The stuff you don't like

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Matthew · #1 Post by **Matthew** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 8:47 pm

There are some very popular swing/jazz musicians whose music I dislike. Because I dislike it, I don't buy or have it. This gets me into a sticky situation when somebody requests it. For example, I strongly dislike Sinatra (just my taste, nothing more), but there are some skillful dancers here who love his songs. Saying "Sorry, I don't have any Sinatra. I don't like him." isn't the smoothest way to handle a request from one of these dancers. What have you done about "standards" that you dislike? Thanks for any help.

lindyholic · #2 Post by **lindyholic** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 9:05 pm

It's very simple. I say "I'm sorry, I don't carry that." If I'm DJing locally and there's a lot of ECSers out, I just say that. They looked shocked at the fact that I don't carry any neo-swing. I try to meet them half way and play some Mora's Modern Rhythmists.

When it comes to the groove, I usually don't get those requests in Victoria because EVERYONE knows I don't play that. It's when I DJ at venues out of town I get that. Everyone is always asking me "you don't have ANY post war music?" I say the only post war I have is modern bands doing old standards. They can't seem to comprehend that I don't enjoy that style of music and that I am a vintage DJ who plays vintage music.

So, in short, I say "Sorry, I don't have that music, it's not my taste" It's that simple to me.

Harrison

lindyholic · #3 Post by **lindyholic** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 9:06 pm

Almost forgot to add...

Why should I buy music I don't enjoy? I want to be able to enjoy the music I buy. I rarely get paid to DJ, so I should NEVER be expected to spend my own personal money on music I don't like.

Harrison

gatorgal · #4 Post by **gatorgal** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 9:52 pm

I agree... you should NEVER buy music that you don't like. Because long after everyone's fads have come and gone, you're still stuck with the CD. You'd better like it because if not, you've wasted your money and your effort in the whole enterprise.

I think saying that you don't carry a particular artist because you don't like their music is the most polite and honest way to decline a request. If the dancer/listener doesn't like that, then they probably aren't going to like anything you do, so don't waste time trying to please that one person.

Hope that helps...
Tina

kitkat · #5 Post by **kitkat** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 10:47 pm

lindyholic wrote:I say the only post war I have is modern bands doing old standards.

Speaking of which, are there any new great big band style songs being composed out there? Or which have been within the last 10 years?

Drew · #6 Post by **Drew** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 11:23 pm

Matthew wrote:There are some very popular swing/jazz musicians whose music I dislike. Because I dislike it, I don't buy or have it. This gets me into a sticky situation when somebody requests it. For example, I strongly dislike Sinatra (just my taste, nothing more), but there are some skillful dancers here who love his songs. Saying "Sorry, I don't have any Sinatra. I don't like him." isn't the smoothest way to handle a request from one of these dancers. What have you done about "standards" that you dislike? Thanks for any help.

I just say I don't have it. My friends have heard me dissertate on my distaste for Sinatra enough times that I don't need to explain it anymore.

If someone comes up with their own CD, I just tell them that I don't play other people's music.

Matthew · #7 Post by **Matthew** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 7:33 am

kitkat wrote:
lindyholic wrote:I say the only post war I have is modern bands doing old standards.
Speaking of which, are there any new great big band style songs being composed out there? Or which have been within the last 10 years?

There is some guy out there who creates big bands electronically. I heard it on Amazon, but I don't remember the name. I think it sounds just like a very plain band from the '40s.

Many thanks, all. Very, very helpful.

Roy · #8 Post by **Roy** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 11:22 am

Yep, I say "sorry I left it at home". Or I say "that song has been overplayed so I don't want to DJ it. " or I say "that song is overplayed so I never bought it." Of if an ECSer asks for something ridicuolous like "jump, jive, and wail" I will just say that I am playing to a predominatly Lindy Hop crowd and that song will not work very well for this crowd.

I find most of my requests are requests for genre or tempo. For example someone will ask me to slow it down or speed it up. Genre requsts usually come as requests for slow blues. Or someone will request a certain song but does not care the version of the song. For example requests for "sunnyside of the street" are common in Chicago. Since I have about 15 versions of that song I will play one of the versions I have.

Nate Dogg · #9 Post by **Nate Dogg** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 11:57 am

I have no problem buying music I don't like if I know that dancers like it. I just try to buy it as cheap as possible. If I only wanted to listen to music that I really liked, I might as well listen to music at home. Playing for a crowd entails certain sacrifices.

As for requests for music I don't like.

For a normal, weekly lindy event, with the usual dancers present, within reason, I will play just about any request. If I don't like it, I will announce it to the crowd as a request. Thus, letting me off the hook and saving me the trouble of having to debate the merits of a particular artist or song.

I won't play stuff that is overtly non swing, like salsa. If somebody asks for West Coast swing, I will tell them it depends on how early/late it is. If it is earlier in the dance, I usually won't play it. Ditto for songs slow blues and jam circle speed/fast swing music. I generally play music for the majority of the dancers in the room at a given time.

In my opinion, most people making requests are not interested in debating whether or not Frank Sinatra/neo-swing is lindy hop music or not. They want you to respond to their request without insulting them. You don't have to play it. Just don't ignore them or insult their sense of taste.

That being said, we do have an extreme case in Austin where the same guy requests salsa ever week to every DJ. I think he think he hates me by now since I stopped listening to him months ago. But, I refuse to end my set with a ten minute salsa jam and I don't care that he brings the CD for me.

julius · #10 Post by **julius** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 12:46 pm

I think the only thing that needs to be said is "sorry, I don't have it". To tell them you don't like it seems superfluous.

Lawrence · #11 Post by **Lawrence** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 1:37 pm

Despite my knee-jerk reaction to take the bait and jump on some of the stunted substantive musical views expressed in this thread, I completely agree with Julius: saying anything more than "sorry, I don't have it" is unnecessarily uppity and potentially self-defeating.

Also, it is not so black and white as some have made it out to be: you either like it or don't like it with no shades of prefences in between. Instead of carrying only music I find amazing, incredible, fantastic and perfect, I tend to throw the net wider and carry music I find acceptable and that I can envision working into a diverse, non-redundant set of music. Granted, I don't carry music I despise (e.g., Jive Aces) or that I find too poorly recorded such that you need to fight through the sound quality to be able to dance to it: including live bootlegs of modern musicians, not just poorly recorded vintage stuff. However, I DO carry music that I wouldn't want to hear a full night of, including, for example, the vintage stuff. Moreover, my doing so has increased my own appreciation of BOTH 1) how much I actually DO like vintage music (the benefits of at least a SOMEWHAT open mind) and 2) how playing a vintage song can sometimes COMPLETELY DESTROY the vibe at a dance if it is not worked in appropriately.

The gist is that carrying a wider variety of music than you would choose to listen to, yourself, serves you well as a DJ. You will ultimately end up getting more lattitude from venues and dancers to play the less-popular stuff that you DO uniquely enjoy if you appease the tastes of others and play the music THEY enjoy, as well.

julius · #12 Post by **julius** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 1:48 pm

Lawrence wrote:Despite my knee-jerk reaction to take the bait and jump on some of the stunted substantive musical views expressed in this thread...

...Moreover, my doing so has increased my own appreciation of 2) how playing a vintage song can sometimes COMPLETELY DESTROY the vibe at a dance if it is not worked in appropriately.

just out of curiosity, does ONLY classic swing kill the vibe, or can i kill the vibe with other kinds of music too?

this comment jumped out at me. i am not as good at not taking bait as you are, i guess. i would think that if your set is appropriately diverse enough, any one song wouldn't "kill the vibe", but like I always say, I'm no DJ.

djstarr · #13 Post by **djstarr** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 1:53 pm

julius wrote:but like I always say, I'm no DJ.

can't use that line anymore

Lawrence · #14 Post by **Lawrence** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 2:00 pm

julius wrote: just out of curiosity, does ONLY classic swing kill the vibe, or can i kill the vibe with other kinds of music too?

Yes, of course. That example in part reflected my inability to not take the bait, even though I said I wouldn't.

However, it also reflects the fact that trying to insert a vintage song into the mix is the most common "vibe killer" for me and others: moreso than any other type of swing music. It also reflect the fact that I don't play, say, Celine Dion or Poison, both of which would probably kill the vibe even worse than any vintage swing music. "Probably," that is....

[just kidding].

gatorgal · #15 Post by **gatorgal** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 2:08 pm

Lawrence wrote:It also reflect the fact that I don't play, say, Celine Dion or Poison, both of which would probably kill the vibe even worse than any vintage swing music. "Probably," that is.... [just kidding].

Dude... it depends on what Poison song.

"Talk Dirty To Me" rawks! *does token "thumbs up big hair band fan" gesture*

Tina

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