Mike Warner

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The First Time I Cursed on a Microphone

“Isn’t this some shit,” were the first words I spoke into a microphone in a packed room on a Saturday night. 🎶

I was still learning the ropes of DJing, eager for my chance to spin the decks at the venue. Standing in the booth, the current DJ took a dance break, and that’s when things took an unexpected turn. The song started skipping (yes, we used CDs back then), eventually leading to a stop and silence.

Instinctively, I grabbed the microphone and started talking. Simultaneously, I loaded up another CD and cued the next song. I remember some wise words a friend told me when I was starting out “if you get nervous and feel the need to curse, let it out”. I did and proceeded to make jokes about leaving the “trainee” in the DJ booth unattended. The crowd laughed, the next song started and the energy picked back up.

Post-crisis, the DJ thanked me and praised my handling of the situation. Little did I know, that moment marked the beginning of my journey as an MC.

Despite my initial focus on DJing, MCing took the spotlight by chance. It’s a testament to the importance of embracing opportunities outside our comfort zones.

Fast forward through many years of MC’ing, hosting Radio Shows, and Podcasts, now I have spoken on stages around the world, on tv, radio and jump at the opportunity to do so.

Today, I rarely curse on the mic, and I continue to welcome new challenges with open arms.