How to DJ at a Club/Bar as Beginner and Become Rockstar

There is a common saying that says, “every journey starts with a single step.”

Types of People

1. Reactive

These are people that realize the step they need to take to get their journeys going but are not ready to do that, rather they wait for something to make them take those steps in reacting to an occurrence.

2. Unknowing

These types of people are who don’t realize the steps they need to take to set them on their journeys.

But they take these steps unknowingly, either as a hobby, an activity to pass the time or even as just a partner to a friend who is taking those steps then later they discover that they are already doing it and in love with whatever they are doing.

3. Pro-Active

These type of people are those who realize the hard work they have to put in, to make it, and despite knowing the chances of them tasting failure on their way, they are still ready to put in the hard work and chase after their dreams.

Albert Einstein once said, “if you have never failed before, then you are not trying anything new.”

The proactive type is the one we are focusing In this article specifically those beginning as D.J’s and Rockstars.

D.Jing and your Personality

When you aspire to achieve anything, you will at least research and learn the basics; if you want to become a D.J, then you will need to Know who a D.Jis and what is expected of him.

A D.J is someone who takes already existing music and mixes or changes it in a way that is pleasing to the audience.”So you like music, and you wish to become a D.J, after putting in all the hard work in learning about D.J-ing and all the effort put in to secure your first gig booking.

You have successfully gotten a booking at a bar or club, and this is going to be your first gig, getting the booking can be exciting but nervous too.

You start Wondering if you are ready to go rock that club or bar or perhaps you can grow overconfident about it.

Steps to Becoming a Successful DJ

Below are some of the useful tips that can help you, calm your nerves, and build your confidence in order to get you through your first gig.

1. Preparation for the DJ Performance

In every task at hand, adequate preparations come in very handy, it’s good that you have secured your first booking, but you will have to practice very hard for to build your confidence and calm your nerves. When preparing:

1.1 Know the kind of function

Knowing the function you will be a D.J on, will help you know your audience and the type of music you will be expected to play because you are playing for the crowd, not yourself and if you know the type of music you are expected to play.

1.2 Practice alone

Now that you know the audience and music you will be playing, you can practice alone on that type of music, this will make you familiar with the bars of the expected type of music, and it can help you perfect your timing because to a D.J impeccable timing is an asset that goes a long way.

1.3 Play regularly

You might need to D.J little events for experience so offer to play at house parties or birthday parties in the neighborhood or for family and friends this might not earn you money at this point, but it will give you a feel of playing in front of a crowd and a chance to build on the confidence foundation.

1.4 Know your Drive

You must know the type of D.J drive you are going to be using on your first gig and use a similar drive if you can, the more you are familiar with it, the more confident you will be.

2. Know What You Are Going To Play

You know the type of music you are going to play, it’s not necessarily important to know all the songs you plan to play in a specific order or pre-record your all session.

But you will be doing yourself a favor to have 3 to 4 tracks arranged, this will help you get started especially it being your first gig, and during your session.

You might lose your groove those tracks might be your backup and get you back in the groove.

3. Arriving Early

3.1 If you are playing the first session

On the actual day of your first gig, make sure you get to the bar or club earlier, arriving before everyone else will give you time to know the club, set the effects accordingly.

You also get time to check what’s not working on the equipment you are using because not knowing this could really hurt your confidence if you tried something and it doesn’t work with the full crowd before you.

It would also put you in a good position getting started before people start coming in.

3.2 If you are taking over from another D.J.

You will be very calm and confident because you are already in the mood and groove as you will be taking over from another D.J.

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You will also have time to hang out in the D.J box, see what the other D.J is doing and also listen to the music from the crowds perspective.

3.3 Bring a Couple of Friends

On top of getting there early, bringing a couple of friends if possible, and having familiar faces cheering for you in the crowd would also work well for your confidence.

4. Stay Confident

Remember, this is your first gig, so despite putting in all the hard work, there is still a good chance that you will make one or two mistakes, when that happens make sure you don’t hesitate, just be confident and hold your head up. 

4.1 Not everyone is a DJ

People in the crowd are just there to have fun and socialize, so they would hardly notice a mistake unless you hesitate and make it obvious to the crowd, but if you quickly play it like that’s how it was meant to be.

4.2 Everyone likes something new

Everyone likes something new, and sometimes, through our mistakes, we create something new and unique your mistake can be a blessing in disguise.

4.3 Have fun

If this was your dream despite how this gig goes, you should have fun because this is a dream come true, and you have made that important first step.

4.4 Road to becoming a Rockstar

Time goes by you will get more bookings and build on your confidence and experience.

Spending most of your time preparing and D.J-ing for parties, bars or clubs, gathering all the music and trying to change or mix it in a way that would satisfy the different crowds at different types of events you perform.

It wouldn’t come as a surprise when one dreams of becoming a Rockstar, because there are a number of common features in both D.J and a Rockstar.

5. Rockstar

Rockstar is a performer in a band that attracts the most attention on stage”,

  • Becoming a rockstar: a Rockstar requires you to put in more hard work than being a D.J but being a D.J is a good foundation, if you wanted to transform from a D.J to a Rockstar, you will at least:
  • Band: the first step in becoming a Rockstar, you need to either join an ongoing band or start your own band.
  • Managing the band: start your own band, you will have to recruit and manage your members as well as expected to write songs that will attract the attention of your audience
  • Learn to play an instrument: remember you have to be the leader of the band so it would be a good thing to be familiar with the instruments, even when you recruiting you will need to pick those who are good enough to help your band.

6. The Popular Band

With so many bands out there, getting known by the targeted audience will give the band a chance for success. You can do this through

1. FREE SHOWS: organizing free shows, Will does not earn you money; despite calling for you to practice more, it will only earn you exposure and the feeling of playing before a crowd.

2. Post your practice gigs online: this will be another way announcing your existence in the industry, this will also increase the number of your followers.

3. Take part in local competitions: with the increase in number of followers and confidence through practices and free shows, you can now take part in local competitions among bands, this will expose your weakness and show you on the areas you will need to work on as well as a feel of the real completion out there.

4. Feature on shows with established musicians and bands: wherever established musicians and bands are, crowds will be there, and that would be a great platform for you to showcase your skills.

This will increase your fan base, confidence and it might also earn a bit of money at this stage.

7. Failure

  1. The journey: it’s important for you to know there will be failure along the way as not everything will go as planned, but what matters is how you deal with this failure.
  2. Learn from failure: you set out to start your rocking star career, it will help you to know that on the road of learning failure is a tool, so when it happens, keep calm and know it’s there to teach you something, it’s not there to limit but to get you to the next level, so be ready to fail if you hope to learn.
  3. Recognize failure:  failure is most definitely to happen; it will not serve it’s the purpose if you don’t recognize it, you can only fix what you notice is broken,
  4. Getting through failure: Failure might be a bitter pill to swallow, one thing that can help you through such times is to remember why you started the journey, this is where having that dream at the beginning of your journey plays a vital role, at one point it becomes your only motivating and driving force.
  5. The attitude in failing times: Times of failure keep your rocking face on because failure is only there for you to learn from, it doesn’t have to get through to your audience.

Remember you are the leader of your band you attract the most attention on stage from the audience and just like the D.J the energy through the crowd is being channeled by you and you don’t want to channel negative energy to the crowd no matter what rock and rock it like there is no tomorrow.

8. Hard work

Most importantly, whether you are the D.J who has worked so hard to get a booking for his first gig, put in a lot of practice to prepare for it because it doesn’t come cheap.

9. Confidence

Do everything possible to build your confidence and calm your nerves because the calmer you are, the more in control you will be.

10. Don’t Give Up

through learning instruments, putting together a band, putting in the hard work in practice despite not getting paid, don’t give up, keep pushing until you achieve.

11. Failures

No matter how good or hardworking we can be, failure will always be a part of our journey to learn from it and soldier on.

12. Have Fun

Finally, you are there to perform have fun to the fullest because it is a dream come true, and you deserve it for not giving up.

Caution

You have achieved your dream but remember, after coming this far you will need to keep on learning and getting better.

Because there are always upcoming stars, working hard just to get to where you are, so if you get complacent after your first gig or after making it as a rockstar.  

You might just short live your dreams, and before you know it, you would be back to where you started from.

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