Do most club DJs these days suck or what?
By adamg - 3/28/10 - 9:35 am
Teddy Kokoros certainly thinks so:
... The guy at Club Royale last night was playing lame mash ups (think Journey combined with Lady Gaga) that anyone could download off the Internet which were very similar to the lame mash ups the dude was playing at Gypsy Bar a few weeks before that. I am pretty sure Phoenix Landing just uses an ipod playlist in most cases because the songs end and there is a one second pause a lot before the next one starts. ...
Comments
Just To Clarify
My biggest peeve is I think in many cases they are using a pre-made mix as opposed to mixing while actually at the venue. (I could be wrong) Second too many places fall back on the same songs and mash ups over and over again. I have nothing against Journey or Sir Mix A Lot, but people should not always use Don't Stop Believing and Baby Got Back. I know the Black Eyed Peas sell a lot a records, but their music is relatively safe hip hop for younger kids to listen to in front of their parents and is generally pretty crappy. I am not asking for uber underground hip hop that no one has heard before but some slightly newer up and coming artists who have great dance songs would be nice. How about some Wale? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6b6MuwFqoo How about some Kid Cudi? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt22KvnRSL4 How about some B.o.B? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PTDv_szmL0&feature=channel How about some Passion Pit? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxL9Hod_qCY How about some LCD Soundsystems http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH8_bWOUcwc Hell how about playing the new Drake and T.I. singles that came out in the past few weeks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Ak_AJmQo0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNxvqhjEJJA
Just please please no more journey.
I believe The Smiths said it best in the final refrain of the song "Panic" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AlH2oYedfk
The problem...
Yes Teddy, you are going to find that most DJ's/Clubs are supplying patrons with music they have aleady heard and are familiar with. Hence, Black Eyed Peas every night. The reason why (and I know this trust me) is that the vast majority of people WANT that. They don't know what to do with music they haven't heard before, they want the comfort of dancing to the greatest song ever(!) that they've been hearing and humming all week. When DJ's try to spin something unfamiliar, watch the dance floor empty out. There are however clubs you can go to that try to cater to the crowds that are more adventerous and would rather eat glass than hear Lady Gaga. Middlesex, the Good Life and RISE all are in that group. They aren't the big flashier clubs (Royale, Venu etc)but if you want to hear something more genuine you have to avoid the well beaten path. If you want to taste something creative, don't pull up to McDonalds.
Savant Project has great DJs
Savant Project has great DJs as well. Death Star on Mondays always provide a killer, mixed-in-booth set
Ding ding ding! Though I like
Ding ding ding! Though I like getting to hear new music when I'm out sometimes, there's a reason pop music is popular. It's a common thread, something you can ask the girl if she likes or not, etc. That's why every DJ spins gaga and BEP and why every cover band plays journey and kings of leon.
some agreement
I like LCD Soundsystem and consider Passion Pit a "Guilty Pleasure" to bring out for the younger set. And the first song I EVER played as a DJ was on college radio, was Panic by the Smiths. :)
I half agree
As a DJ, I can tell you that some of these DJ's know what they're playing sucks, but they have to do it in order to keep their nights.
In my teens through my twenties I usually went to new wave, goth, punk etc. clubs in NYC, but I could easily tolerate and even have a blast at the Limelight or the Tunnel or other more popular clubs (same owner, I know..)
In my thirties, where I am now.. I can't stand mainstream clubs. I don't think it's my age, either. The music has, in fact, gotten that bad.
So, I don't consider myself a club DJ. I'm a "Cafe DJ" and I get to play pretty much what I want and I've developed an audience with a deep knowledge of various types of music. I also specialize in themes and have my second mod/british pop night coming up which is also a fundraiser for Boston Living Center.
I guess I'm trying to say that "different" DJ's are out there if you look for them, and that you're going to the wrong clubs. There are smaller bars and cafes that may have what you want.
In my thirties, where I am
No, it's your age. You're old and past it. The music is always "that bad" when you reach your age.
When I worked at a club I can
When I worked at a club I can say that the best music played was when it was dead and the DJs played for themselves. Completely live mashups, innovative and new songs, and no top 40. Unfortunately the second we got a crowd they would be all "wtf is this" and lady gaga would start. These DJs know the mainstream music sucks, but they have to get a paycheck too.
Burn down the disco
from "Panic" by The Smiths,
Pushing the play button on a
Pushing the play button on a laptop to a mix you downloaded isn't DJing. I want to see turntables and a keyboard.
I hear ya
But most of what I DJ doesn't even require pitch controls, or my crowd would be asking "What's wrong with his equipment?" Or maybe they'd ask "Hey, is that some demo version I don't have?"
On some occasions when I play electro or 80's dance I get a little fancy, and I can mix it live without relying on a downloaded mashup...but my 1200mkII's are unfortunately collecting dust. I've been a CD-DJ for a while and I finally found a controller that will work with both my CD deck and a laptop, in a sense having four decks..but all mixing is live and half I time I don't even know what I'm playing yet when thirty seconds are left on a track..especially during punk and garage sets :)
In other words, there are controllers out there that still allow digital DJ's to do what turntablists can do. It's not as cool, but they aren't necessarily on auto-pilot either.
But I do miss vinyl, mostly just for the way it sounds and the action of cue-ing.
most of the clubs here
Most of the electronic clubs here are just completely lame compared to what can be had elsewhere (and especially internationally). It's not exactly the DJ's fault, more a case of Boston being conservative in the arts, generally speaking. We're on the cutting edge of nothing here, arts- and music-wise for a city of its size and alleged prominence.
Just to add, I went to middlesex a few thursdays ago and it was literally some of the worst ever. There was an icelandic guy who was good, but then followed up by some local was just flat out terrible. Not only was he screwing up technically, the music was just worst - it was bad high school dance crap. Awful. I'd rather pay a cover and have somebody decent and current.
shitty club DJ's
Want to hear shitty music? Go to shitty bars. There are a lot of great DJ's out there who are either very talented at the art of mixing, and there's other guys and gals who just have great record collections and know how to pick interesting yet familiar music. Some of zuzu's nights are pretty great - one in particular called Penguin Club had a really fun mix of electronica, 80's pop, old soul and disco records, and even some indie rock mixed in.