In the mix.
So this is at least day eighty-five-thousand in isolation (probably more… what day is it?) and I’m sure I’ve done about a million or so live broadcast DJ sets for basically anyone who’d listen (aka around 25-30… thousand people per set. YES!)
At the beginning of this quarantine season it started out as a bit of fun, but it dawned on me eventually, I didn’t have much choice if I wanted to have any sort of presence in the big wide Megatronic DJ world I’ve spent the last decade creating.
“I knew I should’ve expanded my horizons at a younger age,” I’d hysterically mutter to myself while DJing to my massive online community, out loud as if I was expecting some profound response from someone – a heart emoji drifted up my iPhone screen instead. I’ve gotta be honest, the heart emoji, during a live feed, has become somewhat romantic for me… is that someone connecting with me from overseas? Is this love real? Am I bored? Stir crazy? Who cares – how do they look?
The concept isn’t much different to Tinder, let’s be honest – you open a DJ’s live feed, and if you like them, you stay online, and if you don’t, you ‘swipe right’ and go watch someone else instead. Then I found that having a glass of wine and dressing up a bit before each session was getting my audience more engaged – that’s like Dating 101! A couple minutes into those primed and wined broadcasts, and the screen fills with hundreds of heart emojis – from complete strangers.! Yes! New fans! Perhaps I’m a better DJ once I’m drunk, or my day-to-day appearance is just a bit rougher than I thought? Shut up.
I had another realization too – I may or may not have been getting complimented more on my backdrop than the tunes I was dropping…
hmm… not sure that quite served its purpose. The backdrop was clearly supposed to be a distraction for the days I wanted to wear a white T-shirt and make minimum effort – “Great set, but jheeze! The DJ could’ve put some nice clothes on at least!” Who would’ve known that a trip to Dragon Mart all those many moons ago to purchase some fake flowers would’ve seen them star alongside me, the backdrop to my ‘Apocalypse Now’ live DJ feeds?
Pondering all this in the mix, I started to wonder if my other DJ friends doing the Insta Live thing were having the same sort of thoughts. Hmm, how can I do this…? I know – I’ll send a few virtual postcards and ask.
Have you started to look at the room you DJ in, in your house, as an interior designer?
Do you ever get self-conscious while doing a live feed that you’re dancing too much?
Do you prepare your outfits for each live feed to complement the setlist? What’s the funniest comment you’ve received on a live feed?
These postcards most definitely provided me with some sort of comfort. I was starting to think my quarantine cell was slowly becoming a never- ending community service radio station, instead of a therapeutic process helping me to keep sane during these uncertain times. It’s safe to say I was a DJ at the beginning of quarantine and I’ll still be a DJ at the end of quarantine, BUT after quarantine I will also be a DJ that can make the best damn banana bread you ever had (DM me @megatronicuk for the recipe).
@JAMZSUPERNOVA
Q: Have you started to look at the room you DJ in, in your house, as an interior designer?
A: I’ve basically worked out that I have no interior eye. My lame attempt at jazzing up my flat for streams is a nicely placed painting done by my Grandma. My walls are pretty bare and I’m defo not showing you the wallpaper I installed myself when I was 19, which, 10 years later, hasn’t aged so well. I’m also considering giving the whole living room a makeover just to get it stream-ready! I almost bought a home DJ Booth with fluorescent lights, which would have been fitting for a wedding DJ, but I had to question my life and existence and left it in the shopping cart. There is also a part of me that wants to rebel against all of these pretty DJ streams by just showing you how a real South East London girl lives – simple tings and sick mixes! That said, with no interior eye, no plants, and limited space to move my decks, I’ve resorted to using my Puppy Ché as a prop – a glimpse of him in the shot and the comments start flowing in!!
Q: Do you ever get self-conscious while doing a live feed that you’re dancing too much?
A: I definitely used to feel super conscious – just look at my first ever Boiler Room, I was so STIFF! But when I DJ at home I literally pull all the David Guetta moves out. I haven’t quite let myself be that free on a live feed, but I’ve definitely relaxed and had a bubble. To be honest, the most self-conscious thing I’ve realized watching back streams is that, considering I’m not even that big- chested, my boobs really go for it when I’m DJing! I’ve seen a few comments about my bad boys stealing the show!
Q: Do you prepare your outfits for each live feed to complement the setlist?
A: Wow! I’m starting to realize I’m really not prepared at all! I just tend to wear what catches my eye that day in my wardrobe. I’m a low-key chilled kinda girl, so my outfits reflect that. For my DJ MAG set, I wanted to wear the garms I’d just bought in Johannesburg from an independent designer and show him some love. For my set with Portuguese label XXIII, I wanted to wear my FKA Twigs top from her latest album – I just love the T-shirt and it says a lot about me musically; plus people seemed to love it .
Q: What’s the funniest comment you’ve received on a live feed?
A: “It’s easy when you have a finished mixed tape and pretend you do something, just like Milli Vanilli.” At first, I was outraged – how dare he insinuate I was miming! Then I was flattered – damn I must’ve been mixing really flawlessly for him to think that! And then I just laughed – like really, who has the time to stand there for an hour pretending to mix?! My inner purist is disgusted there are people out there who’d do that! You should hang your DJ head in shame!
@NATASHADIGGS
Q: Have you started to look at the room you DJ in, in your house, as an interior designer?
A: Absolutely. As someone usually on the go and rarely at home, I’ve been using the motivation of going live to actually get my record room in order and create my dream space – it’s a work in progress, but I’m loving the process.
Q: Do you ever get self–conscious while doing a live feed that you’re dancing too much?
A: Never. What’s the point if you’re not feeling the music?!
Q: Do you prepare your outfits for each live feed to complement the setlist?
A: Sure, but I did that before Quarantine too.
Q: What’s the funniest comment you’ve received on a live feed?
A: “I wanna feed her grapes.”
@JAMESLOCKSMITH_
Q: Have you started to look at the room you DJ in, in your house, as an interior designer?
A: I live in a house with two other DJs; we’ve fully rearranged our living room/DJ space already once, and for the better. We’ve considered feng shui too. We’re all interior designers now.
Q: Do you ever get self– conscious while doing a live feed that you’re dancing too much?
A: Not really. Vibing on camera makes the viewers happy too. I’m busting out the same dance moves as if I was in the DJ booth at the club.
Q: Do you prepare your outfits for each live feed to complement the setlist?
A: This I’m having fun with. I’ve not worn the same clothes more than once, lol. I want to start jumping on the decks table so I can start showing my sneaker collection now, but usually I’m barefoot.
Q: What’s the funniest comment you’ve received on a live feed?
A: “Take your clothes off!”
END OF STORY
