Should I be in clubs yet?

[DJArmani]

Idk weither to put this in the beginner section or this section. But anyways, I've been DJing about 4 years now. I've had many gigis before but mainly house parties, bday parties etc. I've been wanting to get into the club scene since last year I felt I was food enough. Then I thought about it and decided to practice a little more. So now I got a new DJ set for Christmas : 2 Technics 1210's which I bought myself, and a Rane TTM57 Mixer. I kinda feel like I'm starting from scratch with this new set. I know I'm young, still in high school but I have connections and a good following. Right now I'm getting into mixing hip-hop and scratching. I see alot of videos of these teen clubs around here, and I want to get a teen night but don't know if I'm good enough. I'm also not really used to my new set. And I'm also not really promoting myself, I've been really focused in getting better before I even get out there. I want 2012 to be a big year for me, and get a teen night by summer. What should I do?

[Era 7]

what do you plan on playing when you say you want to get into clubs. if you plan on spinning hip hop and as you said you are just getting started with that i'd say practice some more first. if you plan on spinning what you spun before then i'd say get at it. 4 years is pretty damn solid experiencewise.

[Jason Cerna]

imo, if you have to ask this type of question, you are not ready. you should know when you are ready. it is based on a feeling.


And I'm also not really promoting myself

This will kill you. You need to start putting yourself out there. Get a website setup, print out some business cards and show people what you're all about. Networking is how you will get gigs.

[Somedj]

Networking is how you will get gigs.

+100, word of mouth is amazingly effective at acquiring gigs, its how I got EVERY gig I ever played

[Sigma]

I disagree with Jason. You might just lack confidence, despite your signature.

Got any mixes we can hear?

[Hygro]

Can you rock a crowd of 200 strangers? Do you pick the right songs at the right time? Can you transition well to maintain good dance floor energy? Can you rock a crowd of 25 strangers in an empty room full of disappointment of the turn out? If you answered yes or probably to all of them, you are ready.

[AlanS]

Are you trying to be one of those noidevents djs in ny? lol

[DJ Special K]

I know exactly how you feel. I'm 18 years old and know what it feels like being a young DJ. Many club owners will think oh you're just a kid and don't know what you're doing etc. Basically practice more and if you have connects with other DJ's, see if you can open up for them.

[DJArmani]

Are you trying to be one of those noidevents djs in ny? lol

No?

& @Hygro: Yeah I can , I have. But picking songs at the right time? I don't really think about that it just comes to me when I'm djing.
& @Sigma: I have one on my laptop I could put up it skips a little (serato lag) but other than that it sounds good!
& @Jason: I network, I know for a fact, that if I promote I'll deff get alot of gigs. So I'm not too worried. & yeah I don't have that feeling yet exactly.

Btw: I don't plan on spinning much hip-hop, but it'll be a mix of hip-hop and house.

[Alex Murphy]

Are you satisfied with your mixes (be honest with yourself)?
Have you done a few gigs?

If yes and yes you should be doing gigs. Not necessarily clubs, but you should be able to do that after 4 years. Unless that was 4 years of noodling once every 2-3 weeks and not actually making any progress.

[Somedj]

Pull the trigger and give it a go. If you've been playing steady for 4 years; Id think you're ready. Besides, worst case scenario is you end up sucking, but luckily you're young so its not something you cant recover from. Go for it.

[djbigchamp]

I say go for it...in terms of promotion, it's crazy easy to create your own website, and build your brand online. Even if it's just a tumblr, it allows you to create different pages, and really make yourself look professional. Business cards are also extremely inexpensive, but very valuable. I'm still working on getting a mix online, but in terms of promotion, fake it till you make it! And in terms of if you are ready, if you say you have a solid following, and you're doing a teen night make sure you bring your people out and they spend a little money, and the owners will be happy to have you back. All they care about is the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

[DJArmani]

@Manu: I have my good mixes, and I have my bad ones.

& Everyone thanks for the advice! I'll tell you about my first club gig when it happens!

[moyo wilde]

for me i want to get in the game in a new city. one of the things that i have been working on is being able to rock more than one format, cdjs and dvs.

also you said you have your good mixes and your bad mixes. i think you want to have it so that they are mostly good and the kcuf ups are things that only another dj would notice like are they "undanceable" kcuf ups.

[djkvg]

4 years should be plenty of time... but then again it depends on how much time you invested in it within those 4 hrs.

if you are confident in rocking a crowd i say go for it man. if you rocked it in parties, u should do fine. people who go to clubs go to dance so i think it is a bit easier than parties.

[DeadPhr0g]

Idk weither to put this in the beginner section or this section. But anyways, I've been DJing about 4 years now. I've had many gigis before but mainly house parties, bday parties etc. I've been wanting to get into the club scene since last year I felt I was food enough. Then I thought about it and decided to practice a little more. So now I got a new DJ set for Christmas : 2 Technics 1210's which I bought myself, and a Rane TTM57 Mixer. I kinda feel like I'm starting from scratch with this new set. I know I'm young, still in high school but I have connections and a good following. Right now I'm getting into mixing hip-hop and scratching. I see alot of videos of these teen clubs around here, and I want to get a teen night but don't know if I'm good enough. I'm also not really used to my new set. And I'm also not really promoting myself, I've been really focused in getting better before I even get out there. I want 2012 to be a big year for me, and get a teen night by summer. What should I do?I think you have the wrong idea. You keep expressing how you feel about yourself as far as skill is concerned. I didn't know shit about DJing when I got behind the decks at my first club ...I knew the DJs and management, though. It's not a matter of "if I'm ready," rather, "do I know a the right people." The market has been flooded with DJs, the ones that stand out are the social ones, the headliners and every so often the ones with "skill."

[epik1]

I think as with anything else, just give it a shot. Everyone will have their mess ups as well as victories. If you're spinning for love of music and to make crowds rock, then you're good.
My first "gig"...I guess, was my friend's wedding and I didn't do any tricks or nothing. All I did was run VDJ from my laptop and try and make smooth transitions between songs beat matching, and let me tell you; I felt terrible afterwards. Why?
Well a number of things:
- back then I didn't have as large a collection of music as now (and I wasn't 100% familiar with what I was spinning cause it was my friend who was getting married who picked songs)
- it was my first time
- it was a lunch reception, so people weren't drunk enough to dance, and the ones that were drunk enough(lol @ that time of day..) were just assholes who kept coming up to me "yo play something I can dance to" when I was already playing Justin Timberlake and Beyonce kinda stuff.

and in the next few months now I'll be spinning with my buddy @ some opening night parties, hopefully that will work out ok.

Good luck on your ventures bud, at least you got started a lot earlier and with a lot better setup than I did lol.

[VjQue]

I disagree with Jason. You might just lack confidence, despite your signature.

Got any mixes we can hear?Really Jason is right. he has 4 years behind him, lots of other partys and he don't know if he is ready. plus he just about to start hiphop.

[Somedj]

.........the ones that stand out are the social ones, the headliners and every so often the ones with "skill."

and this is what is sad about the industry.....

[DJArmani]

I think you have the wrong idea. You keep expressing how you feel about yourself as far as skill is concerned. I didn't know shit about DJing when I got behind the decks at my first club ...I knew the DJs and management, though. It's not a matter of "if I'm ready," rather, "do I know a the right people." The market has been flooded with DJs, the ones that stand out are the social ones, the headliners and every so often the ones with "skill."

Well like I said, I don't just want to throw myself out there lacking skill, once you mess up in a club, you mess up in a club. Especially in NJ/NY with all this competition and all these promoters.

[DeadPhr0g]

Well like I said, I don't just want to throw myself out there lacking skill, once you mess up in a club, you mess up in a club. Especially in NJ/NY with all this competition and all these promoters.

Embrace your signature if that is the case.

[AlanS]

and this is what is sad about the industry.....

And it's true.