09/04/2023
IDA Blog Post
One of the best bookings you can get is the IDA world DJ finals after party, the end of year celebrations for DJs from all around the world. Tomasz, the world president of the IDA (International DJ Association) contacted me around 2 months prior to the gig as a repeat booking from the previous event in 2019. Because of the Covid pandemic the 2022 event was the next live event the IDA hosted.
The after party was to be held in the beautiful city of Krakow, a place that I have visited many times as a DJ, both as a competitor in the IDA championships and as a party DJ. The booking was specific to my alter ego Loop Skywalker, a name I chose to compete with in DJ scratch battles and a name I took with me into my speciality genre DnB, which was what Tomasz had booked me for. My brief from Tomasz was “just do what you do, DnB bangers and live mash up performance “.
I was not the only DJ on the bill that night, I was playing alongside Prime Cuts, an absolute legend in the DJ world, DJ Irie from Holland and Krass T from Poland. To be part of an international line up at a world class event is an amazing honour that is a reward for my many years of hard work in the DJ industry.
To prepare for this show I put together a set that I practiced almost daily, carefully making sure that it all flowed nicely and that it showcased the skills I have amassed during my time in the turntablism scene. These are methods I use to prepare all my sets whether it’s a Nottingham Mobile Disco party booking for a birthday or a wedding, an international after party event or even a Twitch stream, I will put the maximum effort into everything I do.
As part of the deal I was required to supply a short mix to be put onto the IDA world finals promo cd, a collector’s item that features all of the artists that are involved in the IDA world finals that year. These all had deadlines to meet, and I dealt with them in my usual professional manner.
On the day of the event I attended a brief of what to expect during the show and a timetable was discussed and I was introduced to the stage manager. Everything ran smoothly and when it came to playing my set I changed over with the previous DJ with no problems. The show itself came with an amazing surprise. The venue was a multiplex type building having different types of establishments throughout and one of those was hosting a wedding. The wedding party came to the IDA after party and it was such an amazing experience. I bumped into the groom before my set and he shouted “ Loop Skywalker, my wedding DJ “. It was a beautiful thing to see watching the bride and groom let themselves go while they danced to the DnB soundtrack I was supplying. The wedding guests and everyone else really enjoyed it too and Tomasz then introduced me to the venue owners who thanked me for a wonderful set and bought me a beer. I was even approached by a girl who was throwing a party that was happening straight after the after party and wanted me to play there too saying “we never get DJs like you playing here, its so fresh and different” and I was very pleased to hear that.
The feedback I got on the night was all positive and I really enjoyed my stay in the most beautiful city, and I have since been approached to go back to play at a festival.
Heres a google review from the president of the IDA, Tomasz Kubik
“My name is Tomasz Kubik and I'm the President of the International Dj Association (IDA). We have been working with Dj Loop Skywalker for many years. I can confirm that Nottingham Mobile Disco represents the top world level of dj'ing, Loop himself is professional at every point. I can truly recommend his offer for any kind of event. This guy knows his job better than anyone else.
Tomasz Kubik
