At least this time I had practised. I was well prepared. Lots of music downloaded, new CDs burnt and I practised several times – more than I ever have done.
I still had no idea what I was playing, and certainly no order. I didn’t even have a first track which is a fairly elementary mistake.
Anyway, I came on just before midnight and Martin had been using USB sticks much to my surprise (I think he had told me but I had declined to listen). We always seem to have difficulties switching between USB and CDs. So imagine my panic after a couple of minutes into my set when I realised that the track sounded like it was on loop. I don’t actually know how to use the looping function (well I have an idea but I’ve hardly ever practised it so I wouldn’t dare use it).
Emergency loop was on. What the hell?
It kind of worked as my music is quite repetitive at times but I didn’t have a clue why. In the end I just mixed the track on the other deck – the emergency loop stopped once I took the CD out and put it back in again.
Ahhh technology. Then the left deck wouldn’t play at the same volume as the right deck. Had I accidentally turned up to Zeus?
I then figured out I had knocked the crossfader – again I never use the crossfader so it isn’t something I immediately considered. I managed to knock it all the way across later when trying to cut another track in so I was cutting into silence. Great one. But of course, it just sounded like I was playing and getting busy with my mixes – I do do quite a lot of cutting nowadays.
To me it was like a Villalobos-esque trainwreck at times – a couple of my mixes just didn’t work, one was way, way too low-key after quite a heavy track, though I was trying this out on purpose – again Villalobos-esque to flip between minimal styles and heavier house tracks.
Yeah I was wasted too. V v v v v v v.......esque.
It was busy all night and the crowd stuck with me no matter what I did – even through the fuck-ups though most of them actually worked – and through my repetitive minimal. I could actually feel the crowd willing me to play something with more of a beat and there I was merrily enjoying my 12-minute long minimal track.
I particularly enjoyed playing this beast of a track – a DJ Rush heavy-duty house track from many a year ago…decades in fact.
I was ready to finish close to 2pm when the next DJ turned up – he had surrounded the booth with his buddies and I had run out of ideas. Plus I needed some fresh air, it really gets warm in that booth.
And I just want to get down to Chaka Khan.
Which annoying the next DJ cut out of half-way through.
Next time I am really looking forward to being the first DJ, and being able to do my minimal thing though I might progress into some proper deep house. I keep meaning to do a real deep house set.
I actually feel that I am groping towards my own style, at last, both in terms of music and mixing. I’m not there yet though. Were it not for the fuck-ups that would have been an amazing set – and less stressful too! Maybe I should drink less next time.
Also very much looking forward to having Tim Sharpe back next time as our headliner.
And looking ahead, I am craving the simplicity of having vinyl and vinyl decks to play on. Though I won’t be buying any until January at the earliest.
See you on 16th October.
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