So Neil & I did the packed house at the Upstairs Cabaret. Very much a top40 crowd, but I have to give them the nod for working with me for a surprising amount of club tracks. Dance music. Non-radio shizz. I’m sure I played a ton of stuff no one would have heard before, but they were good for most of it.
Then again, maybe that’s because the place was jammed with another 250 people waiting outside wanting in, and there was nowhere else to be except on the dance floor and if you’re out there you might as well shuffle your feet a bit, right?
We made the observation again that people tend to ask for music they aren’t really all that into dancing to. Which is to say- they’d hound us for hip hop and then when we’d throw it out there the floor would become doubly packed but everyone would look bored. I don’t think they realise it themselves. Obviously, I guess. Clubbing in North America is for the most part radio-driven, which is the polar opposite from most of the rest of the world. They won’t dance to it unless they’ve already heard it a billion times on the radio.
Me- I’d rather go to a club where if I’m lucky I’ll recognize three or four songs all night. Just give me good music. And by that I mean good music for dancing, not music I’ve been plagued with for a year already.
Anyway, all that typical mischiff-bitching aside, it was a pretty good time. The best part was the turnout. Talk about reprazentin’. It sucked that the booth was so high, but being up there I could see all the well-loved faces that had come out for no other reason but that I was going to be spinning. *love* Serious- for a while there I think my people outnumbered everyone else. I jumped on the mic to introduce myself and welcome everyone to the relatively new Upstairs lounge and when I threw my name out there I was shocked- people were cheering my name. That was coooool. =D Thanks guys. I should take six months off more often.
Management and staff were really happy with the mix, which makes me wonder what the other guy is doing. I wasn’t really happy with it. My sets were too short mostly because I wasn’t familliar with the seventy-odd new tracks that have mattered in the past year. So I found myself having to jump tempo more often than I would have liked. Hard to set up a groove when you haven’t timed out the music yet. But the staff was happy and I have yet to hear any negative feedback at all except from my poor friends who were stuck outside in the lineup.
The lineup! Gawds. To all who were stuck outside for an hour or two: why oh WHY didn’t you ask about the list? That’s why you know the dj! For what it’s worth if I had known you were out there and if I’d been better organised I would have come grabbed you. No way would I have let you rot outside for so long. We don’t do lineups. That’s honestly half the reason I got into this biz- so all my friends would have a place to go VIP-stylee.
From what I’ve heard so far, from those of you that are up before me today, a good time was had. Sucked to see you leave before I could properly entertain you and it sucked that the booth was utterly inaccessible and it sucked that I couldn’t make it down for shots with y’all. If I ever get suckered into doing it again I PROMISE I will find a way down. Neil is checked out on the gear and last night he knew the music about as well as I did. His mixes were as good as anything I was doing too. Frickin trainwrecked myself a couple painful times. Out of practice. *sigh*
But that’s what I’m saying- if I do play again, and y’all come play with me, I’ll be so much more able to be social. It was a bit of a nuthouse last night, with Neil & I wrestling with a brand new sound system (yes- brand new, first time used.) and whoever did the setup was a bit drunk. I think we pretty much rebuilt it on the fly. And we’re both used to working with MUCH bigger gear. Apologies to the poor amps. We just didn’t know. =P
Thanks for coming, guys. Love you all. Nick: we MUST get decks in the Mill.
It was so much fun, DJ. Thank YOU! As for the folks outside who couldn’t get in, I don’t even think they would have had any luck trying to get through even if they had told the bouncer that they were friends with the DJ. The “list” line-up was just as long and slow moving as the other… too bad about that. Next time, everyone should show up at 9pm, that’d be the ticket! Then perhaps we could have spent some time with you too. :)
Anyways, all in all a great nite. :):):)
luv tammie
COMMENT:
If worse had come to worst I would have dumped the house, which I did anyway, but you guys had already gone. It’s a club trick, where you play two or three really bad songs and get rid of the drunken lushes who’ve already spent their wad. Then you bring in the line who’ve patiently been waiting to give you all their money. Next time. =P
Ah yes, where do I start? Well how about here: Adrian had ONE beer in the booth. What does that tell you? We were WORKIN’. Yeah, not all that much playtime last night. I was up and down those stairs, back and forth on the dance floor for a good two hours straight. The system was brand new, hadn’t been run up, and no one knew how to run anything. We lost one speaker for about an hour, and there was only two to start with. Shit happens. The bar staff said it was louder than normal, and they reeeaally want us (mischiff) back. It feels strange when you do what you consider a half ass job and people are blown away by it. I’m not saying we sucked, but compared to the way our man used to rock the joint, we know we could have done better. I keep using “we” here, but it was clearly mischiff. Admittedly we are a team, and he said he wouldn’t have wanted to do the gig without me, but neither of us know exactly what I do. Sidekick sound derogitory, but essentially I am the Robin to his Batman. Of course in not such a man love sort of way.
Anyway, ‘we’ did a night that was would have captured Bronze in our league, but we scored triple platnium in the eyes of the staff. They really wanted more of the good stuff. I think I had more fun after the crowd split and we got to chill with the staff. I’m not sure what is going on, but I’m pretty sure there is some thinking involved.
dj (and neil!), we were some proud to see you up there workin’ the crowd. we would have cheered your name on the hour every hour. My friends (that you don’t know yet) made sure to tell me what a great time they had. ‘just passing that on.
I feel much more comfortable calling you “dj” now that I’ve seen you in action. :)
Drat the lineups! A.J. and I were hoping for a nice wistful night of reliving our days at Stones (bad HOT 103 cancon music notwithstanding)… Instead we ended up checking out the Cougar Exhibit @ Sweetwaters. It’s always nice to see them in their natural habitat. Perms and all.
Despite your concerns about your spinning (I always feel like a poseur when I use that word)- we’re always our own worst critics. I’m sure you were excellent. I look forward to your next gig.
Sorry to hear the setup wasn’t up to snuff. The fewer outside variables you have to worry about, the more you can concentrate on Doing Your Thing.
Still, it was good to see you up there, even if we couldn’t talk to you or hang out.
Glad you had a good time, dj. I think I would have had fun too, but the miles between us and all…Hee Hee Cougar Exhibit! I was so happy when he sold that place! I tried to tell him to let you turn it around, but well you know the story just as well as I do. Wasn’t meant to be. Anyway, hope you are able to enjoy more of what so obviously makes you happy.
I must say DJ, Abby and I were both really happy with your performance. Can’t say much else that hasn’t already been said. I thought it was a good job ;o)
Makes me want to learn to spin more…
They didn’t honor “the list” past 10:30. Please oh please don’t get a residence there.