In 2001, DJ Diesel of Pennsylvania combined his love of computers and music and began DJ’ing at local parties in his area.  He started out with an old laptop and speakers and now owns all of his own equipment which includes eight CHAUVET fixtures, truss, professional speakers and more. He is currently the house DJ of Molly’s Pub in Lancaster and also plays weekly shows in his tri-state area.

We asked him these six questions for our DJ profile:

1. How and when did you get started as a DJ? What types of events do you do?
I started DJ’ing house parties, family gatherings and picnics when I was 15. My setup included an old desktop PC and a home stereo system – needless to say I wasn’t very technical or skilled. I currently do shows at pubs, weddings, and private events. I am looking to expand to nightclubs, but that success does not happen overnight.

2. Is this a full-time job or something you do on the side? If it’s a side job, please let us know what you do full time.
I am a full-time chef at a renowned nursing home in my area.  They are very flexible and understand that there are times I have to leave early or take off for a gig and for that I am very grateful. Even though DJ’ing is not my primary, full-time job, I would love to get to the point to where I can work for myself and build a thriving company. I consider DJ’ing a full-time job because I am constantly researching trends, looking up information, previewing tracks, and practicing.

3. What fixtures are included in your setup? What are you looking to add?
My complete rig now, consists of: one Scorpion LGX, one COLORpalette, one J-Six, one Line Dancer LED, two COLORstrip Mini, one MegaStrobe III and one Hurricane 900.

I would really like to add two MiN Spot RGBW moving head or two Intimidator Scan LED 200 scanners. The COLORrail  looks absolutely amazing as well. If I could own every light, I would.

4. What is your favorite fixture and why?
My favorite fixture, out of my entire rig, has to be the Line Dancer LED because of the quality sound-active mode as well as the great floor coverage. The other lights are very close behind the Line Dancer LED. It was very hard to choose.

5. Best advice you can give someone just getting started in the DJ industry?
Start small. DJ’ing is a very expensive career to jump into. Get the basics (laptop, controller, lights, etc.).  Go to your local DJ shop and experiment with the tools to get a real feel for them. Increase your skill level and then start making contacts. Start out with smaller gigs and network with other DJs and people in the music industry. Move forward slowly. The faster you dive into it, the more issues you may run into. Practice, practice, practice!

6. What are your top three most requested songs?
Martin Solveig “Hello,” Pitbull and Ne-yo “Give Me Everything,” and LMFAO “Party Rock Anthem.”