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View Full Version : dlove's 7 steps to the warm-up



dlove
02-13-2012, 12:11 PM
Ok, I've always noticed questions about the warm-up in various threads, so I'll attempt to give some advice. Before I do, let me say, I like to think of myself as a professional warm-up, with 9 years seerious club experience, warming up for producers, groups and DJ's I love, as a resident & guest, here & abroad. Let me explain...

1. Know what you're warming up for. Sounds obvious, but if you don't know & love loads about the main act, and have a good grasp of all the the genres the main act plays, you shouldn't be on.

2. Leading on from 1, know what to play. If you're not bursting with ideas of what to play & when, you shouldn't be on. Getting a bit sick of all those 'what to play/where to get tunes/how do I get the gig' threads. Seriously guys, up yer game! Know exactly what to play, where to get your music, and how to send a mixtape/link to the club/night you want to play, or geddouttahere! That's a given since the beginnin', with or without instant links.

3. It's all about the levels. Bring it up loud enough to make an impact, but low enough to leave plenty of room for the headline - don't have it really loud before the main act or you'll tire everyone's ears out and piss everyone off. If you don't understand the levels, then forget it.

4. Don't play anything you think the main act will/might play, you'll just look daft. Be creative, dig.

5. Turn up sober, and don't get wasted at least until you're off. It's better to be compass-mentas at the end of the night anyway, trus' me. I've done all states, and the best nights are always sober. It's achieving an over-view, being in tune with the whole room, all night long.

6. The warm-up is a chance to show your skills to the best, but don't go overboard; remember, people are not there to hear you; they're there to hear the headline. Be subtle, but be good. You want people to remember you for bringing it up nicely, not banging it out too early. It's playing the right tracks at the right time. Simplz...if you know your music, and how the dancefloor works. That's other givens. It's gettin' complicated...

7. But if you're not having mad fun while being charged with nerves, you're not doing it right!

:tup:

dlove
02-13-2012, 12:23 PM
excuse the esoteric style; there's no actual specifics, because every night is different, as it should be. It's all about the atmosphere. As an aside, think of the whole night as a journey, with you at the controls to start. You want to pass perfect vibes on, safe in your knowledge of what might come. Nuff said!

DjFloMatic
02-13-2012, 03:49 PM
and the best nights are always sober.

agree with everything else you said but this line is debatable lol

DJ Highline
02-13-2012, 04:18 PM
agree with everything else you said but this line is debatable lol

I have to disagree....Not being able to remember what happened or missing what happened because you're in the bathroom sick is no way to end a night, especially if you are opening in an attempt to catch the eyes of people who can potentially move you up to the next level. Its just not professional to be hammered...period. Why would I give someone the headlining slot when I see that they are completely intoxicated...that says to me, that you may potentially show up to my gig to spin completely intoxicated and that just won't do.

djkvg
02-13-2012, 05:43 PM
sober is subjective... lol i know I'm definitely more active when I'm buzzed :P

DeadPhr0g
02-13-2012, 07:11 PM
I have to disagree....Not being able to remember what happened or missing what happened because you're in the bathroom sick is no way to end a night, especially if you are opening in an attempt to catch the eyes of people who can potentially move you up to the next level. Its just not professional to be hammered...period. Why would I give someone the headlining slot when I see that they are completely intoxicated...that says to me, that you may potentially show up to my gig to spin completely intoxicated and that just won't do.There is a process that needs to happen before you go from sober to hammered. The people who don't know that process or don't partake in it responsibly are the ones that end up hammered and sick. Know your limits and comfort zone.

DjFloMatic
02-13-2012, 08:49 PM
I have to disagree....Not being able to remember what happened or missing what happened because you're in the bathroom sick is no way to end a night, especially if you are opening in an attempt to catch the eyes of people who can potentially move you up to the next level. Its just not professional to be hammered...period. Why would I give someone the headlining slot when I see that they are completely intoxicated...that says to me, that you may potentially show up to my gig to spin completely intoxicated and that just won't do.

Blacked out like you are talking and drunk are to different things...

Some people are able to handle their liquor and won't be "in the bathroom at the end of the night sick"

Obviously you have to keep it professional but like I said if you can handle your self their are ALOT of very good DJs drinking on the job...

alazydj
02-13-2012, 09:36 PM
One shot of Canadian Club an hour before the show usually calms you down....take two if you're a big lad

dlove
02-14-2012, 02:35 AM
hehe - yeah, cos it's all about drinkin' :P The point being, turn up sober. You don't want anyone to think you can't handle the pressure, or that you don't care enough to stay focused, or you won't get more gigs.

dlove
02-14-2012, 03:30 AM
wiser words from this article...and they used 'esoteric' too, so it must be true!

http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1095

"Craig Richards takes it one step further: "I'm absolutely certain that the music lovers, not the DJs, are fit for the job—the people who can forget themselves for a moment and deliver a groove, a beginning and a sense of belief." The best openers are in many ways the people who are true music lovers, the ones who obsessively collect obscure and eclectic music for the simple joy of it. These DJs know their music so well they intuitively know there is a right track to play in each moment for any audience."

Friction
02-14-2012, 01:26 PM
Good post, combined wit the ra article this seems to be a key issue.

daveoj
02-14-2012, 01:59 PM
One shot of Canadian Club an hour before the show usually calms you down....take two if you're a big lad

That's a fine T-Shirt quote, sir!

dlove
02-15-2012, 01:30 AM
Good post, combined wit the ra article this seems to be a key issue.

Someone said earlier about doing the warm-up to eventually get the headline slot, and I was just going to let that go, but I thought when I read it 'nah, you don't do the warm-up in order to get a headline, you do the warm-up to provide a solid base for the headline to launch from'. The warm-up isn't a stepping stone to headline, because it's not about 'you', it's about you providing the atmosphere for the headline to take over.

KLH
05-02-2019, 09:18 AM
So does this list still hold up, dlove?

dlove
05-03-2019, 02:46 AM
So does this list still hold up, dlove?

ha, I would say yes, apart from the 'street-speak' delivery, everything holds up here :)

Nowadays I would add 'know how to plug things in properly' too, as I've been shocked in the last couple of years just how ignorant some people can be when it comes to setting up and maintaining the gear they are to be working on. As the warm-up, you should be the person taking the next DJ through what's going-on with the soundsystem, so it's important to know how it works, what cables go where, and what each knob does on the main mixing desk/amp.

I suppose it's like handing-over a car to the next driver; it's good to get a low-down on the equipment, how it's performing, any quirks ect.