aka IT’S ABOUT THEM, NOT YOU.

These are some basic suggestions for how to work a crowd. There are no absolute rules, but these have worked well for me over the years. Most will seem obvious, but every time you’ve heard a lousy DJ, chances are he wasn’t paying attention to fundamental shit like this.

PLAY FOR THE WOMEN

As a rule, always play for the WOMEN in the crowd. If women are happy and dancing, men are happy and dancing. If women enjoy themselves, they will come back next week. And where there are women, there are men, which results in you having a packed club.

If you’re playing to a house music crowd, I would augment this rule to be: always play for the WOMEN and the GAY MEN in the room (props to Lil’ Ray for this). Women and gay men are not inhibited losers like most men, and they will fill a dance floor and have a good fucking time, which makes the party infinitely better. You scratch their back, they scratch yours. Everybody’s happy.

REMEMBER WHY YOU’RE THERE

In general, people come to nightclubs to get drunk, get laid, and get their dance on. Usually in that order. Remember that you are there to make them have a good time. It’s about them, not you. Obvious, right? Put your own ego aside and make sure everyone else has the best fucking time you are capable of giving them.

PLAY FOR THEM, NOT YOU

Just because a song is overplayed to you, does not mean that is the case for your crowd. You may work in a club 5 nights a week, hearing the same song over and over again. And on your nights off, you’re in another club listening to your boy play the same shit you do. However, keep in mind that the chick who paid $30 at the door may only go out once a month. Her iPod might be broken and her car stereo got stolen. She may NEVER hear that song that you are so sick of. She may be dying to hear it, and it will make her night, and she will be so happy that she heard her favorite song that she’ll make out with her cab driver on the way home. Think about it. Again, it’s about them, not you.

ROTATE YOUR MUSIC

If you have a weekly gig, NEVER play the exact same records two weeks in a row. You’ve got way too many great records to keep playing the same shit week after week. Your crowd deserves a little basic effort on your part. Again, it’s about them, not you.

MAKE IT SEXY

Always end your night with a song that couples can groove to. Doesn’t have to be a slow jam, just something sexy. This simple gesture on your part can make the difference between people getting laid and people going home lonely and sad. Brothers are spitting game all night. Casting a wide net. The last song is their last chance to bring it all home. Don’t cock block them by playing “Turn Down For What” at 3:57am. The girls will break out, and the dudes will look at you like “gee thanks, you just deaded my whole pimp game”. Not cool. Again, it’s about them, not you.