The longest you've DJed for in a venue(s)?

[Spitchen]

Next Friday I've got 2 gigs in separate venues, 6-10pm in one place and then 11pm-3am in another. 8 hours all up!!

Never done anything as long as this before (not including friends parties where concentration and professional levels matter much less, if at all).

Christ knows how I'll be at the end. Pissed, deaf, exhausted etc etc.

Anyone done a similar thing? Any tips?

:)

[Gruso]

Take food! Muesli bars etc.

[edit] I have a friend who did her first public gig at Arq, playing for over 8 hours. Talk about starting in the deep end. Years later, her advice for long gigs is the same - unless you're an insane drug pig, take food.

[Spitchen]

Take food! Muesli bars etc.

[edit] I have a friend who did her first public gig at Arq, playing for over 8 hours. Talk about starting in the deep end. Years later, her advice for long gigs is the same - unless you're an insane drug pig, take food.

Yeh, good point. I'm planning to eat something in between the 2 gigs so should be ok on that front. ;)

[richcur]

Give your ears a solid noise-free break from 10-11pm, if you don't have earplugs whack in some cotton wool

[Andrew Wowk]

Long gigs are fun, but I definitely recommend taking some food with you. Don't drink too much before you play either, otherwise you'll be hanging on for a LONG time. Though take some long tracks with you, if you REALLY need to piss, drop a long track, take your bathroom break and come back with enough time to mix :rock:

[ShyBoy]

Take food! Muesli bars etc.

[edit] I have a friend who did her first public gig at Arq, playing for over 8 hours. Talk about starting in the deep end. Years later, her advice for long gigs is the same - unless you're an insane drug pig, take food.

Damn!

I would have loved that Arq set!

[Random_Kiwi]

That's a long time man, you'll be fucking exhausted after that!
I've done a couple of 6 hours stints, but again, not at club/venues, but was shattered when you step off the decks after that long. Concentrating that long takes it out of you.

Food and not much booze and no caffiene either! The initial high from a coffee is good, but it'll drop you down again.

[gamblore]

Long gigs are fun, but I definitely recommend taking some food with you. Don't drink too much before you play either, otherwise you'll be hanging on for a LONG time. Though take some long tracks with you, if you REALLY need to piss, drop a long track, take your bathroom break and come back with enough time to mix :rock:

I was reading somewhere that Morillo just pisses in a bucket in the booth or something! He said he used to be shy about it but now he is used to it!

Also, I would recommend turning down the booth monitor if your not in the mix, saves ear fatigue and headaches!

[Spitchen]

Also, I would recommend turning down the booth monitor if your not in the mix, saves ear fatigue and headaches!

I always do this anyway so should be ok.

And wowky, yeh I already have my selection of 'toilet songs' and 'charlie songs' if the need arises. :P

[Dub DeLay]

Keep the volume down as low as possible in the first gig, ear fatigue is the main one. And of course don't drink too much in the first gig.

I agree with avoiding caffeine.

Take something with you to freshen up after the first gig and a change of shirt.

Or just give the first gig to me (which i know you won't cos this is part question part brag ;).

[DJ Fusion]

A marathon mix like that would kill my back more than anything, wear the comfiest shoes you have and stretch as you go. Try and get the whole crowd stretching in time with you like a cricket match! :thumb:

[Spitchen]

Or just give the first gig to me (which i know you won't cos this is part question part brag ;).

haha... you over-analyse too much Mr N. You wouldn't be interested at all (and many others too) in either gig so its a tad difficult bragging about something that no-one else wants. ;)

[Bekay]

my advice is to do loads of drugs, cocaine is a good one.

[Spitchen]

my advice is to do loads of drugs, cocaine is a good one.

Yes, but as you'd know, Sydney doesn't just have a drought of H2O. ;)

[Dub DeLay]

haha... you over-analyse too much Mr N. You wouldn't be interested at all (and many others too) in either gig so its a tad difficult bragging about something that no-one else wants. ;)

oh no it was just a mild joke no offence! :) but you might be right

btw i think you would be surprised what i play most these days

[Spitchen]

btw i think you would be surprised what i play most these days

Likewise. Not a lot of quantized machine music for me these days.

But yeh, was just thinking about having to play for so long and wondering how i'm gonna cope (i'm no spring chicken anymore, as you know).

If I had the choice I wouldn't be doing it. Just bad timing and a big credit card debt. ;)

[madrtr]

i do a 6 hour set every friday night as the resident at our club in town, and the occassional 6 hour set on the sat night as well, by sunday im f**ked, however having a good sleep in the arvo before gigs helps heaps, i also take long songs with me so i can take a piss and ciggarette break,
on fri nights though because its a bit more of a laid back crowd i usually end up getting pretty smashed from drinking all night while i play.

I do also work a day time job 7-5:30 mon to fri, but i manage the djing u do get used to it.

As for the comfy shoes and stretching, its a must, i wore these uncomfortable dressy shoes one sat night and my back was buggered until monday.

thats my 2c worth anyway.....

Have a good one anyway,

[Spitchen]

[quote=madrtr]i do a 6 hour set every friday night as the resident quote]

Did the same in a local bar a few years back, 5 hours though, and yeh, i got a sore back a lot so bought one of those black rubber mats used in restaurant kitchens etc and it helped heaps. Lost it though. Doh.

[ShyBoy]

Did the same in a local bar a few years back, 5 hours though, and yeh, i got a sore back a lot so bought one of those black rubber mats used in restaurant kitchens etc and it helped heaps. Lost it though. Doh.

Fuck that would look funny!:lol:

Rocking up to a gig, screwing in your carts, throwing on your slipmatts, plugging in your headphones then rolling out your own black rubber matt...

[Funkedub]

at least the 8 hours is at 2 different venues

you can play the same set at both gigs and fix all the mistakes you made in the 1st at the 2nd gig ;D

but seriously, that would be a harder slog if it was 8 hours solid at the same spot. As others have said, that's only been a thing of house parties for me ... where i'll admit, things can get sloppy of course ... but by the end of it all you're on fire and every mix sounds sensational .. or that could be the beer ... etc ... :ahoy:

i recently had a gig pulled on me that was going to be 4 hours from 9-1 at a fresh venue ... so it's not like i knew what the ppl were expecting or what kind of crowd it would be ... i was just going to pack a shitload of tunes and play it by ear. On a friday night after a working week would've just added to the challenge

best of luck with it all !!!

[vinh_]

change of shirts and deodarant.

take your vitamins as well.

Ear plugs between sets maybe.

[Spitchen]

Fuck that would look funny!:lol:

Rocking up to a gig, screwing in your carts, throwing on your slipmatts, plugging in your headphones then rolling out your own black rubber matt...

:lol: The mat was only 90cm in length, not one of those long fookers! ;)

[Marc Us]

couple of weeks back i did 6-9, 930-11, 12-3. & i do 6hr bar gig bout 1/month

but yeah they are tough. food is the go, less piss & know where the toilets are.
on the plus side, awesome fun building your sets

[Skerik]

I had to do 8pm-5am 4 nites a week. booooo

got the bargirl to get me dinner at midnite (club was on cavill, so nothing shuts) and didn't drink too much, had a couple before midnite, and coke and water for the rest of the nite.

drove home every night, and blew a dead 0 everytime i was pulled for an RBT - and that happened maaaaaany times!!

when you do those hours, it becomes a 'day' job, and your body has a hard time swapping between 'normal life' and 'dj life'.

It aged me quickly.

[Skerik]

liquid coke, not the white powdery stuff i've heard about

[gamblore]

Is that like liquid ecstacy? :p

[cowabungadude]

pre-game dump

[Skerik]

or learn how to shit in 20 seconds...

[DJ_Ange]

I used to dj 6hr sets every Friday night for a while there. And twice a year I DJ at a big Swingers party and I play from 7.30pm - 3am. On NYE I also play a 6-7hr set up in Darwin and when I was in Ibiza I DJ'd at Orange Corner in San An Bay from 2pm - 9pm.

I love long sets. Especially that swinger's party one. I get to play anything and everything. I start off deep then move to soulful/light funky then move to pumpy funky with a splash of electro house then move into melodic and uplifting trance at the end of the night. The ultimate set!

Although I must admit I've made some poor shoe choices a few times and have walked out afterwards a cripple. You need to make sure that you don't spend too long standing in the one spot. Put your records/cds in a spot that has you moving around a bit so you don't get sore legs after a while.

It's handy if you have a friend with you who can clear a line to the bathroom for you if you need it. That swinger's party is at Space nightclub so it was easier to run to the men's bathroom as it was right next to the dj booth, had a friend hold a stall for me (although I will never recommend any female to go into a male loo, nasty nasty place :lol: :-* )

[jimrocks]

Yes, but as you'd know, Sydney doesn't just have a drought of H2O. ;)


Kin' APEC!!

[Spitchen]

Kin' APEC!!

Yep.

[forenzik]

7 hour stints upstairs at the globe.. Did it weekly for a little while, before I got Mark Walton on board..
Used to love it, but by the end of it I was mentally and physically drained of all energy..

[Spitchen]

7 hour stints upstairs at the globe.. Did it weekly for a little while, before I got Mark Walton on board..
Used to love it, but by the end of it I was mentally and physically drained of all energy..

I remember those sets. Didn't realise you did 7 hours though.

[Underdog]

used to love upstairs ta the globe, except when the light started steraming in through the windows early morn!

[djsimonmann]

I did a 5 hour one at the Civic one night for a corp event... was long and hard cause I was also playing music I wasn't entirely into... take toilet tracks... those 10 minute epic ones that give you enough time to go wee and relax a little...

[trenthalliday]

Im playing my longest set right now...i havnt stoped since 1984.....got a 12 min minimal monster playing right now to make sure I can have a really quick dump, few lines of coke, and write this.....gotta go...songs ending....

[Spitchen]

It wasn't too bad in the end. The 6-10pm one was pretty relaxing. The 11-3am got tiring near the but was ok. No ear fatigue either.

[Heist9000]

Pen and paper to write your tracklist to avoid embarrasing repeats

[DJ Hejira]

ive done a 6-10 which went great (best performance ive done), had to make sure id had a few smokes & restroom visits before it & took 2 drinks to the booth (DJing makes me thirsty).