Being a resident DJ is much more than just being able to beatmatch and select great tunes. There's an art to being the guy who both rocks a crowd properly while still leaving them wanting more, especially when a "name" is booked for a particular night. Great resident DJs keep people coming to the club, but don't let their confidence get ahead of who the people might be coming to see. And great resident DJs turn into world-traveling DJs. Just ask Jed Harper. This Canadian prospect has held down a number of residencies, ranging from gigs at Uniun, The Guvernment, and CiRCA to being the resident DJ for the Toronto Blue Jays. He's parlayed his talents on the decks to spinning at both the Ultra Music Festival and the BPM Festival, and he's shared stages with Kanye West, Tiesto, and David Guetta, while playing private affairs for everyone from Diddy to Justin Timberlake. So when Jed hit us up wanting to break down the do's and don'ts of being a weekly resident DJ, we had to oblige. If you're in a similar situation, and want to a) keep your gig for a while and b) potentially move on to bigger opportunities, take heed.
DO: learn your craft
DO: play for the crowd
DO: be a team player
DO: build a reputation
DO: be more than just a great DJ
DON'T: blow your load
DON'T: be the annoying DJ
DON'T: expect the world
DON'T: sh*t where you sleep
DON'T: just be a promoter
