SwingDJs

Whether something "is insulting" often depends more on the insecurity of the recipient than the actual substance of the professed insult.

GuruReuben wrote:

GemZombie wrote:Those of us who don't *like* requests dont' think we're God.

As a DJ who doesn't like requests, I didn't realize you spoke for me.

Perhaps you should say: "As a DJ who doesn't *like* requests, I don't think I'm a God."

This is why you get yourself in trouble. haha

You didn't realize I spoke for you? Damn, you didn't get the memo!

Hey daddy-o, I got this thing licked.

None of my music sucks.

If they bring their own bad music in, I might indulge them if they're polite and they ask me real nice, I'll put it on.

No disco, no hip-hop and no hippie music.

Requests from newbie neo-swingers for BBVD or Brian Setzer are fun. I know I'm a whore for playing that stuff, but I'll do it. It's like throwing a bone to a puppy.

It's not as if my NOT playing their request is going to educate them or anything. Whereas, if I do play it, they might have fun and come back and eventually realize the error of their way.

What ticks me off is when "lindy hoppers" request a change in the type of music I'm playing. "Can you play some groovy stuff?" or "Can you play some faster stuff?" As a DJ, I'm sitting up there staring at the audience the whole time, so I'm pretty sure I have a feel for the crowd. On the other hand, if an experienced dancer I respect came up and tactufully said something like, "you know, you might want to play some more of this kind of music," I'd be inclined to listen. Maybe they've noticed something that I haven't.

"lindy hoppers" aren't experienced dancers?

Fine point Rayned. Furthermore, experienced dancers tastes don't necessarily coincide with the majority of the crowd.

i'm sure that wasn't how he meant it, but it was too easy.
personally i don't have any problems playing most requests.
unless the song really sucks, i figure if it will make them happy,
it's no big deal.

I put it in quotes for a reason. There are many intermediate dancers who consider themselves lindy hoppers, but don't have very much knowledge about music or experience in DJing. Notice also that I didn't say just any old experienced dancer, but an experienced dancer that I respect.

There are people I know who have danced for years who probably qualify as "experienced" dancers. But time dancing doesn't earn them my respect, or my ear as a DJ.

I don't mind requests. In general, people's intentions are good.

If the song is too weird, I always make announcement that it is a request.

Hell, I love request.....

But the chances are I wouldn't have anything "they" want. Cause, I'm not wedding DJ with everything dancible under the sun in my collection.

The "They's" tend to be , more often then not, are certain type of people that tend to have drastic difference in tase.

On the other hand, those few rare birds out there, like all you gents, is different , cause you have an idea of what I have in the collection and your not intruding on a flow of things. I might get " did ya Bring any Eddie Condon tonight?" or "Gonna play any of that Don Byas stuff tonight?

haha I remember one guy, told me, to Play Indigo Swing cause this is an Indigo swing crowd( he has told this a few DJ's).
Just as I was about to reach across the board and thump the back of his head, the PC side came out of me and
I said sure, got some? If they hand it too me , what the hell I sneak it in.

I personally stopped making requests after I had been a DJ for a while. I figure if there's something I really want to hear, I can listen to it soon enough.

My pet peeve: People who request the same song every time they go dancing. There's this one venue around here where like a third of the night is the same because people always request the same stuff and the DJ feels like they just have to play it, because, well, I don't know why. But it bugs me.

I play requests if I have the song with me. I only bring stuff that I am will ing to play. I intentiolly leave crap that I don't want to play at home. So, all my Neo stuff is in a shoe box and never come out. And I use that excuse," I left it at home do you want to hear something else?"

I do hate it when someone comes up with there own burnt CD and requests that I play a song off that. I will not do this. The only time I did the CD was a bad burn and it skipped until I had to shut it off.

yedancer wrote:Requests from newbie neo-swingers for BBVD or Brian Setzer are fun. I know I'm a whore for playing that stuff, but I'll do it. It's like throwing a bone to a puppy.

It's not as if my NOT playing their request is going to educate them or anything. Whereas, if I do play it, they might have fun and come back and eventually realize the error of their way.

ok this is my first post here be gentle with me boys


i have A LOT of newbies for those of you that have heard of us here.. We're in Boise... We started from scratch like nada nothing. no swing nights cept a little WCS get together at a bar somewhere for 21+

soo

in my endeavors to discover new music and to get more people involved i take requests.. there are some songs that I will literally never play again EVER ( manhatten transfer twilight tone/ twilight zone) and there are some others that i *heart* (pink panther theme)

Where I sit right now another DJ coming up to me would be a GOD send. I do agree throwing them neo swing is like giving a puppy a bone.. but I find that if I ease in some "better" music into it then they don't really notice the difference. I have narrowed down my neo selections to less than 4 cds i carry. that's all i take. everything else is mostly jazz. I've also been collecting local musicians cd's. I'm trying to expose everyone to the music that is readily available to dance to.

that's one thing we have that many places lack is plenty of live free/cheap venues for jazz/ blues

we looked at a calendar last week and realized you could go out 7 days a week sometimes more than one place!!!! how spoiled are we!!!


but I HATE it when people come to a swing night and then pester the hell out of me for salsa music.. I'm a swing dancer and a swing dj NOT a salsa dancer at all. ( i usually will play a song at the end of the night though if possible if I can hunt one down)

that's irratating.

that's all for me now thank you

tanya

Huh. I'm surprised no one gave me crap for my post.

Came across this on the web, wonder if the Maxie is Maxie Dorf.

---------

Marie P. Pelliccioni is the president of the Movers & Groovers, a
Swing dance club in Las Vegas. She plays the music at their events.
Although it isn't attributed, I'm quite sure she wrote the following
that I've transcribed for you:

I cannot please you all the time
No matter how I try
Every song's a different beat
And here's the reason why

Harry and Sharon want to Hustle
Marion Lucia likes the Blues
Bob Smutek loves to Latin
He'll dance the soles
Right off your shoes

Maxie and Ferdie request Big Band
Nevada Bob wants a strong bass beat
Just play a little Rock and Roll
And Terry leaves his seat

You lose Dawn if you play some Jazz
Jim Godbey wants no Blues
A Fox Trot every now and then
Will sometimes get me boos

A western song and you all cry
``We thought this club was Swing!''
Wouldn't it be boring
If we all liked one thing

I'd only have to play one song
And soon you would complain
That all the music sounds alike
A familiar refrain

So dance the ones you like the most
Sit the others out
Someone likes the song that's on
Now don't sit there and pout

I'm here to please you, one and all
And though it's hard to do
This song may be for Rosemarie
But the next one's just for you.