Lights.com—DJ Lighting
Okay, let's just be honest here. A good DJ has good lighting. Period. A party is no fun without lights. Part of the joy of having a live DJ is the feeling of total inclusiveness with everyone in the room when those lights are shining all around. DJ lighting has the ability to lift a party from good to great.
On the other hand, it is also VERY easy to go overboard with the DJ lighting. I remember going to this club once where the music was pretty decent. Everyone was having fun and the DJ turned on his effects lighting. "Oh my," is all I had to say. It was like there was someone controlling the lighting who was listening to some sort of Celine Dion song. It was hideously distracting and actually made people stop dancing to try and figure out what was up with the lights.
A Couple of Lighting Tips
It's a good idea to keep your options open in the DJ lighting world. A strobe, a globe and maybe a couple of gobos packed with you gear is safe. It shouldn't be until after you've surveyed the crowd and the space that you decide if you're going to use the fog machine, you know what I mean? If there aren't a lot of people, having a totally lit and crazy dance floor can be a bit intimidating. Again, go to a club and see what's being done and what works.
Some people believe that the DJ lighting choices can make or break a show. I don't know that I agree, but I can say that I can't imagine something like a rave being a great time without some lasers, strobes and fog. Effects should accentuate your work, not try and cover it up. If you're a good DJ, you're a good DJ. If you aren't, no amount of lighting is going to help you.