Just a quick question. When you set up do you stand behind your equipment? I set up the cd player and mixer to the side so the punters can approach me with out a barrier to lean over. Makes me more approachable.

Whats your feelings, do you hide behind your gear?

I have an 8foot wide audio stand/goal post stand, which would be too impractical to get up sideways on, so I stand behind the gear with the record/cd table closing off one "obviously closed" end, leaving one intentionally well lit "Open" end, for the punters to come and visit.

Most of my requests come in on the Request Slips which I adorn the tables/bar with, or by Txt, which I plug heavily.

We were just talking about this over the weekend. I covered for another disco at a local hotel where he is resident. The first question he asked was Had I got some flashing light screens? with which I replied no we don't do light boxes!!. He replied Oh thats no good you can't work there with no frontage. Apparently the hotel does'nt think you've got alot of equipment if you don't have a frontage. yeh I thought it was a bit strange as well. We like to on the same principle as "tonyj" my cd players are at the side of me and people can walk up straight to me and ask for requests. I always use to hide behind loads of light boxes until my son came home after visiting a travelling theatre group and he was explaining all about breaking down "the fourth wall". This is a term used in the drama department meaning the bit between you and the audience.Hence this is why they performed in a semi circle as opposed to using the stage all to do with getting into the audience as much as possible.

But then again...isnt "never turn your back on the audience" a performing phrase too?

I have a 4ft high curtain and shouldered by 2 x 4ft high light screens. If I was 3ft 11inchs..I'd be drawn into the "hiding behind" debate. Im far too extravert to hide...

I have however seen 2 DJ's recently (in separate functions) sitting down for the whole gig...One had a selection of Mini Discs within arms reach, the other a Laptop. Now that to me seems a little too laid back.

ii use a goalpost lighting rig above a 2m ish wide table with a white / black tablecloth. the cdplayer/mixer console goes on the right hand side of the table and on the left is an open cd wallet so the punters can come chat without the "big barrier". Amp racks / sig processing hidden under table behind tablecloth

QUOTE (tonyj @ Jun 12 2003, 07:57 PM)

Just a quick question. When you set up do you stand behind your equipment? I set up the cd player and mixer to the side so the punters can approach me with out a barrier to lean over. Makes me more approachable. Whats your feelings, do you hide behind your gear?

Actually I find it more professional standing behind your equipment!! Also I find it more appealing to the crowd that u must look presentable to your audience!!

It really doesnt bother me where and how I set up because at the end of the gig god knows where I will end up!!!!! I usually set up dependant upon the venue size but make sure my clients know I am approachable and welcome them with open arms when I see them heading my way - I always go to the side to speak to them.

QUOTE

because at the end of the gig god knows where I will end up!!!!!

That sounds a bit dodgy Karen!. The more nosey amongst us are wanting to know where you usually end up

Ha ha!! I actually mean that I can often be found on the dance floor with everyone else.... is it me or do many others continually get pulled out from behind their decks by others wanting you to join in with them!

QUOTE

is it me or do many others continually get pulled out from behind their decks by others wanting you to join in with them!

I've heard Mikeee gets out to do the time warp with em!

.... I heard mikeee was in a time warp!!!

QUOTE

I heard mikeee was in a time warp!!!

LOL

QUOTE

is it me or do many others continually get pulled out from behind their decks by others wanting you to join in with them

I always get on the dance floor and do all the party moves, cos some places don't know em so I show em!! We play macerena, time warp, sat nite etc in one go, and I get on the floor and ave a laugh with the punters, dance with the ladies wish I had a radio mic.

& who goes out for a slow one with someone who's caught there eye?




Then batters the out of them cause there mates nicking your cd's, Not recommened really, is it?

...funnily enough I always find I am really "busy" when asked to join someone with a slow dance!!!
Just a quick comment on it being more "professional" stading behind the decks.... each to their own but if you are a "party" DJ then audience interaction is a must and my customers love it! Professionally speaking (!) I know when and where it is appropriate to enter out into the crowd and virtually all of my customers love the fact that I am out there joining in with them at some stage... I cant say no when they ask can I!! (except of course for the slowies!)

QUOTE

& who goes out for a slow one with someone who's caught there eye?

Mmmeeeeeee!!!!!

QUOTE

Then batters the  out of them cause there mates nicking your cd's, Not recommened really, is it?

We'll I've got a m8 that sits there will I'm out on the dance floor so no cd's go missing and I get a number!!! SORTED

Ah but up there for thinking down there for dancing.... when I venture out my eyes are always well positioned on my cds - which are usually well out the way and so God help anyone who dares to go behind my decks when I am not.... I can move pretty quick for an old girl!!

Anyway, back to the first post, I stand behind the stand with cd player and laptop on top, amp below and cd's guarded by my m8 paul. And the mic by my side so no screaming girls can scream down it.Plus I don't get drunken gezzers trying to mc down it!!!

I stand behind mine right in the middle but i always make sure the punters have got a good clear way to come and talk to me. The club i dj in is a bit to open everybody seems to just walk on in and tap me on the shoulder mid mix grrrrrrrrrrr

QUOTE (Loz @ Jun 12 2003, 08:52 PM)

We were just talking about this over the weekend. I covered for another disco at a local hotel where he is resident. The first question he asked was Had I got some flashing light screens? with which I replied no we don't do light boxes!!. He replied Oh thats no good you can't work there with no frontage. Apparently the hotel does'nt think you've got alot of equipment if you don't have a frontage. yeh I thought it was a bit strange as well. We like to on the same principle as "tonyj" my cd players are at the side of me and people can walk up straight to me and ask for requests. I always use to hide behind loads of light boxes until my son came home after visiting a travelling theatre group and he was explaining all about breaking down "the fourth wall". This is a term used in the drama department meaning the bit between you and the audience.Hence this is why they performed in a semi circle as opposed to using the stage all to do with getting into the audience as much as possible.

hi loz fair comment (re lightboxes) i think the problem these days is u walk into a hall and see 20 foot of lightboxes u grab peoples attention straight away due i think to the size of the frontage and colourful presentation of the set up ,you are so right loz in saying people only think you have a lot of gear if you use lightboxes, ok its nice to have 4 robos 4 macs etc no lighboxes great but the average person doesnt know these type of lights are the in thing and not lightboxes (ooh i might get the infinity boxes out this week) also if you cant use haze machines forget it,as much as i would like to get away from the unnessary weight of lightboxes i personally dont think a mobile disco looks the part with just overhead lighting respect

This stems back to the primary principles of "focal points" Versus "effect lighting".

1) Something that the audience can look at/toward

or

2) something that shines at/over the audience.


Light screens, star cloths, infinity tunnels, name lights, rope lights, silk fake flame effects... even the humble 4ft UV tube with the 2 different colours of UV reactive tubing wrapped around it...all act as a focal point....(see point 1, above)

Anything like par cars, projectors, moonflowers, moving head gobo doofer whatsits are all examples of point 2, above.


Ideally, you need some of each.


Good instant frontage (focal point) is a simple white sheet hung infront of the set up, with a block of those 4 colour, bare bulb, Sound-to-light disco lights...(you know !OOOO!)

Given about 2 ft between the bulbs and the sheet...the whole sheet will take on the colour of whichever bulb is showing...given about 2 inches though, and the whole sheet takes on a charred, blackened look, but means that your smoke machine gets a night off...



and the whole kaboodle fits in an old record box, sheet 'n' all...

TIME WARP, definatly not. But I hope Harold Wilson Doesn't get in again, if he does then the Marine offences act will happen, and will will lose some of the best radio around.

QUOTE

We'll I've got a m8 that sits there will I'm out on the dance floor so no cd's go missing and I get a number!!!

Whats an m8?

QUOTE (fenix842 @ Jul 3 2003, 09:54 PM)

[QUOTE]We'll I've got a m8 that sits there will I'm out on the dance floor so no cd's go missing and I get a number!!! Whats an m8?

Like DJ Crooks whose in Canada, i'm gonna have to teach you "Text Speak".

Here in the UK, many younger people are using their cell phones to send messages to each other - called Text Messages, or SMS for short. Not sure if you have this craze in the U.S at the moment, but its pretty big over here amongst teenagers.

Since a cell phone will only send about 160 characters at a time, they have to use a type of shorthand, to make words shorter.

In the UK, a slang word for Friend is "Mate". So the Kids shorten the word Mate to M8 (M - eight). You'll get the hang of it . This also applies to conversations on MSN / AIM messengers as well.

M8 = Mate

Some new foriegn lingo thats been invented for people that can't spell (lol)

All of these American Students will be going into school tomorrow using all of these new found UK slang words, and calling each other "Mate", and it'll all be my fault!.

UR GR8 !!

Don't do text messaging, can't see the point, they never seem to arrive when I send them.

My daughter sent 43 in a 'conversation' the other night !!!

43 x 10p each is £4.30. The other person had to reply, hence another 44 at 10p, a total of £7.70, at local rate of 1p per minute thats 770 minutes, that 13 HOURS, except our local calls are free anyway

thanks. this whole new vocabulary will take some time to get used to.

Hi folks

Ok here goes.

I don't get chance to get out on the dancefloor with the punters as I'm totally blind, woldn't be good for health and safety, also, when I'm in my space, folks don't need to know I'm blind, but when they find out, hehehe amazement!

So how do I set up so I'm accessible at all times.

Ultimax stand with gantry goes up first, then speakers on tripods as far apart as I can get them.

Lights go up on gantry. finally the wiring happens, all done from in front of the rig so folks don't have to come looking for me.

One end of space is closed off, whenever possible that's the end where the majority of the wiring happens, other end is guarded by whoever my roadie is that night, always someone available to chat too.

No worries with where to put amps as speekers are powered, soooo easy!

All CD's kept in those case logic folders, take out about 600.

That's all folks

Darren

I've tried both ways, side on and me behind. Kids partys are much easier side on as you can quickly get out onto the floor to help with games etc. My stand which now includes an adapted ultimax gantry is really too wide and I have to now go behind. Also you can hide alsorts of junk behind, wires flight case covers etc. I try and leave one side open for people to come and see me.

On one gig I did not long ago I put the speakers which were on stands right up at the back against the wall so I could hear the music much better. It made more room also for dancing and improved the bass.

Ooooooohhhhh Nooooooooo! I don't want to 'hear' what I'm playing!!!!! Bad enough watching them dance!!!!

I agree! There is only so many times you can hear the Macarena and the fast food rockers before you have a psychotic episode!

I wouldnt recommend anyone setting up the speakers behind unless they have a microphone that is really good at resisting feedback (and/or have a Behringer Feedback destroyer in their rack)

If you end up HAVING to set the speakers up behind you...eg: due to setting up in some pokey pub corner, then try to ange the speakers away from the postition where you are going to be using the microphone.

EG: Dont point the speakers at/across the mixer, if thats where you stand when making announcements.

well as my dad mentioned on PAge 1 we used to have the CD player at the side, but since we got our new ones i told him that they arent really that high(the main reason for moving to the side in the 1st place) so we went back to our old rig.

And its better, we use request sheets where possible if not Punters can come from the side and theres plenty of room!

[QUOTE]I don't get chance to get out on the dancefloor with the punters as I'm totally blind

I read this post whilst on holiday and thought 'wow - how does he do it?' Not out of idle curiosity more good on ya & respect

I would be interested to hear what problems you have encountered and how you have overcome them. For instance have you adapted any equipment, how do you find particular tracks, how do you know how many are dancing etc.

In these days of political correctness I stress again that this is not just idle curiosity and I hope you are not offended by my questions but I am genuinely interested in how you do things on a typical gig.

PaulS

I went to a stag night once and the host was in a wheel chair, he set-up and done everything himself.

He was the comedian/host for the evening, he was brilliant, the girls wern't bad either

WOW, amazing

Hi fH folks

I don't believe in political correctness, it's sent the world barmy.

I'll ry and answer a couple of your querries as briefly as I can.

Any problems...the only problem is I have to have someone with me for most of the time, driving, helping me orientate myself with the environment I work in, helping to break the ice with clients.

How do I find tracks...I use the case logic CD's cases, each sleave is labelled with dimo tape in braille, sort of like cataloging everything. Luckily I've got a bloody good memory and know where my music can be found.

Whoever is with me will feed me info like how many folks are dancing, any nice tallent on the floor, or tell me of anything going on that I can comment on over the mic.

It's also useful to have someone around to get in the drinks.

I've never ever had any negative feedback from folks and people seem genuinely positive about my "disability".

Unfortunately, i've been craped on from a great height by my last roady, who just decided not to turn up for a gig and so I had to pass on a ton of work.

I'm now working with a DJ who has no equipment, so we're gonna make a go of it as a partnership.

Any more questions, please ask, I won't be offended.
Darren

Good on ya! I really admire anyone who wont be beaten by disability - one of my great mottos is "I can, I must and I will" - those who strive to succeed usually do.

Karen

I thought you motto was

Anytime, any place, anywhere

QUOTE

Anytime, any place, anywhere

Nah! That was only Kazza's motto when she was rollerskating into office elevators, whilst wearing a mini skirt and holding a tray of Martini's at shoulder level. (A week last Tuesday, as I recall).

Yep, respect to Darren, takes some bottle, and it seems that you've got loads,

QUOTE

Good on ya! I really admire anyone who wont be beaten by disability - one of my great mottos is "I can, I must and I will" - those who strive to succeed usually do.

My mum lost her sight a few years ago and earlier this year I cycled across New Zealand to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind, along with 28 other people, 4 of whom were visually impaired people (VIP) and rode on the back of tandems.
One of the VIP's was a truly inspirational bloke named Murray. He's now around 25 and lost his sight around 8 years ago. During this trip Murray continuously amazed everyone around him. He rode a normal solo bike around a car park, he won a game of Pool and potted the black! (before each shot he would ask someone to tap the table just in front of where the ball he was aiming at was). The locals refused to believe he was blind!

I still keep in touch with him now and he's always taking up some kind of challenge; the latest is that he's aiming to get in to the Guiness book of records by breaking the speed record for a VIP on a motorbike which currently stands at 89 mph! He's doing it at an RAF air field in Edinburgh at the end of August and me and a few others from the NZ trip are flying up to Scotland to watch him. He reckons he can break 100mph!!! Picture the scene if you will; Murray turns up at the air field led by his guide dog Opal and then mounts a motorbike and hits 100mph

Knowing someone like that puts your life into perspective. We should all be grateful for our health, rather than bellyaching and whinging about trivial matters. As Kazza said, if you're determined you can succeed, the only thing that holds you back is yourself, for most people that usually involves constantly finding pathetic excuses.

this is really "feel good factor" stuff.... how many of us can claim to have been inspirational? Not many of us I bet! Anyone with any disability who defies their problems gets more respect from me than lets say, somebody who gets a single into the charts at No.1!
Another of my little mottos is "no matter how hard they push you down, fight to come up"..... what a wise OLD owl I am!!

QUOTE

no matter how hard they push you down, fight to come up

for air

QUOTE

if you're determined you can succeed, the only thing that holds you back is yourself, for most people that usually involves constantly finding pathetic excuses.

so true eskie!!

some amazing storys they really do make you think. But i am a true beliver that we only get 1 life so im going to live it to the max!!!

Too true kray...... love and kisses to everyone... xx

Sometimes you read a thread and it is so inspirational that you just have to say something.

Darren I'm not gonna waffle on as its probably the last thing you want, but more power to you mate. I thought DJ'ing was hard enough if you were able bodied but you are an inspiration to us and all the younger members joining, keep it up my friend.



Spin

Agree with everything everbody has said, except the kisses to everyone !!. Won't write loads about the respect etc etc because you probably don't want to hear it, but I for one cannot express how much courage it must take.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

With a flick of the wrist like Ali G-

Hi

thanks for the kind words.

Well, DJing is hard, too right, but it something that I always wanted to do. Remember back when you were in your last few years at school and the careers advisors came round asking what you wanted to do the rest of your life? Well, when I said I wanted to be a DJ, she nearly fell off her seat. Consequently I went to college to do business studies. that was back in 1986.

It was only by a fluke that I did a summer ball for a college I was working for, with borrowed equipment that I ever managed to follow my dream. The gig was a barnstormer and have found it hard to replecate since, but wow did it give me the kick up the a$$ or what!

DJing has taken a bit of a back seat as mortgages have to be paid and I have to spend time with Louise my partner, but I still get out when I fancy an ego stretch. I'm also concentrating more on building up my online ventures so I can retire to a nice beech somewhere soon *grin*

It's the oddest thing though, when I'm doing gigs, folks don't tend to realise I'm blind until later on in the night, and once they find out, they tend to think you're a better DJ than you really are. In truth I'm no more or less good/professional than most of the people on here, the blindness seems to make people think I'm embued with superman like tallents...very weird.

Ok,

Hi again

Don't know what happened there, just chopped my message short.

that was about it though, took me 12 years to realise my dreeam, so you youngsters out there that may be told you can't do this job or that job, stuff 'em, if it's realistic and you want to do it, follow you dream, you only pass this way once and it's not a practise run for something else...just do it!

Darren