Something that has really got on my nerves recently, and caused me to change my style (for the better I hope), is seeing DJs who treat the decks like some kind of enemy. These DJs look at their hands as if they are unpredictable world ruining cauliflowers, and any attempt at communication by an outsider, or, god forbid, any physical contact with them or the equipment will result in all means of catastrophe. Fellow DJs will shake their heads and pull down the peaks of their caps in embarrassment, the ladies will leave, and all that will be left is a self hating, world hating little billy no mates with two useless good for nothing shit vegetables where their hands should be.
I am not going to pretend that I was not once that person. It is easy to fall into the illusion that your consistency of beatmatching skill is the only thing that will make daddy love you, but what I have learned during my relatively short stint as a club DJ is that… DADADUMMMMMMM *** >>> Nobody else cares. At their most fickle, the people on the floor want to hear their favourite tune. At their most loyal, they’ll want music that makes them feel good AND, and here’s the important bit, they want to see YOU having a good time. Play the tunes you love, but don’t be stubborn with it. Have a drink (or 5) before and during your set. Loosen up. You want to play an Elton John track after a Booka Shade tune, do it. I promise it’ll make your job a million times more enjoyable, and it’ll make the crowd remember not just your tunes, but your personality.
I dont know about this whole “the crowd doesnt care” attitude. Maybe they don’t in clubs where the music is all top 40, but certainly do in the clubs I go to. I’v heard many general punters complaining when the DJ was doing too many spinbacks, trainwrecking mix’s etc. A lot of people go to clubs for the music, not just to get drunk and get laid. The idea that they dont know any better so it doesn’t matter is a little insulting I think.
being comfortable playing in front of a crowd just comes with experience (and perhaps a couple of drinks).
synopsis: you should do your best to sound your best, in the end tho i dont care how awesome you think everyone thinks you are, the truth is the people dancing are doing the dj as big or bigger favor. this is true from one listener to 10,000 imho.
I think top 40 clubs are a completely different kettle of fish and they certainly aren’t the kind of clubs I’m referring to. I’m also not saying “the crowd doesn’t care” as an umbrella statement. The crowd, more often than not, cares more about the kind of tunes you are playing in response to the crowd and overall atmosphere of the space than whether or not the DJ can make two tunes sound like one. So many times i’ve heard DJs playing flawless sets from a sheet of paper, which would go off in 1 out of 99 situations, but it’s the lack of awareness of their surroundings which lets them down. I’d much prefer to hear an all over the place mess of a set with tunes that truly compliment the vibe of the room. So I don’t think commenting on the crowd not caring about the DJ’s beatmatching skills is offensive to anyone, because I don’t either. I’ve started messing around way more in sets, and although I get the occasional po-faced wobreg giving me a disapproving glance, the rewards are tenfold when it comes to the crowd’s mood and my own.
I wasn’t referring to you specifically, more the general impression i’ve gotten from a lot of posts on the forum touching on the same subject. While someones beatmatching ability might not dictate how the crowd responds directly, it will effect the flow of his/her set. Perfect transitions may not be a necessity but they help maintain the overall vibe on the dancefloor and if you trainwreck a mix and confuse the dancers then it will be detrimental to the overall atmosphere.
Yeah true, too many booboos can ruin a vibe, I just think a trainwreck here and there definitely isn’t anywhere near as bad as DJs tend to think. I like to be reminded that there’s a human at the controls.
The difference between some guy looking like hes checking his facebook, and doesn’t like what he sees and another guy loving every track, jumping around and just enjoying each track, making contact with you…who is more fun? I don’t care about the technical skill involved, within reason.
I agree, don’t make djing some massive thing, it really isn’t, the sooner you realise it’s all fun the sooner you can just go do it…it’s really all about the people you meet anyway, not what other people post about you on the net 2 weeks after you play.
Yeah that’s it, i’ve made a really expensive switch to DVS after using a controller for about 2 years and it was the best decision i’ve ever made. It’s about eighty times more fun because now I can spend most of my time looking and vibing off the crowd instead of trying to twist a tiny twatty little knob whilst trying to look like i’m having fun.
I think it’s not that the crowd doesn’t care, so much as the crowd at most venues is not made up of 80% DJs, so what you see as a critical mistake is not nearly as big of a deal as you make it out to be in your head. I remember reading another thread here where the poster said something to the tune of, “I accidentally touched the vinyl of the main track, making it go ‘wiki wiki’ and the crowd went nuts!” Yeah, he accidentally “scratched” and probably felt like an idiot, but the crowd loved it. I agree with the sentiment of, “the DJ should be having a good time.” When you’re enjoying your mix, you’re much more apt to add in creative flair and you’re more likely to get a good feel for the music. This goes back to an article written on the DJTT blog maybe about a year ago about dancing being the DJ’s “secret weapon.” If you’re dancing, that’s good. If your mixing is making_you_dance, that’s what you want to aim for. Even within the context of my own mixes, I can tell that when I can’t stop myself from dancing it’s a pretty solid mix. Whereas if I’m disaffected, dispassionate, and just going through the motions of throwing the next track on… not so much.
you take yourself too seriously then. all DJs do is play tetris with other peoples music. It should be fun for you and the crowd. neither would be there without the other.
Not at all, it seems like you’re agreeing with me in an argumentative way which is odd. I really don’t know what point your making, all I know is that I disagree with the idea of the crowd doing the DJ a favour in dancing. I can’t imagine a person walking in to an empty club, seeing the DJ and thinking “He looks lonely, better go and dance”. Nobody’s doing anyone a favour in this situation are they?
semantically i guess favor was a poor choice of word, im really not in disagreement with you at all. i thought we were both saying dont take yourself too serious, just make the dancers dance.
