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View Full Version : Help @ a small venue



djchameleon
03-06-2012, 09:37 PM
I've been spinning for the past 2 years at a small venue that is very difficult. i spin for 5 hours and it's a very weird crowd. people come and go you have clicks of people that wanna hear what they wanna hear and it is becoming boring and aggravating. i have tons of banging music from house to hip hop to latin and so on but i find myself not knowing what to play.. i try to play for the crowd but they don't appreciate what i play for them.. any suggestions Thank you

DjDisArm
03-07-2012, 10:59 AM
just play what you like

MeowMix
03-07-2012, 11:32 AM
You can try building a crowd. Start handing out business cards and tell people about your facebook when you notice they like whatever you are playing.
If on any given day the crowd is just too diverse to stick maybe you can start doing genre specific or theme nights.

djchameleon
03-07-2012, 12:25 PM
thank you i will try that approach

DJMC
03-07-2012, 12:31 PM
I worked in a bar/club that had a maximum capacity of 125 persons, and maybe 60 people could fit on our dance floor. That gig lasted 7 years.

My philosophy: "Bang The Hits" -- people come in waves, there will be cliques and you need to know their favorite songs, its like a Bartender who knows the customer's drink faves.

Some songs (LMFAO) will be played into the ground. You should play them every 2 hours. Try to "Save" the biggest hits for the rush. Early hours should be like a "jukebox" for an older clientele.

If you play what people like -- they will love you!

Don't be afraid to "Rotate The Floor" in a small venue. You do not want people on the floor 24/7, because they won't buy drinks!

Changing genres and tempos will get a different demo onto the floor. Be observant and watch the crowd.

drumpusher
03-07-2012, 01:07 PM
I used to do 4 hours mobile thing at a bar every Saturday night for about a year. I'd belt out the motown and such as background noise for the older folks who were still at the bar. Then at around 11.30, when the sheeple started to tipple in it was Top 40 and NOW compilations all the way. :teef:

djchameleon
03-07-2012, 07:48 PM
also im tired of playing the same nonsense, all the time same tracks it's played out. people are so boring i try to introduce new track s to people and they don't listen to it they wanna hear what they heard on the radio 12 times during the course of the day.. thanks guys f.r the quick response. i have been doing this for quite some time but i never encountered this

DennisBdrmDJ 2.0
03-07-2012, 09:12 PM
it's called the "dumbing down" effect.you will find it is very prevalent within the DJ community,here in nyc.I suggest that you start your set with something you want to hear,maybe throw in some classic track that you love during the course of the night,and end your set,with some other genre than the norm.outside of that there isn't much you can do.

DJ Boom Bap
03-07-2012, 11:41 PM
Right now is when you really need to dig through your collection,and pool, and find some new/different tunes to play. We all get sick of playing the same shit over and over, its the "in betweens" that will keep you going. Dig deep and find some nugs.

phnetk
03-07-2012, 11:59 PM
I've been playing at a club/bar here that sounds very similar to the one you're djing at. In the beginning I tried playing a range of stuff (not all of it was what I liked at all) but a) it bored me personally, b) I couldn't seem to hold a crowd at all. Eventually after a couple of months of this I just started playing what I liked (Electro House and just plain old House at the time) and soon I would always fill the dancefloor.

I think what it comes down to is consistency. People want to be able to go out and know what they're going get. That doesn't mean I stick to the same songs every night, just I create the same atmosphere and play A type of music rather than all over the board. Whatever you chose, you will garner a following.

Austin GoGreen
03-08-2012, 07:43 AM
I worked in a bar/club that had a maximum capacity of 125 persons, and maybe 60 people could fit on our dance floor. That gig lasted 7 years.

My philosophy: "Bang The Hits" -- people come in waves, there will be cliques and you need to know their favorite songs, its like a Bartender who knows the customer's drink faves.

Some songs (LMFAO) will be played into the ground. You should play them every 2 hours. Try to "Save" the biggest hits for the rush. Early hours should be like a "jukebox" for an older clientele.

If you play what people like -- they will love you!

Don't be afraid to "Rotate The Floor" in a small venue. You do not want people on the floor 24/7, because they won't buy drinks!

Changing genres and tempos will get a different demo onto the floor. Be observant and watch the crowd.

What he said, the part about knowing what the customers want like a bartender does with drinks is f'n spot on... In smaller venues, I'm assuming you're in the burbs, keeping the customers happy is most important.

Bang the hits and work in your house bangers sparingly. For example, say you get into a top 40 set with like Dancin In The Dark, Saxobeat, or another Pitbull "latin" type sound, work in a dope edit of Calabria and one of your latin tracks... Boredom is inevitable at places like this. Don't run people out of the bar by NOT playing what they want.

I play at a similar spot in the burbs every weekend. It's a top 40/hip hop crowd. The bar is banging though after 12:30 and it holds about 200 or more. I play from 9-220am. The first hour and a half is straight open turntables, anything goes, playlist. Sometimes I play a pre-recorded set. Get on the mic and tell them it's open turntables, free requests, etc. I always open by beatmatching what the jukebox is playing either with the same song or another song that fits with what's playing.

I bang new well-known hits all night there and mix in some of my favorites - Calvin Harris, Dada Life, Bingo Players, Afro, etc. Rule #1 is to play for YOUR crowd. In a big city or downtown, it's a little different. People expect the dj to wow them.

Alert
03-08-2012, 10:40 PM
Dose the crowd with a seltzer bottle.

:tup: