When Your People Show Up

Edition 6. Cables down, decks set, sound check done. My head was somewhere else, just running through the set in my mind, hoping the night would work out.

Then I saw Rodgers.

My neighbour. We had only just met, a few weeks back at most. I told him about the event the way you tell someone something you don't really expect them to show up for. But he came. Early too. He had a friend with him, some girl called Bunny.

Early in an event, numbers matter more than people think. Too few people and the whole place feels off. So when Rodgers walked in before the crowd had built up, something in me relaxed a bit. I remember thinking, if he's here already, more will come.

And they did. Friends started walking in, one after another, and before long the whole place had a different energy. I was behind the decks watching it happen in real time.

That's stayed with me. It's part of why I show up for other DJs too. DJ Xavi has had sets on nights I was running, not because he asked for it, just because that's how it works round here. You show up for people, they show up for you.