set of decks may create a lot of drag and, even worse, may damage your records due to dirt and crusted beer spillages.

You’re a Star! Taking a Digital Recorder/Blank CD

Make the most of every opportunity by recording yourself in the mix, which is especially helpful at the start of your career. You’ll benefit dramatically, because you can study your performance and improve on it. If a club doesn’t have any means to record the mix (check beforehand), take along something you can use to record your mix so you can take away evidence that you rocked the crowd!

Spreading the Music with Demos

Nothing beats someone asking for a copy of your work after hearing you play in a club. Nothing’s worse than not having one with you. Take a few CDs of your most recent mix (check out Chapter 19 for tips on how to create the best-sounding and best-looking CD) and hand them out with a smile on your face.

A few examples of your best work are also handy if someone wants to book you for a night somewhere. If you give people a great mix to take away, they won’t forget about you – just remember to include your phone number!

Always Being Prepared: Pen and Paper

Not just for taking phone numbers of good-looking clientele, a pen and paper is also useful for taking requests, sending drinks orders to the bar and swapping phone numbers with people who want to book you.

Packing Your Tools and Saving the Day

Any homeowner knows that the only tools you need are WD-40 and duct tape. But if you want to get fancy, throw some different sized and shaped screwdrivers into a bag too, because you never know when you may need a Phillips-head screwdriver to save the day.

Keeping Fuelled with Food and Drink

Unfortunately, you’re not there to have a picnic; you’ve got a job to do. But take some sustenance to keep you going in case your body needs fuel. Keep one or two cans of your chosen energy drink with you, and if you start to flag halfway through the night, drink one for the caffeine fix.

Be warned, though, that some people don’t react well to the sudden hit of caffeine. So in the middle of a set in front of a lot of people isn’t the best time to find out whether your body likes caffeine and guarana!

In addition to an energy drink, you also need to take something to eat in case you get hungry. Hunger can be distracting, and you won’t be as attentive to the crowd’s needs. Wine gums and jelly babies give you a quick sugar fix and they contain almost no fat. An energy bar gives you a better range of nutrients and fills you up for longer, but it has a higher fat content and some taste like cardboard!

Keeping Moving with Car Keys

You’re not going to get far without your car keys. I’ve spent many an evening standing at the boot of the car, head in hands in disbelief that I left my keys behind again! Okay if you’re just leaving your house, but not okay if your keys are in your jacket pocket in the locked-up club in which you’ve just played.

Have Wallet, Will Travel

You never know when you’ll need a little cash, either for taxis home (because you left your car keys behind) or just to go grab some pasta after your set.

If you have a few business cards, keep them in your wallet or purse, so they are on hand to give out when you need to do some self-promotion.

Just Chilling: Chill Mix for the Ride Home

Sometimes, I finish my set at 4 o’clock in the morning and am in no mood to keep the buzz going by listening to more pumping tunes on the way home. So I keep a copy of the soundtrack to the film The Big Blue in my car for such occasions. It contains some of the most fantastic pieces of music I’ve heard in a long time. My wife, Julie, worries about the music sending me to sleep on the drive home, but all it does is take the edge off the natural high I’ve got from an evening of energy and musical rapture (but it doesn’t do much about the caffeine rush I have due to one too many of those energy drinks!).

I recommend the film too …