Crowd Reading?

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

Crowd Reading?

It seems to be general wisdom that the ability to read the crowd makes a good DJ. I for one have this strange feeling that crowdreading is just an empty phrase.

Here’s your free shot: I don’t have any gig experience. I might as well be some tool who hasn’t paid his dues and therefore has no idea about the true essence of teh DJness.

I can only tell from my experience as an object of observation for the DJ.
So when I’m on the dance floor, with all my sensorical antennas out (I don’t drink) what is it, that I read from the crowd?

“I wanna get drunk/laid tonight.”
“I’m in the market for pills”
“I have a strange facial expression because I didn’t expect the bass to hit so hard”

Well, I assume crowd-reading doesn’t mean to read facial expressions. But what does it mean anyway? Knowing how many people are dancing? How is this a skill?

A DJ is here to lead, not to read.
My point of view. The DJ has at any point total control of the crowd as he/she is the music maker, the dreamer of dreams. Crowd reading is as valuable to a DJ as reading a blank piece of paper is to a writer. It won’t tell anything, it’s waiting for input.

Enough with the controversy sparking. Time for a healthy discussion.

Oh, and for the guys who are already preparing their favorite story of a DJ who wasn’t aware of the fact that everybody has left the dance floor because he was so busy with his *)love for effects *)shuffle-step inducing controllerism *)insert DJ failure here: Reconsider your argument. Would his set have been better if he had tried harder reading the crowd? Don’t you think reconsidering his career choice would be the better option for him?

2

Well in my oponion reading the crowd plays in some of the night, but if you know your music, you will know what the crowd likes at the right time.

say its 11 oclock you got lil john in the east side boys-get low playing and you look at the crow everybody is screaming bumpin and grinding and dancing, all the females is booty shaking. What do you do throw on next, well as i stated before you just read the crowd you don’t throw on something that will stop that pace stop them from bumpin and grindin, you throw on something else that will make the females get lower and get even more nasty so you throw on a classic uncle luke to much booty in the pants. The crowd goes even more nuts.

Thats what I call reading the crowd, knowing when to keep the flow going, its not about a dj being to busy with effects, i have cleared a dance floor by putting on the wrong song not paying attention to the crowd and see how they are reacting to the song.

Some people play to hard into reading the crowd i will say 60% of the time I play what I want, but the other 40% i am looking at the crowd and seeing how they react to what I am playing.

The skill comes in from just doing parties you only get better at it the more you practice it the skill will come over time.

3

Crowd Reading

I’m agree with some things you said, but not with others.
For me, that had been in night bars and clubs since 1986, crowd reading means that you must read the answer of the crowd to your music selection, in order to maintain a groove in the whole space, not only in a little corner of the dancefloor where some specific music fans are dancing. A dj must help the waiters to sell more drinks, to keep the people in the place, specially girls.
This life, or this work is another f****ng bussiness at all, a service bussiness, but we can try to make it “artistic” in some ways, but you will be allways working for the crowd, so the show must go on, and of course before getting mad on controllerism, effects and mortal jumps like a circus member, you must reach a special level, practicing at home and developing at the club, if you can, by a crowd reading, experience is the mother of science…

4

I think you’re looking at what it means to “read” the crowd a little too seriously. It doesn’t mean to look at the crowd and say “Well, they obviously want to get drunker, so I’m gonna play something that makes them want to dance more and drink more”.

It’s more of the science of reaction. It’s looking at the crowd and saying “Alright, I’ve been playing this style and BPM for 40 minutes. My dance floor has waned a little bit. What do I play next to pump the energy back to the top?” Or, conversely “I have a packed dance floor but no one’s drinking. Shit, if the bar doesn’t make any money… Alright, so what do I play that will keep some dancing, and move others to the bar?”

Yeah, the DJ’s job is to keep people dancing. But it’s to lead, as well. A bad decision on the DJ’s part can kil a dance floor, kill the bar, kill the club. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve done it. You play that song you think is going to be amazing and the crowd isn’t feeling it so they leave the room their in and go to a different bar and you have four people who are esoteric enough as you to sit and listen to this awesome track.

That same guy rocking all those effects and everything, he drops those at the right point and the crowd will go nuts for it, eat it up. He drops em at the wrong point and everybody is disappointed and annoyed. shrug

To me, there’s a big difference between going out behind the decks and playing hit after hit after hit that they will definitely dance to, but won’t be anything interesting and new… and going out there and playing risky songs that they don’t know but keeping the energy moving in such a way that they can’t stop dancing. Different DJs have different techniques. I, personally, like to play newer, more obscure stuff that has the same, if not stronger, energy of the classics.

This means, though, that I have to take a lot more risks, and might not get as big of a floor, but I get noticed for how I do it, not just for what I do. :slight_smile:

Hope this answers something.

5

i didnt read everyone elses commments but reading and leading are equally important. i mean… generally people need guidance but, noones going to follow you into the bowels of a toilet

6

Until you have experience of success and failure of DJ gigs in general you have no clue what so ever how important it is to read a crowd and not be selfish .

7

well put

8

Of course. I didn’t mean to promote selfishness. Maybe you would like to exaggerate on the main question what crowdreading actually means for you.

DvlsAdvct, you made some great points. I really haven’t taken into account the drink sales man factor of a DJ. You’re right that I’m too focused on a semantic discussion of “reading” the crowd. I’m just not that happy with that term I guess.

Wow I was born that year. That’s some valuable feedback.

I’ll get my dose of fail and (hopefully some) win later in February, at my first party. I’m preparing and training every free hour (when I’m not writing extensive forum posts). I wouldn’t have gotten so far (technique-wise) that fast without DJTT.

The most excellent community around here.

9

Is it an alcohol crowd or a drug crowd? Do they want to fight or fuck? Do they have low energy? Do they seem to want to keep it that way? Are there a lot more girls than guys? Did the floor fill up when you played tribal african percussion or Brittney Spears remixes? Did it empty when you dropped an electro track? Is everyone in their 20s, or does it run from 18 to 50? Did the DJ before you ramp up the crowd, empty the floor, leave them wanting more, peak the room? Do you have a one-hour set or are you there all night?

That’s some of what crowd reading is. You need to pay attention, and you need to learn how to pay attention.

10

Crowd reading is just as important as the Promoter to put the right dj on the right time of the evening. Crowd reading sure helps, but if you’ve been booked to play a hard banging techno set, and thats all you got, but you are the first dj, sometimes crowd reading just wont help.

In that case, you need to be prepared with alternative stuff… and… well :wink:

11

Excellent discussion.

I can read that this crowd is generally made up of experienced DJs. some of them can see that the question is hypothetical and not meant to offend. others were quite offended by the fact that this budding hobbiest did not quite begin the topic with a neutral implication.

I read that some DJs pay attention to the dance floor, and other DJs feel that they are equally as accountable for the sales of the bar as the servers are. some experienced DJs didn’t even consider the bar because they were focused on the music!

excellent discussion. this is what a DJ community is all about.

I must suggest that no one get offended by disagreement though. Discussion has as much to do with growth and success as hands-on experience itself. two-sentence snippets of anger do not help anyone understand a concept, nor do they demonstrate one’s experience or allegiance to this community.

excellent discussion.
Sheph.

12

I dont get offended, I always have the crowd rocking! (lolz?!)

13

That’s the way it must be, specially if the venue wants to built a place with its own personality and taste, allways moving on and looking for more and better…
Taking this thoughts from the physical aspects of the place and the date of the gig.

14

Totally. Without this we would not have clubs Forward>> we would not have dubstep. Some clubs need to pick up new sounds as a massive part of progressing dance music!

I personally find it more fun playing a tune people havnt really heard before but its just so fucking banging the crowd goes off… More satisfying then playing ‘Eastern Jam’ for the 500th time.

15

There is an absolute science/skillset that gets associated with reading the crowd. If you’re on your game, and the venue is bright enough it’s quite simple.

My big beef with the non-smoking ordinance, is watching people smoke was one of my big things with figuring out what they wanted to hear more of. Did they take the drag on the highhat, snare, bass kick, vocal, or just totally off beat?

Now I’m just limited to eyeing for the same types of activities, with the drinks, and the way people stand/walk/sit.

I almost never read the dancefloor itself, I’ve already got them. And with a quick glance, I can tell if I need to up the energy, take it down, go in the same direction or shift it to keep them just by how into it they are. The dancefloor itself is so ridiculously easy to read, a 12 year old can do it (are they REALLY into it, or just kinda into it?) When I “read the crowd” I typically am reading the people that are NOT dancing. Because I want to get those folks on the floor.

Example. You’re playing “Daft Punk - Around the world”
You’ve got a dancefloor of 20 and 5 people standing aside watching the dancefloor.
Guy 1 has his arm around his girlfriend and takes a sip from his drink on the 32, and is very slightly bobing his head to the left, towards his girlfriend, on the offbeat.
Girl 2 (the girlfriend) takes longer sips from her drink on the counter synth and on the vocals. She is shifting her shoulders up and down on beat, and swinging her hips slightly.
Guy 3, the third wheel is tapping his foot on beat, chatting with his buddy (guy 1 to his left) and staring at a particular girl on the dancefloor.
Guy 4, deep in conversation with his buddy, Guy 5. Guy 4 uses his hands a lot and whether he realises it or not, moves with the counter synth.
Guy 5, moves with the bassline. (again, probably unconcious)

In this case, you know exactly, what kind of music each of these folks want to listen to at this moment. Except for 4&5. You will need a second test to know for sure, but that’s what your next song is for.

Guy 4&5: Just don’t like house music. You know 5 likes bass, and you know guy 4 is a synth junkie. But that’s all you know. You’ll need the next song to know for sure. But maybe you’ll make a lucky guess.
Guy 3: Wants heavier bass, He’s probably a trancehead.
Girl 2&Guy 1: They want to dance with each other, they practically requested something that they can dance together to. Come on! Do her a favor and get the girl laid! Don’t you have a heart?!?!

And as far as your dancefloor, they just danced to around the world…they’ll dance to anything. =^P

So yes. There absolutely is science/skill involved in reading the crowd. Of course, the more you learn your crowd (the guy with the frosted hair always acts like this when he loves the song) the easier and quicker you’ll be able to do it. Often times we learn this skill subliminally. I’d love for more DJs to be aware of this skill in their arsenal, and use the powers for good!

16

i just play what i like and the crowd always seems to love it. :slight_smile:

but in my experience as party-goer if I’m not digging what a dj is playing at that exact moment i’ll take the opportunity to go buy a drink, step out for a smoke, or use the washroom. If I’m digging what the dj is playing i’m dancing,hollering,clapping whatever- you know havin a good one.

it’s not rocket science. if people are diggin it, the dance floor will be hopping… if your bombing the dance floor will clear out.

17

:roll_eyes:

18

Reading the crowd comes down to playing what people want to listen, dance, sing and drink to. Unfortunately for me the club i play at is prone to request music due to the previous dj’s over the years. I’m slowly getting to a point where people realise they can now just dance and enjoy the music without having to come and keep asking me to play their song over and over thinking i’m not going to play it after they request it.

The club is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm till 2am and to do 3 nights in a row can be excruciatingly hard to keep pumping sometimes… this all comes down to reading the crowd. I’m lucky to have such a wide range of music and genre’s so i am able to take people on the so called “Musical Journey.” This is another talent that is what i believe is only a natural given. Some nights i can have a massive crowd that want to listen to just RNB, Hip Hop and some electronic/techno music with the Top 40 wrapped in throughout the night. Hard to keep going but do-able and it keeps that drinking to dancing ratio happening. Other nights it can turn into a standard pub with a pool table atmosphere where everyone just wants to stand around n talk n listen to some good old rock. So either or i’m kinda lucky in a sense because the bar gets money, i get compliments, i keep everyone happy and i get paid to do something i enjoy.

A lot of people say reading the crowd is watching who taps there toe or whatever but i think if people are dancing and drinking and having a good time and your not creating trainwrecks swapping and changing between genre’s and people arent fighting and angry then your doing a good job!

19

A great example of how the science and skill of reading the crowd can make all the difference.

If you understand the psychology of how music effects people it can make all the difference in the world.

Example: There was a DJ a few nights ago DJing out here. They played some great music, their track selection was on, the phrasing was perfect, and the mixes were pristine. They had a banging dancefloor playing losts of heavy dark electro. But somewhere in the middle, more and more people were going outside to smoke. and eventually the energy was lost.

I chatted with him afterwards, and he wasn’t sure where he went wrong. I told him one thing, “Compression and loudness” He looked at me kind of funny and said “what do you mean?” Well, loudness and compression are physically exhausting techniques to your ear and body. Enough over compression and your listeners will get more tired on the dancefloor, and they probably wont know why! They may be having a blast, and loving the music, but just physically cant dance anymore. Soon that exhaustion will turn into annoyance and resentment. And soon they’ll anxiously await the next DJ.

Had he picked up on the fact that every track he was playing was overly compressed and running hot, he might have pulled it back for a song or two to add some dynamic to the mix.

Real DJs have curves.
Fletcher–Munson curves. hehehehe. :wink:

20

very true, you have to build in highs and lows in your set, you cannot peak all the time, dynamics are everything :wink: