I have had a few comments about people being able to tell we are new to mobile dj. something bout the way we fade into next song and the selection of songs we are playing and when we play them. Is there a certain format I should be sticking too? The place I am dj at really likes our system and lights and we play good music and usually have what people request. We also talk bout the drink specials alot and do a good job on the mic. But I had 3 people who say they DJ or used to DJ and they say they could tell we were new by the way we x-fade and well it really bummed me out cause I thought we were doing a pretty good job but I am afraid we could loose the gig if one or all of them go to the boss about it sayin we suck and how they could do it better, blah blah blah... anyways the only music people really want to hear in there is good ol dance music and the occasional rock song. We dont have a BPM counter and I have tried to beatmatch and cant seem to get the hang of it and cant always perform a good slide into the next song. I read that a good beat match is when both songs are playing and you cant tell that the song has switched until you are already dancing to the next song. wow I wanna know how to pull that off! so in the words of the beatles HELP! I NEED SOMEBODY!!

First off just talk with your boss about the situation and explain to him you are on the issue that you've just discussed. Second is your music beatmatched already. If not, you may want to do that. You can use the various monthly music services to mark your music. Third practice certain sets at home to to go together that would work for the night. With that practice you will see how to get those beats on cue better......practice, practice. Try and stay calm when people make comments. The only person I personally worry about is my boss. If he says I suck then I worry..(luckily that has never happened)...don't worry about customers, do your thing and be confident take charge, you are in control of how the night goes.

you really should not listen to what people say about you when djing. I have people coming up to me all the time telling me they are also djs, you will more than likely find half the time that they just want to be a dj or know someone that is a dj. It is you gig so yo should do it the way you think it will work best for the patrons there that night

You might want to take one of the players off your crossfader and bring it up a little stronger manually, or bump up what your fading into (and even it out when completing). As suggested, play around with it. Good luck.

Yeah dude, don't sweat the "I'm a DJ too" people. If they really were DJ's, and they were decent people, they would support you, rather than cut you down.
I wouldn't worry about them talking to your boss, unless they know him/her personally. I would talk to your boss to get some feedback on how HE/SHE feels you are doing. Because that is the only opinion that counts, the guy that signs the check.
As far as beat matching - like tigersharc1 said, you may want to 'count out' your songs, and write the BPM next to the track name. That way you have a place to start. Because it's a lot easier to match a 125BPM song to a 128BPM song, than it is to match a 125 to a 100BPM song. Having the BPMs next to the track name just makes it easier, especially if you have to juggle several jobs during the night (DJ, MC, crowd control, etc).
And practice, practice, practice! Never give up, never surrender!

Phew!! nice to know its not just me that gets harrased by drunk know-it-alls! Thanks everyone next sat will be better knowing that - I guess everyone has a bad night once in awhile huh..
you all are the best... here's to a new year!

hey dude... u must be a newbie huh??... he he he(kidding)

i'll tell u what....if it bothers u too much or if u just want to step ur game up..... i'll be happy to give u a hand with beatmixing, scratching, ect if u'd like.... just set a date, place and time.... and i'll be there.... juss have some snacks (*cough* and a tip ) and we should be good to go

or...

i'll juss come around to bar and take care of them "know it all guys" for ya.... and again...juss have some snacks (*cough* and a tip ) and we should be good to go

lmaoo..

"DUN DUNNAH NAH!!"..." HAVE NO FEAR..SUPERFOB DJ IS HERE"

Hey Fobster - might take you up on that my wife is manager of a bar and grill that has badass food, she gets a Gold Card refilled each month so the *snacks or full blown dinner isnt out of the question... the *cough* tip well I suppose that would depend on how much help you were... *snickers* JK! Let me see what we can come up with, are you close to the Shawnee area? My buddy's house is where the gear is stored we could probably work out a time when we can get together and have the gear setup for when ya get there. What are Sundays, Mondays, or Tuesdays like for you? Those are our days off from our day jobs. Also let me know what kind of beer you like... heh.

my only shot will be on sunday from 3 or 4 till 6 or 7.... i dont think i can make it on monday or tuesday.... and as for the beer....well, i stay loyal to the king but.... u wouldnt want a drunk guy on ur decks...so...i just might pass(this will be a first )...lol...but yeah... talking about decks.... what kind are u guys usin??... shoot me a pm and we'll see whats up

Wow, This Is A Good Website. I always get this strange feeling that some DJ's would rather not help out, other people {DJ's} that are stating out in a business. That it is hard enough to start alone, {Personal & Physical}, That it would be a "More for me" attitude, in the view of the DJ. It is great to see that this is not true with you guy's, To know what it take to move higher because of the strength with in you.
Great Job! And to the newbie, "There is nothing in the labels that other people put on you, You are the one that makes the difference, you are the one that steps up to the podium & stands up for yourself night after night." "And your the one that made the choice to make money by doing something that you Like." "Where as most people are afraid to do that which stands alone, & can only mock that which scares them. Rock on Dude, Your Doing Fine, and your Boss hired you the next night after that remark...Right "!

SUPA NEWB as Billabong put it just ignore the idiots, they're just jealous of you because you are up there and they are not. Any respectible DJ will not harass another DJ on the job, the ones that do are just amateurs.
I would only be concerned if your boss starts saying the same thing. The fact of the matter is your boss is more concerned about how much alcohol he is selling. So long as the club is consistently full and people are drinking, I think your position is pretty safe. By all means try practise your mixing but I wouldn't be too concerned about it. Concentrate on playing music that will keep your dancefloor full, the chicks happy and bar busy, you'll be fine.

ROQ out.

ive had that said to me a few times in my time as a dj but i look at it this way if they dont like it then they can go home. i listen to what my boss is telling me more than anyone. ive got a few friends that are dj's too and they are helping me through the process of the fading. if your boss hasnt said anything to you then dont sweat it. all you tell him is you are trying your best and the problems will be worked out but it takes alot of practice to get the beats right on cue. the bars i think are one of the most hardest places to play at cause you always have a mixed crowd. for instance some like rock some like rap and so on but you just play what you think the crowd is digging the most. forget about what the crowd tells you just do your thing with the occasional request mixed in.

A while back I was into sports officiating. Specifically, I was a baseball umpire. One of the things that was told to us in the traing classes was "professional umpires don't critisize other umpires and all of us here are professional umpires". I think that goes for DJing as well. I don't like to critisize fellow DJs.

Now, that being said, if I am out and about and I see a fellow DJ having problems, I'll write him or her a note, attach a business card, and ask them to call me. This way they know it is coming from a fellow DJ and they can take me up on the offer to talk or not. If they do call me I can tell them what I noticed and we can have a conversation about it away from the venue and other folks. This happens rarely, though.

Also, as Bill said don't sweat the "I'm a DJ people". Because one important fact remains. You're working their not! If someone ever comes up to me and says they can do this better, or that I suck and they know, because they are a DJ. I always bring up the point that if they are so great, why aren't they doing the gig? You usually get a "uuhhhh" response. Mind you I am always open to constructive criticism, but if someone insists they are so much better, I will politely bring up the fact that I am working and they are not, so I must be doing something right.

I just checked out a DJ that beat me out of a gig doing every Saturday at a local bar. The owner when I talked to her said they were willing to pay $300 to $350 a night. That suited me fine. I then got a call saying she got a DJ for a lower price and that he really got the place hopping. Well when I went to check the place out there were 4 people at the bar. WOW!!!!! Really hopping eh!!! The DJ really blew the big one, I mean this guy stunk. He gives DJ's a bad name. He was constantly bringing in the next song at twice the volume, or half the volume of the previous song and was constantly changing the volume levels. Other times there were like 5 to 7 seconds inbetween songs. I know there were only a few people there, but you still have to do a good job. I went and talked to him for a bit and could tell from his conversation he had no clue what he was doing. His P.A. was kick a$$, but you have to know what to do with it. He also had no lighting, carried all his CD's in the original jewel cases, no pro sleeves, CD's everywhere. He just looked totally unprofessional. I'm gonna wait a few more weeks and go see how he is doing, and maybe present myself to the owner again to see if I can get my foot in the door. I can't imagine how much she is paying him, but whatever it is, it's too much for what he does, or does not do. I thought about trying to help him out, however I think this guy is beyond help. You have no idea how much I wanted to jump on his equipment and show him how it's done. I like the idea of writing a note on the back of your business card and giving it to the DJ offering help. Never thought of doing that before. So keep in mind, whenever you doubt yourself at how good a job your doing, there are always some guys out there that really suck. You have to be doing something right if the dance floor is hopping which I'm sure your doing. Sorry for rambling, but I havn't been on the board for a while and thought I would just add something.