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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The tour stories...

This is actually the second tour in my career that I'm DJing with P@t overseas. The first being many donkey years ago in Bangkok. It happens to be the second time Progressions is being exported out. So to say the least, we were looking forward to it upon the confirmation of the gig.

We arrived on the day of the gig to be received by a Viet local (Hai), who happens to be close friends with the owner of the club (or something of that nature). The weather was a welcoming change from the humidity in Singapore. It's the tail-end of winter with the temperature at around 15 degrees. It brought back memories for us of our days traveling to Hong Kong and Europe when we were in the record music industry.

After a quick meal... at the roadside, which we had reservations about because the last thing we need is to get our stomachs upset during the gig. Then again, when in Rome... and it's not nice to turn down people's hospitality.

Thereafter, we drove to check into a hotel that looked like a converted shop house.

Our hotel Trung Nam Hai II.
14 Chan Cam Street, Hoan Kiem District in Hanoi.

Despite it's initial rustic outlook, it was actually quite quaint and comfortable. After all, a hotel that states in it's handbook that "couples not officially married are kindly requested to rent separate room" should be respectably decent. And that's not forgetting their extra service of MAKET UP THE ROOM and free internet access!

First order of the day in any foreign country is always to grab a map and explore our surroundings by foot. We were just eager to enjoy the lovely cold...

Within walking distance... this landmark building.

And this... hmmph!

And the lake, smack right in the center of the city!

Which brings me to remind you that Hanoi is about organized chaos. Traffic here is manic. Not everyone obeys traffic lights (which seems to be a rarity here) or follow the almost invisible road lines. Everyone horns. It's a requirement to pass your driver's license. You have to horn non-stop the moment your vehicle is on the move.

And as a pedestrian, it takes quite a bit of skill to cross the roads because no one will stop for you. Patrick demonstrates the art of jay-walking in a city where traffic rules are completely void.

Walking in the cold, makes one hungry really fast so we proceeded to have a snack... or two and this is what we got...

Very addictive vegetable spring rolls!

Night arrives and it was time for a 5-hour Progressions at the one-month-old Loop. A lot of DJs take things for granted but until you see the rest of the world outside your little tunnel, you'll realise that what you THINK you know is actually meaningless. When it comes to playing for the local crowd in Singapore, for us it's quite a routine as we know how to deliver to their expections. But in a foreign land, where cultures are vastly different, it takes a lot of understanding and adapting in order to cater.

Unlike Singapore, Hanoi's scene is fairly new. They're not as exposed as we are in terms of every aspect within the club business. From the way the club is set-up to the way people dance... everything is completely different from what we're used to. I found it an enriching experience nonetheless and I'm sure the next time round, we'll be even more geared towards delivering a hands-down winner, especially so after firmly putting our foot in their door. Most DJs will let the adoration from the punters go to their head. Complaceny and confidence is something that will kill you in this industry. Take it from me. I've seen too many come and go. The ability to humble one's self despite being looked up to, preceeds everything else. We gave them the respect and they returned in kind. And with the mutual respects earned, we'll be looking forward to coming back to Hanoi.

We would also like to thank the gracious people from Hennessy for sponsoring this debut. Not forgetting our contacts Ron and Thomas for putting this through!

Most importantly, we do our job professionally and ethically; which comes with the fees we command. That's why I don't subscribe to the "free-jays" mentality of trying to make it in the industry. Some things are meant to be, some things aren't. Forcing it will not result in anything. There are so many elements involved and your DJing technicality only accounts for 30% of making it in the business. There's persona, public relations, marketing, compromise on artistic integrity, development, research and going with the market forces. For us, it's the fruits of almost 20 years in the making. The road is not an easy one, and not everyone is destined to walk it. Respect the job for what it is and don't cheap-sell it.