This is officially my first new topic in ages, but considering the conversation I had recently with a few other DJF members regarding new gigs, I felt it was pertinent to bring this up.

The ultimate goal of any performer, be it a singer, dancer, musician, DJ, actor, or whatever, is to show off their skills in front of a crowd. This means booking gigs. Now, this article isn’t about how you go about getting your first gig, it’s about how you prepare yourself for said gig, and what you should expect.

If you only have 3 minutes, here’s a summary, be prepared for, and expect, ANYTHING. Be it a fight breaking out, your GF going into labor, or equipment failure, ALWAYS have a fallback plan and never freak out.

If there’s one thing I learned in my years as a DJ and gigging bassist, it’s that anything can and will happen. I’ve had gigs where people were threatened with guns, fights broke out, cops caused shortening of sets, people ODd, equipment died, crowd was unruely, other DJs were jerkoffs, etc. It’s your ability to be prepared to deal with the unexpected that will make or break you.

So, what should you do? First and foremost, NEVER walk into a gig “blind.” If the manager or promoter just says “we have good gear” press him/her to tell you what. If they don’t know, show up at the venue on a day you’re not playing, or early (in the case of a party) to scout. I would recommend scouting out the venue regardless. It helps to know where the booth is, how large the booth is, crowd access, view of the crowd, booth monitor layout, equipment layout, sturdyness of equipment stands, outlet locations, and where the bathroom is.

Secondly, pack heavy. I’ve encountered many DJ’s who only brought 10 records to a gig, only to realise that they misplanned their set, the DJ before them ends early, or the DJ after them is late. I’ve heard of DJs forgetting to bring an interface, not bringing enough CDs, having laptops fail mid set and not having backups, or not bringing backup carts. Your gig bag should ALWAYS contain the following:

• Main set tracks
• Extra tracks to reprogram your sets on the fly (which you should do anyway)
• Backup mediums (if you have MP3 CDs, bring a wallet of regular CDs just in case, if you have Vinyl, bring some CDs and vice versa if you can).
• Spare cartridges if you play vinyl
• Record cleaner if you play vinyl
• CD cleaner
• Demo CDs and or fliers
• a pen light flash light
• extra cables, power and RCA
• a small variety of tools (screw drivers, wrench)
• Back up audio source if you’re playing a full bar gig

Now, you don’t need all of that stuff in one bag, I usually carry my extra gig supplies in a small backpack. However, having the above virtually guarantees you’ll be prepared. For example, here’s what I bring to gigs as a bass player:

• Backup bass guitar
• Extra set of strings
• at least 2 9volt batteries
• Tools (allen wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers)
• A power strip
• At least 3 instrument cables and at least 1 that’s longer than 25′
• Notes on songs
• My knife (helps in prying open things)
• tape

All of the above ensures that regardless of what happens, I should be prepared. If I snap a string mid song, I can switch instruments quickly and be back in it. If a cable dies, I have backups. Short on outlets, I have a power strip, etc, etc. ALWAYS BE PREPARED.

Finally, you will be nervous, and you will make a mistake. There is no such thing as a “perfect” gig. Period, they don’t exist. I have never seen a DJ or band play without making mistakes, or having something happen. Good performers shrug off mistakes. I recall a gig I played at where the DJ before me muffed a few mixes, and as a result he spent the rest of the night sulking in a corner. While he was at the decks, you could tell he was flustered and it resonated into the crowd, people stopped dancing.

Don’t ever dwell on mistakes. They will distract you, and the crowd feeds off of your energy. If you start to tank a mix, don’t stress yourself trying to save it. If you can’t get it back in line after a few beats, end the mix and move on.