I have played at and visited many nightclubs through the years and I recently visited on that peaked my interest. Deriving its name from the club’s location, which is literally below Stamford Bridge ground the home of Chelsea FC and not from that Red Hot Chili Peppers song talking about dealing heroin, Under The Bridge is a nightclub that specialises in both DJ-led events and live music. It is an upmarket sort of club.
A lot of my favourite gigs over the years have been the ones that take place in tiny smoky rooms (well, before the smoking ban came in), with only a few people and a simple singer/guitar combo on stage. The big spectacular stadium shows have their place, but give me a crowd of twenty and a guy standing on a wooden box for a stage and you can guarantee I’ll have a great night. But we took intimate gigs to a whole new level last night when we actually hosted a concert in our living room attended by a handful of our mates.
And I don’t mean a couple of amateur musicians playing their bad cover versions of Oasis hits. Rob Moir is a bona fide professional musician, whose first band, Dead Letter Dept, were pretty famous in his native Canada. As a solo artist, he’s been signed to an indie label and has released an EP, supported some of the biggest names on the Toronto rock scene and now organised his own European tour.
By using the power of the Internet he has found venues - pubs, libraries or even people’s living rooms - to play in England, Scotland, the Netherlands, France etc. By finding people to host his gigs he usually also finds a bed for the night, so the whole venture is a cheap way for an up and coming artist to reach a whole new audience. The best thing was that he was genuinely outstanding; there’s nothing worse than being in a small crowd at a bad gig, especially if you know the performer! But everyone seemed to love the show and Rob said he’d sold more CDs at our little soiree than so far on his tour. Just shows what amazing taste my friends have!
Music is supposed to awake the soul, speak to the mind and to the heart. Most times music is listened to for fun. It is necessary that a good DJ knows the sort of songs that make a party come alive. People go to clubs to have fun and let go of all their worries. Hence, music at clubs should be fun and lively. It should make people want to dance, lose themselves and forget their worries. Furthermore, a good More
There is no doubt that the Nintendo DS is a great piece of kit for keeping you entertained on the go as well as being a fun educational tool for both old and young alike. Nintendo have really kept themselves ahead of the game with their innovative concepts when it comes to gaming platforms. Being a DJ the DS also has other benefits with a number of applications and software geared specifically towards DJs that make you DS turn into More
Someone recently asked me where the best place to find the latest news and equipment reviews for professional DJs. If you don’t know already then you should head over to the online DJ magazine. They covered a story I was really interested in just recently. Danny Tenagalia has just turned 50 years old but is still going strong as a DJ. I can only hope I have his kind of staying power in the future.
Tenagalia is due to play Ibiza this weekend and is being supported by Nicole Moudaber an island resident who knows what clubbers want in the summer. If you’re interested in eclectic mixes then Tenagalia is definitely the man for you. Throughout his career he’s changed and adapted with the times whilst still maintaining his own identity. I always know when I’m hearing a Tenagalia mix because of the way he melds tunes in and out of each other more smoothly then any other DJ I’ve had the fortune to listen to. When I first started gigging I applied a lot of the things that I learnt listening to Tanagalia.
Ibiza is one the best summer clubbing scenes you can go to in Europe. Contrary to popular opinion the season actually starts around the end of April beginning of May, but doesn’t really hot up until late July and early August. That’s when the crowds from all around the world start to gather and clubbers old and young really get into the groove. One thing that I would recommend a DJ takes with them when planning on going to Ibiza this summer is a good camera phone with good broadband access.
Uploading videos to YouTube and networking with people on Facebook, Twitter and via a blog are now the best ways to ensure a DJ is heard above the crowd. To do this effectively you need to have a good mobile phone (preferably a Smartphone) and a good roaming sim. Without either when abroad, you will be unable to connect to the very people you want to promote yourself to. Your audience and venue managers are more likely to follow a DJ who has built up a strong online profile. The modern DJ knows that to keep in touch with the modern audience he or she needs to be clued up on social media.
Stalwarts like Danny Tenagalia and Jo Whiley know that their careers now rest with the ability to promote themselves effectively online. If Tenagalia can adapt and change with the times, then so can we all.
Whilst mixing some music this week I’ve had Wimbledon on in the background. In between trying to get a new mash up going I’ve been hearing lots of grunts and screams coming from the grass courts in SW19. It got me thinking. Then later on as I was surfing the net I came across an article in the Daily Mail which gave me an idea. I’ve decided to incorporate the screams and grunts from players into a new sound mix More
Finally, the event of the year is here! Global Gathering, my favorite festival of the entire summer festival season, kicks off in just a few hours, and I am unbearably excited. In fact, I was told by several colleagues at work that I was being unbearably excited several times in the office today. I can’t help it; I feel like I’ve been waiting for Global Gathering for as long as I’ve been looking for a software that actually works!
Finding new music to keep my act fresh and new can be a bit of a challenge at times. One thing that many people don’t realize is that finding music and mixes that keep the crowd interested can be as difficult as finding cheap red diesel Wakefield. When I have a night off I find myself checking out other clubs to see what types of music and mixes they are offering, as well as how the crowd reacts so More
Executives from Rowan Dartington and others financial service providers often praise me for my smart career choice. The fact that I am surrounded by music throughout the day makes them feel as if I have a cool job. Of course, crunching numbers throughout the day cannot be a very exciting task and that is probably why they feel my work is very cool. However, this does not mean that being a DJ is easy.
Just as accountants have a nose More
Music is something that is close to my heart ever since I was a young child. The passion and curiosity of learning about different forms of music exposed me to such a wide range of music, which I am never imagined even in dreams. Starting from rap to pop, classical, jazz, country, metal, opera, J-rock, the choice is endless.
As we grow up we often limit our choices while listening to music. We tend to classify some forms of music More
