INTERVIEW: Tony Kay on live shows

Hailing from Morocco and based in Dubai, Tony Kay is a gifted DJ and music producer that’s ready to shake the Electronic Dance music world.

With highly energetic performances that lift the vibes of the audience while unleashing banger after banger, Tony Kay shows no signs of slowing down, planning ahead a new year fillled with powerful releases and mighty live shows.

We invited Tony Kay to a trip back in time to his first performances; we asked him more about his live show routines, his favourites and also some advice for DJs starting out. Check out out interview with Tony Kay below.

Hi Tony Kay! how are you?

I’m doing great thanks for asking.

Can you tell us about your beginnings as a DJ? When and where was your first performance and how did it go?

I started out playing at my friends’ parties. I was organising the whole thing more than just the DJ. Then it just grew from there.

Do you have a routine you follow to get ready before a performance?

Nowadays nothing really, sometimes I go through my music folders maybe to just reorganise them in a way that I understand.

What do you look for in a track to add to a live set?

To be clear, in contrast to standard DJ sets, where you just mix track A with track B, a “live” set is when I perform some live real-time alterations and edit/transform or mashup tracks as they are being played. There are tracks that I choose which are very minimal so I can add more elements to them such as percussions, vocals or melodies.

Playing radio hit after hit sounds good and may make some crowds excited and hyped but it takes no creativity or originality and is no better than operating a jukebox. Make yourself stand out from the crowd of DJs, add your unique touch on a certain genre.

What’s your favourite part about performing live?

Testing out new tracks, this is really important for me as a producer as I get to hear my tracks on a club scene. Through the sound system, the crowd’s reaction, the track’s energy level and if it really sounds the way I want it to sound. And also, being the person there who’s putting a smile on people’s faces.

Can you tell us what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from mixing live?

Even when you think you have made some extremely obvious mistakes, nobody seems to notice or care. I understand that setting high standards for oneself is a wonderful thing, but many DJs, particularly those who are just starting out, are overly critical of themselves.

Most importantly know the venue, what I mean by that is don’t get a gig out of desperation, if the venue is a bar that usually has a hip hop scene and you’re an underground DJ, then just look somewhere else.

Do you have a funny or interesting story involving a live show?

I once stopped the track that was playing, so it was during the build-up and I wanted to drop an acapella right at the drop of the track and the plan was to repeatedly press the cue button while the vocal is filtered then gradually twist the knob up and hit play at the drop. But here’s what happened, I pressed the cue button on the track playing and obviously the music stopped however I immediately knew what I did so I just pressed play on the a cappella and filtered it up, dropped a snare roll and looped a part of the vocal, searched for the drop on the track that I stopped and played the drop. Looked around and saw that no one figured out what happened.

How would you describe a perfect setting for a live performance?

It’s 6AM at an after party in a villa, a decent sized crowd all around the DJ dancing and having a good time. For me personally these are the best live performances ever.

Where would you like to perform in the future?

Definitely would love to do a Morocco and UAE tour Day Zero as well as Tulum, Echoes From Agartha – Cappadocia, EXIT Festival – Serbia and Destino & Pacha – Ibiza.

What piece of advice would you give to a DJ that’s starting their live performance journey?

Arm yourself with enough tools to increase your chances of getting booked and know your value. The practice of DJing for “exposure” rather than genuine compensation has increased over the past few years.

Occasionally, this might be a smart move, but in general, DJing for free is problematic for two reasons: If there are those willing to do it for free, it makes it more difficult for other DJs to earn a decent pay. Second, a DJ deserves to be paid adequately if they have invested the time, money, and effort necessary to competently rock a party for a few hours. Never play for free; you’re worth more than that. And if you’re not, being a DJ isn’t for you.

Check out his single Trounce below