August 19, 2024 • 34 mins
Ever wondered what goes into making a wedding reception unforgettable? Tune into this week's episode of The Clever DJ, where you'll gain invaluable tips and tricks from Nino, a veteran DJ with two decades of experience, and Ilya, an enthusiastic newcomer to the scene. We'll promise you this: by the end of this episode, you'll have a comprehensive understanding of how to align with a couple's vision, manage tailor-fit playlists, and avoid those dreaded genre mishaps that can throw off the entire event.
From the art of reading the crowd's vibe to mastering microphone techniques, we dive into the essential skills every DJ should hone. Hear our personal stories, like the time a Christmas party nearly went sideways but was saved by on-the-spot crowd reading, or how a simple request notebook transformed a school event. This episode is packed with real-life anecdotes that demonstrate the power of attentiveness and flexibility, ensuring you can create an engaging and memorable atmosphere, no matter the venue or occasion.
But that's not all—we also stress the importance of strong vendor relationships to ensure seamless event execution. Learn from our experiences about the pitfalls of late arrivals and the critical role of good communication with photographers and videographers. With tips on managing crowd energy, volume levels, and avoiding common mistakes, we wrap up by highlighting the top strategies for DJ success. Don't miss this chance to elevate your skills and make every event you DJ a hit!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ilia (00:13):
Welcome back.
Welcome back to another episodeof the Clever DJ.
First, a quick intro aboutourselves, just so you know who
we are If you're just tuning infor the first time, whether it's
on YouTube or any of the otherplatforms.
My name is Ilya and I am a DJ.
I'm a beginner DJ.
I've been DJing for about twoyears now and I've done a
(00:33):
variety of events, and at one ofthe events where I was
bartending before I became a DJ,I met this guy beside me and
you know he took me on as hisapprentice and uh, ever since
then we've been uh djingtogether or uh different, like
different events, and that'swhen the journey started yep, so
(00:54):
my name is nino, I'm aprofessional dj and, um, I've
been djing for 20 plus years.
Nino (01:01):
Uh, started off with bars and clubs.
Now I do primarily mostly, uh,private events, especially
weddings.
I have a roster of 15 djs undermy belt.
Ilia (01:10):
So, yeah, that's, that's me in a nutshell yeah, and this
is a banter podcast about djing,so uh, every every episode is
uh weekly and uh we speak aboutjust things that happen to us,
things that happen that happento other djs and anything dj
related.
Yeah, under the sun, right, yeahjust like two guys hanging out
(01:32):
talking about djing, yeah, uh,some other, some other uh
podcasts and live shows youyou'll see out there uh are a
lot more technical or more likeschools and stuff like that, and
you know we're going in thatdirection at some point too, but
for now we're just enjoying,just, you know, chatting and
discussing.
Nino (01:49):
Just chilling.
Ilia (01:50):
Yeah, just chilling, drinking our tea, drinking our
tea.
Nino (01:53):
We're really into tea.
Yeah, we love our tea.
Tea and pho, pho, yeah.
Ilia (01:57):
Yes, that's another thing we really love.
You know what One of those dayswe need to get a tea and a fa
sponsor.
I just I don't see who's gonnasponsor djs when it comes to
fine I know, I know it's weird,it's more, like you know, like
club stuff, like more like youknow, alcohol, alcohol and all
that other stuff yeah, yeah,yeah but it's okay, yeah, we'll
(02:19):
make it work.
Oh my god, wait, this is notstraight.
Oh my god, come on.
No, I'm joking, okay?
So, uh, nino, you take it away.
What are we talking about?
so today we're talking aboutwedding djing and how tricky it
can be and, um, just some of theworst mistakes you can make as
(02:40):
wedding djs yes, and if youthink that, oh, I started djing
because I want to be a weddingdj, you know, in three to six
months max a year, I'm gonna bea wedding dj.
That's exactly what this guysaid, because I was ambitious.
You know what?
You know, three or six monthsmax a year, depending on my
schedule, I'm here side by sidewith you.
I I still don't really doweddings.
(03:01):
I done a couple gigs likeweddings, you know, very, very
like serious production, and youknow I did it by myself, at
least one of them, one of them.
You came with me and supportedme and, yeah, I'm ready for
weddings now, but so far I'vedone them with another DJ.
Yeah, right, so this is becauseit's not that simple.
There are.
(03:21):
This is because it's not thatsimple.
There's an itinerary.
Nino (03:24):
There's a lot of moving parts.
There's so many things, so manythings going on with weddings.
Right, it's not just playingmusic, they're coordinating.
Sometimes You're talking on themicrophone, you're playing the
music, you're curating theactual atmosphere, the day, the
soundtrack of the day.
Ilia (03:40):
Yeah, you're the puppeteer , you're the master of that
night, and the DJ doesn'tusually get that credit until
the end of the night when thebride and groom and whoever else
noticed wow, you made thisnight happen.
Yeah, right, sometimes that'sthe case.
They don't have a coordinatoror everything is messed up and
then you know, for example, ninocomes in and rescues the night.
(04:02):
I've done that so many times.
Nino (04:04):
Yeah, I've seen that.
But yeah, we're going to startwith number one.
What do we have there, buddy?
Ilia (04:10):
Number one is not preparing adequately.
Nino (04:16):
Yeah, so this applies to just DJs not preparing their
playlists and just making surethat everything is accessible
right away and making sure thatyou have the vision of what the
actual client wants theirwedding day to sound like, right
, because there's some songs,some genres that clients do not
(04:39):
want, so you want to make surenot to play those Right.
So, yeah, it's very importantthat you play what the kind of
music that they want.
Ilia (04:48):
Yeah, they have a certain vision for the wedding.
My sister just got married justa couple of months ago and they
met with the DJ several times.
They spoke to him several timesand they explained OK, so
that's what's going to happen inthis part of the night, ok,
this is what we see for this,that's our vision for that.
So there's a lot of stuff.
There's the songs that did notplay and then the ones that must
(05:09):
be played.
There's how they want certainparts to go on, like okay, so on
the father-daughter dance andmother-son dance, we also want
to switch, and you have to knowall those things.
Nino (05:25):
There's different details and if you don't remember that,
because you're focusing on yourtransitions, yeah, yeah, you
gotta get tough, you gottaremember all the little, the
finer details that every couplewants.
That's just.
That's just, um, just trying toprepare accordingly how to go
over the notes.
Yeah, and that's why the clientmeets with you and in person
sometimes to talk everythingover, especially if they want a
(05:48):
lot of things like a lot ofsurprises and a lot of like live
mixing and stuff.
If they want to do like a likea mashup mix of, like the
father-daughter dance, what Ihave that in a couple of, a
couple of weeks I'm actuallyactually making that mix,
pre-making it so they can make adance to it, right?
So sometimes, yeah, you need todo stuff like that.
Ilia (06:11):
I was just going to say one time when we were driving,
was it?
I think it was when we ran outof gas, almost.
Didn't you say that while we'redriving you're already prepared
While we're driving.
Okay, so we want the song thisway.
Actually, we want it to starthere and then we'll come in.
And then you're like that's noteven possible.
(06:33):
How do I tell her that?
Right, and then you made itpossible, you found her an
alternative, right?
But even if you're fullyadequately prepared, they're
still going to throw something.
Nino (06:43):
you got to be flexible with with what they want right,
because you never know what'scoming coming up on on the
actual day of right.
Ilia (06:51):
So yeah, number two, ignoring the crowd so this is.
Nino (06:56):
This includes not reading the room and just failing to
adjust to the music to suit themood of the crowd, right?
If you don't read the room anddon't engage and watch them and
making sure that they like themusic that you're playing.
Usually this falls on a lot ofbedroom DJs.
A lot of bedroom DJs will belike because they don't look up
(07:18):
at the crowd.
They're used to just playingfor themselves, right?
So make sure that you actuallylook up instead of just staying
like, uh like, looking down atyour laptop or or your
controller like you're used toin your bedroom yeah, like even
twitch streamers.
Ilia (07:34):
Uh, you know, like I've seen some who are actually
responsive to the comments andstuff and those are the ones
that are very popular, right?
Nino (07:41):
they get a lot followers because they actually engage
with them.
They look at the camera andthey they talk to you literally
like they're alone in the roomand they're still engaging.
Ilia (07:50):
Yes, can you imagine what they're like when they have a
crowd in front of them?
Even more right.
So being alone in your bedroomdoes not mean you're not
engaging with whoever you playmusic for, because otherwise
you're just playing for yourself.
Exactly.
Some people might like thatbecause they have the same vibe,
but what are the odds?
You'll find 3 000 people wholike that.
Nino (08:07):
Yeah, on that day, right, exactly now, if you, if you're
just gonna do that and play foryourself, then just be a bedroom
dj, not even take it up to thelevel for fun.
Ilia (08:16):
That's fine, nothing wrong with that.
Nino (08:18):
Yeah, uh, number three playing inappropriate songs like
you know, I've talked to youabout this right um clients that
ask um, please make sure youplay the explicit version.
So I'm like what?
Especially because you knowthere's kids, there's your
grandma, grandpa um, out in thecrowd.
Ilia (08:39):
It just it's not gonna appreciate that.
Nino (08:42):
No it's just, it irks us right because we look so
unprofessional right now.
It's different maybe if youplay it at the end of the night,
when, when the kids are gone,grandma, grandpa are gone
already.
Then you can turn up right andjust play the explicit versions
and we love playing them becauseyou know we love playing the,
the real versions, like the clubsongs.
Ilia (09:02):
Yeah, it really, really hits my ears like just really
badly when I hear the, thecensored version.
Yeah, just, it's just like.
Nino (09:10):
I'm like that's just, you don't even want to play that
song a lot of the times that'show I feel a lot of the times
the crowd will sing theobscenities anyway, right.
So it's like, yeah, you mightas well play, but you know, to
stay professional you have to.
Um, not, yeah, keep it.
Keep it clean, right.
Inappropriateness is is soawkward for us for us djs.
Ilia (09:31):
Another awkward thing.
Nino (09:33):
Number four overusing the microphone you know it's not
about you, it's about the um,the couple, right?
So don't make it about you.
Don't talk um on the microphonetoo much.
If you're gonna emcee thewedding, make sure that you get
to the point, straight to thepoint um.
Talk slowly, concisely and justmake sure everybody knows like
(09:57):
what you're saying, right yeah,also not over the song.
Ilia (10:00):
Every time some djs over the best parts of the song or
singing with a song, I'm likewhat are you doing?
Nino (10:07):
like if you were a good singer, okay, sure like even
then, come on, man, not to everysong like I'm here listening to
pitbull, not to you, right likeuh.
Ilia (10:18):
but um, yeah, it's just uh .
I don't understand how somepeople are, it's just so lost on
them because I don't get on themicrophone enough, because I
realize like, hey, maybe theydon't want to listen to that and
I'm still like in the beginningof my journey, you know there
are some crowds that willrespond to it, but in general
(10:39):
you just don't want to do it toomuch.
I noticed that if you do want todo it, you got to be so
confident and so like, yeah,like I'm going for it, cause if
you're not, they're going topick up on that energy.
Yeah, they're going to kind oflook at you like, all right,
buddy, that feels so so awkward,it's so awkward man.
Or if you're just like yellinginto the mic like a like a
(11:02):
madman, like a 13 year old, justlike yeah, I just want to tell
everyone uh, the food's ready.
Nino (11:11):
That's another thing.
Do not cup the microphone.
You're not a rapper of them.
Cup the microphone oh, you'renot a rapper, right, and it it
peaks the actual system too, andit's.
We have to turn it down.
Ilia (11:22):
We're gonna probably uh post edit this.
That was too loud.
Shut the levels, just shutright up.
Nino (11:26):
It's too much man.
So yeah, please don't cop themicrophone as well, use the
microphone appropriately.
All right, this is the handle.
This is not the handle.
Okay.
Ilia (11:37):
Yeah, you're going to get feedback.
If you cut the top part, it'sgoing to start.
You're going to get feedbackbecause the sound just anyway,
number five being unresponsiveto requests.
So that's kind of part of thecrowd ignoring the crowd, but
that's very specific.
Nino (11:55):
Yeah, you have to, especially if you're bombing.
You have to make sure thatyou're taking the request,
because that gives you anindication of what the crowd
will actually like Well, atleast the person who requested
it, right.
But it might give you ideas,Like, if they start dancing, it
might give you okay, they likethis song, so I might as well
(12:16):
play this and this and this.
They'll like this.
Ilia (12:18):
right, as a DJ, you have to have that knowledge and you
know just, yeah, I had a aChristmas gig last year and I
wouldn't say I was bombing it,but it was definitely not going
as well as it should.
Not even as well as I wanted togo, as well as it should go.
10 to 15% of people weredancing kind of like almost
(12:39):
forcing themselves.
A couple of people reallyenjoyed it.
Most people were like all overthe place.
I realized it wasn't really me,it was the place.
Nino (12:47):
It was probably just the environment.
Ilia (12:48):
They weren't ready to dance, but any good DJ will get
them to want to dance.
Yeah, it's almost.
It almost never happens.
It just doesn't work.
No matter what you do, ifyou're good, you know how to get
them there.
So I found a few things that Isaw they liked, but it was, it
was painful, it was like okay,like hit, miss, hit, miss.
But were they requesting stuffand then they started requesting
(13:11):
and I'm like, okay, I see whythey like that.
And then I brought in more ofthose songs and then suddenly it
just became an amazing nightand it was.
You know, it was like an hourand a half of like 90% of the
people on the dance floor.
It was fun, it got tippednicely.
It was just from like oh man, Ihope they're going to call me
again To.
(13:35):
Oh wow, they're tipping me andeveryone's dancing and
everyone's happy.
Nino (13:37):
Sometimes it just takes that one request and then it'll
spark the whole night, right?
Ilia (13:41):
Yeah, it's like an inside thing there.
They all like that song or itreminds them of something You're
not going to know thatEspecially beginners, if you're
just not going to know that.
Nino (13:50):
So, especially beginners, if you're just learning how to
read the crowd, take thoserequests, because sometimes
they're gold.
They'll get the crowd going.
Ilia (13:59):
Remember what I did on our first gig, my first gig, yeah,
like without you, mm-hmm.
It was at school and I took anotebook, a request notebook, a
request notebook, yeah, yeah,right.
So for the kids, because I'mlike they're coming on there
every like two minutes.
Nino (14:15):
They will request and keep going, man, and then you won't
be able to dj anymore becauseyou're so busy taking the
requests and I loved it.
Ilia (14:21):
I created like three playlists I'm like okay.
So these kids from this age,this age, love that there you go
then.
Nino (14:27):
Then that's how you build your playlist too right.
I built it For that age group.
Ilia (14:32):
Yeah, and then it was how young were they?
From like six years oldProbably six to like what?
12?
13, I think, yeah, 13.
So it was six to eight, then itwas eight to 10, I think, or 11
and 11 to 13, something likethat.
The blocks of grades, well,something like that.
I kind of overlapped a few ofthe ages, but I literally wrote
(14:53):
it down in such a way that I'llknow, and then every time I went
back there and played thosesongs and researched upon those.
Nino (15:01):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the way it's all thanks to the
requests.
Ilia (15:05):
I was brand new.
I had no idea what to play.
Nino (15:13):
I don't listen to that music, right?
You know what that's?
That's the thing for for highschool, like prom gigs.
That's the way I get umschooled in knowing the new
music because they request thestuff like they'll.
They'll request the stuff likeoh, I haven't heard of this,
maybe it's a banger.
And then I listen to it.
Oh, yeah, it is a banger, so Ijust play it and then they go
crazy, right, so that's?
That's a way of just buildingyour playlist as well.
Right, so it's great and youknow what.
Ilia (15:30):
There are those kids that I really respect, like over the
top, yeah, which when they cometo the dj booth and they're like
, hey, can you play?
Play that song and and, andthey're trying to describe it
and I'm like, is he talkingabout?
No, he's not.
He's like, oh, yeah, that's thename.
And then he shows me his phone,like no, that was like 20 years
(15:52):
before you were born.
Yeah, right.
And I just respect them forloving the old school music,
whether it's rap or it's like anelectronic music, which is
really my thing.
Electronic music, um, uh, yeah,like it's great.
Yeah, I just I want to play it.
But here's the thing most ofthe kids there won't, won't know
it or won't vibe to it.
(16:13):
Yeah, right.
And then I'm like you know what?
I'm gonna play it for myself.
I don't care, one kid wants it.
It's not just for me.
But you never know, sometimesit's a, it's a thing, it's like
a, like a, maybe a joke orsomething, or something that all
everybody knows an inside jokething that all the kids would
know, and then they'll actuallygo crazy and dance to it yeah,
like, uh, there was one one timeactually, something like, um,
(16:38):
something to do with one of theone of the kids.
Fathers played a song and thenthey all liked it, yeah, and
they all spoke about it.
And you know, the dad is likein his 40s or something right,
so now they're all listening tothat song.
So I played it.
I'm like, let's see.
And then there was a group ofgroup of kids like 12 kids, who
probably all were in the sameplace when, whatever, something
(16:59):
happened and they all startedjumping and and because of their
energy, even though the otherones didn't really care for it,
everyone just yeah, yeah, theeffect right yeah, I've had
those moments as well too, andif it bombs, then you get to
listen to you to the song youlike, and then you just like get
to that request list switch itup really quick.
That's how, as djs, you gottayou gotta do that this is the
(17:22):
way it is uh, oh I, I put myphone away, one sec sec.
Nino (17:25):
Okay, well, number number six is playing music too loud.
Now, this, this is somethingthat number six playing music
too loud, yeah, so don't don'tplay music too loud, cause you
can literally agitate like theum, uh, the guests right,
(17:49):
especially if they're havingconversations, um, it'll drive
them away a lot of the times.
You can clear the dance floor,especially clear dance floor, um
, you can drive people to gohome early if you play to piss
off the event organizers, eventhe bride and groom, right.
But sometimes you guys, you haveto go out on a dance floor
(18:11):
sometimes and hear your levels,right, and just hear how it
sounds in their perspective,right?
So just, uh, just to make surethat it's not too loud.
You know those times when the,the highs are just too piercing
and it just hurts yeah, somesongs you just know.
Ilia (18:28):
Hey, that's a loud song, yeah, it's lower the level, just
turn it down a little bit, andyou told me that back in the day
we spoke about it several timesone of the things that, uh,
when you become more of anintermediate to towards maybe
even a professional dj, one ofthe things you gotta start
learning is levels, levels.
It's not just transition.
Nino (18:46):
it's not just playing the music, it's making sure the
levels match.
Ilia (18:50):
Yeah, each song matches the next song, and then also it
matches the energy of the songand the night and people.
You don't just read them forwhat they want to listen to, but
how they want to listen to it,right.
Nino (19:03):
It's important.
Just imagine a song you'replaying at this volume, you
bring in the next song and it'slike, right here.
Imagine a song you're playingat this volume, you bring in the
next song and it's like, righthere, it doesn't matter if it's
a banger or not, if they can'thear what it's what's going on,
you just lost the crowd.
It's like, oh, lost that you.
You instead of them justkeeping the momentum, you just
kind of like jarred them andthis, that's it.
(19:23):
It's like, oh okay, I'm justgonna exactly right, and then
you get, then you turn, then youjust decide to turn it up and
by that time it's kind of like,oh, it lost its effect.
Ilia (19:35):
It's not a podcast, you're DJing.
Nino (19:37):
Yeah.
Ilia (19:38):
Let's make this louder Everything has to be just
simultaneous.
Yes, Number seven poor timing.
Nino (19:47):
Yeah, I've seen well, I haven't done this like I've seen
, um, social media djs have donethis and, like really bad
moments that they've, theyweren't prepared.
I actually sent you, uh,something like just like like
that just yesterday, I think, oninstagram.
Yeah, yeah, I sent you a djlike um who was trying to find a
(20:10):
song and lauren hill was rightbeside her singing, killing me
softly.
But the guy was like trying tofind it or something so he can
play it.
But he didn't even end upfinding it or playing it.
He ended up playing anothersong and lauren hill felt sorry
for him and said give it up forthe dj.
(20:31):
You know, oh, my god, I waslike, oh, I was so cringed about
that, right, but yeah, I sawyou send me something on
instagram.
Ilia (20:37):
I was on vacation so I did .
I did not, okay, but that'swhat it was.
That's insane, yeah, that's,that's, that's gotta hurt.
That's like a moment whereyou're like do I continue doing
this?
Nino (20:46):
and he went viral and it hurts.
I was like, oh, it's a dj.
You're like oh, that's not whatyou want to go violent for,
right, but it does happen.
So make sure you prepareaccordingly, make sure that
everything's in its propercrates, it's labeled as well as
like first dance or like fatherdaughter dance, and that you're
(21:06):
ready for it.
Ilia (21:07):
You have the itinerary beside you and you anticipate
it's coming up, so it could comeup anytime it's uh, you know it
, people need to understand yourregular skills will not play
out the same way when you'restressed out.
Yeah, just like when I went tothe shooting range with a friend
(21:27):
a while back.
He's a detective and he's likea top cop, like he did lots of
courses.
If you're in the US he's with aSWAT, but we don't have SWAT.
We have, you know, emergencytask force, etf, eru, emergency
response unit.
Yes, so he works with them andyou know I was impressed.
(21:50):
Oh, look at my grouping.
Like, look how well I shot.
I was like, well, one of thefirst times I've ever done that
is again.
I'll try doing that after youran for 15 minutes and after you
, um, being chased by someone,or or you're trying to figure
out like all the rules of whatyou're supposed to do and now
control, and you're underpressure too right now.
Just an analogy, maybe not thebest one, but like that's how
(22:13):
it's gonna feel.
Same thing you're gonna besweating buckets, yeah, when
you're at the gig and you can'tfind a song or you need
something, all eyes are on you.
And now for you, your regularskills of being oh, I could buy
a song like that.
Normally, if you're at home,you'll find it yeah your jitters
.
You're not thinking the same beprepared, yeah, um, and and time
(22:34):
your things correctly, becauseif you don't do it ahead of time
and if you don't kind ofpractice that you can go viral
for the wrong reasons, exactlynumber eight.
Can you like give me like anecho when I talk like number
eight, number eight, eight, uh.
Nino (22:54):
Lack of backup equipment yeah, I was talking about this.
You have to make sure that youhave um mixes, extra mixes, uh
backup controller.
Um, most of the times, I liketo bring my small controller as
well as as backup um extraspeakers.
I always bring a monitor.
Um, yeah, backups for yourbackups.
(23:16):
You never know what's going tohappen to your mains, right yeah
.
Ilia (23:19):
Or like if you have like a really like bad cable for your
laptop and you kind of like,just like throw it into it so it
like magnetizes, like let's see, okay, it's charging, yeah.
Or if you like I don't know whodoes that but if you come with
a laptop that has to be pluggedin and if it gets plugged like
(23:40):
unplugged, then the battery likethere's no battery, then
there's no music like yeah, somepeople do that.
Nino (23:44):
Yeah, I don't know who does that, who does that man
here?
Ilia (23:50):
I'll do it for you, I know that's what I was thinking, but
like that's the thing, like II'm like I'll do it, I'll get
another laptop next year or nextmonth or like next season or
whatever, but then I have somuch stuff on it now it takes
forever to transition.
Nino (24:03):
That's my problem, right now, but yeah, I can't imagine
how much stuff you have.
But backups, bring backups foryour backups, always because you
never know.
Ilia (24:10):
Yeah and it's.
We're giving these examplesbecause we know we preach it but
we don't always do it becauseit's hard.
It's hard to always, it'sexpensive, it's time consuming
to do all that stuff.
But you could get in a lot oftrouble if you get to the event
and it's remote, like there'snowhere to go and buy, and now
you don't have a speaker or youdon't have a laptop.
(24:31):
Like what do you do?
I never heard of anyone, likeI've just gotten into it in the
last couple of years.
What do you do when?
When you're in that situation,oh man, you do what you can.
There's no music, Ah, what youcan play play on your your phone
, play on your ipad?
Yeah, what if you don't havethe connector?
(24:52):
Right?
You need a special connector.
Nino (24:53):
Oh well, that's the thing I have.
I have backups for that too aswell, just in case, right?
Yeah, so extra cords, extraeverything right you never know
what you're gonna extra.
Ilia (25:07):
Everything need at the time.
Number nine Arriving late orunprepared, same thing.
Nino (25:13):
So we always actually try to arrive at least an hour and a
half to two hours before theactual event, or four hours,
like I used to.
If you don't know how to set up, properly and you're not used
to it yet Four hours.
Four hours, four, four, fourand a half hours, my first
couple events.
I actually told you to sleepover at the in the parking lot
(25:35):
so you can get ready for him.
Ilia (25:40):
It took me so long.
I was like ocd, like well, thespeaker should be here.
I'm like it's been two hoursjust trying to figure out where
the speaker is where the tableis how I'm going to put the
cables, I'm like, I'm like, uh,taping everything you know, like
placing the tape, and then it'salso because you're the DJ,
(26:01):
everyone comes to talk to you.
Now, yeah, they're not going toleave you alone.
So now I spend at least 45minutes all over the place
speaking to people who areasking me for things.
Nino (26:09):
Yeah.
Ilia (26:10):
Yeah, so, yeah, I got to come on time, especially if you
want to have fun.
Yeah, on the way, on the way,yeah, I miss that.
How, how, um, I think we showedup.
Nino (26:25):
How late we showed up, like half an hour before the gig
started or 45 minutes that thatday we came up, just yeah,
around half an hour 45 minutesit was the drive to it was.
Ilia (26:36):
It was the day with the gas right.
Nino (26:39):
Yeah, because we were kind of yeah, I was freaking out.
Was that the day?
I think it was that day, and itwas the one when we went to Phu
too.
We just came, oh we did ittwice, we did it twice.
Ilia (26:50):
And we killed it because we're two.
We have a system we set up.
Nino (26:54):
Yeah, we set up pretty fast because we know exactly how
to set up and stuff.
But yeah, don't do that, don't.
Yeah, don't do that, don't dohow we're doing.
It.
Do as we say, not as we do.
Ilia (27:07):
You know, stuff happens sometimes, right, and it's out
of your control, but yeah, youmight want to have fun the
things, the things that are inyour control.
Please make sure that you do itproperly look, if we drive and
we have an hour and a half like,we know we're getting there an
hour and a half before the eventstarts.
But if we like we drive by afought place and we know we'll
still have 20 to 30 minutes, wegotta hurry up, man dude, we
(27:29):
inhale it.
Nino (27:29):
We inhale it fast right, you see how I eat right, no, I,
I can't get to that level.
Ilia (27:34):
That's nuts.
That's nuts.
You'll be able to finish thebowl by the time you get to the
bathroom.
Nino (27:41):
Go in, the door won't close, you'll come out that's
how you eat as a dj man allright um number 10, number 10,
neglecting to coordinate withother vendors yeah, and this is
just like coordinate or justworking with your other vendors,
like if you, if you're um, justbefore something happens and
(28:01):
usually you're the one whoannounces it, or you you know
the m MC is going to come up andpick up your mic to announce
something, you have to let thephotographers or videographers
know that it's happening so theycan prepare right, because it
takes them like a minute or twojust to get into place and stuff
they have to set up their flash, this, that, or maybe they just
sat down to eat and you seethem, you know eating, and then
(28:23):
suddenly realizing it's dawningon them Uh-oh, oh, he's
introducing, oh, and it's alsoon them.
Ilia (28:31):
They need to know when things happen.
But it's professional courtesy.
It really helps.
They have stuff to deal with,you have stuff to deal with.
Communicate, at the end of theday, proper communication
between the vendors is going toachieve, it's going to help you
achieve an unbeatable event,like an amazing event, and
everyone's going to be happy.
Yeah, and you will actually getmore gigs through those vendors
(28:53):
.
Nino (28:54):
Yes, teamwork makes the dream work, yeah, for real.
Ilia (28:57):
And yeah, and I think that , um, I got at least two gigs
back to back yeah, I think itwas back to back From vendors I
was working with.
One was a 360 booth and anotherone was a photographer slash
videographer.
So they're like, wow, it wasamazing working with you and
(29:21):
somebody asked for a DJ.
They recommended me.
Right, it was amazing workingwith you and somebody asked for
a DJ.
Nino (29:23):
They recommended me.
Ilia (29:24):
Yeah, yeah, right.
So it was just fun.
It was just fun knowing that,like I just communicated with
them properly and that's like itgot me that and everyone was
happy Got a five star review.
Nino (29:34):
So work with everyone like that.
Don't turn down like thevideographer I know some
videographer.
I know some DJ videographer.
I know some djs.
That actually charge extra forthe videographer to plug into
their system so they can get theaudio for the video.
I'm like kidding.
Oh yeah, I read it online.
I'm like what?
Ilia (29:52):
that's preposterous I think that's gonna, that's gonna
cause, that's gonna cause someserious like arguments.
Yeah, yeah, why would you?
Do that like even even betweenthe um the client.
Yeah, like my photographer just, or videographer just told me
that you want who you're gonnabuild, like the client or or the
actual videographervideographer who's gonna not,
(30:13):
he's gonna have to take the hit.
Yeah, it's weird, man, I don'tget some people, um, number 11,
number 11, playing extendedmixes of slow songs.
That's that, unless it was arequest, and it's like the end
of the night and it's like justthem two, right, but like you
(30:33):
don't do that throughout the andjust playing a lot of slow
songs.
Nino (30:36):
In general it kills the momentum of the actual party,
unless it actually called thenight, actually calls for a slow
song, like you've been dancingthem for like half an hour to an
hour and then it's time to winddown and slow down, because
they can't dance forever like onat a hundred, right?
So you're gonna have to slow itdown sometime.
So play maybe one song or eventwo songs.
(30:57):
It also depends on the crowd.
Sometimes the crowd is mostlyelderly, so you're gonna play a
lot more older songs to get themdancing too.
Ilia (31:06):
Yeah, yeah, usually for weddings, cause that's what
we're speaking about today.
Uh, specifically, it's going tobe the.
The youngest people will be the, the, the bride and groom
Usually, usually, sometimes it'syou know, it's their second or
third wedding.
Um, usually, no, usually.
Usually, sometimes it's theirsecond or third wedding, and
then their friends and thechildren, right, but then 70% of
(31:27):
the of the guests are olderpeople.
Yeah, so that's when we playthe oldies and everything, yeah
of course.
That's why it's hard, becausethe main people, the main people
, they're younger and they maynot appreciate that music.
Yeah, but then the majority ofthe crowd will.
Nino (31:44):
It.
They may not appreciate thatmusic, yeah, but the majority of
the crowd will.
It all depends If it's like abig popular song back in the day
.
Usually people know it.
Ilia (31:49):
Didn't you have those people who said, at least once,
I remember, don't play old musicAt all.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Nino (31:57):
There's some, but people still came up and asked for it.
Yeah, it's tough and you haveto turn them down, especially
because that's what the clientwants, right?
So, yeah, it is what it is.
Ilia (32:09):
That was a great list.
Um, this is.
I'm getting like a flashback ofeverything you were telling me
for the past couple of years.
Yeah, it's been a couple ofyears already.
More than a couple of years hasbeen, man.
I got to check my texts and seehow long it's been One more
thing.
Nino (32:25):
One more thing.
For the love of God, please putyour phone on silent.
Ilia (32:31):
Oh, yes, that's a bonus.
Put your phone on silent.
I can't tell you how many timesI called him and he was at a
gig.
Nino (32:39):
Oh, my God, yeah, what analogy were you making?
Like the the last time, like atthe ceremony hold on?
Ilia (32:47):
sir, oh, excuse me, uh, I'm getting a call.
Uh, can you just hold on for asecond?
It was funny to me thinkingwhat if you actually um
coordinated like a like a prank,like that, a prank like yeah,
I've seen similar pranks.
Right, it has to be done.
It has to be done.
Nino (33:03):
It has to be done right, with the right couple, with the
right crowd too, as well.
Right, yeah, otherwise you'llget backlash.
Ilia (33:09):
Yeah, and you know what?
Some things happen throughoutevents where it seems like it's
a prank, but it just, it justsomething just happened and you
pulled it off, yeah, so yeah, itrequires skill, um, but yeah,
like, this is a very good list.
It's coming from me becauseI've you know, I wanted to do
that from the start start withweddings, right, and I wasn't
(33:30):
sure how to get into that.
And then you gave me all thesepointers throughout those years
and I used them.
I didn't do weddings by myself,but I used them at other gigs
and it really really works.
Nino (33:41):
It really helps it'll prepare you for when you
actually do weddings.
Ilia (33:44):
Yes, and, uh, I actually am getting.
Uh, I think I said it in one ofthe other episodes I'm working
with a couple of DJs now wholiked my style and, uh, you know
they have a bit more time youhave too many gigs lately and
they want more time with thefamily and they were saying that
(34:06):
you know they'll prepare me forit and uh, and then I'll start
doing weddings.
So take any opportunity you cantake if it works for you, if it
, if it sounds right.
Um, that's it for today, Ithink, right.
Nino (34:24):
That's today only 11 points, 12.
There's actually more, but Ijust cut the best ones.
Ilia (34:26):
That's a good list, man.
Yeah, all right.
Well, thank you very much forjoining.
Another episode of the cleverdj and we will see you next time
.
Welcome back.
Welcome back to another episodeof the Clever DJ.
First, a quick intro aboutourselves, just so you know who
we are If you're just tuning infor the first time, whether it's
on YouTube or any of the otherplatforms.
My name is Ilya and I am a DJ.
I'm a beginner DJ.
I've been DJing for about twoyears now and I've done a
(00:33):
variety of events, and at one ofthe events where I was
bartending before I became a DJ,I met this guy beside me and
you know he took me on as hisapprentice and uh, ever since
then we've been uh djingtogether or uh different, like
different events, and that'swhen the journey started yep, so
(00:54):
my name is nino, I'm aprofessional dj and, um, I've
been djing for 20 plus years.
Nino (01:01):
Uh, started off with bars and clubs.
Now I do primarily mostly, uh,private events, especially
weddings.
I have a roster of 15 djs undermy belt.
Ilia (01:10):
So, yeah, that's, that's me in a nutshell yeah, and this
is a banter podcast about djing,so uh, every every episode is
uh weekly and uh we speak aboutjust things that happen to us,
things that happen that happento other djs and anything dj
related.
Yeah, under the sun, right, yeahjust like two guys hanging out
(01:32):
talking about djing, yeah, uh,some other, some other uh
podcasts and live shows youyou'll see out there uh are a
lot more technical or more likeschools and stuff like that, and
you know we're going in thatdirection at some point too, but
for now we're just enjoying,just, you know, chatting and
discussing.
Nino (01:49):
Just chilling.
Ilia (01:50):
Yeah, just chilling, drinking our tea, drinking our
tea.
Nino (01:53):
We're really into tea.
Yeah, we love our tea.
Tea and pho, pho, yeah.
Ilia (01:57):
Yes, that's another thing we really love.
You know what One of those dayswe need to get a tea and a fa
sponsor.
I just I don't see who's gonnasponsor djs when it comes to
fine I know, I know it's weird,it's more, like you know, like
club stuff, like more like youknow, alcohol, alcohol and all
that other stuff yeah, yeah,yeah but it's okay, yeah, we'll
(02:19):
make it work.
Oh my god, wait, this is notstraight.
Oh my god, come on.
No, I'm joking, okay?
So, uh, nino, you take it away.
What are we talking about?
so today we're talking aboutwedding djing and how tricky it
can be and, um, just some of theworst mistakes you can make as
(02:40):
wedding djs yes, and if youthink that, oh, I started djing
because I want to be a weddingdj, you know, in three to six
months max a year, I'm gonna bea wedding dj.
That's exactly what this guysaid, because I was ambitious.
You know what?
You know, three or six monthsmax a year, depending on my
schedule, I'm here side by sidewith you.
I I still don't really doweddings.
(03:01):
I done a couple gigs likeweddings, you know, very, very
like serious production, and youknow I did it by myself, at
least one of them, one of them.
You came with me and supportedme and, yeah, I'm ready for
weddings now, but so far I'vedone them with another DJ.
Yeah, right, so this is becauseit's not that simple.
There are.
(03:21):
This is because it's not thatsimple.
There's an itinerary.
Nino (03:24):
There's a lot of moving parts.
There's so many things, so manythings going on with weddings.
Right, it's not just playingmusic, they're coordinating.
Sometimes You're talking on themicrophone, you're playing the
music, you're curating theactual atmosphere, the day, the
soundtrack of the day.
Ilia (03:40):
Yeah, you're the puppeteer , you're the master of that
night, and the DJ doesn'tusually get that credit until
the end of the night when thebride and groom and whoever else
noticed wow, you made thisnight happen.
Yeah, right, sometimes that'sthe case.
They don't have a coordinatoror everything is messed up and
then you know, for example, ninocomes in and rescues the night.
(04:02):
I've done that so many times.
Nino (04:04):
Yeah, I've seen that.
But yeah, we're going to startwith number one.
What do we have there, buddy?
Ilia (04:10):
Number one is not preparing adequately.
Nino (04:16):
Yeah, so this applies to just DJs not preparing their
playlists and just making surethat everything is accessible
right away and making sure thatyou have the vision of what the
actual client wants theirwedding day to sound like, right
, because there's some songs,some genres that clients do not
(04:39):
want, so you want to make surenot to play those Right.
So, yeah, it's very importantthat you play what the kind of
music that they want.
Ilia (04:48):
Yeah, they have a certain vision for the wedding.
My sister just got married justa couple of months ago and they
met with the DJ several times.
They spoke to him several timesand they explained OK, so
that's what's going to happen inthis part of the night, ok,
this is what we see for this,that's our vision for that.
So there's a lot of stuff.
There's the songs that did notplay and then the ones that must
(05:09):
be played.
There's how they want certainparts to go on, like okay, so on
the father-daughter dance andmother-son dance, we also want
to switch, and you have to knowall those things.
Nino (05:25):
There's different details and if you don't remember that,
because you're focusing on yourtransitions, yeah, yeah, you
gotta get tough, you gottaremember all the little, the
finer details that every couplewants.
That's just.
That's just, um, just trying toprepare accordingly how to go
over the notes.
Yeah, and that's why the clientmeets with you and in person
sometimes to talk everythingover, especially if they want a
(05:48):
lot of things like a lot ofsurprises and a lot of like live
mixing and stuff.
If they want to do like a likea mashup mix of, like the
father-daughter dance, what Ihave that in a couple of, a
couple of weeks I'm actuallyactually making that mix,
pre-making it so they can make adance to it, right?
So sometimes, yeah, you need todo stuff like that.
Ilia (06:11):
I was just going to say one time when we were driving,
was it?
I think it was when we ran outof gas, almost.
Didn't you say that while we'redriving you're already prepared
While we're driving.
Okay, so we want the song thisway.
Actually, we want it to starthere and then we'll come in.
And then you're like that's noteven possible.
(06:33):
How do I tell her that?
Right, and then you made itpossible, you found her an
alternative, right?
But even if you're fullyadequately prepared, they're
still going to throw something.
Nino (06:43):
you got to be flexible with with what they want right,
because you never know what'scoming coming up on on the
actual day of right.
Ilia (06:51):
So yeah, number two, ignoring the crowd so this is.
Nino (06:56):
This includes not reading the room and just failing to
adjust to the music to suit themood of the crowd, right?
If you don't read the room anddon't engage and watch them and
making sure that they like themusic that you're playing.
Usually this falls on a lot ofbedroom DJs.
A lot of bedroom DJs will belike because they don't look up
(07:18):
at the crowd.
They're used to just playingfor themselves, right?
So make sure that you actuallylook up instead of just staying
like, uh like, looking down atyour laptop or or your
controller like you're used toin your bedroom yeah, like even
twitch streamers.
Ilia (07:34):
Uh, you know, like I've seen some who are actually
responsive to the comments andstuff and those are the ones
that are very popular, right?
Nino (07:41):
they get a lot followers because they actually engage
with them.
They look at the camera andthey they talk to you literally
like they're alone in the roomand they're still engaging.
Ilia (07:50):
Yes, can you imagine what they're like when they have a
crowd in front of them?
Even more right.
So being alone in your bedroomdoes not mean you're not
engaging with whoever you playmusic for, because otherwise
you're just playing for yourself.
Exactly.
Some people might like thatbecause they have the same vibe,
but what are the odds?
You'll find 3 000 people wholike that.
Nino (08:07):
Yeah, on that day, right, exactly now, if you, if you're
just gonna do that and play foryourself, then just be a bedroom
dj, not even take it up to thelevel for fun.
Ilia (08:16):
That's fine, nothing wrong with that.
Nino (08:18):
Yeah, uh, number three playing inappropriate songs like
you know, I've talked to youabout this right um clients that
ask um, please make sure youplay the explicit version.
So I'm like what?
Especially because you knowthere's kids, there's your
grandma, grandpa um, out in thecrowd.
Ilia (08:39):
It just it's not gonna appreciate that.
Nino (08:42):
No it's just, it irks us right because we look so
unprofessional right now.
It's different maybe if youplay it at the end of the night,
when, when the kids are gone,grandma, grandpa are gone
already.
Then you can turn up right andjust play the explicit versions
and we love playing them becauseyou know we love playing the,
the real versions, like the clubsongs.
Ilia (09:02):
Yeah, it really, really hits my ears like just really
badly when I hear the, thecensored version.
Yeah, just, it's just like.
Nino (09:10):
I'm like that's just, you don't even want to play that
song a lot of the times that'show I feel a lot of the times
the crowd will sing theobscenities anyway, right.
So it's like, yeah, you mightas well play, but you know, to
stay professional you have to.
Um, not, yeah, keep it.
Keep it clean, right.
Inappropriateness is is soawkward for us for us djs.
Ilia (09:31):
Another awkward thing.
Nino (09:33):
Number four overusing the microphone you know it's not
about you, it's about the um,the couple, right?
So don't make it about you.
Don't talk um on the microphonetoo much.
If you're gonna emcee thewedding, make sure that you get
to the point, straight to thepoint um.
Talk slowly, concisely and justmake sure everybody knows like
(09:57):
what you're saying, right yeah,also not over the song.
Ilia (10:00):
Every time some djs over the best parts of the song or
singing with a song, I'm likewhat are you doing?
Nino (10:07):
like if you were a good singer, okay, sure like even
then, come on, man, not to everysong like I'm here listening to
pitbull, not to you, right likeuh.
Ilia (10:18):
but um, yeah, it's just uh .
I don't understand how somepeople are, it's just so lost on
them because I don't get on themicrophone enough, because I
realize like, hey, maybe theydon't want to listen to that and
I'm still like in the beginningof my journey, you know there
are some crowds that willrespond to it, but in general
(10:39):
you just don't want to do it toomuch.
I noticed that if you do want todo it, you got to be so
confident and so like, yeah,like I'm going for it, cause if
you're not, they're going topick up on that energy.
Yeah, they're going to kind oflook at you like, all right,
buddy, that feels so so awkward,it's so awkward man.
Or if you're just like yellinginto the mic like a like a
(11:02):
madman, like a 13 year old, justlike yeah, I just want to tell
everyone uh, the food's ready.
Nino (11:11):
That's another thing.
Do not cup the microphone.
You're not a rapper of them.
Cup the microphone oh, you'renot a rapper, right, and it it
peaks the actual system too, andit's.
We have to turn it down.
Ilia (11:22):
We're gonna probably uh post edit this.
That was too loud.
Shut the levels, just shutright up.
Nino (11:26):
It's too much man.
So yeah, please don't cop themicrophone as well, use the
microphone appropriately.
All right, this is the handle.
This is not the handle.
Okay.
Ilia (11:37):
Yeah, you're going to get feedback.
If you cut the top part, it'sgoing to start.
You're going to get feedbackbecause the sound just anyway,
number five being unresponsiveto requests.
So that's kind of part of thecrowd ignoring the crowd, but
that's very specific.
Nino (11:55):
Yeah, you have to, especially if you're bombing.
You have to make sure thatyou're taking the request,
because that gives you anindication of what the crowd
will actually like Well, atleast the person who requested
it, right.
But it might give you ideas,Like, if they start dancing, it
might give you okay, they likethis song, so I might as well
(12:16):
play this and this and this.
They'll like this.
Ilia (12:18):
right, as a DJ, you have to have that knowledge and you
know just, yeah, I had a aChristmas gig last year and I
wouldn't say I was bombing it,but it was definitely not going
as well as it should.
Not even as well as I wanted togo, as well as it should go.
10 to 15% of people weredancing kind of like almost
(12:39):
forcing themselves.
A couple of people reallyenjoyed it.
Most people were like all overthe place.
I realized it wasn't really me,it was the place.
Nino (12:47):
It was probably just the environment.
Ilia (12:48):
They weren't ready to dance, but any good DJ will get
them to want to dance.
Yeah, it's almost.
It almost never happens.
It just doesn't work.
No matter what you do, ifyou're good, you know how to get
them there.
So I found a few things that Isaw they liked, but it was, it
was painful, it was like okay,like hit, miss, hit, miss.
But were they requesting stuffand then they started requesting
(13:11):
and I'm like, okay, I see whythey like that.
And then I brought in more ofthose songs and then suddenly it
just became an amazing nightand it was.
You know, it was like an hourand a half of like 90% of the
people on the dance floor.
It was fun, it got tippednicely.
It was just from like oh man, Ihope they're going to call me
again To.
(13:35):
Oh wow, they're tipping me andeveryone's dancing and
everyone's happy.
Nino (13:37):
Sometimes it just takes that one request and then it'll
spark the whole night, right?
Ilia (13:41):
Yeah, it's like an inside thing there.
They all like that song or itreminds them of something You're
not going to know thatEspecially beginners, if you're
just not going to know that.
Nino (13:50):
So, especially beginners, if you're just learning how to
read the crowd, take thoserequests, because sometimes
they're gold.
They'll get the crowd going.
Ilia (13:59):
Remember what I did on our first gig, my first gig, yeah,
like without you, mm-hmm.
It was at school and I took anotebook, a request notebook, a
request notebook, yeah, yeah,right.
So for the kids, because I'mlike they're coming on there
every like two minutes.
Nino (14:15):
They will request and keep going, man, and then you won't
be able to dj anymore becauseyou're so busy taking the
requests and I loved it.
Ilia (14:21):
I created like three playlists I'm like okay.
So these kids from this age,this age, love that there you go
then.
Nino (14:27):
Then that's how you build your playlist too right.
I built it For that age group.
Ilia (14:32):
Yeah, and then it was how young were they?
From like six years oldProbably six to like what?
12?
13, I think, yeah, 13.
So it was six to eight, then itwas eight to 10, I think, or 11
and 11 to 13, something likethat.
The blocks of grades, well,something like that.
I kind of overlapped a few ofthe ages, but I literally wrote
(14:53):
it down in such a way that I'llknow, and then every time I went
back there and played thosesongs and researched upon those.
Nino (15:01):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the way it's all thanks to the
requests.
Ilia (15:05):
I was brand new.
I had no idea what to play.
Nino (15:13):
I don't listen to that music, right?
You know what that's?
That's the thing for for highschool, like prom gigs.
That's the way I get umschooled in knowing the new
music because they request thestuff like they'll.
They'll request the stuff likeoh, I haven't heard of this,
maybe it's a banger.
And then I listen to it.
Oh, yeah, it is a banger, so Ijust play it and then they go
crazy, right, so that's?
That's a way of just buildingyour playlist as well.
Right, so it's great and youknow what.
Ilia (15:30):
There are those kids that I really respect, like over the
top, yeah, which when they cometo the dj booth and they're like
, hey, can you play?
Play that song and and, andthey're trying to describe it
and I'm like, is he talkingabout?
No, he's not.
He's like, oh, yeah, that's thename.
And then he shows me his phone,like no, that was like 20 years
(15:52):
before you were born.
Yeah, right.
And I just respect them forloving the old school music,
whether it's rap or it's like anelectronic music, which is
really my thing.
Electronic music, um, uh, yeah,like it's great.
Yeah, I just I want to play it.
But here's the thing most ofthe kids there won't, won't know
it or won't vibe to it.
(16:13):
Yeah, right.
And then I'm like you know what?
I'm gonna play it for myself.
I don't care, one kid wants it.
It's not just for me.
But you never know, sometimesit's a, it's a thing, it's like
a, like a, maybe a joke orsomething, or something that all
everybody knows an inside jokething that all the kids would
know, and then they'll actuallygo crazy and dance to it yeah,
like, uh, there was one one timeactually, something like, um,
(16:38):
something to do with one of theone of the kids.
Fathers played a song and thenthey all liked it, yeah, and
they all spoke about it.
And you know, the dad is likein his 40s or something right,
so now they're all listening tothat song.
So I played it.
I'm like, let's see.
And then there was a group ofgroup of kids like 12 kids, who
probably all were in the sameplace when, whatever, something
(16:59):
happened and they all startedjumping and and because of their
energy, even though the otherones didn't really care for it,
everyone just yeah, yeah, theeffect right yeah, I've had
those moments as well too, andif it bombs, then you get to
listen to you to the song youlike, and then you just like get
to that request list switch itup really quick.
That's how, as djs, you gottayou gotta do that this is the
(17:22):
way it is uh, oh I, I put myphone away, one sec sec.
Nino (17:25):
Okay, well, number number six is playing music too loud.
Now, this, this is somethingthat number six playing music
too loud, yeah, so don't don'tplay music too loud, cause you
can literally agitate like theum, uh, the guests right,
(17:49):
especially if they're havingconversations, um, it'll drive
them away a lot of the times.
You can clear the dance floor,especially clear dance floor, um
, you can drive people to gohome early if you play to piss
off the event organizers, eventhe bride and groom, right.
But sometimes you guys, you haveto go out on a dance floor
(18:11):
sometimes and hear your levels,right, and just hear how it
sounds in their perspective,right?
So just, uh, just to make surethat it's not too loud.
You know those times when the,the highs are just too piercing
and it just hurts yeah, somesongs you just know.
Ilia (18:28):
Hey, that's a loud song, yeah, it's lower the level, just
turn it down a little bit, andyou told me that back in the day
we spoke about it several timesone of the things that, uh,
when you become more of anintermediate to towards maybe
even a professional dj, one ofthe things you gotta start
learning is levels, levels.
It's not just transition.
Nino (18:46):
it's not just playing the music, it's making sure the
levels match.
Ilia (18:50):
Yeah, each song matches the next song, and then also it
matches the energy of the songand the night and people.
You don't just read them forwhat they want to listen to, but
how they want to listen to it,right.
Nino (19:03):
It's important.
Just imagine a song you'replaying at this volume, you
bring in the next song and it'slike, right here.
Imagine a song you're playingat this volume, you bring in the
next song and it's like, righthere, it doesn't matter if it's
a banger or not, if they can'thear what it's what's going on,
you just lost the crowd.
It's like, oh, lost that you.
You instead of them justkeeping the momentum, you just
kind of like jarred them andthis, that's it.
(19:23):
It's like, oh okay, I'm justgonna exactly right, and then
you get, then you turn, then youjust decide to turn it up and
by that time it's kind of like,oh, it lost its effect.
Ilia (19:35):
It's not a podcast, you're DJing.
Nino (19:37):
Yeah.
Ilia (19:38):
Let's make this louder Everything has to be just
simultaneous.
Yes, Number seven poor timing.
Nino (19:47):
Yeah, I've seen well, I haven't done this like I've seen
, um, social media djs have donethis and, like really bad
moments that they've, theyweren't prepared.
I actually sent you, uh,something like just like like
that just yesterday, I think, oninstagram.
Yeah, yeah, I sent you a djlike um who was trying to find a
(20:10):
song and lauren hill was rightbeside her singing, killing me
softly.
But the guy was like trying tofind it or something so he can
play it.
But he didn't even end upfinding it or playing it.
He ended up playing anothersong and lauren hill felt sorry
for him and said give it up forthe dj.
(20:31):
You know, oh, my god, I waslike, oh, I was so cringed about
that, right, but yeah, I sawyou send me something on
instagram.
Ilia (20:37):
I was on vacation so I did .
I did not, okay, but that'swhat it was.
That's insane, yeah, that's,that's, that's gotta hurt.
That's like a moment whereyou're like do I continue doing
this?
Nino (20:46):
and he went viral and it hurts.
I was like, oh, it's a dj.
You're like oh, that's not whatyou want to go violent for,
right, but it does happen.
So make sure you prepareaccordingly, make sure that
everything's in its propercrates, it's labeled as well as
like first dance or like fatherdaughter dance, and that you're
(21:06):
ready for it.
Ilia (21:07):
You have the itinerary beside you and you anticipate
it's coming up, so it could comeup anytime it's uh, you know it
, people need to understand yourregular skills will not play
out the same way when you'restressed out.
Yeah, just like when I went tothe shooting range with a friend
(21:27):
a while back.
He's a detective and he's likea top cop, like he did lots of
courses.
If you're in the US he's with aSWAT, but we don't have SWAT.
We have, you know, emergencytask force, etf, eru, emergency
response unit.
Yes, so he works with them andyou know I was impressed.
(21:50):
Oh, look at my grouping.
Like, look how well I shot.
I was like, well, one of thefirst times I've ever done that
is again.
I'll try doing that after youran for 15 minutes and after you
, um, being chased by someone,or or you're trying to figure
out like all the rules of whatyou're supposed to do and now
control, and you're underpressure too right now.
Just an analogy, maybe not thebest one, but like that's how
(22:13):
it's gonna feel.
Same thing you're gonna besweating buckets, yeah, when
you're at the gig and you can'tfind a song or you need
something, all eyes are on you.
And now for you, your regularskills of being oh, I could buy
a song like that.
Normally, if you're at home,you'll find it yeah your jitters
.
You're not thinking the same beprepared, yeah, um, and and time
(22:34):
your things correctly, becauseif you don't do it ahead of time
and if you don't kind ofpractice that you can go viral
for the wrong reasons, exactlynumber eight.
Can you like give me like anecho when I talk like number
eight, number eight, eight, uh.
Nino (22:54):
Lack of backup equipment yeah, I was talking about this.
You have to make sure that youhave um mixes, extra mixes, uh
backup controller.
Um, most of the times, I liketo bring my small controller as
well as as backup um extraspeakers.
I always bring a monitor.
Um, yeah, backups for yourbackups.
(23:16):
You never know what's going tohappen to your mains, right yeah
.
Ilia (23:19):
Or like if you have like a really like bad cable for your
laptop and you kind of like,just like throw it into it so it
like magnetizes, like let's see, okay, it's charging, yeah.
Or if you like I don't know whodoes that but if you come with
a laptop that has to be pluggedin and if it gets plugged like
(23:40):
unplugged, then the battery likethere's no battery, then
there's no music like yeah, somepeople do that.
Nino (23:44):
Yeah, I don't know who does that, who does that man
here?
Ilia (23:50):
I'll do it for you, I know that's what I was thinking, but
like that's the thing, like II'm like I'll do it, I'll get
another laptop next year or nextmonth or like next season or
whatever, but then I have somuch stuff on it now it takes
forever to transition.
Nino (24:03):
That's my problem, right now, but yeah, I can't imagine
how much stuff you have.
But backups, bring backups foryour backups, always because you
never know.
Ilia (24:10):
Yeah and it's.
We're giving these examplesbecause we know we preach it but
we don't always do it becauseit's hard.
It's hard to always, it'sexpensive, it's time consuming
to do all that stuff.
But you could get in a lot oftrouble if you get to the event
and it's remote, like there'snowhere to go and buy, and now
you don't have a speaker or youdon't have a laptop.
(24:31):
Like what do you do?
I never heard of anyone, likeI've just gotten into it in the
last couple of years.
What do you do when?
When you're in that situation,oh man, you do what you can.
There's no music, Ah, what youcan play play on your your phone
, play on your ipad?
Yeah, what if you don't havethe connector?
(24:52):
Right?
You need a special connector.
Nino (24:53):
Oh well, that's the thing I have.
I have backups for that too aswell, just in case, right?
Yeah, so extra cords, extraeverything right you never know
what you're gonna extra.
Ilia (25:07):
Everything need at the time.
Number nine Arriving late orunprepared, same thing.
Nino (25:13):
So we always actually try to arrive at least an hour and a
half to two hours before theactual event, or four hours,
like I used to.
If you don't know how to set up, properly and you're not used
to it yet Four hours.
Four hours, four, four, fourand a half hours, my first
couple events.
I actually told you to sleepover at the in the parking lot
(25:35):
so you can get ready for him.
Ilia (25:40):
It took me so long.
I was like ocd, like well, thespeaker should be here.
I'm like it's been two hoursjust trying to figure out where
the speaker is where the tableis how I'm going to put the
cables, I'm like, I'm like, uh,taping everything you know, like
placing the tape, and then it'salso because you're the DJ,
(26:01):
everyone comes to talk to you.
Now, yeah, they're not going toleave you alone.
So now I spend at least 45minutes all over the place
speaking to people who areasking me for things.
Nino (26:09):
Yeah.
Ilia (26:10):
Yeah, so, yeah, I got to come on time, especially if you
want to have fun.
Yeah, on the way, on the way,yeah, I miss that.
How, how, um, I think we showedup.
Nino (26:25):
How late we showed up, like half an hour before the gig
started or 45 minutes that thatday we came up, just yeah,
around half an hour 45 minutesit was the drive to it was.
Ilia (26:36):
It was the day with the gas right.
Nino (26:39):
Yeah, because we were kind of yeah, I was freaking out.
Was that the day?
I think it was that day, and itwas the one when we went to Phu
too.
We just came, oh we did ittwice, we did it twice.
Ilia (26:50):
And we killed it because we're two.
We have a system we set up.
Nino (26:54):
Yeah, we set up pretty fast because we know exactly how
to set up and stuff.
But yeah, don't do that, don't.
Yeah, don't do that, don't dohow we're doing.
It.
Do as we say, not as we do.
Ilia (27:07):
You know, stuff happens sometimes, right, and it's out
of your control, but yeah, youmight want to have fun the
things, the things that are inyour control.
Please make sure that you do itproperly look, if we drive and
we have an hour and a half like,we know we're getting there an
hour and a half before the eventstarts.
But if we like we drive by afought place and we know we'll
still have 20 to 30 minutes, wegotta hurry up, man dude, we
(27:29):
inhale it.
Nino (27:29):
We inhale it fast right, you see how I eat right, no, I,
I can't get to that level.
Ilia (27:34):
That's nuts.
That's nuts.
You'll be able to finish thebowl by the time you get to the
bathroom.
Nino (27:41):
Go in, the door won't close, you'll come out that's
how you eat as a dj man allright um number 10, number 10,
neglecting to coordinate withother vendors yeah, and this is
just like coordinate or justworking with your other vendors,
like if you, if you're um, justbefore something happens and
(28:01):
usually you're the one whoannounces it, or you you know
the m MC is going to come up andpick up your mic to announce
something, you have to let thephotographers or videographers
know that it's happening so theycan prepare right, because it
takes them like a minute or twojust to get into place and stuff
they have to set up their flash, this, that, or maybe they just
sat down to eat and you seethem, you know eating, and then
(28:23):
suddenly realizing it's dawningon them Uh-oh, oh, he's
introducing, oh, and it's alsoon them.
Ilia (28:31):
They need to know when things happen.
But it's professional courtesy.
It really helps.
They have stuff to deal with,you have stuff to deal with.
Communicate, at the end of theday, proper communication
between the vendors is going toachieve, it's going to help you
achieve an unbeatable event,like an amazing event, and
everyone's going to be happy.
Yeah, and you will actually getmore gigs through those vendors
(28:53):
.
Nino (28:54):
Yes, teamwork makes the dream work, yeah, for real.
Ilia (28:57):
And yeah, and I think that , um, I got at least two gigs
back to back yeah, I think itwas back to back From vendors I
was working with.
One was a 360 booth and anotherone was a photographer slash
videographer.
So they're like, wow, it wasamazing working with you and
(29:21):
somebody asked for a DJ.
They recommended me.
Right, it was amazing workingwith you and somebody asked for
a DJ.
Nino (29:23):
They recommended me.
Ilia (29:24):
Yeah, yeah, right.
So it was just fun.
It was just fun knowing that,like I just communicated with
them properly and that's like itgot me that and everyone was
happy Got a five star review.
Nino (29:34):
So work with everyone like that.
Don't turn down like thevideographer I know some
videographer.
I know some DJ videographer.
I know some djs.
That actually charge extra forthe videographer to plug into
their system so they can get theaudio for the video.
I'm like kidding.
Oh yeah, I read it online.
I'm like what?
Ilia (29:52):
that's preposterous I think that's gonna, that's gonna
cause, that's gonna cause someserious like arguments.
Yeah, yeah, why would you?
Do that like even even betweenthe um the client.
Yeah, like my photographer just, or videographer just told me
that you want who you're gonnabuild, like the client or or the
actual videographervideographer who's gonna not,
(30:13):
he's gonna have to take the hit.
Yeah, it's weird, man, I don'tget some people, um, number 11,
number 11, playing extendedmixes of slow songs.
That's that, unless it was arequest, and it's like the end
of the night and it's like justthem two, right, but like you
(30:33):
don't do that throughout the andjust playing a lot of slow
songs.
Nino (30:36):
In general it kills the momentum of the actual party,
unless it actually called thenight, actually calls for a slow
song, like you've been dancingthem for like half an hour to an
hour and then it's time to winddown and slow down, because
they can't dance forever like onat a hundred, right?
So you're gonna have to slow itdown sometime.
So play maybe one song or eventwo songs.
(30:57):
It also depends on the crowd.
Sometimes the crowd is mostlyelderly, so you're gonna play a
lot more older songs to get themdancing too.
Ilia (31:06):
Yeah, yeah, usually for weddings, cause that's what
we're speaking about today.
Uh, specifically, it's going tobe the.
The youngest people will be the, the, the bride and groom
Usually, usually, sometimes it'syou know, it's their second or
third wedding.
Um, usually, no, usually.
Usually, sometimes it's theirsecond or third wedding, and
then their friends and thechildren, right, but then 70% of
(31:27):
the of the guests are olderpeople.
Yeah, so that's when we playthe oldies and everything, yeah
of course.
That's why it's hard, becausethe main people, the main people
, they're younger and they maynot appreciate that music.
Yeah, but then the majority ofthe crowd will.
Nino (31:44):
It.
They may not appreciate thatmusic, yeah, but the majority of
the crowd will.
It all depends If it's like abig popular song back in the day
.
Usually people know it.
Ilia (31:49):
Didn't you have those people who said, at least once,
I remember, don't play old musicAt all.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Nino (31:57):
There's some, but people still came up and asked for it.
Yeah, it's tough and you haveto turn them down, especially
because that's what the clientwants, right?
So, yeah, it is what it is.
Ilia (32:09):
That was a great list.
Um, this is.
I'm getting like a flashback ofeverything you were telling me
for the past couple of years.
Yeah, it's been a couple ofyears already.
More than a couple of years hasbeen, man.
I got to check my texts and seehow long it's been One more
thing.
Nino (32:25):
One more thing.
For the love of God, please putyour phone on silent.
Ilia (32:31):
Oh, yes, that's a bonus.
Put your phone on silent.
I can't tell you how many timesI called him and he was at a
gig.
Nino (32:39):
Oh, my God, yeah, what analogy were you making?
Like the the last time, like atthe ceremony hold on?
Ilia (32:47):
sir, oh, excuse me, uh, I'm getting a call.
Uh, can you just hold on for asecond?
It was funny to me thinkingwhat if you actually um
coordinated like a like a prank,like that, a prank like yeah,
I've seen similar pranks.
Right, it has to be done.
It has to be done.
Nino (33:03):
It has to be done right, with the right couple, with the
right crowd too, as well.
Right, yeah, otherwise you'llget backlash.
Ilia (33:09):
Yeah, and you know what?
Some things happen throughoutevents where it seems like it's
a prank, but it just, it justsomething just happened and you
pulled it off, yeah, so yeah, itrequires skill, um, but yeah,
like, this is a very good list.
It's coming from me becauseI've you know, I wanted to do
that from the start start withweddings, right, and I wasn't
(33:30):
sure how to get into that.
And then you gave me all thesepointers throughout those years
and I used them.
I didn't do weddings by myself,but I used them at other gigs
and it really really works.
Nino (33:41):
It really helps it'll prepare you for when you
actually do weddings.
Ilia (33:44):
Yes, and, uh, I actually am getting.
Uh, I think I said it in one ofthe other episodes I'm working
with a couple of DJs now wholiked my style and, uh, you know
they have a bit more time youhave too many gigs lately and
they want more time with thefamily and they were saying that
(34:06):
you know they'll prepare me forit and uh, and then I'll start
doing weddings.
So take any opportunity you cantake if it works for you, if it
, if it sounds right.
Um, that's it for today, Ithink, right.
Nino (34:24):
That's today only 11 points, 12.
There's actually more, but Ijust cut the best ones.
Ilia (34:26):
That's a good list, man.
Yeah, all right.
Well, thank you very much forjoining.
Another episode of the cleverdj and we will see you next time
.
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