One thing that even some of the most well-known DJs may never experience is playing for eight hours straight. But Patrice Baumel is no stranger to the extended set format. Ahead of his March 8th all-night gig at club Shelter in Amsterdam, the German born producer let his fans in on a few tips for his long hauls in the DJ booth.
Some of the tips are pretty obvious. Get lots of sleep beforehand. Drink water, not booze. But there are others that would be great habits to pick up for any set. Baumel goes into the night “without a set plan but flow[s] with what the dancefloor needs”. Any good disc jockey knows that reading the audience is a key part of playing an excellent set, so having a prepared set list is a big no no. Another often overlooked aspect of being in the booth is the volume of the monitors. Patrice touches on this, paying “extra attention to the low monitor and headphone levels” as well as choosing “potential b2b partners carefully”. If you ruin your ears you won’t be much of a DJ for long. And for those long, extended sets, some “bananas, a shot of espresso or a Club Mate” will give you that extra bit of energy to keep the vibe going.
If you’re in the club behind the decks, some of these tips may already be in your playbook. And even if you don’t DJ, you can always apply them to your own work! What kind of tricks do you use to keep yourself level headed during a long work day or when you’re focused on a particular project? Leave us a comment and let us know what strategies you employ on a regular basis.