I always take my controller so first-time gigs – You can never predict their equipment, and I did one bar where, like yours, their CDJ’s beat counter was off which can really panic you. Of course you can still mix by ear but that’s easier said than done in some environments/set-ups – you always want to aim to be comfortable, so if that means mixing with your own kit then so be it!
Just brush off that ONE bad experience as a learning curve – it sounds cliche to say ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ but in the DJ world it really does ring true. I’d go as far as to say that a few mistakes are actually good for you – you now know how to avoid them again! 🙂
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