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School dance... 800+ kids, any recommendations?

MusicMeister 5:02 PM - 24 October, 2006
Ok, I'm going back to my old high school this Saturday to play the homecoming dance a little more than 20 years after I graduated from there.

I've played a LOT of gigs and I'm not too worried about the musical choice. In the words of the owner of the company I'm doing this gig for - "It's white kids dancing to black music." Yes, he's a bigotted sexist asshole...

However, back to the gig. Anyone have any recommendations on handling 800+ kids at a school dance? I've done a lot of gigs over the years, but to be honest, this is my first gig with more than 500 people. And it's my old high school. And it's 20 years since I was there. And I was a pretty hardcore introvert in high school and didn't go to ANY dances so I have no point of reference of what the dance is supposed to be like (I was president of the computer club - need I say more?). And it's likely that I'm just overanalyzing the situation and need to relax like I tell Julls to do all the time.

Any hints? And yes, I'll be using that 'other' control system at the gig w/ SLDZ's and a trigger finger.... And yes, I'll post pics afterwards - be them good or bad....
DJ Michael Basic 5:42 PM - 24 October, 2006
Bring a gun.
OG Supernatural 6:02 PM - 24 October, 2006
Sounds like fun man...

Probabbly can't tell you anything that you don't already know.
Bump jams & have fun!

Place a clip board with a request sheet on it near your rig so when they want come up to make a request, you can just point to the clipboard. They catch on quick and will pretty much leave you alone and just write down stuff that you would probabbly end up playing anyway.
MusicMeister 7:44 PM - 24 October, 2006
I had already figured I'd do the clipboard thing but I'm going to be at the same level as the students so it will be a little more difficult to read the group as a whole than if I was on a stage. (Julls, can you imagine doing the GB dance and NOT being on a stage?).

I've got 99% of the music down cold - it's basically a clean club set with a little funk, disco, EDM, and 'country remixes' thrown in. Did I mention that this is a HUGE C&W fanbase school? We used to win the tractor driving contest at state every year for FFA (Future Farmers of America) and before it was a high school it was an agricultural school!

I know I'm going to have to drop at least 1 country song during the night (I'm thinking the dance remix of B&R Save a Horse) and maybe a slow song.

Just out of curiousity, how many slow song do you typically drop at a 4-5 hour school dance?
djskeetz 8:23 PM - 24 October, 2006
damn 20 years....
MusicMeister 8:43 PM - 24 October, 2006
yea... I'll be playing to a bunch of kids that weren't even BORN when I graduated high school!
Julls 8:46 PM - 24 October, 2006
Meister you wanna swap gigs this weekend? I have no intrest in doing the one douchebag wants me to do.
MusicMeister 11:41 PM - 24 October, 2006
Nope... nothing like going back to your old high school and playing the homecoming dance... Just nervous because I'm probably setting an unrealistic expectation for myself...

And if I didn't do it I'd do the Boomerzz gig if I had to beat someone to death with a hard drive to get it. Big money in the costume contest, games all night long, it's going to be one NON-STOP party! Thought the dance was on Friday but when I realized different I stuck with it...
MusicMeister 11:42 PM - 24 October, 2006
BTW, at Boomerzz I can get an Internet connection... ;-)
Julls 11:51 PM - 24 October, 2006
Quote:
BTW, at Boomerzz I can get an Internet connection... ;-)


lol
MusicMeister 12:02 AM - 25 October, 2006
I'll be there tonight - and might even post while I'm there... doing the karoake thing, ripping CD's, and preparing for this school dance tonight... should prove to be a REAL BLAST - NOT!

But what the hell - it's money!
djphilly 12:19 AM - 25 October, 2006
Wooot.. I rocked my own high school homecoming... (i'm 16)

i13.tinypic.com

Yeah, the lighting is super weak but they didn't ask for lighting so that's all i brought on my own.
djskeetz 12:23 AM - 25 October, 2006
hahaha. nice philly....one vertigo for all those people. lol.
Jader 1:18 AM - 25 October, 2006
last high school gig i did they kept asking for the chicken noodle song
KONUPE 1:33 AM - 25 October, 2006
Just Did My Univ. Homekoming... a few pics nothing major

i61.photobucket.com

i61.photobucket.com

i61.photobucket.com
djtekno 2:18 AM - 25 October, 2006
Well, tryin' playin' that "Sexyback" song, haha, girls will go crazy for it! "Snap Ya Fingaz", "Lean Wit It", "Walk It Out" and that Chicken Noodle song, maybe that Capser Cha Cha Slide? haha. I usually play up-tempo stuff, something to dance to. I'd say Ciara is good to dance to, Chamillionaire, Nelly Frutatdo, some raggaeton? Maybe some good trance-techno songs, but not "Sandstorm"!!!
OG Supernatural 2:25 AM - 25 October, 2006
Hey KONUPE, can you describe the lighting set up on the screen.

What are you using as a screen?

What fixtures are you using to uplight the screen?

Thanks
KONUPE 3:04 AM - 25 October, 2006
Yo... The university provided all the lighting for the funktion.. as a matter of fakt all i had to bring was my laptop and serato they had everything already set up for me it was a good deal. So I wouldnt know for sure what the lighting was... but what from what i remember it was like the lights used in a auditorium but they were on the floor facing up ... itwas weird never seen anything like it before
OG Supernatural 3:43 AM - 25 October, 2006
Gotcha....

Yeah, something like that makes for a cool backdrop effect behind the dj rig.
DJ Michael Basic 7:18 AM - 25 October, 2006
Are you guys doing Karaoke digitally Musicmeister? What software are you using if you are?
MusicMeister 7:38 AM - 25 October, 2006
Yes, the company I work for does karaoke digitally with MTU's Hoster.

I personally use CDG's, VCD's, SCDG's, and a few DVD's (the DVD's are being phased out as fast as possible). They all fit into a single 4U drawer and it's about 22,000 tracks - 18,000 or so unique tracks. They're still in Alaska though. I thought of going digital but haven't done so with karaoke. Mainly because my heart just isn't in it any more. Sure I don't mind doing karaoke but the hassles and competition for karaoke makes DJ'ing look like a walk in the park. At least we don't have people trying to take a DJ's job for $25 and free beer!

I'm making the move from using all my stuff for karaoke to doing small bands and studio work with my equipment. I've already got a Mackie Onyx 1620 mixer ($900 or so) and once I add the firewire card I'll be able to record 16 channels of raw audio and do post production work as well. It will really open up my ability to get REAL creative with my DJ'ing as well as being able to work with some local groups as well.

But in the meantime, any other recommendations for the school dance? I'm sure I'll have the music to rock the house. I have my trigger finger programmed so I can mute a channel if I have to (if there's an unedited version of the song I can mute the channel or use one of the EQ kills to remove the profanity).

Any recommendations on the mic work, etc. Sure I can do a wedding for hundreds of people no problem... but doing it for finicky teenagers when you're outnumbered 800+ to 1 - now THAT makes me nervous.

Well, that and I'm afraid someone will look up my yearbook picture!
mister iLL 1:33 PM - 26 October, 2006
run. fast. kids are relentless and ruthless.
CMS 5:09 AM - 27 October, 2006
MM, I'm with mister iLL, RUN LIKE HELL!!!!!!
MusicMeister 12:31 AM - 28 October, 2006
hehehe....

I just read an EXCELLENT article on DJ'ing school dances in the most recent DJ Times. Gives some good advice for the layout of the music for the night, etc. I'm going to try it and see what happens.
DJ GaFFle 6:46 AM - 28 October, 2006
Quote:
hehehe....

I just read an EXCELLENT article on DJ'ing school dances in the most recent DJ Times. Gives some good advice for the layout of the music for the night, etc. I'm going to try it and see what happens.


Care to share or do we have to buy the magazine?
NOMOLOS JD 4:55 PM - 28 October, 2006
just turn on the radio. I dont see how hard it could be?
MusicMeister 7:52 PM - 28 October, 2006
I'll share, but I'm going to wait until after I try it tonight so I can let you know how it goes and if the information actually works. Got to leave to load gear in 1 1/2 hours, 2 hours for setup. Should prove to be a real blast!
Julls 8:18 PM - 28 October, 2006
Quote:
I'll share, but I'm going to wait until after I try it tonight so I can let you know how it goes and if the information actually works. Got to leave to load gear in 1 1/2 hours, 2 hours for setup. Should prove to be a real blast!


You sure you don't want to trade gigs?
MusicMeister 8:40 AM - 29 October, 2006
hehehehe.... it's a little late for that now... ;-)

BTW, the basic advice was to play non-danceable rock during the first 20-25 minutes while the kids are showing up. Then move to some older dance hits and then your first slow song. Come out of the slow song with a hardcore current heater. Play 45 minutes and hten slow song again. Repeat. For the last part of the dance play pretty much whatever you want as most of the kids are already gone.

BTW, dance went REAL well tonight