Does anyone here do live gigs? Can't recall seeing a thread dedicated to it, and the search yielded no result.

As producers, I think we all can agree on the fact that we are the soul of the EDM scene and that DJ's are nothing more than posers with pitch slides, and it is time we take back the arena that is rightfully ours.

So, anybody got any stories they wanna share? We need more info before we can mobilize the forces.

Lately I've been "practicing" performing my music in a live format, and I must say I do enjoy it, however I'm in need of more equipment before I am ready :P

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ALFI - BOHICA - DJ MIX (Stream+Dropbox)

I've done a fair amount of performances in the contemporary-classical, electroacoustic, and experimental (all pretty 'arty') side of things, and I've also done a bit of DJing, but not so much in between. I'm currently working with my collaborator on developing a more 'live' approach to playing out rather than just DJing (both by using existing solutions, and doing our own interface development/light-level programming, often with Max/MSP). Obviously there are a lot of inherent problems with 'laptop' performance, but we've been developing methods around it.

On the subject of electronic performance and that, do you guys find most laptop performers a bit dull? Its still a new art compared to the likes of acoustic instruments, which have obvious (social and physical) gestural connotations (i.e. we're more happy to accept them as creative devices) whereas laptops (and the like) are associated with many more purposes than 'just' musical practice (most commonly perhaps, internet/facebook/email/whatever), so a limp performer+laptop can often equal a drab performance which may leave the audience questioning whether or not they were simply browsing the web, having pressed play on itunes earlier!

I guess that was a deviation from the subject matter...

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Originally posted by dj_alfi Does anyone here do live gigs? Can't recall seeing a thread dedicated to it, and the search yielded no result. As producers, I think we all can agree on the fact that we are the soul of the EDM scene and that DJ's are nothing more than posers with pitch slides, and it is time we take back the arena that is rightfully ours. So, anybody got any stories they wanna share? We need more info before we can mobilize the forces. Lately I've been "practicing" performing my music in a live format, and I must say I do enjoy it, however I'm in need of more equipment before I am ready :P

Been doing this more or less intensively for 6 years. What do you want to know? (although you told me to f... o... in a previous thread, I'll do as if I forgot that)

Annoying story #1 in Amsterdam in 2006. "Thou shalt always disable wifi before connecting the laptop to the soundsystem". My laptop back then created a 0dB noise interference with the soundsystem. That only because I forgot to turn AP off. Yay. PSCCHHHHHHHHHH.

number 2. Thou shalt pack your hardware correctly with a lot of foam inside the luggage. Baggage lost at Prague on the way to Kiev, never arrived there, borrowed a keyboard, did the show well at the party, but the day after, my luggage came back in Brussels, Headphones dead, trigger finger, o2 and others in a very bad shape. 500 Euro damage. Yay squared

number 3. Thou shalt store the wav files on the internal hd and not on the external one. embarrassing when everytime you trigger a file the audio stops for 0,1 sec each single time, just because you didn't bother copying the stuff on your internal hd. Happened to me in Montreal, embarrassing.

number 4. Some of my axiom keys wouldn't function anymore, I thought the keyboard was dead, but it was just a tech issue that happens every now and then. That happened 4 mins before I was on at the intuition summer event. I did play that way the whole 90 minute set, very carefully, and no one did notice. :-) Serious juggle with the oct +- if you ask me. hehe.

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Http://www.airwave-music.com is my new site. Djairwave.com is no more. A new era has begun

i've done a live setup but only when i was wearing a guitar.

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Found Atlantis - Mixography [mix archive/mokumentary/my soul]?
i writed a song.

I've played live shows with guitars and vocals, I've played live electronic shows integrated into my DJ sets.

Equipment and simplicity is the key. I don't think that anyone will ever work out a good show wiht only their own tracks though, surgeon does combined DJ/live shows, and it works so, so well.

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Originally posted by dj_alfi As producers, I think we all can agree on the fact that we are the soul of the EDM scene and that DJ's are nothing more than posers with pitch slides, and it is time we take back the arena that is rightfully ours.

Did you not see the spate of threads all about how daft this attitude is??? Just because you can't DJ doesn't mean you should assume that all producers have your biases, actually, some of us do both. I mean, you were probably joking, but considering the number of people around here who actually think this... well

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New Mix: March 2010 Promo
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Originally posted by kitphillips Did you not see the spate of threads all about how daft this attitude is??? Just because you can't DJ doesn't mean you should assume that all producers have your biases, actually, some of us do both. I mean, you were probably joking, but considering the number of people around here who actually think this... well

Lighten the fuck up mate.

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Listen to and download all my tracks at www.gregnicot.bandcamp.com

I believe there are two different kind of DJs now.

One being the original DJ that can entertain a crowd for hours, specialised in playing the right tracks at the right time (you can really make or break a track depending on when in your set you play it!). They have a large selection of tracks and decide which tracks from their box they will play and in what order at the gig while performing.

The second is the producer DJ. Usually started out producing and then went to perform live as they got name. They spin primarily their own tracks and a few others they really like. They often create a setlist in advance, having the tracks lined up and ready to get played in a prepared order.

The second kind might do more live stuff during the set, but a full live performance would be a third kind, which I wouldn't really call a DJ but an electronic music artist/performer. But often still called DJs because that's easier and the outside world often doesn't really get it anyway.

Nothing is this black and white ofcourse, but this is generally how I see it. Anyone agree or disagree with this point of view?
I've been thinking about doing full live performances, but I'm still not sure how to make that more interesting than regular DJing.


By the way, whatever tools you use doesn't really matter. I've performed on both a laptop with Serato ITCH and with the new CDJ2000s and I really don't see a lot of difference if it comes to regular DJing. Screen is bigger on laptop, that's about it. Ofcourse it is different from the vinyl days. I like it better now, the endless beatmatching got a bit annoying after a few years.

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Originally posted by Richard v W I like it better now, the endless beatmatching got a bit annoying after a few years.

For me that was the best part, it allowed you to show off your skills and put others to shame

I've done a handful of small backyard gigs, nothing special. What shits me the most is that no matter how well you play, unless you play a guitar or drums then you're "just a DJ".

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Originally posted by aquila I've done a handful of small backyard gigs, nothing special. What shits me the most is that no matter how well you play, unless you play a guitar or drums then you're "just a DJ".

just account it to ignorance.

though that being said, unless you're doing some seriously tech-turntabilism or what have you, a virtuosic guitar performance is (in my opinion) more technically impressive (we're not talking about some bro strumming on his shitty acoustic belting out sum41 songs, we're talking proper guitar). once there become more elements of live control and performance within an electronic sense (more than decks), I think virtuosity is more realistically obtainable in more dimensions

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Well, haven't before but looking to do so very soon, although first we have to get all of our tracks completed. I have respect for DJ's totally but kind of want to showcase music that we made, not just mix other peoples music. And yeah I could see where it would be frustrating having people think you're dj'ing when essentially you're not.

But then again, it isn't as entertaining watching a couple guys on stage tweaking knobs as it is watching a band perform live, at l east for anyone who isn't totally into electronic music and even still. We are talking about incorporating some live musicians but our songs are all over the place, and some songs i couldn't see anyone really doing much anything live to. Not even sure how a set would work, my partner seems to think that it would be a good idea from going to trip hop to progressive to dubstep to breaks all in a hour long set but i feel like it might be pushing it... trying to be open minded about it, but i think it's gonna turn people off. I guess i have more of a dj set/live act in mind where he just wants to showcase our versatility which i'm all about but at the same time, would it work live? seem like artists that are versatile still keep a general theme when they are doing a live set.

DJ sets work because they can blend into the background, just leaving you with the music (it's when they try to be the foreground that things start to go wrong IMO). They also work because they're flexible: if the crowd isn't feeling it, you can play something else.

The problem is, the more live elements you add, the more the crowd feel they have to watch... and EDM doesn't *usually* look very exciting when performed live, so you end up with a load of people just standing there staring instead of dancing.

Of course live acts can work: Chemical Brothers, Royksopp, The Prodigy,... all these people do great live shows, but they only work on a stage, not in a DJ booth.

There's a surprisingly sudden dividing line between a DJ set and a live act - not in terms of what you're actually doing, but how it's presented - and that completely changes the atmosphere.

I'm not saying don't do it - just don't become another person who plasters "LIVE" all over the flyers then turns up with a couple of MIDI controllers and spends their whole set staring at a Macbook screen while twiddling a few knobs.

So my advice would be to think about where you're performing and whether a live set really suits it... or vice versa: think about the kind of venues your live set will work in.

If you're playing in a club in a DJ booth, make sure your set doesn't lose the benefits that a DJ set has and if you're on a stage, own it.

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Stu Cox |