DJing Discussion

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No Judgement Thread: Do You DJ High Or Drunk?

ced_so_thoed 8:38 PM - 18 June, 2012
ay
Not trying to get folks in to any shit. But what drugs or how many beers or drinks do you do before or during a gig? Do you feel that you are better high or druck or the same or worse? I don't do anything, I'm basically a square. But folks always say if I was to get high with them I'd be 10 times better and funnier. I tell them the truth, I drive too much and I get pulled over for "check for insurance" too much so I can't. But any of y'all?
yep
CMOS 8:41 PM - 18 June, 2012
I duff a blunt before spinning. Dont really drink much as i tend to get puky.

Just relaxes me before a gig, doesnt make me spin any better.
sacrilicious 9:42 PM - 18 June, 2012
Zero to blackout, gig dependent.
Mr. Goodkat 10:04 PM - 18 June, 2012
Quote:
Zero to blackout, gig dependent.


ay

yep
Dj Shamann 11:59 PM - 18 June, 2012
I don't drink at hire gigs, when I throw my own one-off jams I will because I have friends spinning with me, but I DJ long nights by myself usually and running to take a piss all the time is annoying.

It's also better on the pockets, yeah a lot of places will take care of a "tab" but not when you get into what I can throw back in a night. Add to that 4 in the morning Chinese food runs when I'm shit faced and hungry.

I'm a raging alcoholic outside of DJing and don't bounce back as easy as I get older, so I find it easier just show up to my gigs with a clear head, do my thing and get out of there at the end of the night, then wake up and crank back the beers on my own time.

It's also good to be on the ball when someone tries to pull a fast one come pay time (and other business related dealings).
str8nger 12:10 AM - 19 June, 2012
I have to drink. Couple of beers before I spin so I can loosen up, and not be so uptight. And makes me dance a little when I'm buzz. Once I tried getting high and for me it jut doesn't mix with the decks. So I stick to beer now
DJ Ness Nice 12:13 AM - 19 June, 2012
i def. cannot dj drunk, i dont pay attention at all.. ill take the needle off the record while its playin... sometimes i mite have a couple beers or a couple cran n vodka but never more than 2 at the beginning,, wont say that im better drunk but i do tend to talk more and host when i had a couple early.. other than that i wait til the last hour to have a few, or sip throughout the nite..
djdalite 12:32 AM - 19 June, 2012
my job is drinking, if im not doing a lot of MC'n then ill do a little bit both
popnwave 1:14 AM - 19 June, 2012
I have about 2 drinks throughout the night. Usually early in the set when it is quiet until the crowd rolls in around 11:30-midnight. While I don't worry about my SET if I drink more, I usually waste too much time recovering the next day with a hangover if I overdo it.

(Just a note 1-2 drinks at my club is a pint glass filled 1/2 or more with spirits and a spritz of mixer on top... eesh the first one goes down rough even when it's Grey Goose)
canicypher 2:12 AM - 19 June, 2012
I tend not to drink at all for private events...don't really drink during club gigs either...if i do, it's like 2 drinks tops...they might be l.i.t's...but only 2 :) lol ..there's just no way i'm gonna let myself get wasted and risk forgetting my laptop or some shit..
Holdsy10 3:14 AM - 19 June, 2012
I don't get work in club, only as a mobile DJ, and I usually have to drive there, so I have nothing to drink. When people offer me free drinks for doing a good job I say no, even if I wasn't driving, because I did a gig once drunk, and it was the shittest gig of my life, transitions were shit, song selection was bad, however I did have fun because I was off my face.
pdidy 3:32 AM - 19 June, 2012
I tend to drink heavily when i dj. According to my long time friends an fellow djs, i dj better when im intoxicated. Apparently im a functioning drunk because i have unintentionally blacked out twice this year while djing an no one had a freakin clue but i couldn't remember shit. Had to check my history to see what the hell i played and everyone loved it, go figure....smh.
pdidy 3:38 AM - 19 June, 2012
But mon-fri i dont drink at all due to my 9-5........
Eric N 2:07 PM - 19 June, 2012
JUST A WORD OF WARNING...

I used to have 2-3 drinks a night (usually Maker's and coke), but about a month ago I got pulled over on the way home from a bar night about an hour from home and got arrested for DUI.

I had only had 2 drinks (though I'm not sure how stiff they were poured), and the last one was done by midnight, I think. I didn't leave the bar until at least 2, maybe 2:30. Totally felt fine, not even buzzing, let alone drunk. I have sleep apnea and sometimes get drowsy on long, late-night drives due to shitty sleep the prior night, and I started to doze a bit. Swerved just a TINY bit at about 3am, caught myself, immediately got pulled over, and blew a .09. >.<

The whole situation was an absolute nightmare, and I will be dealing with it in court all summer as well as paying for it (in one way or another) for years. I have a lawyer who is trying to plead it down for me, but it looks like I will have to use an ignition interlock for at least 6 months (which ought to be fun to explain to my kids) and will be lucky if I get out of this for less than 10 grand when it's all said and done.

My lesson learned here is that if you drink pretty much AT ALL at your shows and have to drive home, you have a chance of facing a similar fate. That "1 drink an hour" bullshit they taught us back in the day obviously does not apply to everyone equally lol.
DJRemixEnt 2:25 PM - 19 June, 2012
Quote:
JUST A WORD OF WARNING...

I used to have 2-3 drinks a night (usually Maker's and coke), but about a month ago I got pulled over on the way home from a bar night about an hour from home and got arrested for DUI.

I had only had 2 drinks (though I'm not sure how stiff they were poured), and the last one was done by midnight, I think. I didn't leave the bar until at least 2, maybe 2:30. Totally felt fine, not even buzzing, let alone drunk. I have sleep apnea and sometimes get drowsy on long, late-night drives due to shitty sleep the prior night, and I started to doze a bit. Swerved just a TINY bit at about 3am, caught myself, immediately got pulled over, and blew a .09. >.<

The whole situation was an absolute nightmare, and I will be dealing with it in court all summer as well as paying for it (in one way or another) for years. I have a lawyer who is trying to plead it down for me, but it looks like I will have to use an ignition interlock for at least 6 months (which ought to be fun to explain to my kids) and will be lucky if I get out of this for less than 10 grand when it's all said and done.

My lesson learned here is that if you drink pretty much AT ALL at your shows and have to drive home, you have a chance of facing a similar fate. That "1 drink an hour" bullshit they taught us back in the day obviously does not apply to everyone equally lol.


damn bruh, i feel for u... that sux
popnwave 2:25 PM - 19 June, 2012
Eric N - you are totally right especially if your bartenders like to make your drinks stiffer than the normal pours people get. It is a game of roulette I think a lot of us play.
DJ JT Stevens 2:26 PM - 19 June, 2012
That sucks Eric. I know a few people who have had to deal with that interlock system and it's a total pain. Make sure your battery is still strong and holds a good charge, that system seems to put a big strain on it. Good luck man.

I'm with Shamann in that I have a rule to not drink when I'm getting paid. Whether it's a bar/club gig, wedding, party, etc. Mainly because I've found that my skills start to slip when I do so I rather not give the client a bad impression of me.

If I'm going to mess up I rather have it be a legitimate mistake than alcohol induced.
DJ Quartz 4:56 PM - 19 June, 2012
No alcohol or drugs, period...

By life choice of course but I view it as job ediquette, you wouldn't (or shouldn't) drink while working a regular job.

So I really don't view this as any different because you need to be aware of what you're doing the whole time.

@ Eric,

That sucks and I hope in the end they go a bit lighter on you. I've seen people have waaay more than that a go drive and nothing ever happened to them which is a shame.
Mr. Goodkat 7:51 PM - 19 June, 2012
dj'ing isnt a regular job. but if thats how you look at it, you shouldn't drink.
DJ Reflex 4:19 AM - 20 June, 2012
What if your job is at a brewery as a beer taster?

Quote:
By life choice of course but I view it as job ediquette, you wouldn't (or shouldn't) drink while working a regular job.


Just asking...
sixxx 12:20 PM - 20 June, 2012
I drink at my regular job. So does my bosses. It's a great atmosphere.
DJ JT Stevens 1:30 PM - 20 June, 2012
Quote:
I drink at my regular job. So does my bosses. It's a great atmosphere.

Same here. Not every day, but there's definitely some beer here in the IT office mini fridge.

Nothing better than drinking a beer at my desk at 5PM on Friday after a hard week's work.
Dj Shamann 10:13 PM - 20 June, 2012
LOL I was just looking for an old thread and found another "do you drink on the job" thread from 2006 and this was my answer

Quote:
I've been drunk at almost every gig since I was 15
ced_so_thoed 10:19 PM - 20 June, 2012
ay
wow dude
yep
Dj Shamann 10:25 PM - 20 June, 2012
Shit done change I guess LOL

I've come a long way though since those days in terms of being a "business man"
DJ Evil One 12:06 AM - 21 June, 2012
i don't get booked to DJ. i get booked to drink.

and also, don't drink and drive. ever. not worth it. that's what cabs are for.
Dj Simoo 4:45 PM - 8 April, 2016
well i've tried both .. and as a Dj and a producer you don't get two chances so you have to make the best of it, in other words if you know how to control your drinking limits then a couple or more drinks won't held you down from pleasing your crowd, at the end it's all about that but the getting high part it's another whole level it's totally different
deezlee 4:54 PM - 8 April, 2016
I follow Nate dogg's advice.
R-Tistic 4:59 PM - 8 April, 2016
Crazy....I usually have 2-3 drinks when I DJ, and it just loosens me up, and has no negative impact on me.

This past Sat, I DJ'd one of my biggest yearly parties, and I probably had 4-5 shots worth of Honey Jack. I recorded my entire set, which is what I do sometimes. At basically every gig, I remember every song I played, usually in order...but the next day after this gig, I couldn't remember what I played after maybe 1.

I listened to the mix, and I was like "wait, I played this? AND this? Wait.........I played this???? I never play this!!" I almost thought I was playing a different mix for a minute.

Now, does that mean I was playing the wrong songs, or bad songs? Nope! I could hear that the energy was up high, and I know that it worked...it just scared me because I really didn't remember playing a good 7-8 songs, and I was nervous listening like "I hope I didn't play anything too far off."

With that...yeah, I might need to stay around 2-3 drinks instead of five. I was drinking it all straight too.
DJ Irv 5:25 PM - 8 April, 2016
I have a couple of drinks 5-6 but that's in a span of 6hrs. I try to stick to beers and 1 shot a night tops. Drinking helps get me loose and I feel closer to the audience . I can occasionally go overboard although my coordination, speech, and hand speed stay the same it's not cool to be trashed at your gigs (in my opinion).

When the spot is rocking and bartenders are making bank they try to give you shots and that's when you gotta check yourself.
Mr. Goodkat 5:59 PM - 8 April, 2016
Quote:
I follow Nate dogg's advice.


hey hey heeeyyy hey
Mr. Goodkat 6:25 PM - 8 April, 2016
Quote:
This past Sat, I DJ'd one of my biggest yearly parties, and I probably had 4-5 shots worth of Honey Jack. I recorded my entire set, which is what I do sometimes. At basically every gig, I remember every song I played, usually in order...but the next day after this gig, I couldn't remember what I played after maybe 1.

I listened to the mix, and I was like "wait, I played this? AND this? Wait.........I played this???? I never play this!!" I almost thought I was playing a different mix for a minute.

Now, does that mean I was playing the wrong songs, or bad songs? Nope! I could hear that the energy was up high, and I know that it worked...it just scared me because I really didn't remember playing a good 7-8 songs, and I was nervous listening like "I hope I didn't play anything too far off."



i can literally go sober(no drinks or less than 2 over 4 hours) to the absolute maximum of binge drinking over my 16 years. Theres def times when ive taken it overboard, but never once cost me a gig or i got sick or couldnt mix, but ive prob been close 4-5 times.

i do know what you mean about what you not knowing what exactly you played sometimes, but sometimes thats a good thing. like you said, it wasnt bad, just slightly different from what you normally do, but most of us trust ourselves not to get too crazy.

that being said, ive seen several young djs not make it due to the drink. A lot of young guys get nervous and start drinking as a way loosening up and just never make it back to sobriety.

its actualy kinda sad tbh. the worst example was a young dj my friend was trying to bring up that had severe anxiety issues and would drink with his anxiety medication. Of course that turned out bad. My homie shouldn't have got him solo gigs so soon, but he was an addict too, so he put him out there when he couldnt make it due to his own addictions.

It turned out bad after he got him some really solid gigs and residencies. He had a dope nite but he got messed up and passed out in the bathroom and within about a month quit djing.

im thankful that i didnt really get the good gigs with free drinks til i was in my late 20s early 30s. My early gigs you usually paid half price or had a 2-4 drink tab/ticket type situations.

i also like gigs where the drinks are kinda hard (distance and/or bar gets packed) to get so i just dont order too many or too frequently.
DJ KBZ (Texas) 1:08 PM - 9 April, 2016
Quote:
Quote:
I follow Nate dogg's advice.


hey hey heeeyyy hey


👍
MattDaddyCool 9:29 AM - 13 April, 2016
I used to DJ a venue which was a 10-mins walk from my home. As they had all of their own CDJ's, mixers, etc all I had to carry with me was my music (CDs) so I used to get pretty wasted. There were plus sides and negatives to this: from experience, I was more confident and eager to try more daring mixes which usually worked well amnd wowed the crowd. On a negative, I was easily distracted and on occasion would end up too busy messing about or chatting up girls and had the record run out on me.

That was when I was first starting out over 10-years ago and now I DJ over an hour away so have to drive. It's simply not worth the risk of getting caught so I don't drink alcohol at all during gigs, I just wait until I get home.
Mr. Goodkat 4:51 PM - 13 April, 2016
Quote:
I used to DJ a venue which was a 10-mins walk from my home


this is the best case scenario. even if you drive to the gig, you can walk home if need be. 3-4 of my gigs are this close. helps if you leave a usb cord or slip mats as well.
Code:E 5:48 AM - 14 April, 2016
I only drink well DJing. I dont really ever start off drunk, And thats only for club gigs. I dont drink at mobiles ever. And never DJ high. I will smoke weed to download tracks and see whats cool. But I could never play a set baked.
DJ Matty Stiles 12:08 PM - 14 April, 2016
One or 2 beers makes me nice and loose. It actually improves my scratches. Less stiff
Mr. Goodkat 4:02 PM - 14 April, 2016
Quote:
But I could never play a set baked.


thats the worst. unless you have 15 mins left ;)
Code:E 9:48 PM - 14 April, 2016
Quote:
Quote:
But I could never play a set baked.


thats the worst. unless you have 15 mins left ;)

Ok.... There may or may not have been 1 or 2 occasions where someone was dumb enough to spark a joint in the club and it may have been 5 minutes to close and I may have had some...... I totally smoked it!

But that's it, never could play a set in that state of mind.


Another story. I was working a concert we put on with Afrojack and R3hab a few years back. I was done my job (so i thought) for the night before either headliner came on. And well I was out to party hard that night. The concert ended at 10:30 and then there was the afterparty at the club until 2am. Well 10 minute before the end of Afrojacks closing set. I get a text from my boss.... "fucking openers (for the club) didn't show up, I need you to go play until I get there" I'm chewing my face off at this point.... I go back stage grab the extra DJM900 and CDJ2000's put on my 30lbs backpack (laptops, SL4box, cables for days, midi controllers ect...). I put one CDJ under each arm and my wife (GF at the time) grabs the DJM. by the time we got everything the show ends and we now walk with 5000 other people away from the park the concert was going on in and walk 1.5km though the crowd in a speed walk to get to the club. The manager was playing. I somehow managed to set everything up (correctly), and play for a whole 35 min (Hardest 35 min set ever) before the next schedule DJ shows up. Not something I would ever choose todo, But I made it happen.
Robejz 11:23 PM - 14 April, 2016
I DJed at a fashion/hair & beauty show at my work earlier this year. When I finished I realised it was my first gig since I started about 18 years ago that I hadn't touched a drop of alcohol.
I prefer a few drinks to calm nerves and loosen up. And it helps to get in the zone, especially in a club/bar setting. In what other job is it acceptable to drink while you're working? It's one of the perks.
I've overdone it many times, but did I miss it on this occasion? Not at all.
I've DJing stoned before. I don't recommend it! Total opposite effect.
DJ GOODFOOT 12:16 AM - 15 April, 2016
I have two drinks when I'm playing clubs, but I limit it to that because I have to drive 40 minutes back home at the end of the night. I have a family and day job that depend on me to not be arrested or dead.

Back when I started out in my early 20's, I used to live a block from my residency and just leave all my equipment there. I would get so wasted that I could usually not remember what I played or most of the night. I counted nine empty glasses of my usual double Jame-o and coke one morning when I went back. Honestly, at my age now that just doesn't even sound fun and I have a much better time focusing on creating live mashups, scratching and beat juggling whic are much cleaner and crisper when I'm not drunk.
the SOUNDINSURGENT 12:42 PM - 15 April, 2016
I used to drink and do blow while playin, never really smoked herb but yeah for the most part I did alright but since I quit blow and don't really drink anymore I can hear the difference, lmao!! There were a few nights I knew I did to much and really had to focus, lol!!

It wasn't like I was hiding it as the club owners were usually asking me to get it for them so it never really seemed bad, lol!

I don't think drinking or smoking is a bad thing as long you keep it under control and yeah I know its easier said then done for some.
DJ Wicked Mix 9:10 PM - 17 April, 2016
Drinking at a gig... No Problem, LOL
Watchwww.youtube.com
Gio Alex 3:06 PM - 18 April, 2016
^^^^^
Taipanic 5:01 PM - 18 April, 2016
Club gigs I may have 2-3 drinks during a 5-6 hour set, or none at all, depending on my mood, business, night of the week, etc... A couple of drinks loosens me up a little bit but it's not necessary. I've never been so drunk at a gig that it affected my performance. Event gigs I do not drink at.