I never play out, but what I have heard is that there's no point in stealing the main DJs thunder.

A trance night should open with a proggy feel and slowly build for the main event, for example.

It was discussed, then disproven, then reproven etc etc recently in the Music Discussion forum that PvD refused to play after ATB, and there had to be an hour between them. True or not, this is likely to have been because of the similar levels of energy these two kick out in a set.

according to mix mag, the reason behind the split has more to do with their sexual orientation and mutual attraction. The break allows both djs to go back stage , rail a few pills and fuck each other in the ass. This tradition stems some 10 years ago or so. One of the djs, I can't remember which, stated that although they are not always gay, they definately do play gay music and getting fucked in the ass has a sort of muse effect allowing them to stretch not just their anuses but the envelope of gayness that guides their sets. The result is an astonishingly consistent barrage of gay music.

I also heard but can't confirm that Tiesto took up a similar tradition but where as the above mentioned djs only engage in homosexual activity to heighten the musical experience, a selfless act to increase the enjoyment of the clubber, tiesto is just a butt pirate that enjoys getting slammed in the poop shoot. When confronted with the allegations, Tiesto vehemently protested and stated that although he may act gay, play gay music, he is indeed straight and whatever gay activities he may commit backstage, they are purely done to clear his sinuses.

Pretty funny!

Nah, according to DJ folk lore PvD and ATB can't stand eachother. something along the lines of the fact that PvD never considered ATB a credible DJ or producer etc.



In regards to the original post.
What I would look at doing is the following. First of all ensure that you know the score with who is playing. Get to grips with their concept of what trance is first and foremost i.e. Euphoric/Driving/Tech and so on.

Make yourself aware of the fact that there might also be a music policy in effect.

Speak to the promoter and see what he wants, come to him with a suggestion and see if he agrees.

Prog works nicely for Uplifting Trance but can be wrong for Tech Trance.

When I open for Tech Trance DJs I tend to take a more minimal approach.

Uplifting DJs and yes, I will use proggy stuff but avoid the tech sound.

I also like to throw bouncy techno around as well as it has good funk and gives the dance floor a pulse.

Some funky house/trance influenced music is also worth looking at.

As a simple rule what I think of is this. I get my head around what the headliners will be playing and then try to find music that sounds like what they might play but with slower BPM and elements stripped out of it e.g. breakdowns, pads, less driving percs but still retaining good funky basslines. When warming up, the importance of a funky groove can't be over stated. The music needs to sound warm and inviting and good bass driven tracks will do that.
Pick tracks that actually focus more on the bottom end than lots of kwerky leads etc until later in your set when the headliner gets close.

If you start seeing the dancefloor fill up you can loosen up a bit and test the water with the odd breakdown but keep them scarce. Focus mainly on music that is pretty constant. Rythm and bass are your key weapons, use them well.

Tease them a little, up the tempo slowly so they start to get the idea that there is a storm coming and they can feel the momentum increase.
Use the odd modulation mix (if you are into HM) but not wall to wall. This is best used if you see the dance floor has rapidly grown in size and you want to inject a bit of excitement.

Don't be upset if the dance floor doesn't fill up right away, it takes time and care.
Even if people are standing around, check to see if they are tapping their feet or bobbing their heads. This is a good indication that they will dance but just aren't quite ready yet. They can be waiting for friends, relaxing, waiting for the drugs to kick in etc.

Other people may do it different but that's my 2 bob.

Cheers
Nem

___________________
https://www.mixcloud.com/Calvin_Karass/

quote:

Originally posted by Nemesis44 Don't be upset if the dance floor doesn't fill up right away, it takes time and care.

And in fact you don't really want it to fill up right away - if it fills up gradually, it's more likely to hold and it'll be because you're setting the right feel rather than just playing one big tune and hoping people will hang around afterwards (which they won't).

___________________
Stu Cox |

Outperform the main act and you most likely won't get invited to open for anyone again...

___________________
Latest releases:
Endless Cycles [Capital Heaven]
The Charlatan [Morphosis]

the key is to build tension and for your last few tracks to spark it and let the dancefloor really ignite

___________________
Tony Morello Dot Com
Soundcloud
Facebook
Twitter
The Drunken Monkey Podcast
The Mixdown Podcast presented by Tony Morello

That is a great reply from Nemesis.
Although ive not played out myself, i have spoken to numerous dj's around my city who have been 1st & 2nd opening acts respectively for a trance night.

The 1st dj let loose with energetic trance, uplifting & melodic. Cranking the volume several decibels higher than what it should have been for a first act while the room was hardly filling up.
Great tune selection, but first up????

After chatting to the dj that followed him, he sais "i wasnt sure what to play since the set before me was so full on... but he can do whatever he wants, its his set..."

yet both dj's had the aim of getting the crowd to dance.
Is this the right aim for opening dj's?

quote:

Originally posted by Tony Morello the key is to build tension and for your last few tracks to spark it and let the dancefloor really ignite

does this apply for hard dance? where cutns are lettin loose left, right & centre for the munted public?

there should be nothing "hard" about an opening set. I had a great time seeing chris liebing play schranz a few years back, and the opener did a good job keeping it low bpm.

play mood music, if you want to bang it out, stay in your bed room.

___________________
Le Freak Divas Dives And Dementia. [hausentech] *nouveau*
http://soundcloud.com/le-freak

quote:

Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On No, but I also don't drink out of a fucking sippy-cup you goddamned Appalachian.

Not so long ago I saw Chus & Ceballos at a reputable venue in New York. The opener was a resident there and was playing absolute bangin tracks...some hard hitters, some smoother "opener" style transitional tracks. But mostly hard hitters.

When Chus & Ceballos went on right after, and followed with a downtempo intro and gradual build up, the crowd was equally as interested.

My point is you have to have some consideration for style and presentation. In my experience playing out, the best cooperation between opener and headliner would be to play into a progressive buildup throughout the night within the greater context of the entire night (not just within individual sets). However, this seldom happens as a lot of DJ's are in it to make a name for themselves (which is fine...people want to impress and get more gigs).

Ultimately if you are mindful of other people's styles and there is some level of communication then you can get away with playing a lot of bangers...the crowd will always reflect what's going on in your set. And if there's no cooperation between DJ's, no communication and little transition, then obviously your crowd won't be feeling it as much.

My 2 cts.

___________________
http://www.djandrewgarcia.com