A Bollywood star wedding - An experience.

So I played for Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi's wedding sangeet last week, the most high profile event in my calendar this season. It was important I perform beyond what is usually expected, it's not everyday you get to play for an event this kind. Also, very rarely does a DJ from Bangalore is asked to play for a star wedding, with Mumbai being the Bollywood hub.
I was blocked 2 months ago for the event by the bride's side (Alva's). My brief was very minimal at the time - play Bollywood and bhangra. The research side of it came into play from my end. Every movie of the star I watched, every song I acquired. What was important that I not only have his hit tunes but also those rare gems. Homework done I was confident yet the jitters were there, owing to the magnitude of the event.
I met the man himself a day before the big day, he was very accommodating and I was told to just spin "fun stuff". Now that did put some fears to rest. The sound check was done, the set up was enormous.
I started my set after the extremely talented and world class percussionist Sivamani's performance. He was thrilling the audience and I had to match up. My set started with Vivek's popular tune Aye Ganpat. Now that got the crowd really moving. Every few tunes were followed by a tune from his movies. What mattered was I keep the crowd in its toes. Mind you, it was a mixed crowd, from the Bollywood fraternity to the top glitterati from all over India. And that ain't an easy crowd to please. The media had hounded me for days as to which tunes I was gonna play. The man has had his share of controversies but I ain't gonna discuss bout that. For the record I played every popular Bollywood tune of every actor.
My set moved from Bollywood tunes to commercial house music, by now I had a sense of what the crowd needed and it was smooth flow. The high point of the set was when Vivek and Priyanka (the bride) came on stage and did an impromptu sequence. After this point it was smooth till the end.
I was thanked for my performance by Vivek Oberoi himself, in fact he tried a hand to DJ too (the pic above) . Job well done I packed, and yes breathed at last.

How to choose the right DJ for your private party.

Ok here are a few tips on how to choose the right man for the job. Just thought might help.

1) Plan your budget first. How much you would like to spend on a DJ ? Most celebrity DJs charge INR. 25,000/- upwards per event. Amateur DJs wold cost you anywhere between INR. 5000/- to INR. 10,000/- for an evening.
2) Whats the music genre you are looking out to be played at your party. Make it very clear to the DJ at first, what your major chunk of evening should sound like. Most DJs will oblige/refuse depending on their comfort level with a particular genre. I personally recommend a DJ who plays most genres without fuss.
3) Its always a good idea to hire someone you have heard earlier or as been recommended by a friend. But do venture out and hear a few new DJs before u close in the deal.
4) Make it very clear to the DJ what the occasion is all bout. He may just not have the birthday song on that very night ;)
5) Most sound vendors have a set favorite DJs. Do not always adhere to their fancies. Meet em once before confirming.
6) One final event brief to the DJ is utmost important before any party.
7) Social networking sites are a good way of checking out the work done by a DJ and also his/her popularity.
8) Ask for a technical rider of the DJ before confirming the sound vendor. Most DJs have their favorite vendors. If you can get a great package. Block em. Saves the trouble of dealing with many vendors.
9) Make the decibel levels clear to a DJ at the time of booking. You really would not like your house windows shattered by the end of the evening.
10) Just coz a DJ plays well in a club does not necessarily make him a good DJ for a private event, which are always more demanding.

It aint easy being a DJ.

Just thought of jotting down a few occupational hazards from my experiences so far.

1) There will always be this one guy in a party who will want u to play a track on repeat mode, oblige only at the cost of being slaughtered by the rest.
2) Answering to natures call, pushing oneself through a packed dance floor and making it before the track ends is not a very pleasant experience.
3) Playing at a budget club where the booth monitors are non existent and the speakers are from China. God bless you.
4) Your girlfriend turning up just when u have a wet T-shirt crazy fan on the console with u. Hmmm...your history.
5) A flying bottle from the novice flare bartender hisses right past you. You cannot get lucky always.
6) My first DJ console resembled more of a cashiers desk, yup was asked for bills too.
7) You remember your regular clubbers names by the words "DUDE" and "BABES".
8) Did I mention at the night of your big event, the dog u just bought has nibbled away your favorite pair of headphones.
9) To ease the tension before an event, you gulp down many a pegs and now u cant even stand let alone think.
10) Oh was it a Bollywood night?!! Crap I bought only my House music set of CD's.

5 tips on how to prepare before playing at an event.

These are a few tips I usually adhere to before spinning at an event. Thought it might be of use to a few DJs.

1) Know exactly what the event is marketed as. Playing the right genre of music is of utmost important.
2) Know your tunes inside out. Will help in smooth transitions and flow of the set.
3) Knowing what tunes are popular among your listeners always helps.
4) Back up the best tunes and carry em along, in case of a drive crash/cd scratch.
5) Sound and equipment check well before the start of the event a must.

AST - Attention Seeking Technique.

All eyes on me! Yes, that is the kind of attention I seek while spinning music. Its an art I have tried to master over the years. Not hungry for attention but certainly like to keep clubbers glued to my sets.
Most clubbers don't like to hear more than 3 mins of a track while on the floor(my estimate not some statistical data). Smooth transitions from one track to another are a repertoire of a good DJ. I normally plan my set with surprise elements namely acapellas , instrumental versions and popular samples.
Though the timing of these playing these elements is solely spontaneous. I keep in mind to usually let them loose when I see a need to wake a floor up on its feet. Bringing the vigour back on the floor. This is what I term as AST - Attention Seeking Technique.
One the crowd responds to em you know u have got a party back on its feet. But I always keep in mind not to over use them in my sets, so as not to become monotonous.
Another element that I use as a vital AST is the sheer energy I portray on the console. Nobody wants to see a sluggish DJ. I enjoy myself to every bit on the sets. To a point when at times club owners need to calm me down. But its all good as it keeps a happy vibe in the club.
One DJ who I call the prophet of AST is Carl Cox. Sheer energy even at 40 a must watch live act.

The party that was (Hint Lounge, Blr) on Sat. 6th.

Ok for starts it always helps to know the bouncer at the door, a stampede of sorts at the entry last night. So make ur contacts and get those backdoor passes. 500 odd clubbers last night mostly expats.
I started my set with some hip hop n r & b tunes, was a womens' day special event and most girls love to groove to beats of around 100 beats per minute. Taking it higher went on to some commercial house tunes with the likes of Bob Sinclair mashed with some Pitbull(never fails to entertain). Moved onto some bollywood tunes, which are quite a rage in Bangalore at the moment. I personally prefer the more deeper bollywood electro sounds.
The party at its peak I pushed in some Asian break beats and D&B sounds. These sounds are slowly picking up momentum in most of my sets of late. Bobby Friction sure has helped me explore these sounds through his radio shows.
Oh yeah got 3 drunk guys on the bar to remove their shirts off ! The women going berserk at this time and the party reaching its highest energy levels.
Finished the night off with some classic bollywood mixes and yeah an encore from the crowd made it quite a satisfying performance. No energy drink can give a high like the one u get from a mental crowd dancing with their hands in the air...in their own zones. Cheers!

Going Live.

Future of DJing acc. to me is "LIVE". Live sets. Live mixes. Live jamming with musicians/visual artists. Tech savy DJs will rule the roost. Not saying throw the vinyl away but inculcate new technology in sets. Watching a dj create a mix live is far more entertaining than hearing something created in a studio. Spontaneity well executed will sell.
Am an avid user of Ableton live and yes the technology does work on the floor. Creating effects on the fly has never been simpler. Yes must warn u that am still a novice. The very feel of a turntable can now be accomplished with Serato joining hands with Ableton and making a interface called The Bridge.

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