Your DJ stories, "DJ assistants" and more

[free spirit]

Sounds like they'll get in the way. Besides, only a twat DJ has an assistant.

depends, if you're talking wedding DJ playing 6-10 hour sets and setting up and packing down on the night yourself, then I'd think an assistant would be fair enough.

 

[Thimble Queen]

yes, but they'll be strung up if the dancing throng turns into a murderous horde.

(((Assistant)))

 

[Ted Striker]

It's just a nice title given to the DJ's best mate, whom, on occasion, might just have their racking/rolling/ordering skillset extended to doing the odd tee'd up mix (a 'baby mix', I've heard it called) for when the DJ (actual) might fear that his 14 minute extended edit of Pete Hellers Big Love record might not be enough for this club with only one cubicle.

 

[friedaweed]

SHIRLEY THEY JUST OIL THE WHEELS OF STEEL

 

[editor]

depends, if you're talking wedding DJ playing 6-10 hour sets and setting up and packing down on the night yourself, then I'd think an assistant would be fair enough.

A 10 hour DJ set? What kind of weddings do you go to?

 

[clandestino]

A 10 hour DJ set? What kind of weddings do you go to?

Long ones?

 

[8ball]

Long ones?

Those Moonies have some serious sets.

 

[clandestino]

Back when my night in central London was ridiculously popular, I used to employ a mate of mine to help out on the night. He was generally the front of house person, dealing with the queues, but part of his job was to come and check if I needed a drink, and on one occasion he stepped in and DJ-ed when I had to go and deal with a situation that required an ambulance. I guess he could have been described as a DJ assistant, but really he was the fixer of the night, the Harvey Keitel who kept everything running smoothly. For a while there, I couldn't have survived without him.

 

[8ball]

Back when my night in central London was ridiculously popular, I used to employ a mate of mine to help out on the night. He was generally the front of house person, dealing with the queues, but part of his job was to come and check if I needed a drink, and on one occasion he stepped in and DJ-ed when I had to go and deal with a situation that required an ambulance. I guess he could have been described as a DJ assistant, but really he was the fixer of the night, the Harvey Keitel who kept everything running smoothly. For a while there, I couldn't have survived without him.

Reminds me of my days at Madame Jojo's when I employed "Little Steve 'Knifey' Riley'. I wouldn't have called him my "aDJ" at the time, but his skills as a coke-shuffler, card-sharp, Jeff-trafficker and all round scarf-caddy were second to none in the entire Northern hemisphere. I believe he went into merchant banking and nowadays won't get out of bed for less than the price of a Mumbai penthouse.

Good on ya, little Steve <raises glass>.

 

[clandestino]

Reminds me of my days at Madame Jojo's when I employed "Little Steve 'Knifey' Riley'. I wouldn't have called him my "aDJ" at the time, but his skills as a coke-shuffler, card-sharp, Jeff-trafficker and all round scarf-caddy were second to none in the entire Northern hemisphere. I believe he went into merchant banking and nowadays won't get out of bed for less than the price of a Mumbai penthouse.

Good on ya, little Steve <raises glass>.

My helper was called Big Steve. Here's to them both!

 

[clandestino]

Jeff-trafficker and all round scarf-caddy

I literally have no idea what these words mean.

 

[8ball]

My helper was called Big Steve. Here's to them both!

You mean Big Steve who used to cream the decks at Bar Italia? Best deck-creamer in the business - I heard tell he was little Steve's half-cousin but little Steve would've gutted you for saying so on account of his vendetta with the Egyptian twine-smuggling squad in Hoxton.

Mad Imhotep went to the grave claiming Steve was not of his loins despite the protestations of both Mad Mel and Katie H and that was it as far as the solicitors were concerned.

Died penniless wanking dogs for coins down Camden Lock, he did.

Crying shame - crying fucking shame.

 

[editor]

I guess he could have been described as a DJ assistant, but really he was the fixer of the night, the Harvey Keitel who kept everything running smoothly.

You could have. But really, he was just a mate who was helping out, no? I doubt if he went around looking for work as a 'DJ assistant' anywhere else.

 

[Orang Utan]

Roll joints / chop lines / get drinks and drive the car that's what mine did anyway

Dave angel had a fella what done did that

 

[8ball]

You could have. But really, he was just a mate who was helping out, no? I doubt if he went around looking for work as a 'DJ assistant' anywhere else.

Just because someone isn't sticking something on their CV doesn't mean that isn't their calling.

Maybe after a little while he'd have been DJ'ing himself, anyway. There's only two buttons starting with a 'p' - you just press one, and if the music is still is still paused you press the other one.

The rest is mostly arm-waving and assistant-DJ duties, which we have already covered at length.

 

[editor]

Just because someone isn't sticking something on their CV doesn't mean that isn't their calling.

I wish him all the best in finding employment in the mysterious role of DJ Assistant.

 

[DaveCinzano]

I bet beesonthewhatnow is reading this thread looking like a man in need of a Heimlich manoeuvre right now

 

[clandestino]

You could have. But really, he was just a mate who was helping out, no? I doubt if he went around looking for work as a 'DJ assistant' anywhere else.

And he was FOH really anyway. Checking on me every so often was the least of his worries.

He could have touted for work as that, though. He was good at it.

 

[clandestino]

Just because someone isn't sticking something on their CV doesn't mean that isn't their calling.

Maybe after a little while he'd have been DJ'ing himself, anyway. There's only two buttons starting with a 'p' - you just press one, and if the music is still is still paused you press the other one.

The rest is mostly arm-waving and assistant-DJ duties, which we have already covered at length.

Editor's right though. Steve was just a mate helping out. He had better things to be getting on with really. Gawd bless 'im for being there when I needed him.

 

[AverageJoe]

They are charged with carrying the USB stick.

 

[editor]

They are charged with carrying the USB stick.

In a velvet bag.

 

[DaveCinzano]

They are charged with carrying the USB stick.

Somebody has to polish the Big Red Button

 

[free spirit]

A 10 hour DJ set? What kind of weddings do you go to?

not me, but I have a mate who does a lot of weddings, and he can sometimes be playing from 5pm til 3am, though usually it's more like 6-8 hours, plus setting up and derigging.

he's hard though so doesn't have an assistant.

 

[Yelkcub]

It's just a nice title given to the DJ's best mate, whom, on occasion, might just have their racking/rolling/ordering skillset extended to doing the odd tee'd up mix (a 'baby mix', I've heard it called) for when the DJ (actual) might fear that his 14 minute extended edit of Pete Hellers Big Love record might not be enough for this club with only one cubicle.

Yep.

 

[Yelkcub]

DJ Assistant used to play under the name DJ B2B, no?

 

[DaveCinzano]

DJ Assistant used to play under the name DJ B2B, no?

I think you're thinking of DJ TBC

 

[bubblesmcgrath]

Maybe an assistant DJ takes over when the DJ had a break....
Over here at most weddings a live band plays til around midnight then the DJ takes over and some go on til 4 or 5 am. So an assistant sometimes takes over for a while.

 

[Blagsta]

Dave angel had a fella what done did that

 

[billy_bob]

Got this email from someone wanting a gig at my night:

What the fuck could a DJ assistant do? Rack out the drugs? Get the beers in? Press play when told to?>

 

[FabricLiveBaby!]

^^ Song pretty much sums up my position in the twitter hierarchy.