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How To Read A Crowd (And What Happens If You Don’t)

The Kids Want Techno

What happens when a DJ gets it spectacularly wrong? DJ Mikey Four tells all...

A while ago, I spent the night in a warehouse club in east London watching a well-known, well-loved, and highly respected techno DJ completely clear a room down to just the bar staff, all the while resolutely ploughing his way through a set he had clearly planned for the night.

It could be said that he was being pioneering, playing music that the crowd didn’t get yet, but would in the weeks or months to come. That’s certainly not without precedent, but really he wasn’t, in my opinion. It could be said that they crowd were just luddites and not in the right club (you’ve not truly suffered as a DJ until you’ve been booked for completely the wrong club night) – but they had all come directly from a festival where the last few acts had been exactly like this guy and, actually, people had started dancing pretty much as soon as they arrived.

 

 

No, this DJ simply got it wrong. Spectacularly so, I would say. Despite having a laptop (rather than a crate of unforgiving vinyl); despite having the benefit of watching the warm-up DJ get the crowd going; and despite having the time to read the crowd before even playing a single track, he still chose a set that was so dark and claustrophobic that people voted with their feet, and the party DJs in the other room suddenly found their room not just busy but holding two rooms’-worth of people desperate for a dance.

What went wrong?

This DJ forgot something many of us forget from time to time; as a DJ, you’re an entertainer. Your fee comes from the cash in the pockets of the people who have come to the club. And if you’re the headliner, as this DJ was, you’re also the main reason they’ve chosen to part with their money. To me, this is a contract that both parties enter into – the crowd have come to hear you, they should know what to expect and should receive you accordingly. But in return you should give the crowd what they want.

Fatboy Slim

Fatboy Slim: One DJ who's happily acknowledged that DJing is fundamentally about entertainment, not 'art'. Pic: Guardian

Now, I’m not saying a party hits set is the right way to go, or that a dark and claustrophobic one is the wrong way. Far from it. I can imagine any number of venues where one or other set would be most (un)welcome.

But what I am saying is that you have a responsibility to understand where you are going to be playing and the crowd you are going to play to. As digital DJs we even have the luxury of not having to decide at home on these things: We can arrive with one set in mind, take a look at the crowd and pretty painlessly pull together a different one – so there’s even less of an excuse.

Getting the balance right

So, should you always play what the crowd wants? Hell no! Someone will always ask for Beyonce but that doesn’t mean you have to play it and suddenly switch to a set of commercial r’n'b. However, if you’re fielding a lot of requests for stuff like Beyonce, what might that tell you? Is there a way you can turn this knowledge to your advantage by building a set that plays to their tastes whilst still representing the music you love and want to play?

People are individuals, but a crowd is a collective. It’s an odd thing to believe until you experience it for the first time…

People are individuals, but a crowd is a collective. It’s an odd thing to believe until you experience it for the first time, but it’s true; people on a dancefloor share a common vibe. And, worse, it can change from night to night, even in the same club. The reasons can be impossible to fathom but if you learn to feel that vibe, to read the crowd early on in your set, you can use that shared connection to structure your set for maximum effect, while still maintaining your own style and track selections.

What you do when you’ve got a bead on the crowd is for another article, but today I’ll let you into a few tricks I use to get a feel for that vibe as quickly as possible.

 

 

Working out what a crowd wants

So, what are you looking for? Well, the obvious thing is people dancing. But what if you’re doing an early set into a later one? People won’t be dancing when you start. In this case you’ve got lots of time to move around the tempo and styles you like and take a gauge of what works – but, again, what are you looking for? It’s definitely a gut thing, but things to look out for are:

  • Girls dancing – This is always a good sign, as girls are less inhibited and warm the boys up for dancing. Be careful though – that hen party crowd might not be the tastemakers you’re looking for!
  • Nodding heads, tapping feet and relaxed smiles – People might not be dancing but they are looking for reassurance that they’re in the right place for the night ahead. They’re practically willing you to play something they’re into
  • A move towards the dancefloor – If people are milling around the dancefloor it’s often a good sign you’re on the right track. People are feeling your music and responding, perhaps even subconsciously

As I say, it’s definitely an instinct thing too. A game I sometimes play with other DJs and promoters when in a strange venue is the “spot the problems” game, where we discuss what’s wrong with the night.

Is the music off the mark? Is it too loud, or quiet? Are the lights too high, or too long?

Is the music off the mark? Is it too loud, or quiet? Are the lights too high, or too long? Are the security too brusque? Are the drinks too pricey or is the time to get served too long? (It’s kind of hard not to do after a while, in fact.)

But hold on, you might say: Most of those issues are not the DJ’s problem! Well, they are not the DJ’s fault, no, but they might be your problem, because they all change the vibe of the crowd.

 

 

Give yourself the best chance

So, you’ve got a booking coming up in the next few weeks? Congratulations! Now, on top of everything else you do to make the night a success, add these last few steps to your “to do” list and see if you find it helps you.

  1. Turn up early – Spend time in the room you’ll be playing in before you start. Try to get a feel for the crowd by being part of it
  2. Watch and listen – Learn how to read the signs of the crowd in this particular venue. (After all, even if you’ve hit the mark and they are going nuts for your set, you’re still going to need to know when it’s time to give them a change of style or rest)
  3. Speak to the promoter and other DJs who’ve played there before – They can help prime you before you even hit the venue

Here’s another story for you. At the start of the past weekend I watched a number of groups of people walk into a bar/club, pay their entrance fee, head to the bar and, in the time between that point and getting asked what they wanted to drink, decide they didn’t want to hear the rare groove DJ and leave.

Bar

You want to make people feel welcome when they buy their first drink, not drive them away...

They had paid to get in, but it was a Friday and they had no care that the DJ was “building up to the party set”. It was gone midnight and it was time to party. The next DJ played a house set that was unashamedly commercial and the sense of relief in the room was palpable. People even started streaming in when they heard it through the doors on the street.

Steve Jobs used to say that people don’t know what they want until you show it to them. I’d add that people don’t know they want until they hear it. But the truth is that unless you play the right set, they won’t know they are hearing it.

In a future article I’ll talk about how I use the entertainer role to be an educator, too.

• Mikey (Mikey Four) is a London-based DJ who has also played regularly in Munich, Barcelona, Ghent, and Madrid as well as at a number of festivals/events including Camden Crawl, Reading, Reeperbahn and Isen. Fully digital since 2009, he currently writes and speaks about DJing, hosts a radio show and is learning digital production. Visit his Facebook Page.

Have you seen DJs spectacularly fail in this way? Have you done it yourself? What did you learn? Is it a DJ’s goal to please the crowd in front of him, or just to play what he wants? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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48 Responses to “How To Read A Crowd (And What Happens If You Don’t)”
  1. Listening to the crowd is important when DJing. But being apart of the crowd is essential. You need to understand what they want to get out from the night, and incorporate it with what you want to put in to the night. It’s a skill in itself. As mentioned, a well known and reputable DJ who one would expect to kill a dancefloor, did exactly that (Excuse the major paradox). Back in South Africa some of my DJ friends actually bring one of their buddies along with them to gigs, for the purpose of being an “MC” of sorts. Normally they won’t touch a mic, unless it’s to pump a little hype into a crowd, but normally their job will be solely to anticipate and watch a crowd, and from their impressions of what the crowd is feeling, he advises the actual DJ, telling him what track to put in. It sounds extremely lame but I’ve seen it work wonders, because it enables the DJ to focus solely on the technical stuff, like knowing when to add an effect, kill some bass, keep it succinct & fresh, and leaves all the corner-of-my-eye stuff to the MC. I don’t know if this technique is used anywhere else, I’ve never heard of it past South Africa.. HYPE IS ESSENTIAL!

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  2. Kore scott says:

    Good article, I think even mobile dj’s can relate to this. I DJ at alot of proms and dances and I don’t want to be “that guy” that never takes requests but theres been many times where someone requests a song and I cant help but think… “this guys gotta be messing with me, how do I mix jay z and mettalica?” maybe at home after 30 minutes of key changing and cue points but to do it in a live set? If I was that good I wouldnt be doing high school dances. Sometimes you have to let people know that thats a good song but just doesnt fit the vibe.

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  3. Geoff Short says:

    Great article and insights into reading a club crowd. I’m a mobile DJ, but a lot of this can be transferred into the wedding reception/private event scene too. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. sam says:

    @gabriel:
    AndrewAndrew put that into perfektion. there was an interview here, where they explain how one is allways watching the crowd while the other djs. and as they can also just pick up their ipads and march onto the dancefloor while still djing, they got the crowd-control down to a t :)

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  5. dj_spark says:

    I will also add that going into the room before playing will help you to identify some of your friends/followers and talking with them will give you hints and peace of mind.
    When you will leave him/them, they will also said something nice about you to the others beside them, so this will already put a few people into your pocket for the following.

    If you play into an unknown place, always bring someone you can trust into, he will always make you a sign or send some text to phone to give your the temperature down there on the dancefloor or telling you how it sounds (EQ, gain).

    I have heard of some djs that bring chicks to dance at the early begining of the party to attract other people on the dancefloor.

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  6. sameoldsong says:

    this topic has been discussed a million times. the idea of the DJ as an entertainer as opposed to an artist is not new. but all right, i’ll add my 2c.

    if you DJ for a living, and play to an uneducated crowd, you will have to compromise on your musical selection. BFD. it’s a job. you get paid. you wanna put food on the table. you are not prostituting yourself. instead, you are being a professional.

    for me, DJing is not a primary source of income. i only take gigs where i expect the crowd to be educated. i can afford to play only the music that i “feel.” i will adjust the “intensity” of the music, the tempo, how melodic the tracks are, etc., in response to the crowd. but i won’t play guetta. if they don’t book me again, so what? i don’t wanna play for folks that don’t appreciate my music.

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    • You appear as one of those elitists that don’t get many gigs. Then get all upset when they see others getting gigs.

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      • Dreamr says:

        That’s not elitist, not in the negative sense. I play as many gigs as I have time for (1-3 a week) and I only play what I like. Fortunately the the guy above, my bookings are already stocked with fans of electro, and I take them into sub genres from there.

        You don’t have to knock someone else down to feel cool. Apple doesn’t sell shit computers, and I don’t DJ pop, hip hop, or r&b or dubsteb and I am waaaaaay happier for it.

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      • Matt says:

        I hear you but there is a limit. A good compromise is bringing your own style but dropping the odd commercial cheese to get them loosened up.

        That said, I just can’t play some of the commercial stuff these days and believe me I’ve tried. It hurts too much.

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      • Phil Morse says:

        I don’t think sameoldsong is being an elitist either, he’s just saying he chooses to play to crowds who like his kind of thing, because he can afford to do that. I understand that.

        But if you can “expand” what you respect and enjoy or learn to build some flexibility in, you can play more gigs and still stay true to yourself… and to me no true DJ hand on heart can say he’s not just a little but jealous of another DJ with a great crowd eating out of the palm of his hand, whatever the musical style.

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      • luke james taylor says:

        You are right it is elitism but that is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s the tribal elitism of the musical obsessive that created so much we adore. If everyone refused to be elitist and just played what the crowd wanted we would never have been blessed by the likes of Larry Levan or John Peel. It is the desire to crate dig for those unheard of gems and create new sounds that feeds DJ culture. If some of us don’t stick to our musical values but instead start playing Lady Gaga and David Guetta whenever the girls ask for it then DJ culture would suffer. I grew up in a thriving multicultural city where the majority of people had underground musical tastes. Before I moved to Asia I could count the amount of people I knew who liked commercial music on one hand. I consider myself an elitist and will try at all costs to avoid playing commercial music because I actually dislike it but we all have to put food on the table so sometimes it has to be done. I did a wedding on Sunday and prepared a lovely set of disco and quality pop classics like Wild Cherry, The Emotions, Prince and Cameo but I just got blank stares so I had to bite the bullet and play Guetta, Gaga and other stuff I find deeply painful on the ear. So musical elitism isn’t such a bad thing but occasionally if all else fails you might have to break out the fromage. PS: In my book there are two types of DJs, the straight up entertainers (Mobile/wedding DJs) whose job it is to take requests, spin le fromage and pretty much play anything the crowd wants regardless of the DJs tastes. The other type of DJ is a connoisseur of sounds who takes you on an adventure full of surprises.

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      • Phil Morse says:

        However, self indulgence is too common which pleases nobody and often pushes no boundaries, only exposing the limitations of the “DJ” concerned.

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    • rikv says:

      A crowd to be educated???
      Never underestimate the crowd.
      Don’t think people will dance to the tunes you enforce on them.

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      • Most people would agree that if you play what the people want to hear, they respond to you and the night. Just some things I’ve been reading above that disturb me about people being an entertainer they actually think they are. Why does someone, looking for a good time, have to be educated about your version of music. Play the crowd, play the room. That will do the Club owner and the people justice. They are all paying for the night. Your expendable. Playing what people are use to listening to on the radio, should never be considered “commercial cheese”. It’s what people are exposed to. It’s what they want and sometimes expect. Be different if you asked your requester if you could add a few things to make it fun. I’ve seen DJ’s clear floors, mixing and editing while a popular song was playing. Most people don’t want to hear a song messed up that you can’t figure out when it started or end and only heard a few familar parts. My speciality is “learn the words and the meaning of the song” and apply it in a fun way to the crowd. If you got a rowdy crowd they respond. Especiallly when you know your crowd. ENTERTAIN…

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    • djN8G says:

      Wow…

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  7. D-Jam says:

    I wholeheartedly agree.

    I think any DJ who walks into nights with a “screw the crowd, I’m playing what I like” attitude should try promoting for a while. See what it’s like when you watch DJs empty your room, destroy your brand, and make you lose money.

    Even more “known” DJs will tailor sets based on where they’re at. When I played in Slovakia, I tried tossing in a few Chicago-sound house tunes, but saw the crowd was just not into that, so I went more tech-house and won them over. I’ll also never forget Derrick Carter saying how the set he’ll play in London won’t be the same tunes he’ll play in Italy, New York, or Chicago.

    I think the worst thing you can do as a DJ is to clear the floor with a snobby attitude of how you won’t “lower your standards for the mainstream masses”. To me, that’s what makes it so you don’t get booked again. I know when I promoted I got loads of demos from guys who really just wanted to play techno, jungle, etc…in front of a crowd, but failed to see how the crowd isn’t into anything remotely close to that.

    I’ll also point out again a successful promoter in Chicago who said he turned away DJs who say “I play house” or “I play house and hip-hop”, but hired those who said “I play to the crowd”.

    I know it’s hard to push the musical landscape when one bad song could mean you get fired, but this is a service, and if you want to never have to deal with the crowds like that…then stay bedroom and produce a big anthem that gets you so famous that you dictate what’s played.

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    • Jam-Master Jake says:

      Right. On. The. Money.

      Well said, Bravo!

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  8. Gavin says:

    Sometimes the deeper, less “accessible” stuff requires a world class soundsystem to work when you are playing to all but the most seasoned of dancefloors.

    It seems like the worse the music is the better it works on sh@tty soundsystems. I see cheesy music working all the time on crap systems that most substantial dance music never will. But those same people EAT UP the better music when they are in the right club with the right sound system.

    A lot of times it’s the system….

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    • Matt says:

      Cheesy tunes are cleverly made for any type of soundsystem, including one that is set up by amateurs.

      Producers of cheese are the cleverest of all, even if we may dislike their music, it has to be said they make the most cash and know how to get their cheese on the radio.

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  9. Alex says:

    A trick I’ve learned is to play maybe one or two songs of different genres, but with the same theme or vibe. I’ll do a big hip-hop track, a commercial house track, a dubstep banger, a little bit of jumpstyle, some top 40, and so on. As long as the tracks have a similar vibe, it is “ok” with the crowd. Then, from there, if I notice that people are really digging say the top 40 and house, then I’ll pick it up with some top 40 house remixes, and carry on from there with maybe deviating a top 40 dubstep remix or a hip-hop house track in there every once in a while to keep from getting boring, and to add some flavor. Tbe method really works well, and is a surefire way to get a good night going as long as you can read the basic emotion from the crowd, and have a fairly wide ranged amount of music. Enjoy!

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    • Alex says:

      Also it helps to give a few reassuring shout outs to the crowd to remind them that you are human, and to make it personal. Things such as “Looking good out there ________(whatever city you are in)”, “Keep it up guys!”, and “You are knocking this place down!”. Short positive things will really translate well to people’s appreciation.

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    • dj_spark says:

      Sorry but I’m not agree with this. When I go to parties (not as a dj) people (including me) are upset of the dj jumping from genre to genre continuously.
      It give the feeling that you don’t know what you’re doing, the worst is jumping back and forth at every one or two tracks.

      You can do this at the very beginning to test the place and know what you’ll doing tonight but you can’t spent the whole night doing this.

      But doing session per genre of 15 to 30min (even 1h some times) is ok.

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      • DJ Forced Hand says:

        I agree with Spark but get what Alex means. I know that some clubs have a very definite theme and that is what people show up for (and if DJs don’t play, get thrown out for) and on that point, Spark is dead-on.

        I think Alex is right when we’re talking about different parts of the theme for the night… a veritable ‘mixing of the cauldron.’ Try to take note if the softer stuff, the gimmicky stuff, the stuff with more lyrics etc. is working for the evening… see what happens when the DJs ‘move around INSIDE the theme’, take mental notes about what people are responding positively to, find and make the ‘ring-leaders’ happy and really try to get the attractive people in the club moving, because let’s face it, everyone in a club wants to see attractive people dancing.

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  10. Nice article. One of the reasons I get gigs? Folks say I know how to read a crowd. In one place, I can play more hip-hop. In the other, I can’t. In one place, I can play cheesy songs like “Louie Louie”. Other places, I can’t. Another place, I realized I had to have a theme. On these nights, I play 80s and 90s hip hop and soul. “Be careful though – that hen party crowd might not be the tastemakers you’re looking for!” That is so true.

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    • Dreamr says:

      So you are basically a radio station. If you try to be all things to all people you end up like a US congressman.

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      • Matt says:

        Having your own distinct style has advantages. You are known for that style, you get the nod ahead of others for that style, you’ll get gigs at certain places with less effort. This is a lot easier to do in bigger cities where your “scene” is blooming nicely, such as NY, London, Paris and so on..

        But there are places (I mean cities and towns) where to get gigs you need to be a jack of all trades. Fair enough if that’s what gets StoneCrazy his gigs.

        It takes skill to be a “Swiss penknife” of DJing too, it really does.

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      • Phil Morse says:

        “It takes skill to be a “Swiss penknife” of DJing too, it really does.” Yes it does, and it’s not to be sniffed at.

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      • Naw, bro. I read the crowd. Trust me, I don’t just play what’s on the radio. I include the house music stuff too. Personally, there are times I don’t like sticking to one genre all night. I enjoy diversity.

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  11. Filespnr says:

    Nice written. Maybe one of the side effects of everybody being a dj is the crowds will become more aware of styles or what kind of night it is. It would actually be kinda nice if you could play all their requests.

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    • Phil Morse says:

      One skill I think the best DJs have it to give the crowd what they want, get them confident that you won’t let them down, then when they trust you and your abilities, push them a bit, then a bit further, then a bit further… it’s perfectly possible to have a crowd going crazy to music they didn’t know they liked if you’ve respected their tastes first, before imposing yours on them. To me it’s manners as much as anything :)

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      • George aka DJ BigBrooklyn says:

        I definitely agree with the article…. I think it a good idea if you go to the venue before the date you’re playing, get a some info on the type of crowd that’s there and if it’s the norm…. I think unless you’re a world famous DJ and people are coming to hear you…. You would be foolish to go to a venue and just play what “you” want to hear… If that’s the case you might as well stay home and play for yourself….

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      • Phil Morse says:

        Exactly, George; and even world-famous DJs like that often complain that they’re now EXPECTED to play a certain style, and when they try and deviate (to please themselves) there’s even more of a backlash!

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  12. Nephew says:

    Lets take the “blame” away from the DJ on this one and look at the promoter instead. Seems like they did a bad job of realizing what the music programming is usually like at the venue and what the crowd there generally wants.

    I wouldn’t book a Rock band to play in a jazz bar anymore then I would book a hip-hop act to rock out in a country bar, just doesn’t make sense.

    It’s one thing to “tweak’ and “tailor” your set to a venue, i.e. maybe a bit more funkier, organic, techny, minimal and so and still stay true to who you are. But if you’re booking Ben Klock and are expecting him to play some commercial top 40/electro mashup stuff there’s no way in hell that’s going to happen.

    I understand it’s a DJ’s job to work the dancefloor, but not all dancefloors are the same so instead of compromising your self and playing something you don’t really love and appreciate, maybe it’s time to pass on those gigs and go find a dancefloor who you really can connect with?

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    • Actually, a local country bar is now hosting a hip-hop night. Yet, I know what you mean.

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  13. indamix says:

    Gr8 article and comments too
    for me i have 2 rules

    1. if i want to play only a certain style or genre , i seek for a certain places and a specific crowd

    2. if i’m booked to any place , or dancefloors i dont know about , i do my researches then i play for that crowd . and for the tracks i dont like to play , i search for a common thins between me and that CROWD that we can enoy both
    it’s like making a friendship , it’s not all abou me and it’s not all about them , we share ;)

    and it’s always playing for the crowd

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  14. Dreamr says:

    Another tips from me: Get a street team going in the town where you play most. Then have THEM research and prime new venues for you. It looks better to a club when fans try to get you booked then a promoter.

    Sure, they will ignore 1, 2, 3, maybe 4 fans that request they book you. If they get 10 over 2 weeks they will NOT ignore them. I used to play all kinds of electro gigs in LA this way, before that, in Amsterdam, I had to bust my ass, as did my promoter. Honestly, it’s cheaper to hire a dedicated street team then a single promoter, and from what I have seen, most promoters are lame and full of shit. :D

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    • DJ Forced Hand says:

      I would really like to see a fully-fledged article about Street Teams: their role, what they should expect out of their role and how they fit into the entertainment package (also how they can be used as scouts for an area).

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  15. Will Marshall says:

    Girls dancing – This is always a good sign, as girls are less inhibited and warm the boys up for dancing. Be careful though – that hen party crowd might not be the tastemakers you’re looking for!

    With all due respect, this advice is A: inaccurate, and B: sexist.

    Women are not on average more or less inhibited than men, and this kind of “special” treatment puts many women off club events altogether. You’re essentially treating them as a piece of meat to be used for the entertainment of the other punters, which unless they’re paid gogo dancers or something is not cool.

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    • andyfuntown says:

      Don’t mean to get all Dr Phil, but that sort of pc attitude to what is essetially a meeting place for single people is probably why you are most likely single.

      in commercial clubs you are kidding yourself if you think you are the main attraction, the girls are… girls like having fun, they attract guys to the dancefloor. the wheel of life continues to spin.

      It is different in purist clubs, where the music is the main attraction, your just the one playing it.

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      • Phil Morse says:

        We’ve got a very un-PC article next week that’ll probably redress the balance for you :)

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      • Will Marshall says:

        Don’t mean to get all Dr Phil, but that sort of pc attitude to what is essentially a meeting place for single people is probably why you are most likely single.

        Firstly, describing EDM events as primarily meeting places for single people rather misses the point. Some people go to get laid: they also go to listen to music, take drugs, spend time with their friends, dance, relax, meet new people or to support the performers. If the gigs you’re attending are primarily meat-markets then you might want to consider finding better ones.

        I’ve spoken to a lot of people in my community about this stuff, since I’m particularly interested in the sociology of rave culture and gender issues are inextricably part of that. There’s a pretty strong consensus from the female half of my community that the differentiation some promoters make between the genders (half-price tickets for girls, etc) is A: offensive, and B: creepy. Unsurprisingly, they don’t usually want to feel that their primary role at a gig is to keep the boys entertained.

        Secondly, the term “politically correct” is essentially a euphemism for “I want to get away with being a dick, so I’m going to attack anyone who has the courage to call me on it“. Calling people on racism, sexism, homophobia etc isn’t a bad thing.

        (And no, I’m not single. I’m in a long-term relationship with a sociologist from San Francisco called Jodi)

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  16. DJ MichaelAngelo says:

    I started DJing a little over 20 years ago. The hardest lesson I had to learn is that the DJ isn’t there to stroke his own ego and play the music he likes. The DJ’s job is to run up the tabs at the bar. Ultimately, this is true, and sad that very few DJs recognize this, wedding and party DJs not necessarily included.

    If everyone is on the floor dancing all night, they’re not spending money at the bar. The club owner doesn’t like that. If you’ve cleared the floor and nobody is dancing, they don’t build up a thirst, thus not spending money at the bar. The club owner doesn’t like that, either.

    The DJ who reads the crowd, keeps the people rotating on and off the floor is the one who makes the club owner happy. That’s the guy paying your fee for the night. It’s important to keep him happy.

    Back in the early 90s, I had moved to the US to and wanted to play at a certain club in town. The owner hadn’t heard of me and wasn’t willing to give me a chance on my resume alone. I told him I’d double his bar receipts if he let me play for one night, and I’d do it for free if I didn’t double the receipts. If I did double it, he’d give me a cut. I in fact tripled it and he paid me $1000 for the night. The reputation of the club was stellar after this and I taught his other DJs how to do the same thing.

    Read, and rotate the crowd.

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    • Jack Barrett says:

      I finally have some time to write something and you took the words right out of my mouth DJ MichaelAngelo! YOU MUST ROTATE THE FLOOR!

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    • DJ AUDIO1 says:

      I am on the same approach as MichaelAngelo. In the club scene, Its all about numbers. While club owners want to see people dancing, They care more about bottle service and bar tabs. Keep flipping the floor, Keep everybody happy. I joke around with my friends about my love of music and mixing all genres in the club. “I’m on the “LEAVE NO PARTYGOER BEHIND” lifestyle! You might hate me for a bit, but in 10-15 minutes, I’ll be playing your steez.”

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    • DJ Forced Hand says:

      By rotating the crowd I presume you mean first you have to 1) identify different groups of people in the club and 2) make sure that when the songs they like are on that they don’t leave the club.

      I’d like to know a little more about what you mean because I’ve generally had a flow that naturally meandered between slow and fast, old and new, edgy and mainstream, etc.

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  17. Terkel says:

    DJ’S Are Playing for the crowd not for them self. that the way it has to be… As simple as that

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  18. HOHME says:

    Great post, Mikey…all very valid, well-stated points. Hope all’s well

    HOHME

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