I'm a DJ who performs at clubs and bars. Here are 10 things that people should stop doing on a night out.

Asking me for a song is fine, but not when you can't remember the name of it, or even who sang it.

"I think it goes, 'Duh, duh duh, duh duh duh, duhhhhhh.'"

Helpful.

Again, asking for a song is fine, but please make sure it's at least slightly in keeping with the vibe of the night.

If it's a house music night, for example, there's very little chance I'll play "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. If it's a hip-hop night, again, "Sweet Caroline" isn't the one.

In fact, "Sweet Caroline" is never the one. Sorry, Neil.

So you've bypassed the first two no-nos and have successfully requested a song that I said I would play. Well done!

Now, don't ruin it by continually asking me to play it over and over again. Even worse, don't tell me you're "leaving soon" in an effort to hurry me up.

Mixing songs is an art form and I'll play your song when the time is right, not when you want.

This seems to be a trend among younger people, but holding up your phone with the song you want to be played spelled out in massive letters is a surefire way to ensure I don't do it.

If you're going to ask, at least do it properly.

This rule also applies to when I DJ at weddings, or anywhere, in fact.

DJ kit is expensive and doesn't tend to react well to having beer, wine, or whatever your tipple of choice is, spilled all over it.

What many people don't realize is that when DJs are DJing, they are actually at work.

I get that it doesn't always look like we are, but we are.

That means having someone stand right next to you, watching what you're doing, and, even worse, asking how you're doing it, is very distracting.

I bet you wouldn't like it if I turned up to your office, stood behind your chair, and asked you what you're doing all day, would you?

Partygoers can be incredibly selfish and quite often fail to recognize that there are hundreds of others around them also trying to have a good night.

My job as the DJ is to make sure that most people are.

Sadly, I can never please everyone, and that means at some point in the night, you're likely to hear a song you just don't like. That's okay. Go get a drink, have a chat with a friend, and come back once it's finished.

Don't keep signaling to me with your hands to switch the song. It's rude and means I'll just play it longer.

"I'm a DJ too, you know?"

That's cool. And by DJ, I assume you mean you once bought a $100 controller from Amazon, tried it a few times, couldn't get the hang of it, and now it's sat under your bed collecting dust?

Speaking from the perspective of a DJ, the biggest sin you can commit as a partygoer is touching the gear.

Unless I've said you can (at which point I'll make sure nothing can go wrong), consider it a one-way ticket out of the club.

Firstly, it's straight-up annoying.

Secondly, if you press the wrong button or for some reason spin the platter backward (which people have done to my kit on numerous occasions), you'll stop the music and put a dampener on the evening.

And finally, you could break the kit, which will result in the night becoming an expensive one for you.

This one goes without saying, but it happens far more often than you'd care to think in a nightclub environment.

Not only is fighting downright stupid, but the consequences can be severe, whether that be you ending up in a jail cell, a hospital, or worse.

As a secondary point, you'll also ruin the night for me and everyone else, so stop it.