Well, I'm certainly
not the expert here on that type of DJing (live EDM performance-oriented), but since we've had 220 views and zero responses (
!!), I'll give it a shot. I do not DJ with a laptop (CDJ-type players with some digital augmentation for convenience), but from what I've seen and heard, Ableton is the DAW to use for exactly what you want to do. I think the key would be having templates set-up for all of your songs, but having sections and samples set aside that you can mix in and out at will, and a lot of practice to figure out when and where you'll repeat and skip sections, how you'll create new arrangements on-the-fly, how you'll mix elements in and out to create breakdowns and build-ups, and what hardware/live instruments you might be able to integrate to create something really unique and truly your own.
There are lots of resources here at FP that you can dig into; spend some time searching. But I would also suggest looking at other sites and forums that specialize in the type of music you wish to perform, and watch other electronic artists' YouTube videos and listen to/see what they do and why and how they do it.
I've found this site very interesting and maybe there will be more folks there using Ableton to help you out:
DJ TechTools | The largest community for DJ and producer techniques, tutorials, and tips. Traktor secrets, controller reviews, a massive MIDI mapping library, and more.
You may also want to look here, for more software-specific performance info:
https://forum.ableton.com/
Here is an article that you may find interesting/helpful:
How should you perform your electronic music live? | Computer music live | Tech News | MusicRadar
Here's someone trying to directly address the question you asked (hope it's as helpful as the first few minutes make it seem):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGSQ_B09X9Q
Finally, there are a ton of these types of guys and gals on YouTube-- watch and glean what you can, and not only decide what you might want to
emulate, but also what
doesn't work/things you
definitely wouldn't want to do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9eRYbwjnig
I guess big themes to think about would be are you a software (primarily computer) or hardware (stand-alone electronics and actual live instruments) guy, and/or how much do you want to integrate the two approaches? My personal feelings are that I'd rather see an electronic music performer
actually perform something, rather than press play an a pre-set tune on the DAW in their laptop. If that's their "show," it's the same as watching a guy put in a CD and turn it on (which most of us can do at home)-- so make it exciting!
GJ
PS-- A late addition; I REALLY like what
this guy is doing (special thanks to "dactyl" for high-lighting this video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JECYsbyc_Fg&feature=player_embedded
