The Secret DJ on the problem with being off your tits when you perform

Let’s look at solutions. In today’s polarised society things are now very much ‘either/or’, ‘good or bad’, and for some people the only way is prohibition. It is the hardest method, and I recommend a more nuanced approach myself. It is about reduction; scaling back. I call the process ‘achievable evils’. There may be nothing wrong with a loosener, but you must know when to stop. The real pitfall is getting in the zone and then unwittingly hammering yourself while you’re playing. And lord knows I’ve been there. You barely feel a thing while the endorphins are pumping in the booth, but getting off your nut impacts on your work. It hits you like a ton of bricks afterwards, too. The adrenaline holds off the effects, and you feel superhuman... for a wee while. If the ‘problem’ is that you just need a bit of a kick for your ship to shove off, it’s not the end of the world. That’s a small issue, relatively easily solved. It’s sailing off into the night with no compass and rudder that is definitely foolhardy.

The problem with being off your tits when you perform is that you think you’re stone-cold awesome, but if you’re not careful, few in the audience will agree. Thing is, 90 per cent of performing is pure confidence, so if you need a little Dutch courage, why not? But tell yourself very clearly: once your set starts it’s bottles of water until the end. You can’t have fun until after, when you’ve earned it. What I find is by the end of the set you are so high on your brain’s own supply of natural uppers you don’t really start looking for lifters; at least, not until the high starts to wane later on (but that’s another story).

You may find that, like me, once you get a handle on seeing a set through soberly, the need for artificial courage starts to taper off. You might find that asking yourself the question: ‘Am I really only a good DJ with a line or a drink inside me?’ piques your pride into stubbornly going without. Most of all, making sure you’re surrounded by good people who have your best interests at heart will help with everything you do in this business (personally, my own DJ support group rarely exceeds some local vermin and imaginary internet friends, but ‘Do as I say and not as I do’, etc)

Long-term, the problem is not so much what you start doing early on in the night, but having a damaged ‘off switch’ that fails to kick in when needed later on. I didn’t even know I had an off switch until recently. I urge you to find yours as quickly as you can.

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