Yesterday I was shopping at one of the local malls. There was some promo event going on and I stopped by to check the mixing skills of a DJ that was playing.

The track was coming to a close so it was a good time to blend into the next tune. I watched closely.

DJ did not touch the faders, let alone EQ pots, but the next tune was indeed coming on!

Ah, I thought, the marketing team was short on money and just picked a random guy to fool around in the booth. You know, like in the Party Monster movie:

If you are going to be a superstar DJ, there are three simple rules you need to remember. Number оne: you can always rely on the Studio 54 compilation set. They're premixed, they last for hours.

I was shocked to hear from my friends that the guy was indeed one of the city's top DJs.

I've made an angry post at the local forums, but the guys were like «hey, it happens, they all do it sometimes».

I just know I do not and I will never do it in the future.

A DJ that fakes it should be shot on sight and never play at a club again.

That is disgraceful! I didn't know that kind of thing went on.

Wow, pretty lame.

that is pretty crap.

What do you think about playing a premixed set, not as in a compilation tape but playing say 30 minutes/1 hour of songs in an order that you know that works?

chemical_si, it depends on the format. If you're into quick 30-second mashups you can't play unprepared. If you spin, say, psytrance, that's a different story — you can play this stuff for hours if you label 'em up.

that's all very well but if the crowd don't react to what you've prepared you're in trouble. it's a two way thing djing...you're taking people somewhere but also reading their reaction and getting feedback...

all dj's have little runs. records you remember go well together or take you from one place to another...

the best preparation is to know your records well. then you can then move about. intense bits and then hold back about and build it up again. etc etc

I usually think about the first record I'm going to play and then key records for changing from one feel to another/taking it up a notch...

the only time I really plan anything is if I'm recording a mix.

I won"t pretend to know anything about the craft involved with djing, but I will say as an outsider that nobody likes a trainwreck or sloppy mixing.

Maybe the DJ playing at the mall was having an off-day and not was not up to par with the usual showmanship. I mean, even Tom and Ed have their off days I am sure. I am not excusing the guy or his poor djing but there is always the possibility that maybe he was having a bad day being stuck playing at a mall, maybe he was having personal problems, or maybe the equipment he was working with was giving him trouble - I guess there could be a lot of factors as to why the performance was shoddy.

Do not let it get you down sunchild. You have great talent for putting together sets!

Great topic Sun! kind of sounds like one of those cheesy L.A. DJ's you find in the Yellow Pages!

When you go to a club and see a DJ, what matters most? . . Do you have to know what kind of equipment he or she is using, or is it the kind of music that he or she is playing?

Personally, I just enjoy regular mixing or beatmatching record to record but mix CD's are pussymoves for those types of DJ's!

Of course it's the music that matters, but playing a premix is like flapping lips to a prerecorded song.

It works for the crowd, but you're being dishonest to yourself.

Couldnt have said it better myself sunchild.

If I ever need a DJ for a party, I'll go for someone I know mixes live himself.