RFD: Super Long DJ Sets

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In another thread about The Fear DJs get before they go on someone mentioned that they would be spinning records for eight hours straight. I've heard of these extended sets for a long time but all of a sudden it hit me: How does one plan for this kind of DJ marathon? Do you think, "For the first hour or two I'll just play some chill stuff & then I'll do an hour-long build and then..."? In my very limited experience playing records for other people I tend to think in 2 or 3 song increments. Having to play for 8 or 10 hours sounds like torture.

So, have you ever been present for a set of this length? Have you ever DJed for many hours on end? What's it like?

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 14:17 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm interested by this too...

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 14:28 (twenty-one years ago)

side-long Steve Reich numbers are urgent and key.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 14:30 (twenty-one years ago)

danny tenaglia to thread..

although about two years ago DT got on the mic and sadly announced to the crowd that because of creaky old age he would now only be able to play until 10am each friday

i think basically the key to super-long DJ sets is in the lighting; make the strobes go bananas and then lay off them for an hour at least

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 14:52 (twenty-one years ago)

masters at work 9 hour set at the misery last night. probably still playing
guess they can split that over the two of them though

― ambrose (ambrose), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

damn i bet that was alright!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 15:05 (twenty-one years ago)

to me though, seeing "exclusive 100 hour dj set!" isnt an endorsement. that makes me go to sleep. if it was like, "30 minute" dj set it would be a) more honest, b) better anway

― ambrose (ambrose), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember seeing Laurent Garnier do a 10 hour + set (at Club UK in Wandsworth many years ago) and his approach appeared to involve (a) bringing many boxes of records and (b) getting massively fucked up and playing whatever he felt like hearing from moment-to-moment with his shirt off. It worked well, probably because much of the crowd was in the same state of mind and seemed happy with listening to whatever he wanted to hear.

― Graeme (Graeme), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 15:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Now that I think of it, a regular gig that I had a few years back often used to go over the 5 or 6 hour mark. I don't think I ever planned anything, beyond borrowing an extra crate of records from a friend and making sure I had an extra set of needles. Making sure you have at least one record you can leave play for ten minutes in order to get a bathroom break is also important.

― Graeme (Graeme), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

In another thread about The Fear DJs get before they go on someone mentioned that they would be spinning records for eight hours straight

ah yes that was me.

you can't plan for a set of that length. it was a downstairs bar area of a club though, so i wasn't really under pressure to keep a dancefloor going - which made it easier.

― don (don), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm guessing you would need to bring about 100 records for a 7 or 8 hour set -- does that seem about right?

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 16:01 (twenty-one years ago)

You could stretch 100 or so records over the time...but it'd mean playing almost everything you have with you so no room for duds. I'd want to have more in the neighborhood of 200+ for that length of time (two large milk crates or three flight cases)

― Graeme (Graeme), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 16:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Garnier did 10 hours recently, wasn't Rob at it? I forget.

I'd like to see someone like him do it, cos I think I like his general outlook the most.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 17:43 (twenty-one years ago)

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