12 steps to becoming an (amateur) DJ
Normally as a DJ you would learn to mix before accepting a booking and hosting your own weekly show on the best underground radio station in the country. If you’re like Rinse FM’s Sian Anderson and need to learn how to mix quickly as you’ve accepted a booking and feel you can’t continue holding down your show on Rinse without those most basic of DJ skills; here are her 12 steps to becoming an (amateur) DJ!
DJ – The Music Curator
Sarah Young explores the journey of the DJ and reports from the BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Relay world record attempt.
Sniggers With Attitude
Is Jason Lewis here to save “urban” comedy on the BBC?
RADIO SHOW STUDIO MADNESS VOL 1
I love my job. Sometimes, things get a little madsickheadnahgud during the show. Maybe it’s the tea & party rings (provided by @boggis1). Maybe it’s the crazy vibes (provided by Producer Sarah @sarahembailey). Maybe it’s just cos we are madsickheadnahgud naturally but this happened when I played Big Boi’s Shutterbugg during the show this week:
NOTE TO ALL EMCEES
Come near me with a Sharpie to attempt to draw on my face?
Say no more.
SIAN RANTS: TWITTER WILL KILL YOU
Alarm bells are ringing in my head after the article in The Metro on the 23rd March entitled “Being ignored online is as bad as cyber bullying”.
Did you get that? Seriously, did you understand what that headline meant? It means that if you @ your favourite artist, or your mate, or a stranger even, on Twitter and they do not reply, they are cyber-bullying you. (even typing this has got me wetting myself with laughter). If you add an old mate on Facebook, or hit someone up on HI5 and they do not reply… they’re classed as bullies!
Being the fantastic journalist that I am (hold the applause) I’m fully aware that the headline was put there to make me think the above and then read it (now clap). So in true media puppet form, I had a nosy at the article and saw (excuse my patois) a whole leap ah suttin about statistics. Bore.
Confession; I don’t think it’s a bore. I studied psychology and I think it’s the most interesting thing in the world. Sidebar: Here’s a secret (don’t tell no one obviously) but when you’re told “50% of people thought *insert product here* was the best they ever used” it’s a big fat con! They’ve asked 10 people and made sure 5 people said what they wanted to hear. And as for the 10 people, it’s ANY 10 people! They don’t even have to be objective! They could have been 10 workers from the actual company. They could have been paid to say it… Anything! Yeah they asked 10 people, but they didn’t tell you WHAT 10 people… dur. So the statistical part turns to sleep.
Anyways – back on track. So I read the article and it seems “Those who suffered online ostracism felt their confidence and sense of belonging substantially threatened”. Recently there’s been a lot of apologies flying around social networking sites from artists regarding not being about to reply to each and every fan, which is obvious, why should they? They actually have lives (we hope). So I’m thinking, to save the state of minds of millions of kids out there, artists should all us delete their Social Networking Sites and become inaccessible again like what they used to be in the olden dates.
Make music mysterious and fun again. I remember how much I used to love actually listening to the radio to see what’s out next and watching Top Of The Pops to see the latest music. It was exciting. Now I know I can just go on Twitter and see everything and anything.
Make music exciting again. Delete social networking sites!!!
Toodles
Sian.
P.s Obviously this is a crap idea cause no one really rates the charts anymore, but I do think the artists themselves shouldn’t have social networking sites if they can’t reply to everyone. They should make like Cheryl Cole and just have a fan page!!!
MY BARBIE DIDN’T LOOK LIKE THAT…
Ermmm can someone please explain this Nikki Minaj hype to me please?
I’m trying not to give a damn about Lil Kim the 2nd but it’s pretty damn hard when that’s all I’m hearing about on Twitter/Facebook/The Radio and now on the We Are Young Money album I purchased in order to drool over Lil Wayne and Drakes voices! (When I say ‘purchased’ what I really mean was downloaded from MPE via Umusic PR – thanks Shane O Neil) – Anyway, it seems as though everyone’s got some “It’s Barbie Bitch” fever and apparently it’s due to this Minaj chick.
So I YouTube her (as you do) and the first lyric I heard from her tune “Biggest Freak”, is… is… I can’t even type it, it’s too disgusting. Along with a picture of her.. wearing… more-or-less nothing and erm *ahem* sucking on a lollipop. Now can I just put it out there – I used to love those lollipops when I went to the funfair with my mates aged 16. After seeing that picture I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to look at a lollipop again in the same way. *No connotations intended*.
[**UPDATE - The photo Sian uploaded to Photobucket above is the famous Nicki Minaj does Lil' Kim on the front cover of the hardcore album legs akimbo squat so you can see her hoo hah while licking a lollipop shot you can see here - the fact that it violates Photobucket's terms of use under "unsuitable content" speaks volumes]
This is the point where I ask myself. “Is this what we’re promoting in life?” I know this is hypocritical, considering my iTunes consists of various tunes entitled “Suck Your Mum”, “I Slapped Your Girl” and “Champs and Weed”, but at least it’s UK music and at least it’s not an absolute disgrace to females all over the world. I’ve got a little cousin, who is aged 15, if she ever, and I mean ever comes home wearing a pink leotard reciting lyrics from Minajs tune “Sticks In My Bum”, then I swear on my beautiful mac laptop’s life she will be calling the NSPCC after I get my hands on her.
In the wonderful words of Bashy during an unreleased interview I had with him last week “We should all just listen to Bob Marley”. Maybe then we’d find actual love, instead of Ann Summers coupons (I mean vouchers right? See what this chick is doing to me?) then we can all hold hands under the apple tree (No Adam & Eve) and sing pretty songs about shooting the sheriff instead.
Anyway – can a Minaj fan just clear up the whole “Minaj hype” for me please and maybe give me a reason (other than to drool at her polystyrene breasts) to watch her music videos and endorse her sound.
Thanks
P.s. Remember a recent MistaJam blogpost I did where I asked you all wether female emcee Lady Leshurr is the new Nikki Minaj? I take the question back… the answer is NO. Not unless she’s looking to get her tits out, and if she is.. uhr… llow it.
Toodles
Sian xxx
HOW TO GET LISTENERS & INFLUENCE PEOPLE
Last night a DJ saved my life… Okay not literally but one day I will save someone’s life. I know I’m Sian “Journalist/PR/everything-else-media-related” Anderson, but now you can add to your list Sian “Radio Host” Anderson…
Rinse.FM Sunday 11am-1pm is where you’ll find me now. Every week. Jealous? Thought so. We’re on our third show at the moment, when I say “we” I obviously mean my partner in all things non sexual, Julie Adenuga. We contacted Rinse about a year ago about getting a show but we didn’t really get anywhere. I mean we’d never really done radio before. A couple guest shows on LBC with Tre Azam and Nick Connrad and various other radio stations but we’d never actually hosted one. And DJing? Phahahaaa. As if we could DJ. So naturally we didn’t get a great response about having a show.
During the “Sian’s a rude blogger who says hilariously mean things about music on her blog” stage of my life, I was invited on BANG radio by the lovely and amazing Tahirah Edwards where myself and Loukia “HIYA”d up the place and talked all things rude boys, sex and the music industry”. Anyway blah blah blah was contacted by Scratcha DVA who hosts a hilarious morning show on Rinse FM. Smacked that up in my normal grime-rude-girl stylee and BLAM. Me and Julie get a show.
On our first show we had the experienced and mixing genius DJ JJ to support us as we hosted, Twitted, shouted out the phone number and played some exclusive grime tuneages. It was amazing fun! Our last show was on valentines day. And in true give-a-f*ck-about-valentines-day form we entered the Rinse building ready to basically take the p*ss out of the people in love.
Sidebar: How funny is this?
We’ve got a monthly playlist of amazing music, (also known as tunes that me and Julie have on our iPhones on repeat), have a look at our playlist it’s fantastic. Then we made an agony aunt section where we respond to peoples problems using tunes. It’s probably the funniest part of the show. Imagine being told your girlfriends having a baby by your twin brother and we tell you to get some nuts via “Blacks ft Jammer – Timid”. Julie made an agony aunt terms and conditions; I very nearly wet myself with laughter when I heard it.
The bottom line is; radio is fantastic. We’ve even learnt to DJ as well. Julies on vinyl and I’m on CDJ’s. Proof that if you lock myself and Julie in a room with anything we’ll have the basics on lock in under 24 hours.
P.s Grime Forum tw*ts who reckon (iQuote) “What have they done to deserve a Rinse show? there’s more deserving DJ’s”. – Get a show on Rinse and THEN holla. Thanks.
Toodles
Sian x
[Getting a show on radio and keeping it and learning the art of DJing is a lot harder than Sian makes out in this post which is essentially full of lies & more gas than Calor. Rinse don't even broadcast live between 11 & 1 on Sunday, they just tell the girls they're on air to stop them from going Tempa T in the Rinse offices. Trust me, I know - Jam]
BACK TO SCHOOL?
I dropped out of college cause the assignment was to make a short film and the school gave me a PC. I did the assignment whilst in my own time I was working on a film for the BFI. I got a D in my final exam, the same day my film was screened at Southbank in front of hundreds. GiveafuckaboutaD.com/haha/
My problem with the PC was “when I’m 20 the worlds not going to be running on a PC”, and now look. I’m running on iMovie. Pricks. I promised myself that if the next two weeks of my life weren’t spent constructively I’d go back to college. That was three years ago, and I haven’t looked back… Until now.
I’ve been thinking recently, about school, education and my journey in life.
Old friends have been updating their Facebook status’ recently about how exciting university life is and I’ve found myself wondering if it would make more sense to drop out of working life and go back to college or uni.
It’s kind of life a life path isn’t it? You go primary school, secondary school, college, uni, then you wait five years, get a highly paid job, have kids go back to work and eventually you die and get eaten by maggots, but it must be easier than being 19 and a freelancer of all things media.
I love the music and media industry, the buzz and energy is what makes it so entertaining. But the thought of being 20 years old, with no set job, is pretty scary.
I get shit loads of freelance work, enough to keep me in Ugg boots, Pauls Boutique coats and frequent nights out, but I’ve suddenly thought what happens when there’s no freelance work left that I enjoy? I mean I’ve never had a job interview in my life yet I’ve had about 200 media related freelance jobs. Sidebar: This proves it’s definitely a lot of who you know integrated with what you know.
I’d really like to be a Psychologist. I was so good with cognitive psychology, eye witness testaments psychological theories and all of the rest of it. Believe me when I say Alan Baddeley’s proposal on ‘components of a working memory’ gave me sleepless nights for weeks on end! But now I’m wondering whether it’s even worth another five years minimum of my life to go back to education and qualify to do it and whether I’m even the type of person who can do an everyday 9-5 without the glitz, glam, goss and greatness of music-bizz.
I need inspiration people… hit me! I wanna know the ups and downs of uni, what 9-5 ish is like and whether the education being taught now is even going to help me later in life if I did decide to go back to it.
If I do go back though, I’m definitely getting rid of the secondary school hairstyle!
Toodles.
Sian x
INTRODUCING: DYNAMO
I’m never usually left speechless. But lets be honest, when a dude turns five lottery tickets into five £20 notes right in front of your eyes, you’ve kinda gotta shut the fudge up.
I’m also not a strong believer in magic, or should I say I wasn’t a strong believer, not until I turned up to a mates party and met Dynamo Magician. Now we’d met before, quite a few times, and I’d seen him perform magic on more than one occasion, but they were alcohol filled occasions so I brushed off the supposed magic and put it down to what my good old mate talktofrank.com said “Alcohol will often exaggerate whatever mood you’re in when you start drinking.” This time though, I was very much so sober.
“Hold out your hands”. said Dynamo. I followed the instruction. He placed a chocolate from the christmas tree in my palm, waved his own hand across mine and the chocolate disappeared. Look, I know what you’re all thinking. “Why has MistaJam give this crazy girl access to his blog”. But seriously. I’m not lying. It definitely happened. Anyway his next comment was “Why have you got chocolate on your shoulder?” I turned – as you do, to find the chocolate perched on my shoulder. As you can imagine. I screamed. Inside I’m still screaming. It was first scary, then amazing, then exciting and now it’s just scary again!
We got chatting a bit more and he revealed he’s filming a new TV show this summer which will feature some well know faces and some incredible brand new magic. I’m petrified already. Seeing it live is one thing but on television is a completely different kettle of fish. (Or whatever the phrase is)
I’m going to admit, by this stage I needed a drink, Sidebar: drink responsibly. So I grabbed a bottle of wine and sat back down. Now the whole room was intrigued. They were all asking to see him make more magic. He casually took five lottery tickets out of his jacket pocket.
PAUSE: This is where, for me, the alarm bells totally started ringing. Who in their right mind walks around with five lottery tickets in their pockets?
He showed us all five, folded them in half and as he turned them, they were suddenly £20 notes. Can I just put it out there again. I AM NOT CRAZY. About 10 other people witnessed this too! Then he put them back in his pocket, casually and leaned back in his chair.
When asked when he thinks of David Blaine, his good friend and comedian Jamie Howard replied, “He put him in a box”. IÂ swear to you I haven’t laughed that much since John and Edward performed Oops I Did It Again on X Factor.
Have a look at his showreel anyway, he made actress Lindsay Lohan levitate and pulled a chain out of his neck in front of N.E.R.D member Pharrell.
Follow him on Twitter HERE to keep up with the crazy things he does. You will be amazed, honestly, cause I, a former non magic believer, was left stunned!!
Toodles
Sian x
Copyright © 2010 MistaJam | Web Design by PixelCreation.co.uk
Find MistaJam on:
YouTube
MySpace
Bebo
Twitter feed
Latest BBC Blog Feeds- Mistajam Has Got A New Key To The Undergound 12/05/10
- Nero's Jam Hot Guest Mix! 30/04/10
- New DJs take over! 29/04/10
- It's All About Bright Lights 16/04/10
- Pro Green's In The House 13/04/10