Interview With Micmac

[Paul Smith 0]

For those that are following the exploits of MicMac as he charts his DJ career can get a little more in-depth info right here (he's even counted his tracks for us :hphone: )

 

1. What is your DJU Forum Alias?

MicMac

 

2. What is your Real Name, Age, Location & Marital Status?

Paul, 37, Married with 2 girls (4 and 6 months)

 

3. What is the Name of your Disco?

MicMac Disco & Karaoke

 

4. How long have you been a DJ?

About three months

 

5. What inspired you to become a DJ

Did it when I was in early 20's for a bloke, who never paid me. Loved it, and saw it as an opportunity to do something I really enjoy whilst making a decent living out of it

 

6. Are you a member of a DJ Association / Union?

Just about to Join MU

 

7. What is your favourite type of function now? (eg: Wedding, 18th Birthday party, etc)

So far it has been the 6 year olds birthday. I just used my immaturity to prat about and they loved it.

 

8. What’s the worst/most embarrassing thing you've done in front of an audience?

(Yesterday, christening)...Rig seemed to have relentless gremlins. (Please refer to ongoing thread charting my DJ career for full details

 

9. If you could go back to the beginning of your DJ career is there anything that you'd do differently? (eg: The gear that you bought, the way you promoted/advertised yourself)

I would have resourced available set ups before I plunged my money into the kit I have.

 

10. What do you feel you offer the public that convinces them to book you rather than "the next guy/girl"?

Cheekiness.

 

11. Have you ever bought something for your show that you wish you hadn't? and why?

I bought a mixer of ebay...£14.99 'Revolutionary plastic mixer', but when it came it was a real cheap piece of rubbish that looked like a toy. Also the power supply needed a european adapter, that I bought, but power to mixer was intermittent (more off than on).

 

12. What's your next DJ purchase likely to be?

Amp, Mixer, speakers, lights, flightcases, Upto date music, Light stand etc...lol (Again please refer to ongoing post of mine)

 

13. If you could get someone to invent a new piece of disco equipment for your show, what would it be?

Flat lightweight speakers, plus (like many others) wireless!!!

 

14. What was the worst equipment failure suffered during a gig?

Again yesterday, when on 2 occasions something was up, and the amp seemed to fail.

 

15. What do you think is the best thing about DJ'ing?

Being annoynimously famous for a few hours. Like many others when the vibe is there and everyone seems to be enjoying it, I love it

 

16. What do you think is the worst thing about DJ'ing?

Nerves. More about my equipment than my talent

 

17. What would make you stop DJ'ing (if anything)?

Running out of money before I was able to get some decent kit

 

18. How do you think DJ'ing will change, in the next 5 years?

Much more micro-DJing. I am sure someone somewhere is trying to invent a less wired set up

 

19. Most stupid thing anyone's ever said to you at a gig?

"Can you set up there", in a 2" x 3" space.

 

20. Best advice you were ever given by a fellow DJ?

Don't get too deep into planning. Just get up there & be confident.

 

21. And worst advice you were ever given?

I think (sorry) but it was on here, re the wedding when I was given advice on not to do the gig 2 days before it when I'd already taken the booking.

 

22. How do you keep up to date with music? (eg Promo monthly CDs, Downloads, Purchase from retailer)

As soon as I have sorted my kit out this is my next mission. Currently ALL my CD's have come from Car boot sales.

 

23. Name 3 songs that 95% of the time will fill the dance floor for you!

Cha Cha Slide, Grease Megamix, YMCA

 

24. One piece of advice you'd give to someone just starting out.

Be sure of your kit. irrelevant tracks can be changed very easily, but bad feedback or loose connections do not go down well.

 

25. What medium format do you mainly use eg vinyl, CD, hard-drive?

CD's. Although I have downloaded loads onto laptop I can't seem to get laptop to connect to amp without there being massive electrical interference

 

26. Have you embraced/adapted any ideas that you've read about on DJU?

Absolutely loads

 

27. What is your best gig ever and your worst?

Best was the kids birthday, worse was yesterdays (Christening). All the gremlins had me paranoid throughout the gig

 

28. What is your main (most successful) form of advertising your disco?

All word of mouth

 

29. Have you ever had someone try to claim off you? (eg: Public Liability Insurance or other such legal action)

No.

 

30. Add any additional comments which you would like to include here...

I found a really good 'tactic' is to have laptop with all tracks I have listed. I am able to search whether I have a request, but if not I can just let them go through list, and inevitably they will find something that will suit.

 

31. How many gigs do you do a year, how many would you like to do?

I have been going since september and have done 7 gigs to date and am booked for another 2. I would like....resident DJ in a pub 3 nights mon -thurs, and two bookings at weekends.

 

I am in a good position in that if I can achieve this I can continue my 'day job' (I do not start until 11am, and am able to finish at 4, however currently I am working from 11am - 11pm Mon - Wed, so I would love to replace this with DJing.

 

32. What is your average charge for a booking?

£25.00 per hour

 

33. How many tracks do you have in your music collection?

4362

 

...The quest continues :hphone:

 

[andyw 0]

great interview

[High Fidelity 0]

:Thumbup:

 

Hope your gremlins get sorted soon.

Edited November 6, 2006 by High Fidelity

[Andy Westcott 0]

Excellent interview. :good:

Are you quite sure about the number of tracks you have? Can you count them again??

 

And may the quest continue to continue.......

[jamminroadshow 0]

Good Read

[Corabar Steve 0]

25. What medium format do you mainly use eg vinyl, CD, hard-drive?

CD's. Although I have downloaded loads onto laptop I can't seem to get laptop to connect to amp without there being massive electrical interference

Try investing in a ground loop isolator

[MicMac 0]

Hi all :djuhi:

 

Just to inform you all that after weeks of painstaikingly listing every track on an exel database I am pretty confident of my numbers... :pizza:

 

The Quest Continues.... :hphone:

[digitaldistortion 0]

Goes nicely with the 'Soap'!

 

Point 20. ......

 

I sincerely hope the space offered to you was 2' x 3', rather than 2" x 3". Or were you just being INCREDIBLY sarcastic!!!!!

[Corabar Steve 0]

Goes nicely with the 'Soap'!

 

Point 20. ......

 

I sincerely hope the space offered to you was 2' x 3', rather than 2" x 3". Or were you just being INCREDIBLY sarcastic!!!!!

Visions of Spinal Tap

 

 

 

 

 

 

All together now..........

 

 

Stonehenge, where the demons dwell

Where the banshees live

and they do live well

Stonehenge

Where a man is a man

and the children dance to the pipes of pan

Stonehenge

Tis a magic place where the moon doth rise

With a dragon's face

Stonehenge

Where the virgins lie

And the prayer of devils fill the midnight sky

And you my love, won't you take my hand

We'll go back in time to that mystic land

Where the dew drops cry and the cats meow

I will take you there

I will show you how

[MicMac 0]

 

It was 2' x 3'.....Still pretty small though (This is how close I would have had to be from the bar staff) :hug:

[andyw 0]

 

It was 2' x 3'.....Still pretty small though (This is how close I would have had to be from the bar staff) :hug:

 

 

id love to get that close to some of the bar staf i've seen recently :hide:

[Jimbo55 0]

Basic guide to Gremlin hunting.

 

1. One step at a time.

2. Check every single connection and assume ALL are possibly faulty. This includes Extention leads.

3. When all else fails you have three choices

 

a. Hit it with a BIG hammer

b. Throw it as far as you can

c. Sell it on Ebay

 

Nice interview

 

Jimbo