What to Do When a Band Plays Your Planned Songs – A DJ’s Perspective
A Night at The Victoria – Scott’s 40th Birthday Bash
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of DJing Scott’s 40th birthday at The Victoria Birmingham, and what a night it was! Scott had requested an mix of popular 00s/10s metal, punk, indie, and alternative rock floor-fillers, alongside classic rock favourites for the family crowd. But as a DJ, what do you do when a band plays your planned songs before your final set?
I had three sets: a couple of hours before the band, half an hour between the band’s sets, and an hour and a half after the band were finished for the night.
Now, I never turn up to a gig with a pre-planned setlist—that’s not how I work. Every event is unique, and I balance my song choices between reading the crowd and honouring what the client has asked for. That said, I had a general idea of some of the big tunes I’d be playing throughout the night, especially the tracks that would land best in the final, high-energy set.
But then, the band happened.
What to Do When a Band Plays Your Planned Songs – Stay Cool & Adapt
Scott had booked an absolutely fantastic live band, The Playlisters, and I highly recommend booking them for your event or catching one of their gigs! They absolutely smashed it.
But they also played a load of the big tunes I’d been holding back for my last DJ set.
- “Last Nite,” “All the Small Things,” “Teenage Kicks,” “Mr. Brightside,” “Not Nineteen Forever,” “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor,” “Valerie,” “Happy,” “Beggin,” “Get Lucky,” “Let’s Dance,” “Shut Up and Dance,” “I’m Still Standing,” “Summer of ’69,” “Proud Mary,” and “Rocks.”
- They played all of them!
That’s the kind of moment where less experienced DJs might panic—but when you’ve been doing this as long as I have, you don’t stress, you adapt.
How to Handle It When a Band Plays Your Planned Songs
A great DJ isn’t just someone who presses play—it’s someone who understands the energy of the night, can react in real-time, and always has a backup plan.
I had to make some quick adjustments, and here’s how I did it:
1️⃣ Read the Room & Adjust the Plan
Since The Playlisters had already played many of my go-to crowd-pleasers, I switched gears and went for:
✅ Heavier rock & nu-metal (Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Metallica)
✅ Alternative party bangers (Dizzee Rascal, Daft Punk, Justice vs. Simian)
✅ Unexpected singalongs (Bohemian Rhapsody, Some Might Say, All These Things That I’ve Done)
Instead of fighting what had already been played, I took the crowd on a different journey, keeping the night fresh. HAlfway through my final set, I got an inkling the guests were up for some dancier music as well so slipped in a little ‘The Streets’ and went from there.
2️⃣ Don’t Just Stick to a Pre-Planned Setlist
This is one of the reasons why I never turn up with a rigid, pre-determined setlist for the entire night. Sure, I have a general structure in mind, but I always make decisions in the moment.
DJs who stick to their original plan no matter what end up repeating songs, losing energy, upsetting the crowd who might not be into the pre-planned songs, or clashing with what’s already happened. That’s not how I work—I make sure every track serves the night in real time.
3️⃣ Work with the Band – Not Against Them
This gig was a valuable learning experience—I could have saved myself the surprise if I’d just reached out to The Playlisters before the event. I knew they would be playing.
Going forward, I’ll be asking:
❓ What’s in your setlist?
❓ Are any songs flexible or likely to change?
❓ Are there any tracks you definitely won’t be playing?
That way, I can avoid overlaps and plan a more unique DJ set.
For bands, it’s also worth checking with the DJ to see what sort of set they’re got planned or have had requested. It may lead to a couple of setlist decisions being made easier!
For event organisers, suggesting sure the DJ and band communicate beforehand can make the whole night flow far more smoothly.
A Shoutout to the Sound Engineer.
One of the challenges at The Victoria was that both the band and I needed to perform from onstage—unlike some venues where the DJ booth is offstage.
This meant that every time the band finished, my setup had to be repositioned.
Enter Wilson? Willis? (Honestly, my memory is like a moth-eaten sieve—Sorry, mate! 😅 I should have written it down)—the sound engineer, who was an absolute legend.
- He helped me get positioned properly before the night started.
- He helped me move my gear safely out of the way for the band’s sets.
- The moment they finished, he had me set back up quickly and smoothly.
It was seamless, and having a great sound engineer made a huge difference. Shoutout to him!
Looking for a DJ Who Can Handle Anything?
This night was a perfect example of why experience matters.
When things don’t go as expected—like a band playing half of the songs you were planning to use—you need a DJ who can adapt, keep the energy going, and still deliver an amazing party.
If you’re looking for a DJ who can handle weddings, birthdays, and corporate events with the same experience, flexibility, and floor-filling expertise, get in touch!
📩 Book me here: Contact Curtis Allen
🎶 Full Setlist – Scott Barrows’ 40th Birthday (1st March 2025)
📍 Venue: The Victoria, Birmingham
🎧 DJ: Curtis Allen | 🎸 Live Band: The Playlisters
🎸 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Curtis Allen DJ Set (Before the Band)
You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC
Runaway – Bon Jovi
Kickstart My Heart – Mötley Crüe
All My Life – Foo Fighters
Just A Day – Feeder
Fluorescent Adolescent – Arctic Monkeys
Dani California – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams
Feeling This – Blink-182
Dance Dance – Fall Out Boy
The Middle – Jimmy Eat World
The Jean Genie – David Bowie
Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) – Elton John
20th Century Boy – T. Rex
Psycho – Muse
No One Knows – Queens of the Stone Age
Word Up – Korn
Can I Play With Madness – Iron Maiden
Boys of Summer – The Ataris
I’m Shipping Up To Boston – Dropkick Murphys
Holiday – Green Day
How You Remind Me – Nickelback
So What – Pink
Ain’t It Fun – Paramore
Naïve – The Kooks
Golden Touch – Razorlight
What You Know – Two Door Cinema Club
Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
You Give Love a Bad Name – Bon Jovi
Rockin’ All Over The World – Status Quo
🎸 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Band’s First Set (The Playlisters)
Last Nite – The Strokes
All The Small Things – Blink-182
Dakota – Stereophonics
Teenage Kicks – The Undertones
Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac
Rocks – Primal Scream
A Town Called Malice – The Jam
Valerie – Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse
Dreaming Of You – The Coral
I Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles
Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra
Happy – Pharrell Williams
Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
Dynamite – Taio Cruz
Beggin – Frankie Valli
Forget You – CeeLo Green
Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
Get Lucky – Daft Punk
Just Dance – Lady Gaga
🎸 9:00 PM – 9:30 PM | Curtis Allen DJ Set (Between Band’s Sets)
We Found Love – Rihanna Feat. Calvin Harris
Toxic Pony – ALTÉGO x Britney Spears x Ginuwine
Out of Space – Prodigy
Take a Chance on Me – ABBA
Edge of Seventeen (2016 Remaster) – Stevie Nicks
A Town Called Malice – The Jam
Walls – Beck
You Know I’m No Good – Amy Winehouse
There’s No Other Way – Blur
🎸 9:30 PM – 10:30 PM | Band’s Second Set (The Playlisters)
Let’s Dance – David Bowie
Don’t You Want Me – The Human League
Power Of Love – Huey Lewis & The News
Dancing on the Ceiling – Lionel Richie
Electric Dreams – Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder
Take On Me – A-ha
Shut Up and Dance – Walk the Moon
Bad Guy – Billie Eilish
Castle on the Hill – Ed Sheeran
Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
As It Was – Harry Styles
Paradise – George Ezra
I’m Still Standing – Elton John
Walking On Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves
I’ll Be There for You – The Rembrandts
Summer of ‘69 – Bryan Adams
I’m A Believer – The Monkees
500 Miles – The Proclaimers
Proud Mary – Ike & Tina Turner
Mr. Brightside / Not Nineteen Forever – The Killers / The Courteeners
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor – Arctic Monkeys
🎧 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM | Curtis Allen DJ Set (Final Set of the Night)
Sex On Fire – Kings Of Leon
Ruby – Kaiser Chiefs
Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses
Whiskey In The Jar – Metallica
Last Resort – Papa Roach
One Step Closer – Linkin Park
Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle) – Limp Bizkit
Private Eye – Alkaline Trio
Drunken Lullabies – Flogging Molly
Zombie – Jamie T
Who’s Got The Bag – The Streets
Bonkers [With Armand Van Helden] – Dizzee Rascal
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger – Daft Punk
We Are Your Friends (Justice Vs Simian) – Justice and Simian
Not Nineteen Forever – The Courteeners
Bulletproof – La Roux
Somebody Told Me – Motionless In White
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Some Might Say – Oasis
What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction
All These Things That I’ve Done – The Killers
🔥 Encore (Because They Were Chanting For One More)
Killing In The Name – Rage Against The Machine