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-- Joel Mull On The Art Of The Opening Set
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quote:

Originally posted by Clovis All of that should be fucking obvious.

quote:

Originally posted by elFreak a dj's job is not only to play music domesticated..opening dj's are often there to make people drink (aka money for the club) something that is not done when everyone is raving their face off on a dance floor. You might say it is stupid, but the headliner you want to see needs to get paid somehow.

I personally think a warm-up DJ should do what the fuck he/she wants provided it doesn't encroach on the headline act. I've had lots of fun dancing to opening acts. The idea that a warm-up jock should play what is essentially wallpaper music for people to drink to seems antithetical to this idea that it's an "art". Provided they aren't playing tracks the headline act will play and aren't going as fast, a warm-up DJ should be able to express themselves with their set.

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J I personally think a warm-up DJ should do what the fuck he/she wants provided it doesn't encroach on the headline act. I've had lots of fun dancing to opening acts. The idea that a warm-up jock should play what is essentially wallpaper music for people to drink to seems antithetical to this idea that it's an "art". Provided they aren't playing tracks the headline act will play and aren't going as fast, a warm-up DJ should be able to express themselves with their set.

right, but you don't want to tire people out so that they leave earlier

that's all


i don't think he's advocating not being expressive. it's more like, don't fist a girl on the first date

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec right, but you don't want to tire people out so that they leave earlier that's all

I agree, but with regards the two hours thing I think it's possible to make a nice curve up to peak-time in two hours without knackering the crowd. Maybe if it's a trance jock and peak-time is 140, but otherwise it's definitely possible.

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i don't think he's advocating not being expressive. it's more like, don't fist a girl on the first date

The OP lists a few restrictive rules: don't play big tracks, don't have breakdowns, don't have vocals... If a warm-up DJ is just playing wallpaper beats it's not going to make me dance and they may as well replace him with a mix compilation in the background. The whole "leave that stuff to the headline act" idea seems to glorify the idea of the headline DJ being the star of the show. I believe in the warm-up DJ simply being the first guy on who plays a bit slower, and beyond that it should just be like any set and you should be able to have a good time to it should you so wish. If people are just there for the headline act they're more likely to abstain from the floor until the big name comes on anyway. I don't see why people who are there to dance regardless of the name behind the decks should have to listen to wallpaper beats for hours.

The fisting comment made me laugh.

i think at the worst it is a glorification of the headliner

but at the best, i think it's more of a consciousness about what makes a good party good for as long as possible.

certainly there are environments in which 'play whatever the fuck you want' is a good modus operandi

All of this comes down to basic common sense. There is a time and place for everything and a time and place to break any and all rules. As a good DJ you just need to be able to judge when that is.

quote:

Originally posted by Clovis All of this comes down to basic common sense. There is a time and place for everything and a time and place to break any and all rules. As a good DJ you just need to be able to judge when that is.

well it's sensible

but if it is so common, why are there so many shitty openers?

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Originally posted by nefardec well it's sensible but if it is so common, why are there so many shitty openers?

Most people are idiots. I'd say that DJs have a higher chance of being even more stupid than the general population which is already pretty fucking stuid.

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Originally posted by nefardec well it's sensible but if it is so common, why are there so many shitty openers?

Because common sense is in short supply in this world.

Biggest problems with openers (esp. inexperienced ones) is that they want to make a name for themselves, esp when opening for a big act.

Some of these guys rarely get gigs, so they want to make an impression.

can't blame them for wanting a bit of fame, but obviously they don't know what the job of opening dj is

everyone can be a headliner, but very few djs can be a good opener

edit: also disagree with the statement that no peak times should be played. i don't think there is anything wrong with playing a sequence of few 'peak time' tracks, as long as it fits within the general 'mood' of the night and that there is enough time before hand, say 30mins or so before the main acts to bring the club down to the level where the headliner can take over.

some djs will have like 3 hrs to warm up the club. 3 hrs of monotone boring no peak time tracks gets annoying

if you can get the club to groove a bit without boring the crowd, you're a good opener

quote:

Originally posted by Yohan edit: also disagree with the statement that no peak times should be played. i don't think there is anything wrong with playing a sequence of few 'peak time' tracks, as long as it fits within the general 'mood' of the night and that there is enough time before hand, say 30mins or so before the main acts to bring the club down to the level where the headliner can take over. some djs will have like 3 hrs to warm up the club. 3 hrs of monotone boring no peak time tracks gets annoying

hmm

no

peak time means peak time

it's all relative. if you play very flatline and unobtrusively, any little change will seem bigger.

there are plenty of exciting things to play that aren't 'peak time'

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Originally posted by woscar99 Nice read, I can attest that a lot of the DJs that open for the big names that whenever they spin here can learn a lot from that article. I remember this guy who was opening for Digweed played Gridlock, Coma, and about 3 or 4 other tunes from Transitions 3 within the last hour of his set (It was during his Transitions 3 Tour). Fucking idiot.

lol awesome! did digweed react to this?

i think it's the biggest "NO" to play tracks from the artist who plays after you, especially new tracks!

the article was quite good and most of it is obvious but i agree on the people saying that the last track shouldn't be boring! i quite like it when the warmup dj plays more danceable stuff the last 10 to 15 minutes. Then the headliner can start with a pretty full dancefloor most of the time!

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Originally posted by bas Um...yes. Not every set has to be an essential mix.

Can you read? I never said an opening set should end with "booming" music. I only said it's not hard to go from zero to boom in 2 hours.

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Originally posted by Domesticated Can you read?

Apparently not.

....I don't know what to make of this...I've never really opened up for a big name but I used to be a resident DJ, in Germany, and I would play for the whole night, some times. Yes, I would always start out slow...but people, for the most part, come to dance...not fuckin' sit on their asses to relax...before they dance...

I do know, when I first started to rave, that I was ready to dance as soon as I reached the club!! Not sit on my ass because the DJ was throwing boring tunes. At least, that's how it was when I started learning how to DJ in 1994..and started raving even before that time (1988/1989)... People are pumped and full of energy when they reach the club or rave! And they need a warm up session that lasts over an hour, now?? WTF?? What are they?? Fuckin' 60??

And if you throw bangin' music, they will come....but I still believe in warming up...but not for your whole damn set. Not even for half of your set! Get the floor packed, for the headliner! If you need relaxation before you dance, or if you tire easy, what the fuck are you doing at the club or rave?? And I don't believe you have to play boring music, with no melody, to warm up. There are a lot of great warm up songs that have nice flowing melody. You can use those tunes to make your journey set.

I'll start out slow. Then go high energy. Then hard....Then around 3am to 4am...I'll throw some dark calm tunes, like this ( [[ LINK REMOVED ]]
- awesome song if the club has great laser cannons!!) to calm people down again....then go to hard and energy and then finally the sun set...set...I don't just play one type of music. That gets boring to the dancers and to the DJ....

Another thing....I know a lot of DJs, who has been caught as the "warm up" DJ role. You might wanna be careful on that. Cause, they only get booked as a warm up DJ, now...I don't think any DJ wants to be caught in that role!

How's this for an opening set??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S68RxWx-BfA

And I only believe, in warm up sets, in a club environment...As for outside raves??? You think they have warm up sets at the Love Parade?? They didn't in 1997 and 1998, in Berlin. I do know that....

You play hardstyle and hard trance. It's a completely different set of styles, mentality and people.

When I arrive to a club I don't want to start raving straight away and I don't feel comfortable to rave straight away. I like checking out the place, talking to friends (as much as the loud music allows), meeting people, slowly taking a drink or two while getting on the rhythm. I actually enjoy a lot slow deep house, it's my favourite kind of music. Now, if I was an hardstyle kiddie that took 2 pills right before entering the club, dying to jump and down the whole night, I'd probably see things in a different light.

Yeah, but I also play club trance (trance), too. (note-look at my last mix in my sig) Also a little hard house and techno. Most DJs, I know in Germany, don't just collect and spin one style of trance. You can play all styles of trance (and techno and hard house) during the night. You just have to know how to put the journey together. And you don't need pills to get high. Just the music.

And do you really need to relax and stroll around the club for over an hour?? Seriously...

The article is pretty obvious but those points are really important for opening a club night. In my hometown, most of the DJs have huge disrespect for minimal and tech house & like to start nights with immense bangers even when there are only 2 people in the room.

Being able to put your ego aside and play a mellow set leaves a lot of room for a bangers later in the night.

Thanks for posting this!

It's not really about ego, to me. There's always room for bangers at a club or rave. And not just later in the night. Who needs to wait over an hour for the bagin' music?? I don't need to...I wanna dance. Not sit on my ass, for over an hour, because the opening DJ is throwing down nothing but boring calm music, with no melody,....for three hours strait...fuck that...I'll get up and leave the club, before listening to two to three hours of calm music...or get up and smack the DJ, upside the head, instead....Jk...I wouldn't do that..but I would probably give him a dirty look as I was leaving the club...

quote:

Originally posted by Stormbringer It's not really about ego, to me. There's always room for bangers at a club or rave. And not just later in the night. Who needs to wait over an hour for the bagin' music?? I don't need to...I wanna dance. Not sit on my ass, for over an hour, because the opening DJ is throwing down nothing but boring calm music, with no melody,....for three hours strait...fuck that...I'll get up and leave the club, before listening to two to three hours of calm music...or smack the DJ upside the head....

Y'know, it's totally possible to off to calm minimal type stuff.

I've opened raves with hardcore acid, so it's not like what you are saying isn't making any sense. But honestly - modern clubbing culture isn't like raves.

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Originally posted by mehta But honestly - modern clubbing culture isn't like raves.

I'm talking about clubs, too. But think about it...Do you really think today's "modern" clubbing culture is actually better than the culture, when the scene was really bangin' in the 90s?? Sometimes change is not always for the better...

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Originally posted by Stormbringer I'm talking about clubs, too. But think about it...Do you really think today's "modern" clubbing culture is actually better than the culture, when the scene was really bangin' in the 90s??

I don't think it's better. Still, it's not worth pretending.

quote:

Originally posted by mehta I don't think it's better. Still, it's not worth pretending.

But it's worth bringing back the ol' school ways..

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Originally posted by Stormbringer But it's worth bringing back the ol' school ways..

hey I agree ... I'm working on a party right now with loads of hard-ass music. but it'll still open with 2 or 3 hours of boring minimal while people are showing up

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Originally posted by mehta hey I agree ... I'm working on a party right now with loads of hard-ass music. but it'll still open with 2 or 3 hours of boring minimal while people are showing up

....why not open it up with a 2 or three hour happy hardcore set, instead???

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