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Need advice for my first gig


guitarman

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My wife is throwing a retirement party next month for a co-worker and she asked me to dj the event.

 

Since I play in a band (guitar and sax), I've got a basic pa system, 15" JBL speakers with stands, a 100 watts x 2 amplifier, wireless mics, cables and my son has an Ion DJ station (2 cd player, mixer, cue, digital effects, pitch controls) that I'm going to use. I've hooked it all up and it sounds decent enough for a mid size venue.

 

The event will have 50 - 60 (mostly @40 years of age) people in a hotel conference room with a dance floor and my wife just wants dance music for a couple of hours. I've procured the required songs (cha cha & electric slides, chicken dance, YMCA...).

 

I'm scared {censored}less as I'm used to playing with a band and I'm going to be going solo. Anyone have advice on how to start, end and keep people dancing? Should I play slow music? Cha cha's?

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I would do a song request survey and see what they like. Hope you bring some lighting to set the atmosphere would be pretty darn boring without some kind of lighting IMO. BTW I'm in my 40's I dig techno not cha cha but that's just my preference on music styles.

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  • 1 month later...
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I may have just pimped myself into my first DJ gig as well. New years Eve and a friend wants my band. I tell him the going rate and he balks. Says maybe a dj would be better suited for this party (private home).

Of course, I have all the gear to pull it off and a bit of mic personality. I would in no way advertise myself as a pro dj, but I could certainly use the extra cash and the gear would just be in the trailer otherwise.

Laptop full of tunes, lights, power and I'll give it a "spin"!

Sorry... had to do it.

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This is an easy one...

 

Bring 2-3 styles on CD or on MP3:

 

1. 80's rock songs (B-52s, violent fems, go-gos, etc)

 

2. old Hip hop (Run DMC, LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, etc

 

3. new hip hop (Usher, Rihanna, Kanye West, etc)

 

3. 80's dance songs (Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, etc)

 

As a last resort break out the disco (donna summer, village people, etc)

 

My advice would be to play new hip hop tracks, and see how it goes...

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  • 3 months later...
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In most cases, stick with music people know when doing these kinds of gigs - Also, be prepared to get requests, so bring a big variety of 70's/80's (?) music. I like to start out slow with hip-hop, rnb, soft-rock and increase intensity+tempo during the evening. If you're playing for many hours, it's a good idea to take the intensity drop down and build up again, but if you're just playing for a few hours, it may not be a problem.

 

I hope that was any help!

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