Login / RegisterFortune Sound Club’s monthly contest smiles on fledgling DJs
On December 15, Neal B Barlee stepped out and performed his set at Sup Fu? Saturday as the first winner of the Fortune Sound Club’s monthly DJ contest. “It was a packed night. It went really well,” said Fortune booker Tristan Orchard, in a call to the Straight. The competition was conceived because, as Orchard explained, “I was a young DJ and I remember just trying to get gigs, and we’re looking for the newest talent.” Which makes Seeking the Fortune Sound DJ Contest a win-win situation for everyone—not including last month’s dozen or so losers, of course.
On that note, Orchard said that Barlee’s 20-minute Soundcloud-ready mix, which he uploaded to the Seeking the Fortune Sound DJ Contest’s Facebook page, was “definitely the most tasteful out of all of them. It was my personal favourite, for sure. We had younger people submitting mixes where you could tell that they hadn’t had really any experience playing out in front of live audiences.”
Barlee’s victory was secured by Facebook “likes”, but the rules have been changed for January’s round, with the club making the final judgment. “To make sure it’s the best,” explained Orchard, “rather than it just be a straight-up popularity contest. But the ‘likes’ will still be a factor.” Round two is scheduled for Saturday (January 12), and the contest continues monthly until May.
