How To: PREPARE FOR SUPPORT DJ SETS

Hey everyone!

Happy September. Hope you're all doing well.

Arguably one of the toughest slots to play, there has been a bit of chatter in recent times about the right and wrong ways to go about DJing support or "warm up" sets. While a lot of opinions are valid and make sense, I figured I would put my two cents in through this video as a follow up to our previous tutorial on how to put a DJ set together. 

This video is mainly discussing and offering view points from my experience as a DJ. From starting at house parties over 10 years ago, to playing countless club sets and eventually headlining my own nights. I was warming up the room, closing it and finally making my way into the main slot at my local club purely as a DJ before "Blanke" was even spoken to existence. The next step was bringing those skills I had learnt from those years, into my artist sets as Blanke. Finding the balance between playing my own music, and playing others. How intense I could and should play, and what music worked best depending on the set. And this was in a constant shift. As i grew more prolific, the music i played and the intensity in which i played changed. All while trying to keep my integrity as an artist and show everyone what i could do. 

I believe there is a subtly and an art form to the support set, which when done right, can be unbelievably effective and rewarding. Think back to a time when you saw a DJ absolutely crush a "warm up" set. When the energy was JUST right. When it complemented the room, the vibe, and the headlining artist. Where the balance between "showing 'em what they're made of" and not overstepping boundaries was teetered perfectly. 

In the end there are so many factors and rarely is there a "right way" to do it (or anything for that matter). But this should hopefully act as a guide from experience and stepping stone for you to move forward and make you own decisions as an artist. 

Let's discuss further in the comments if you have questions. 

Much love!