How To! with Mike Pesca How To Be a DJ, Not a Playlist with Tom Nash
Feb 17, 2026
Stuart, a Montreal lawyer turned aspiring club DJ, seeks to move from playlists to live nights. Tom Nash, former top Sydney club DJ who spins with prosthetic hooks, offers hands-on advice. They talk about reading crowds, creating context, launching themed nights, branding, and choosing experience over fear.
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Learn By Doing Not By Waiting
- Tom Nash says technical skill is overrated at first and can be learned on the job.
- He recommends getting thrown into live DJing rather than practicing forever in your bedroom.
First Gig: Thrown Into A 500-Person Room
- Tom DJed his first time in front of 500 people and relied on a friend to show him the play button.
- He made mistakes but most of the crowd didn't notice and the experience taught him quickly.
DJing Is Mostly Business Work
- Much of a DJ career is marketing, logistics and politics, not just playing music.
- Embracing those non-musical tasks lets you leverage them as competitive advantage.