Anybody else get extremely nervous or have self doubt?!

First of all, congrats on your first ‘big’ gig!

As for nerves, just prepare the best you can and then enjoy yourself during the evening. You’ve already stated that the girl throwing the party likes your selection of music (considering she likes you mixes), so the worst you could do is play many songs they’ll like with a couple of mistakes while mixing the songs. Trust me, most people won’t even notice small glitches (they are focussed on the party, not the music) and bigger mistakes will also soon be forgotten as people will continue dancing/talking/etc.

I would also advise you to make sure you have enough music available. I tend to have tracks with a total length of at least 5 times the length of the set with me so I can play many different tracks and still have plenty to choose from at the end of the night.

If you are worried about a loss of inspiration while DJ’ing, you could always have a prebuilt setlist to which you can fall back. Even better would be to have a couple of short (20 min) playlists with different themes/genre’s/energy levels so you can pick the one which suits the mood at that moment.

Most importantly, just do it. It might be scary at first, the first couple of songs might be nerve-wracking, but when people are dancing to your beats it will be a great feeling and most of the stress will disappear. Have fun!

congrats to you both on your gigs.

To fear is actually a good thing. It shows you care about what you do and you want to deliver the best. The fear factor is a very normal thing and beliieve it or not , but some of us have it every time we play out.
I recall the first time i played out, i thought to myself either the crossfader was gonna go flying off or my fingers were gonna drop off from my hands shaking. After the first couple of tracks, things will start to simmer down and you will be more of your self.
It’s a super addictive feeling when you see people dancing to the music you are playing.
Do let us know how you both got on…….. and got and get ya grove on

Reading your post reminds me of all the anxiety I’ve had and still get with every opportunity I’ve had in life. My advice is to tune out all the stuff that doesn’t matter.

About 100% percent of what you’re worrying about has NOTHING to do with your proven ability to please people with your DJing. Focus on that. Focus on how enjoyable it is. Focus on how much your friends want to see you play. Love and respect the techniques that make it possible.

The size of the room doesn’t matter, neither does the the status of the club or all perceptions about what “level” you’re at. Sounds like the only guy who thinks he isn’t good enough for this gig is you. Stop telling yourself that. You are.

When I started out as a graphic designer I could’ve driven myself crazy comparing myself to all the amazing work in design mags and award shows. I also worried about the fact that I didn’t have a design degree or a good computer, but I had to stop myself. Instead, I focused on what I loved about graphic design and always keeping my clients happy. A few years later I started designing at MTV networks. That was over ten years ago, and I still work with them.

Always open on a big tune that will go down well. As soon as you see people loving the music, the nerves will disappear.

Do plenty of preparation – know your music inside out.