Beware out there tonight, fellow DJs. New Year’s Eve is amateur night, and can be one of the most unpredictable, and disappointing, nights of the year to step behind the decks.

For many, it is the one night of the year that they drink heavily, meaning it’s the one night of the year they are out of control drunk. They aren’t used to drinking, and as such, can’t hold their liquor. You’re going to encounter a lot of drunk, and potentially belligerent, patrons at whatever bar, club, restaurant, or party you are spinning. You may get yelled at. You may get punched. You may even get barfed on. Beware the Drunk Once a Year party-goer!

New Year’s Eve is also a very expensive night for those who go out. Everything costs more, from parking to door fees to dinner to drinks; it’s all priced at a premium rate because no one is going to turn around and go home on New Year’s Eve. Once you’re out, they’ve got you, and they know it. While this is great for the club-owner’s bank account, it can be disastrous for you, because at some point, regret is going to set in for a number of your patrons. They are going to realize they are spending hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars and they aren’t having fun commensurate with that expenditure.

Which leads me to the final, and most important, thing to remember. Everyone goes out on New Year’s Eve expecting to have The Best Time Ever™. But unlike other holidays, where there are certain built-in fun factors (Christmas gifts, Halloween Candy, Easter eggs, etc.), on New Year’s Eve there’s nothing but everyone in the entire city crammed together, spending massive amounts of money, gradually realizing they isn’t much going on. A lot of that angst can and will be directed at you. Beware!

The icing on the cake? The cherry on top? When everyone else has hooked up, passed out, or gone home, you have to pack up and brave the roads to get home. There are going to be a lot of angry drunks on those roads.

In short, be careful. Be as tactful and calm as you can, and don’t provoke anyone. Smile and do your job, and put up with all the crap you face as best you can, and next year, consider sitting this night out.