Arrogant DJing or Crowd pleasing slave!??

Dave just brought something up that I kinda feel strong about...

where do u stand...
Play what the fu** I want, don't care if the crowd likes it.. or
play what the crowd wants...

Ok these r extrems but I'm quite sure u'd place yerself closer 2 one that the other...

Personally I feel the dj is an artist and if he has worked 2 create a definition/ sound of his own he is intiteled 2 play what he feels like... I mean would u expect going 2 a Slayer concert and hearing samba or classical music or what ever other than Slayer sound!?!

Sure U should work the crowd with what u got in yer crate... but my crate has only stuff that i like I dont' carry any "I really don't like this but gets the crowd moving" records!!!


Z

I play what the crowd is reacting too until i know theyre in the palm of my hand and i can throw whatever i want at them....
its a mix of both cos i cant play a set of tunes i love but that no one is reacting too you know?? then again, if the crowd likes it then i get into it too....tough call!

I would say you need to find what the crowd like then play around that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DJ Ze MigL

Dave just brought something up that I kinda feel strong about...

where do u stand...
Play what the fu** I want, don't care if the crowd likes it.. or
play what the crowd wants...

Ok these r extrems but I'm quite sure u'd place yerself closer 2 one that the other...

Personally I feel the dj is an artist and if he has worked 2 create a definition/ sound of his own he is intiteled 2 play what he feels like... I mean would u expect going 2 a Slayer concert and hearing samba or classical music or what ever other than Slayer sound!?!

Sure U should work the crowd with what u got in yer crate... but my crate has only stuff that i like I dont' carry any "I really don't like this but gets the crowd moving" records!!!


Z

---

yes mate im with you, i also belive strongly in not giving people what they expect.

giving people what they expect to hear is hardly inspiring, if every dj didnt give people what they expected to hear we would have a better scene.

i recently played a set in a pub situated on a council estate, the customers are used too hearing cheese rammed down throats constantly, and thats how they like it too, sadly they didnt get what they wanted. i played a techno set and it went down just like the titanic! if there too narrowminded to try & understand/respect the music then fu*k em. it doesnt deter me though, ill always play what the fu*k i like :twisted:

i think the whole point of a dj is to make people dance
i mean would you really take a gig at a jungle club if you were playing hard trance?

i sometimes think people forget the whole role of a dj.

it's all about understanding, you have to meet the crowd in the middle.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wenna

it's all about understanding, you have to meet the crowd in the middle.

---

well said.

I say play what u like, not what peolple expect u to play and furtheremore i think it's up to promoter to put u in a line up where u belong and where u can make your set closer to artistic one.
I think if u play what the crowd wants (for instance just big dancefloor killers) than u become nothing but a cheese commercial motherf***** and that's where underground stops, if we can even talk about techno being underground these days. 8)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gloomy

I say play what u like, not what peolple expect u to play and furtheremore i think it's up to promoter to put u in a line up where u belong and where u can make your set closer to artistic one.
I think if u play what the crowd wants (for instance just big dancefloor killers) than u become nothing but a cheese commercial motherf***** and that's where underground stops, if we can even talk about techno being underground these days. 8)

---

but surely he wouldn`t play a set in a club where everyone just wants the big floor fillers?

plaing what only you want to play is ok if you already produce and you're getting booked for your production style. but if you only dj, you have to compromise or you don't get booked, which in turn defeats the object of getting ppl into your sound (why else whould you dj huh???). my big thing is to get ppl on side and then occasinally go left of centre. mind you, if i played some of the shit i sometimes like listening to at home, i'd be shot. i think being clever about the way you 'tell' ppl about your sound is the way forward.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MARK EG

plaing what only you want to play is ok if you already produce and you're getting booked for your production style.

---

True!!!

Quote:

---

but if you only dj, you have to compromise or you don't get booked, which in turn defeats the object of getting ppl into your sound (why else whould you dj huh???).

---

This can be a problem, yes. But in my opinion it's better not to play at all than to become "a request DJ".

But hey who am I to say what's right & what's not it's up to one self to decide although I think it's those who played what they liked that became big (at least for me). :wink:

some good points from everyone here. These days, production gets ur name about and usually promoters will be more likely to book you if youve had a couple of releases over a dj who hasnt yet developed a profile for themselves, but a good example of where this doesnt really come into play is with Dj Rush. If you listen to most of Rush's production, its very funky but still with a hard edge at times, depending on the label etc, but his dj sets are alot lot harder.

i say that you should stick to your sound no matter wot. Wots the point in getting your name about as a hard techno dj, only to compromise your sound simply because say a more trancey nite wants u to play there club? I know Mark does both, but he has worked hard at this any everyone knows that there is more to Mark than just a trance or just a techno Dj.

hope that makes sense haha

:D

thanx eyes!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by eyes without a face

some good points from everyone here. These days, production gets ur name about and usually promoters will be more likely to book you if youve had a couple of releases over a dj who hasnt yet developed a profile for themselves, but a good example of where this doesnt really come into play is with Dj Rush. If you listen to most of Rush's production, its very funky but still with a hard edge at times, depending on the label etc, but his dj sets are alot lot harder.

i say that you should stick to your sound no matter wot. Wots the point in getting your name about as a hard techno dj, only to compromise your sound simply because say a more trancey nite wants u to play there club? I know Mark does both, but he has worked hard at this any everyone knows that there is more to Mark than just a trance or just a techno Dj.

hope that makes sense haha

---

made perfect sense scott.

no worries mate, credit were credit due

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DJ Ze MigL

Dave just brought something up that I kinda feel strong about...

where do u stand...
Play what the fu** I want, don't care if the crowd likes it.. or
play what the crowd wants...

Ok these r extrems but I'm quite sure u'd place yerself closer 2 one that the other...

Personally I feel the dj is an artist and if he has worked 2 create a definition/ sound of his own he is intiteled 2 play what he feels like... I mean would u expect going 2 a Slayer concert and hearing samba or classical music or what ever other than Slayer sound!?!

Sure U should work the crowd with what u got in yer crate... but my crate has only stuff that i like I dont' carry any "I really don't like this but gets the crowd moving" records!!!


Z

---

Topic and a half mate....

give and take imo...dont think ive had enough experience really too give a good answer, but from the gigs ive had in the last couple of years, ive always went for a happy medium personally, i ave a wide range of tastes, through most forms of trance and through tech house and hard techno, so i dont think it is as hard for someone who crosses over, but for specialist djs, i can imagine it being tough too give a crowd wat they want when they personally are only playin out the one genre.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gloomy

I say play what u like, not what peolple expect u to play and furtheremore i think it's up to promoter to put u in a line up where u belong and where u can make your set closer to artistic one.
I think if u play what the crowd wants (for instance just big dancefloor killers) than u become nothing but a cheese commercial motherf***** and that's where underground stops, if we can even talk about techno being underground these days. 8)

---

damn right mate :wink:

I think you should play what u like and what u usually play. After all that is why you have been booked. You are not gonna get a booking without someone listening to your style.

If u get booked in a techno club u play techno, and a trance club, trance. If however it is a techno and trance night, you play what ppl least expect to hear and throw the bastards

Bloody he** just came back and saw the feedback... :shock:


My thoughs... U have worked and taken a lot of sh** 2 b able 2 only play what I want...(of course being very carefull 2 explain what u r about and making sure u only get booked at the proper places is of crucial importance!!)...
Mind u that with in your scope U should do absolutly everything 2 get the party going...
Sure I like stuff that I don't even think of playing but that goes well down 2 thinking a bit when U prepare yer bags...

I've always believe in crafting yer style ... but I've always prefer "...breaking 2 bending!!..."

I would rather have people calling me ugly names (after I'd try everything 2 get' em moving) than playing cheese on toast!!


I think that if u play 4 the crowd only u get bigger & faster.. but the bigger u get the bigger the venues u play.. the bigger the venues... the more cheese ..

IT'S MY VIEW, NO MORE VALUABLE THAN ANY1s ELSE... RESPECT!

Z

Since the crowd pays to be entertained, it is my job to entertain them. No way I´m gonna piss em off by doing my thing not giving a shit about the people. The crowd always comes first for me.