djdanmcdermott
Ok I have to weigh in. I believe that a customer who dances spend the same as a customer who doesn't. While I obviously prefer a bunch of people dancing all the time, I know that isn't really going to happen. I remember that part of our job is playing songs (which songs and in which order are what we are good at, of course--and why we get more $$$ than a jukebox) but we are also employees of the establishment and our other job is to please the customers--ALL of them--within reason. That said, if I am at a club with 90 blacks who want Nelly and Mike Jones and three white guys and one of the white guys wants four George Jones songs I would have to diplomatically explain why I can't do it.
If I get a request that I know is going to bomb I handle it this way. After a killer slow song or two where everyone is dancing and I'm getting ready to change pace, I'll throw it in saying, "OK, this is a special request for a really good customer. I got Pussycat Dolls coming right up after that!" or something to that effect. That way people don't think I'm picking the song and understand that a good dance song is just around the corner. Then everyone is happy. Another trick is to steer this customer to another song in the same genre. To use the reverse of my previous example, say I'm at a redneck club and one of three blacks comes up and wants still tippin by Mike Jones. That won't work with the rednecks (I say that effectionately since I live in a redneck town and love all sorts of people) so I might suggest Gettin Jiggy With It or Hot In Herre or something more mainstream so the black dude gets to enjoy something and the country fans will hear something they don't particulary like but don't hate either. (Again.... "Alright, we got a special request for a little Will Smith and we got some awesome Toby Keith coming up right after that....") Another example is if I get a request for an obscure bluegrass song, I will try to suggest to them that Rocky Top or Orange Blossom Special might do better. Again, even people who hate bluegrass can stand those two songs. There are songs in every genre that were crossover hits. That's what you want to try to stick to in my opinon. Just like blacks who hate country will dance to The Dance by Garth Brooks--because it's a killer song. A ballad is a ballad.
I know you can't play Merle Haggard in a hip hop club and you can't play late night BET stuff at the Moose Lodge but I think as professionals we should try to accommodate marginal requests or steer the customer toward a compromise selection that will work.
If I get a request that I know is going to bomb I handle it this way. After a killer slow song or two where everyone is dancing and I'm getting ready to change pace, I'll throw it in saying, "OK, this is a special request for a really good customer. I got Pussycat Dolls coming right up after that!" or something to that effect. That way people don't think I'm picking the song and understand that a good dance song is just around the corner. Then everyone is happy. Another trick is to steer this customer to another song in the same genre. To use the reverse of my previous example, say I'm at a redneck club and one of three blacks comes up and wants still tippin by Mike Jones. That won't work with the rednecks (I say that effectionately since I live in a redneck town and love all sorts of people) so I might suggest Gettin Jiggy With It or Hot In Herre or something more mainstream so the black dude gets to enjoy something and the country fans will hear something they don't particulary like but don't hate either. (Again.... "Alright, we got a special request for a little Will Smith and we got some awesome Toby Keith coming up right after that....") Another example is if I get a request for an obscure bluegrass song, I will try to suggest to them that Rocky Top or Orange Blossom Special might do better. Again, even people who hate bluegrass can stand those two songs. There are songs in every genre that were crossover hits. That's what you want to try to stick to in my opinon. Just like blacks who hate country will dance to The Dance by Garth Brooks--because it's a killer song. A ballad is a ballad.
I know you can't play Merle Haggard in a hip hop club and you can't play late night BET stuff at the Moose Lodge but I think as professionals we should try to accommodate marginal requests or steer the customer toward a compromise selection that will work.
Posted Sat 27 Aug 05 @ 10:27 am
acw_dj
Dan, I get your point, your right. You think in both sides, and just want something in the middle... It's the job well done... (We look for others safety and for us too) It's the job well ;-)
Posted Sat 27 Aug 05 @ 10:56 am
Raw-Bear
DJ-ALF, I disagree with you 100%. Your way is NOT the right way.Go here and read up on it.
http://www.atomixmp3.com/forum/display.html?topic=39174
http://www.atomixmp3.com/forum/display.html?topic=39174
Posted Sat 27 Aug 05 @ 1:39 pm
bagpuss
Yeah, my post also protested arrogant DJ's..
Posted Sat 27 Aug 05 @ 1:51 pm
vpcdj
djdanmcdermott and raw-bear's link took some of u guys to high school. haha...
in the club there'r 3 people to please: the customers, the owner and the workers (bar tenders/security). just like to survive in any business u must please the customer, the shareholders and ur fellow employees.
in this dj business how someone even thinks twice about takin requests beats me.
when i go to a new club i request rare songs. mostly remixes. i keep in mind the bpm in play so that its hard for the dj to come up with excuses. and i time it right after they bring a song in so i get him free-not working on the next song. i do this just to test how good the djs know their music and size up their equipment. in my area only 2/10 djs know their ish. all 10 clubs and bars are well established.
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now when it comes to requests i think of urself as a restaurant owner. i own this restaurant but alergic or just dont like certain foods. when a customer orders for those meals i cant say they r bad jus coz i dont eat them. ur poison could be someone else's meat. when a 300Lb customer asks for a quadruple burger its not my place to tell him its not good for his health. lol just serve him coz thats what the customer wants.
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to me there's no such thing as a bad song. i might not feel a song but that doesnt mean i hate it. same with genres. i was an r&b dance (c&c music factory, gypsy womn) listener back in the day but never really a techno fan. but with the internet i read up on the history of techno music and got to appreciate it. infact from music production/dj point of view there's a very very fine line btwn hip-hop and techno. (for my next study i'd like to get into rock and metal but i dont know where to start)
anyway my point is we cant know why some people like certain songs. they might have some sentiments attached to the songs like their girlfriends, the bassline, saw the artist live etc... not that we should care about every reason why people like songs [and play them] but im just trying to show that just coz we dont feel certain songs we as djs should be carefull about judging songs.
with me as a dj and music critic im very careful of my choice of words about songs. if someone asks me about a song and i dont like it, i tell them "im not feeling it YET" or i need some time to get on it.
in the club there'r 3 people to please: the customers, the owner and the workers (bar tenders/security). just like to survive in any business u must please the customer, the shareholders and ur fellow employees.
in this dj business how someone even thinks twice about takin requests beats me.
when i go to a new club i request rare songs. mostly remixes. i keep in mind the bpm in play so that its hard for the dj to come up with excuses. and i time it right after they bring a song in so i get him free-not working on the next song. i do this just to test how good the djs know their music and size up their equipment. in my area only 2/10 djs know their ish. all 10 clubs and bars are well established.
---
now when it comes to requests i think of urself as a restaurant owner. i own this restaurant but alergic or just dont like certain foods. when a customer orders for those meals i cant say they r bad jus coz i dont eat them. ur poison could be someone else's meat. when a 300Lb customer asks for a quadruple burger its not my place to tell him its not good for his health. lol just serve him coz thats what the customer wants.
---
to me there's no such thing as a bad song. i might not feel a song but that doesnt mean i hate it. same with genres. i was an r&b dance (c&c music factory, gypsy womn) listener back in the day but never really a techno fan. but with the internet i read up on the history of techno music and got to appreciate it. infact from music production/dj point of view there's a very very fine line btwn hip-hop and techno. (for my next study i'd like to get into rock and metal but i dont know where to start)
anyway my point is we cant know why some people like certain songs. they might have some sentiments attached to the songs like their girlfriends, the bassline, saw the artist live etc... not that we should care about every reason why people like songs [and play them] but im just trying to show that just coz we dont feel certain songs we as djs should be carefull about judging songs.
with me as a dj and music critic im very careful of my choice of words about songs. if someone asks me about a song and i dont like it, i tell them "im not feeling it YET" or i need some time to get on it.
Posted Sat 27 Aug 05 @ 4:42 pm
acw_dj
vpcdj,
I only can say "this like me" "this not like me", I always have songs of all genres but all of them most "like me" in some way so I can FEEL confortable. For me isn't that hard 'cause I like every kind of music. Be open mind is a factor to be a DJ in all music styles. It's a way to do things, I think your's is more diplomatic.
I only can say "this like me" "this not like me", I always have songs of all genres but all of them most "like me" in some way so I can FEEL confortable. For me isn't that hard 'cause I like every kind of music. Be open mind is a factor to be a DJ in all music styles. It's a way to do things, I think your's is more diplomatic.
Posted Sun 28 Aug 05 @ 2:45 am
vpcdj
we as djs we have a lot of power. well speaking for myself at least. djs can or should break records.
i can understand a regular listener down-grading a song. in this music biz i look at it like there'r 2 sides. the labels and the listeners. and we djs r in the middle. yes ive been paid to play songs too. yes its a mild form of payola... but so what i think im underpaid.
anyway what changed my hard critism for songs was reading an interview by some artist about how a website bashed his cd. he's an underground rapper. he said he couldnt believe how they bashed the cd and how he'd worked so hard to get it where it was. Its Saigon im talkin about. he's a contender of the 'next big artist' and all that woo-ha. anyway saigon is not a bad rapper. this's a dude who's had trouble with the law and finally decided to do good.. worked hard on gettin his cd right... and this website grabs a hold of it and whips it. saigon is not jayz whereby if his cd doesnt do well life is still ok, that cd is his life.
and if this music doesnt work its back to the streets or crime. i'll be a lil harsh on lil romeo or these other rich kid artists.
i can understand a regular listener down-grading a song. in this music biz i look at it like there'r 2 sides. the labels and the listeners. and we djs r in the middle. yes ive been paid to play songs too. yes its a mild form of payola... but so what i think im underpaid.
anyway what changed my hard critism for songs was reading an interview by some artist about how a website bashed his cd. he's an underground rapper. he said he couldnt believe how they bashed the cd and how he'd worked so hard to get it where it was. Its Saigon im talkin about. he's a contender of the 'next big artist' and all that woo-ha. anyway saigon is not a bad rapper. this's a dude who's had trouble with the law and finally decided to do good.. worked hard on gettin his cd right... and this website grabs a hold of it and whips it. saigon is not jayz whereby if his cd doesnt do well life is still ok, that cd is his life.
and if this music doesnt work its back to the streets or crime. i'll be a lil harsh on lil romeo or these other rich kid artists.
Posted Sun 28 Aug 05 @ 7:07 pm
acw_dj
In that case we have to put some "new" music and let the people make their own decisions. If the people don’t like it, then it's out. It's hard, it's terrible, but it's life. I understand you and maybe we don't be who has to determinate if one song is "good" or it isn't.
Then again is a matter of taste, my friends and my costumers has a picture of my as a DJ. I play any music but with my flavor... It's my job, I do it like I know or learn to do it. I must believe in what I'm playing in some way, or I loose control to visualize the sequence of the Gig.
Then again is a matter of taste, my friends and my costumers has a picture of my as a DJ. I play any music but with my flavor... It's my job, I do it like I know or learn to do it. I must believe in what I'm playing in some way, or I loose control to visualize the sequence of the Gig.
Posted Sun 28 Aug 05 @ 7:34 pm
vpcdj
in relation to this thread i wouldnt really give the crowd a choice to judge the song lol. its not radio. i'll hype the song and trick the crowd that i like it. if its that bad then i'll make it be known it was a request by whoever lol.
with me tho i noticed the crowd didnt ask for [too many] requests. they let me do me. i dont think there's a song that bad that i couldnt help push. unless sumeone is really really off tangent. bpm is not really an issue with me coz 91bpm vs a 100bpm doesnt mean the 100 is the "faster" song. one could dance the 88--93 range faster than the 102--107. then again not all songs have to bpm mix. once u prove to the crowd u have skillz (scratch/bpm mixing/crowd control) they trust whatever u do.
with me tho i noticed the crowd didnt ask for [too many] requests. they let me do me. i dont think there's a song that bad that i couldnt help push. unless sumeone is really really off tangent. bpm is not really an issue with me coz 91bpm vs a 100bpm doesnt mean the 100 is the "faster" song. one could dance the 88--93 range faster than the 102--107. then again not all songs have to bpm mix. once u prove to the crowd u have skillz (scratch/bpm mixing/crowd control) they trust whatever u do.
Posted Sun 28 Aug 05 @ 10:51 pm