Modern WisdomDanny T | DJ Life, Building A Personal Brand & Mental Health | Modern Wisdom Podcast 147
EVERY SPOKEN WORD
150 min read · 30,046 words- 0:00 – 15:00
What does it feel…
- CWChris Williamson
What does it feel like watching your mate walk out in front of five and bit thousand people?
- CACasey
Yeah, I think it's, it's just there's a very sort of clear vision about, you know, how far we want to take this. Where it's not completely mapped out of how we're gonna do it, but I think Danny's willingness to try stuff and my sort of relentlessness in making it happen, that's kind of where it's been a real success.
- DTDanny T
I did, 'cause I did the O2 Academy the year before, and Church six months before that.
- CWChris Williamson
Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
So it was like, "O2 Academy's the biggest venue in Leeds. Where do we go next?" As if there's a video of me on my Snapchat heading to the O2 going, "One day, one day I'll play here." Nah, nah, I'm joking, but it's always nice to dream. Right, you imagine you're in Newcastle City Center, and one person screams as loud as they can. You hear that person over 2,000, 3,000 people around you. Imagine that times 5,000 all at the same time-
- CWChris Williamson
For you.
- DTDanny T
... as you stepped out and, um, you're like, "Oh my God. How's this even real?"
- CWChris Williamson
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back. It's Danny T! Hi Danny, how are you man?
- DTDanny T
I'm good, I'm good, I'm good.
- CWChris Williamson
What a pleasure.
- DTDanny T
I know.
- CWChris Williamson
It's been so long coming to get you on here.
- DTDanny T
I know. We've just been speaking for about 20 minutes before this, though.
- CWChris Williamson
I know, yeah, but that's what you... There's... You can't get straight into it.
- DTDanny T
(laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
There's gotta be a bit of foreplay. You get what I mean?
- DTDanny T
All right, okay.
- CWChris Williamson
That was the cunnilingus before we get into the-
- DTDanny T
Oh, so good to see you. It's been-
- CWChris Williamson
Yeah, "Hi Daniel, how are you?"
- DTDanny T
It's been, it's been, it's been, it's been a while.
- CWChris Williamson
But it's not just you.
- DTDanny T
It's not.
- CWChris Williamson
Who've you brought with you?
- DTDanny T
This is, this is my other half, my... (laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
Oh, stop.
- DTDanny T
This is my, my manager. (laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
Introduce yourself.
- CACasey
Uh, I'm Casey, Danny's manager. And... I'll say friend.
- DTDanny T
(laughs)
- 15:00 – 30:00
Mm-hmm. …
- CACasey
I think anything that we sort of set our stall out to do, uh, like, it has actually happened that way. And that's not through, like, you know, you can sit here and say, "Oh, it's law of attraction," or it's this, that, and the other, but, yeah, I think it's, it's just there's a very sort of clear vision about, you know, how far we wanna take this, where it's not completely mapped out of how we're gonna do it, but I think Danny's willingness to try stuff and my sort of relentlessness in, in making it happen, that's kind of where it's been a real success-
- CWChris Williamson
Mm-hmm.
- CACasey
... in that he has very, very crazy ideas. I can kind of tone them down, or refine them, or shape them into something that's gonna elevate what we've already done. Um, and yeah, it's, it's just, it's nice to see, like, Danny doing something he loves, uh, and obviously there's other benefits that come from that. But yeah, I think to put someone in an environment where they get to do something that they love every single day, you know, earn a living off of it, like, that's, that's actually been the biggest reward of it.
- CWChris Williamson
That's awesome. Danny, walking out on stage, five and a bit thousand people?
- DTDanny T
(laughs) Uh, it was just like... There's no way to describe it. Right, you imagine you're in Newcastle city center or Leeds city center walking down, and one person screams as loud as they can.
- CWChris Williamson
Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
You hear that person over two, three thousand people around you.
- CWChris Williamson
Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
Imagine that times 5,000 all at the same time-
- CWChris Williamson
For you.
- DTDanny T
... as you stepped out. And, um, you're like, "Oh my God, how's this even, like, how's this even real? How's..." Even afterwards for four or five days afterwards, I was still like... I'd watched the, the wa- the video of me walking out, and I was like, "How have I, how have I even done that? Like, how, how is that even-"
- CWChris Williamson
Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
... "achievable or a possibility," or, like, it did just seem like just, just not even real, not even real at all.
- CWChris Williamson
That's cool, man.
- DTDanny T
But, like-
- CWChris Williamson
You know, that's you, you, you're actualizing. You're getting to what it is that you wanna do.
- DTDanny T
But no point was I, like, nervous. I weren't, I weren't nervous at all. I had loads of people message, "Oh, I bet you're so nervous," and I was like, take my phone, "I can't see people-"
- CWChris Williamson
Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
"... telling me I should be nervous," 'cause I'm not. If I didn't want to do this, I wouldn't have tried to do it, like-
- CWChris Williamson
I wouldn't have-
- DTDanny T
... I've sat there and gone, "I want to do this." Why would I be nervous? 'Cause I've chosen to do it. I've not done it to impress other people. I've done it 'cause it f- felt good and it was the next progression for me and myself in my career.
- CACasey
And-
- CWChris Williamson
So I spoke to Kozzie, I spoke to Kristoff, um, about this, and he says that even now he'll play, for him, a small-sized gig, which might be, you know, f- 2,000 to 5,000 people, like, the smallest gigs he plays, he still shits himself every time. This is a guy who supported Eric Prids on New Year's, Eve, Eve, Eve, New Year's Eve, Eve, and New Year's Eve. Like, for the last few years played at the biggest venues, played Creamfields, played everything. First, the first issue lineup release for Creamfields this year and Ultra has him on the, the top banner, and he's, like, drinking, desperately trying to calm his nerves.
- DTDanny T
(laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
Like, doing his g- like, his ex-missus got him doing breathing exercises before he goes out.
- DTDanny T
Yeah. (laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
Like, but-
- DTDanny T
Do you know what though? This is the difference.... he's come in from being sat at a computer, making music, progressing, making better music, loving music, making music he loves, to then having to be a DJ. I've come from being a big personality, party animal, DJ, then I've learnt to make music.
- CWChris Williamson
Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
So, the, the, the ballsy side of it, the me being on stage is no problem 'cause I've been stage thousands of times before.
- 30:00 – 45:00
(laughs) …
- CWChris Williamson
um, where I talked about mine. And Rogan says that he never, ever listens to his podcasts back. Which is interesting, because he always listens to his standup routines back. And I think it's because first off he's gonna be so busy that after having spent three hours recording-
- DTDanny T
(laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
... with someone, then spending another three hours-
- DTDanny T
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... listening to it back is a little bit much.
- DTDanny T
You get tired of your own voice. (laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
Yeah. Uh, but I think the other thing is that he, he finds podcasting to be so well within his domain of competence that he doesn't need to. But for me at the moment, as someone who's still trying to improve and iterate on that, I think that reflection period is really, really important. But you, you touched on something real important, which is, I think...... a lot of DJs don't consider their job, a job.
- DTDanny T
Yeah, yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
And I'm, I'm telling you, like, I am the guy, I am a fantastic example of who you need to impress. I've got four nights a week in Newcastle, either a, you know, multiple rooms of those. There's f- probably 100 grand of wages going out to DJs between all the different rooms, all the different bits. So I want a person who's gonna turn up on time. I want someone who's gonna put some social media up during the day without me asking.
- DTDanny T
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
Without me having to fucking go-
- CACasey
I think-
- CWChris Williamson
... "Oh, hi mate. Would you mind fucking putting-"
- DTDanny T
This is our book. (laughs)
- CACasey
You know what it is? I think that's kind of ... Initially, Danny's sort of appeal to DJing was very much just an amplified party lifestyle, and the fact that he was-
- DTDanny T
But I would still never-
- CACasey
... a good DJ-
- DTDanny T
I would still never be late, or sack it off, or not do the best job I could. I would never drink myself into oblivion and do a really ... Well, I would.
- CACasey
Well-
- DTDanny T
But I'd still be able to perform. (laughs) I'd still be able to do, I'd still be able to do the set.
- CACasey
But I think that was sort of that, uh, you call it DJ etiquette, that sort of, those lower level basics of professionalism, it seemed to be absent for quite a few DJs. And it was something I sort of observed, and I think even you in the early days, because you had that, and that was just 'cause you wanted to be everyone's friend and you were that larger-than-life personality, I think particularly DJs don't realize how far that goes, you know. Yes, you need to be a technically good DJ and obviously be able to read a crowd and all of those sort of fundamentals, but if you're not a nice person, or, you know-
- DTDanny T
Mm-hmm.
- CACasey
... you're late or you're not posting on social media, you're not supporting an event, people aren't gonna wanna book you.
- CWChris Williamson
I mean, the, the DJ skills are what get you through the door. There's this blog post that someone sent to me the other day that talks about why nice guys thinks that, think that girls should like them. And it's like, hang on a second. (laughing) You think that because you're kind to your mum and you're always on time and you always put kisses at the end of a text-
- DTDanny T
(laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
... that girls should like you? They're like, "Fuck you. You do not know what girls like. There is a man out there who can do all of that, and he plays the guitar." And you're like ... (laughs) That's it. That's the fucking guy that plays the guitar.
- DTDanny T
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- CACasey
Uh, it's ... Yeah. So you've-
- DTDanny T
Going back to, like, just, just being that happy, friendly, jolly guy, I was on the phone to somebody, but, er, our Sky weren't working in our bedroom last night.
- CWChris Williamson
I know it wasn't because I, I've had to put someone on for free tonight because of you.
- 45:00 – 1:00:00
Mm-hmm. …
- DTDanny T
- CWChris Williamson
Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
... is the first bit. It's the wings that are going up and down, not the front of the plane. So as the wings are going up and down, the back's moving more than the front.
- CWChris Williamson
That's interesting.
- DTDanny T
So you always get worse turbulence at the back of the plane. I might have just made that up, but in my head it works. (laughs) And I always have.
- CWChris Williamson
If you've made, if you've made it up-
- DTDanny T
I always have some ... I al- ... no, I think that's true.
- CWChris Williamson
Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
I, I've, like ... but I'm ... I haven't researched or read that anywhere.
- CWChris Williamson
If, if you've made it up, someone will call it out, so it's fine.
- DTDanny T
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
You can add these to today's listing, Danny.
- CACasey
(laughs)
- DTDanny T
So-
- CWChris Williamson
But I've, I've, I've been on loads of flights at the front that have been fine, loads of flights at the back, and the back flights are always a lot ... like, they feel a lot bumpier. Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
Even, like, when there's no turbulence. Like, you know when they don't have the seatbelt sign on?
- CWChris Williamson
Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
Even when you're allowed to walk around, the back of the plane definitely bounces more.
- CWChris Williamson
What's the, um, most efficient way to get through an airport?
- DTDanny T
Run. (laughs) It is worth paying £2.50 on a, in advance for fast track security.
- CWChris Williamson
Okay.
- DTDanny T
Straight through. If you book it well in advance, it's 2, £2.50. It's, it's-
- CWChris Williamson
Is that with anyone that's like easyJet or Airport?
- DTDanny T
No, no, you book it direct through the airport.
- CWChris Williamson
Right, okay.
- DTDanny T
Yeah. I've been on ... I've been on flights before that if I didn't, if I didn't have that, I'd 100% missed my flight.
- CWChris Williamson
You'd have missed your flight.
- DTDanny T
Like ...
- CWChris Williamson
But I suppose the problem is ... it's all well and good ... I can turn up to pretty much any flight departing from Newcastle, 'cause from here it is ten minutes-
- DTDanny T
Yeah.
- 1:00:00 – 1:08:29
(coughs) I think as…
- CWChris Williamson
makes a big difference for people.
- CACasey
(coughs) I think as well, like, even with Danny's social media, you know, I think, as I said before, if you're a creative in any sense of the word, you're obviously putting some sort of creation to the world. So it's, you're gonna have people that like it, people that don't like it. How you choose to respond to that ultimately is a major influence on your own mental health. So Danny having people saying that they don't like his DJing or they don't like his mixing is like-
- DTDanny T
It's not quite as nice as that, isn't it? (laughs)
- CACasey
No, it's not in any way, shape, or form, but-
- CWChris Williamson
That's a category.
- DTDanny T
That's the, that's the-
- CACasey
That's the-
- DTDanny T
That's the-
- CACasey
... dulled down version of it.
- DTDanny T
(laughs)
- CACasey
But again, how Danny chooses to respond to that stuff-
- DTDanny T
But, like, I'm, I'm laughing about it. I'm laughing at people. I'm not laughing at them. I'm just laughing about the fact that people can be so offended by a combination of chords and sounds to think that I, they have to type that your music is as bad as AIDS or cancer. Like, that's, to me, that's, that's hilarious. How can you actually, like how is someone's brain...... that stupid to make those links. Like, music I don't like. You could just switch it off-
- CWChris Williamson
Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
... and be happy about switching it off. Instead, you have to, "Right, let me get my phone and tell everyone how much I don't like it." Like, that's so sad. That just, it shows how much of an unhappy person you have to be to, to do that. Like-
- CWChris Williamson
I think it, it's, everyone has these thoughts, right, that sort of burble below the surface. It's, uh, when dealt with jealousy, or envy, or genuine just dislike for something that you do. The problem is that social media rewards things that we either agree with or things that outrage us.
- DTDanny T
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
And that's one of the reasons I think why every conversation now is getting polarized to the extremes.
- DTDanny T
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
You have people that are grouping into spheres of awareness-
- DTDanny T
Yeah, yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... on both end of the spectrum, and then you have the people that just come out with shock tactics.
- CACasey
There's no rationality-
- DTDanny T
Yeah, yeah.
- CACasey
... on social media. I don't think people are able to have conversations either. It's literally, "I agree with you," and I think there's such an eagerness as well for people just to say the first thing that comes to their head or jump on something that they think is a popular opinion.
- DTDanny T
No, I think sometimes people sit there and plan it out for hours how to be the funniest they can be to get the most likes. Not even the funniest.
- CACasey
Mm-hmm.
- DTDanny T
Just the nas- what's gonna get, like, what-what's gonna get me the most likes today?
- CWChris Williamson
I think you'd be s- I really think you'd be surprised, man. I think maybe some people that have that trolling mentality-
- CACasey
Mm-hmm.
- CWChris Williamson
... may constantly have, "Is this an opportunity to troll-"
Episode duration: 1:23:24
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