I’m not sure about you, but the media hype and build up to this year’s World Cup was so minimal, that it barely registered on my radar. Then, almost as if overnight, England was playing its first group match against Tunisia, and I watched on in delight as players like Harry Kane, Kieran Trippier, Jesse Lingard and Harry Maguire stole the public’s collective heart and tantalised us with promises of our first World Cup victory since 1966.
But sadly, in that painful and rather anticlimactic way that is synonymous with English football, it all came crashing down. We had a bad day. Croatia were, on this occasion, the better side. But it isn’t all doom and gloom.
There are plenty of positives to take from this World Cup campaign. Just as football matches don’t always go the way you want them to, gigs don’t always go right, either. You know this as a mobile DJ, and I know this as a musician. (I remember one night when our guitarist’s amplifier literally exploded on stage in a plume of smoke. We weren’t prepared and we didn’t have a spare.) But what is the best way to deal with these situations?
How do we react when our backs are against the wall? And how can we apply the professionalism and fortitude shown by the Three Lions during their valiant World Cup effort to the world of mobile DJing? By Greg Cartwright With a degree in English Language, an interest in journalism, and a passion for music, Greg Cartwright spent two years as Pro Mobile’s Assistant Editor. In April 2016, he left behind his role to embark on a year-long trip through the Americas.
Back in the UK, Greg is now a professional copywriter but also continues to contribute articles to Pro Mobile on a regular basis. Football isn’t coming home, but there’s wisdom to be found in the weary legs of Harry Kane and his highflying team. Oh, and don’t forget the Golden Boot... What We Can All Learn From England’s World Cup Effort (Even Though They Didn’t Win) Here’s my eight-part training plan (press-ups optional): 1] Training Gareth Southgate took England’s training to a new level, including running position-specific exercises and ensuring a relaxed atmosphere by making training fun, rather than just a means to an end.
As DJs and performers, you should always be improving, always looking to elevate your game. In this magazine, we hear lots about CDP (continuing professional development) and its importance to all professions. If you aren’t constantly assessing your performance, your goals and your methods, then you can’t expect to improve. Training for DJs, just like footballers, is essential – just don’t forget to enjoy what you do!
2] Pre-match preparation While training is a key part of all pre-match preparation, this point is really about how Southgate and his team prepared for each specific game. Who is the opposition? What style of play do they prefer? How tall are their centre backs?
Will they let the game flow, or play dirty? You should be asking as many questions to your clients when you meet them. They aren’t the ‘opposition’ , but you still want to know as much about them as possible – what music do they like? Will there be any special guests attending, such as a relative from Australia or a super-proud grandmother?
Information like this helps you tailor your service to that specific client and react to unforeseen circumstances in a measured and appropriate manner. The result? A memorable day for all those involved. 3] On the day The big day arrives, the pre-match nerves have kicked in, and it’s almost time for kick off.
At this point, it’s important that you’re psychologically and physically prepared. For DJs, this means arriving in plenty of time, linking up with other professionals to iron out the finer details of the day, setting up your rig and ensuring your positioning, lighting and sound are all spot on. You also need to look the part: you might turn up in your ‘training kit’ for setup but by the time the afternoon or evening rolls around, you’re proud to don your home kit – for many, the suit and tie.
You’re ready to mingle, you’re ready to impress, you’re ready to MC and you’re ready to DJ. 23WHAT WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM ENGLAND’S WORLD CUP EFFORT WHAT WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM ENGLAND’S WORLD CUP EFFORT2424 4] Winning the crowd One thing that manager Gareth Southgate did a brilliant job of was restoring a sense of national public pride in the England team. Until this World Cup, they’d been dogged by failure and poor performance, a negativity that seemed to hit an all-time high when we crashed out of the European Cup by losing to Iceland in 2016.
Southgate told his young players to ‘write their own history’ and that’s exactly what they did, winning over the crowds both in Russia and back home. There’s lots to be learnt from this: Firstly, no matter what happened at your last gig, or what you think will happen at your next gig, the present is the only thing that matters – be in the moment, enjoy your work, and give your clients the party of a lifetime. Secondly, your job will be easier with the audience on your side – so get out there and mingle, find out what sort of music they like, and it may just ensure that the dancefloor stays full.
5] Teamwork If you’re going to score goals (or, in our case, please clients), you’ll need the support of a killer team. Harry Kane may have bagged the most goals in the tournament, but he couldn’t have done it without the exemplary chances created by Trippier, Lingard and Sterling. It’s the same with a successful gig – the ability to liaise with other professional service providers and work effectively with your roadie makes things run much more smoothly.
Prior to the event or early on in the day, ensure that all parties are clear on who is responsible for what, that way, when the gig gets underway, you reduce the chance of confusion or miscommunication. You may be the star of the show, but if you want that Golden Boot, you’ll need to utilise the skills of those around you. 6] Nursing injuries I’m not suggesting you’re likely to pull your hamstring or sprain an ankle whilst stood behind your booth, but it’s important to be prepared for ‘injuries’ of a different kind.
Just as Kieran Trippier suffered a painful bout of cramp during the closing minutes of the Croatia game, your laptop, mixer or speakers – no matter how highquality – could decide to pack in at any given moment ( just like my friend’s amp did). With this in mind, it helps to be prepared for such situations with an emergency kit of back-up gear. Some DJs, for instance, will have a backup hard-drive of music at the ready, or an iPod that they can easily play through the speakers should their mixer shut down.
Spare power cables, jack leads and batteries are also ‘musts’ for your gig bag. If injury should strike you down during the match’s most crucial moments, you’ll have the stretcher prepared and the substitution ready to go on! 7] Dealing with foul play As we found out when we played Colombia, the opposing team doesn’t always play fair. The pushing and shoving, the shirt grabbing and stamping… it all left England shaken, down-hearted, and unable to concentrate.
Foul play really can ruin your flow, as many of you can testify. The drunk guest, the rude venue manager, the unreasonable client – they all have the ability to leave you highly strung and in a negative mood, and that no doubt gets projected to your audience. The key here is to do as England did: don’t rise to the bait, just remain calm, stick to your game plan, stay polite, and do your job to the best of your ability. If you believe you’ve been wronged, do the professional thing and deal with the issues after the guests have left or, better still, the next day when everybody is likely to have calmed down.
8] T aking home the Golden Boot So, you can’t always win. Some games go smoothly, without a hitch, like that 6-1 win over Panama in the group stages. Others, like our eventual Croatian downfall, just don’t swing your way. It’s the same with gigs: each one is different, and each one has the potential to go swimmingly well or despairingly wrong.
But even if you lose, you can still win. If you’ve had a particularly bad gig, you can still clinch something of worth: the referral. Suddenly, all that professionalism – the forced smiles, the turning up early to mingle with your audience, the pre-gig planning – comes to fruition. Either the client or one of their guests has recommended you to somebody, and that somebody wants to book you for their next big event.
That’s the power of professionalism. You may not have played the best match, the referee’s decisions may not have swung your way, but your dignity is intact, your name has been noted, and you return home, head held high, with the Golden Boot tucked under your arm. "Just as Kieran Trippier suffered a painful bout of cramp during the closing minutes of the Croatia game, your laptop, mixer or speakers – no matter how high-quality – could decide to pack in at any given moment"
