My First DJ Gig On Vinyl In 22 Years – What I Learned

On Friday night, I DJed in a local venue using vinyl for the first time since 2003. I was nervous – not just because it had been a while since I’d played out, but because it had been decades since I’d used vinyl.

Back in the day, I was playing 12-inch house records in some of the biggest clubs in the world. This time was entirely different. and it was all part of a bigger plan. Here’s what happened, and what it taught me…plus a reveal of where it’s all leading to.

Check out the podcast

Due to community interest around this subject, we decided to film a special edition of The Digital DJ Tips Podcast. In this episode, I cover how to source 7-inch records, what it’s like building a custom set-up, issues faced, lessons learned, key gig takeaways, and more.

Back to the future

There’s a renewed interest in vinyl among new DJs. Many of the most dedicated students we teach at Digital DJ Tips start out on DJ phone apps for fun, graduate to laptops and controllers, then move on to club gear. Eventually, they feel the pull to try vinyl.

It’s the reverse of how many of us older DJs started! We began with basic belt-drive decks, then pro turntables, got excited by CDs, were blown away by laptop DJing, and were amazed again when phone apps came along that could do it all.

Read this next: 7 Reasons DJs Still Use Vinyl & Turntables Today

Yet today, vinyl-curious DJs are looking for a connection with the roots of the craft. There’s something tactile and honest about working with records – and it’s something that clearly still resonates.

Back to basics

For me, this gig wasn’t about re-creating my club days. I wanted to go even further back – to before I became a house DJ and promoter. I used to run a mobile disco in school, playing 7-inch singles on basic turntables. That’s where the idea came from: build a completely battery-powered, fully portable, 7-inch vinyl DJ set-up.

So I assembled the gear: compact, battery-operated turntables, a small mixer, wireless battery speakers, and a growing crate of 7-inches sourced from second-hand shops and a bulk buy from a local radio station. The plan was to project a camera feed of my gear onto screens at the venue (The Ivy, a waterside bar here in Gibraltar) to let the crowd see what I was doing.

Simple set-up. Big risk. Nothing had been road-tested. I was anxious.

Back to the classics

I needn’t have worried. The moment that first track dropped and I asked myself, “What’s next?” – I was off. It all came rushing back. I was grooving, smiling, connecting with the retro music I’d collected on 45s, and with the crowd, like I had never left.

People were fascinated by the set-up. I took questions, played requests, and even ended up playing a very rare 45, Babe Ruth’s “The Mexican”, twice by demand. It reminded me why I started in the first place – and it showed me how little has changed about what really matters.

 

 

It was more than just a nostalgic exercise. It was the beginning of a bigger plan. This summer, I’ll be taking this set-up to a major festival in my home country, Gibraltar. In between live bands playing retro classics, I’ll be spinning 45s – everything from the ’60s through to the ’80s – with the camera feed showing the action on the big screens. The name of the event? Back to the Classics. Fitting.

Lessons For Digital DJs

As a DJ school, we always look for takeaways. Here’s what this experience confirmed for me:

1. The music is everything – Curation beats technology. Know your tracks. Build a set that tells a story. That matters far more than beatmatching or effects
2. Timing is fundamental – Even without beatgrids or sync, you can deliver smooth transitions if you understand musical phrasing – beats and bars. Count. Listen. Anticipate. DJing is musical performance
3. Use your mixer properly – Not all records are created equal. Being able to ride gain and EQ to adjust for inconsistent audio is essential for vinyl DJs, who have no choice…but I think digital DJs worry too much about having all their tracks sonically similar. Just use the EQs and volume controls. That’s what they’re for!
4. Accept imperfections – Old records skip. Needles jump. That’s part of the charm with vinyl, but the same goes for digital features. The more risks you take, the more likely something will mess up. Style it out with a smile and carry on regardless. The crowd cares far less than you think – especially if you’re getting the big things right

DJ like a pro using ANY gear: The Complete DJ Course

Back to the drawing board?

There were a few flaws. I need to upgrade to a mixer with EQ, mine is just a bit too simple (I was using the EQ on the live mixer to balance vastly different-sounding 7″ singles, and I’m grateful it was there).

I turned up without spare needles – a rookie mistake, although thankfully I didn’t need them.

Read this next: The Ultimate Checklist Of Things To Take To Your DJ Gigs

And I needed more cables than I brought to cover a couple of eventualities getting plugged in to the venue’s PA (luckily they had some, but you shouldn’t take this for granted, ever).

Still, the main thing is that it worked. I rediscovered something I love, shared it with an audience, and proved the concept for a bigger stage. Next stop: the festival. And yes, I’ll report back…