Booking # 122: Camouflage @ Sin Sin, NYC

I really like DJing at Camo. I usually get to play a long set, often of my choice and its always packed. This time was no exception. It was myself, Sol.id, Mousky and Logan D. I had to work the next morning, its rare that i play on a weekday, but i enjoy this party so much i took the gig. I played 10-12, which is always a real treat. I had no idea the place would be as packed as it was. Right as my first tune started people were flowing in. Ended up being packed by 11ish. Great vibes too, i was laying down real smooth chill DnB, disbursed by deeper darker stuff, the crowd was with me the whole time. Bunch of people asked me about a few of the tunes i played, and i even played about 4 of my own tunes, which went over well. The only thing thats frustrating about camo is the mixer is rotary, and there is no crossfader, which normally would not be a problem as i don't use a crossfader to mix, but without volume controls not in rotery form, it makes it really hard to cut and do the things i like to do while mixing. Still a fun night.

Booking # 121: Club Ash @ San Juan, Puerto Rico

This club was in the Hato Ray area of San Juan. It was listed in my tourist guide which was kinda exciting. This was the second night in a row that i played a party thrown by Dj Trixx. I planned to go from the club to the airport as i had a 7:00am flight back to New York City. Driving from the center of Old San Juan to the club was real easy and took me about 5 minutes. I noticed a few cops around the block which normally would not bother me, but i was informed the night before that clubs could not serve liquor past 12:00 that Saturday night and had to close, due to a curfew... The reason was that the primary for the democratic nominee was the next day. The club actually ended up closing the front door and letting people in thru the back side door. This club was amazing, another converted one level house, this one still looking like a house from the outside and inside. Really slick posh place with movies playing and a pool table, great sound system and a guy doing visuals, it had all the right elements. Unfortunately their was not that big a crowd as the primary had more people thinking that most places were closed or not service alcohol. The club was a good size, including a big bar, pool table room, a few mini chill out rooms, outside and of course a nice sized dance floor. Not enough people to fill the floor, but there were people enjoying it and i sure had fun with my 2+ hour set. I played a huge amount of Driven AM artists, including Random Movement, Mixmaster Doc, Raw q, and tunes by friends Insiders, Lynx and Arron Jay. I played just about every tune i brought, which means i really need to purchase a larger portable drive, (of course after that one was stolen from my bad at the airport, it turns out i was in the market for one anyway...). After the gig, my fiance and i went to the Condado area a few miles away and ate our last Puerto Rican meal for this trip. Made it to the airport at 5:00, and a few hours latter i was sleeping very deeply on the plane. Great trip!

Booking # 120: Showtime Cafe @ San Juan, Puerto Rico

It is always a pleasure to DJ while on vacation. Puerto Rico in particular, is a special place for me for a few reasons, i'm friends with most of the best Dj's on the island. Dj Trixx in particular is a good friend of mine, and a fantastic DJ. Earlier in the week i proposed to my girlfriend of nearly 8 years and so this whole week in puerto rico was a marrige celebration. A wonderful trip. I played 2 gigs, this was the first of the week but not the first time i dj's this club. 2 years ago, i played the Showtime Cafe for a house party, lots of people, really elegant club, looked like a former house right off the highway in old san juan. No tourist here, this is a late night Puerto Rican place, they dont get going till 4 or 5 in the morning, which is a big depatrure from NYC, which while it is the city that never sleeps, most clubs have to close by 4 or 5 at the latest. This time i played here was not quite as good as the last time thu still lots of fun. I brought a gig of tunes on a little USB drive and played on Trixx's Serato which was wonderful as thats all i use at home so i was very confortable on it. I used Pioneer CD'j 1000's with Serato for the first time, its just as seemles as Serato on vinyl, i'm a huge fan of Serato and this was the best equiptment to play it on. After I finished Djing, Trixx went on for about 45 minutes he noticed there was alot more people in the place, so trixx and i tagged for about 20 minutes and then i played another mini set for about 30 minutes. Long night, but so much fun! Great vibes in Puerto Rico as always, i cant wait to go back!

Booking # 119: Let It Roll @ Sullivan Room, NYC w/ Makoto

This was an OK night. I like Makoto very much, but unfortunately i had to work the next day, so i did not stay for his set. I played from 11 - 12 and cut out right after my set. I always really enjoy playing Sullivan Room. I think i played a good set, not my best, but solid. Crowd enjoyed it, but there were not as many people as there should have been. That place needs to be packed to really feel right because its so big, and sometimes its hard to get people to dance when the dance floor seems so sparse. This is the last party i will be playing for the "Let It Roll" crew, and concludes my residency with them. I wish the party all the best in the future.

Booking # 118: Local Love @ Liquid Mega Club, Astoria, Queens

This gig had such potential to be great, but was one of the worst of my life... It was a rave, which i would not have played if i knew there would be so much hardcore played. It never works to have melodic funky DnB after hardcore, at least in my experience, its hard to get them to chill a bit. It was in Astoria at a huge club, which meant that for the first time in my life i actually walked to the gig. Took my about 15 minutes lugging a record back with a cdj (more on that in a bit) and it was almost worth it to not have to leave my area. I had to bring a CDJ, because i have not played vinyl in about a year, they did not have cdj's, so i brought some vinyl and figured i would play with 1 turntable and a one cdj.

When i walked in, the music was way to loud and totally obnoxious, hardcore i guess, i cant distinguish stuff like that, just 4x4 pounding beats, no melody or anything, it was empty, flat, loud and agrivating. I was going to play about 2-3, some guy playing techno was assigned the set before me, i figured that would work well. Unfortunately that DJ did not show up, something i did not know at first... I walked on stage to set up the CDJ and notice that they are using Numark turntables or something lame like that. Then i notice 2 beautiful Technic 1200s and ask why those are not set up, the promoter who never bothers to introduce himself to me says those are better. It was to late to set anything else up so did not bother to ask him to switch them out. He proceeds to look at me and ask "i though you were on at 2", to which i replied that i was simply setting up and not looking to get on yet. At this point, not knowing he was the promoter, it was only fair that i wait till my assigned set.

I noticed right away from the stage that it was a very big club and perhaps 25 people in it, with a club that size it looked practically empty. As for the monitor situation, as the promoter explains to me " i dont know, it was working fine when i got here". I looked over at it and it was crispy and practically smoking from all the abuse, someone (ahem: promoter) was redlining for hours and blew it out. I wait around for another 30 minutes only to hear hardcore that apparently the promoter wrote it the night before and included a sample of a vocal clip saying nice things like "cocaine biziness", real wonderful vibes he was setting for my upcoming set. He informed me that he did not have any drink tickets, could have gotten me a drink anyway. By the way at this point it still did not know he was the promoter and would not learn that until the end of the night.

I finally get to go on at about 2:00 with 1 shitty turntable and no monitor in a huge club. Naturally i had to DJ in my headphones as the music reflecting off the back speakers had a huge delay and make mixing out side of my headphones sounds like cans banging (as i learned watching the promoter DJ). Abut 20 minutes into my set, people were dancing, and the few people knew in the crowd seemed to be enjoying it, and just as i'm settling into the groove, one of the many security guards tells me to shut the music off, the nights over... Apparently they did not make enough at the bar, and it was not economical to stay open. Should not be a surprise really, parties that are aimed at 18 year olds have to draw very well and charge alot for clubs to be interested, because they dont drink. The promoter comes over and tells me that 2 dj's no showed and that he played for many hours tonight... It infuriated me to know that he did not let me play when i showed up at about 1:00, instead he asked why i was on stage, so that he could play his third hour of the night.

I knew i was dealing with person who knew nothing about promoting events, it was sad actually. In the end, its my fault for accepting such a booking, i should have seen the signs: depending on myspace and a rave message board for all the promotion as if those actually help much, so much hardcore, the promoter was a dj, his emails were juvenile which i learned is appropriate since he just graduated high school not long before. Even thu i got to walk there, and play my home which was coo, and even thu the club was very very cool, it was a horrible night. Last rave i play for rookies.