Stage Fright | DJ Tips Ep 03

Happy weekend everyone! I hope that you're doing well and have had a great week. In the 3rd instalment of my series of DJ Tips, I'm going to share my thoughts around Stage nerves.

Luckily I’ve never really experienced this but I know performers who have and it’s definitely not fun… for them. I’ve had to calm DJs nerves before they go on to perform many times and so here are my tips for dealing with stage fright that I've learned from those experiences.

Firstly- and I think the tip that makes the biggest difference- is to be prepared. If you take the time ot think about the venue or event, your music, your mixes… you’ll feel so much more ready and confident about what you’ve got to do. If you show up feeling underprepared then that will make you feel so much more anxious.

Visualisation is a technique that many professional athletes and performers use. From walking confidently to the decks to performing great mixes, you can visualise different parts of the experience GOING WELL and this will help you to calm your nerves. The key is to imagine things going well and not going wrong though as that obviously won’t help!

Set yourself up for success. Don’t have a big party the night before and show up for your gig feeling hungover. Alcohol is a depressant so that will amplify your negative feelings. Obviously there’s the cliche of 'dutch courage' (alcohol giving your confidence) but if you’re the type of person you likes to feel in control then I would recommend not drinking until after your gig when you can have a celebration drink!

Plan your outfit and personal grooming. You will feel so much more confident if you put your best foot forward for a gig. If you aren’t feeling your best physically then it will affect you mentally. It’s not vain or superficial, it’s just the truth of it. Whether it’s your favourite black t-shirt or full glam (if that's appropriate for the venue)… make yourself feel good.

Focus on the times where everything went right. Don’t feel like you have to keep your nerves a secret- tell someone so that they can help to cheer you up and keep up morale. If you can't have someone you know with you then tell a friend who can text you in the lead up to your call time, or tell the person from the venue who is responsible for you. Like I said, I’ve supported hugely successful DJs who do world tours who get nerves before they perform and I didn’t judge them at all for it.

For some people, they build confidence over time and stop feeling so nervous before every performance. Anxieties and fears and usually irrational so try to focus more on reason & logic than getting swept up in your emotions.

The nerves will melt away once you're in the flow and having a great time! You'll wonder why you were even nervous in the first place.

I'll have another Vlog for you guys on Tuesday and DJ Tips Video on Saturday so be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel if you haven't done so already! For everyone that has, thanks so much and your support means so much :)

I'd love to know in the comments, or send me a DM on insta, if you get any useful tips from these videos!