I've been asking myself the same stupid question over and over again: what if I get my first live-gig and the crowd doesn't respond to anything I do?

For example, last Tuesday, I had a graduation-party. The DJ just totally sucked, and he f*cked up my (and other people's) party. He wasn't playing trance, but that doesn't really matter to me.
But he just kept on playing stupid old songs like Madonna - American Pie and all that un-danceable (is that a word?) stuff.

So my question is: What do you do when a crowd doesn't respond or reacts the way you want it?

Do you play a big anthem, or start interacting with them more?
I would love to hear some different methods everybody uses.

Thanks in advance, DJ X-Tension

it depends who ur djing for and what music ur playing.

If the crowd is a hip hop crowd, and u want them to dance... you should be playing hip hop. Same thing with trance. I'm guessing the reason the people were dancing to Pop music was cuz they're the high school generation where they enjoy listening to the popular music.

A lot of my friends here are into hip hop. When they go to trance parties, they always tell me the same thing - "you cant really dance to trance music." But they LOVE hip hop with a passion. However, when they go to a hip hop party, it's a whole different story. I on the other hand hate dancing to hip hop alone w/ no girl. Just doesnt feel right

So my only suggestion is to pray that they're the peeps who can dance to trance. Otherwise ur out of luck and it'll be one long night.

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DJ Xquisite
Hip Hop & Trance DJ for the new millenium

To get people dancing you have to create energy. "Energy" is my key word when it comes to playing a set, at the end of it I know I have done well if I could feel energy from the set. You have to play the correct tunes in the correct order to create energy, sometimes it can be created by dropping one anthem, depends on the crowd though.

Always strive to interact with the crowd, if you have ever witnessed a DJ just standing around and chatting to a pal between mixes then you will know how lack of interaction affects the crowd. Pick out someone from the crowd who looks like they are enjoying themselves, point at them and they will go mental, pump them up in anyway possible and the crowd around them will react, urge the crowd on, clap your hands in breakdowns. If the crowd see the DJ enjoy themselves then they have a better chance of enjoying themselves.

quote:

Originally posted by Acid Circus To get people dancing you have to create energy. "Energy" is my key word when it comes to playing a set, at the end of it I know I have done well if I could feel energy from the set. You have to play the correct tunes in the correct order to create energy, sometimes it can be created by dropping one anthem, depends on the crowd though. Always strive to interact with the crowd, if you have ever witnessed a DJ just standing around and chatting to a pal between mixes then you will know how lack of interaction affects the crowd. Pick out someone from the crowd who looks like they are enjoying themselves, point at them and they will go mental, pump them up in anyway possible and the crowd around them will react, urge the crowd on, clap your hands in breakdowns. If the crowd see the DJ enjoy themselves then they have a better chance of enjoying themselves.

Werd!

Love for trance aside, I think the best way to get people dancing is to put in effort to get to "know" them, and deliver what they want. If they want American Pie, then give them American Pie. If they love trance, then feed their hunger. That's what clubs mean when they say they want versatile DJs in the scene, not just spinning what they think people will like, but spinning what they know what the crowd will like.

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Melodic Progressive.

Better than sex.

Hey Great Outdoors,

You're right about playing music that the crowd wants, but if the crowd does'nt want American Pie, and you still play it... than you're not a good dj IMO.
And what Acid Circus said about 'the dj just standing around talking to his pal...'; I've witnessed more than one...

So the main thing is interacting with the crowd? Because I have never seen a DJ around here who has done that.
Not that we have that much 'real' dj's out here, but most of them just do it for the money. Losers...

quote:

So the main thing is interacting with the crowd? Because I have never seen a DJ around here who has done that.

DJs are entertainers. They entertain the crowd. Who exactly are you DJing for? Like I said, if it's for the younger crowd, they might not need a pure entertainer yet which is why those DJs there never do that (because they dont need to). You should try to interact with them though... maybe so they get your DJ name stuck in their head over the crap DJs.

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DJ Xquisite
Hip Hop & Trance DJ for the new millenium

quote:

Originally posted by Acid Circus Pick out someone from the crowd who looks like they are enjoying themselves, point at them and they will go mental

I've always imagined myself doing that

___________________
Melodic Progressive.

Better than sex.

quote:

Originally posted by Acid Circus To get people dancing you have to create energy. "Energy" is my key word when it comes to playing a set, at the end of it I know I have done well if I could feel energy from the set. You have to play the correct tunes in the correct order to create energy, sometimes it can be created by dropping one anthem, depends on the crowd though. Always strive to interact with the crowd, if you have ever witnessed a DJ just standing around and chatting to a pal between mixes then you will know how lack of interaction affects the crowd. Pick out someone from the crowd who looks like they are enjoying themselves, point at them and they will go mental, pump them up in anyway possible and the crowd around them will react, urge the crowd on, clap your hands in breakdowns. If the crowd see the DJ enjoy themselves then they have a better chance of enjoying themselves.

I Guess You Are Right. The Other Day When DJ Sergei Pimenov Was Performing Live Here In Nicosia We Really Had A Great Time And It Just Hit Me That He Was Doing All The Stuff You Have Mensioned. Thay Certainly Worked.

It's by no means a neccessary ritual, though. I guess the best way is to just let loose and let the music take you over.. the crowd will follow suit.

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Melodic Progressive.

Better than sex.

Take your shirt off.

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"Kauneus ja tuho, ne ovat naapurukset"

throw records at them and call them names.

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'spect house

quote:

Originally posted by boomp throw records at them and call them names.

That might work