Djing - Clear The Floor - Question

[jimmyw]

Hi, apologies if this topic has been done previously, but I just wanted to get a few views on this question.

Was recently DJing and although I played a set that included records that I have not heard played out over recent years, In fact some that I have not heard out for many years, none were what I would call obscure or really rare.

A couple of times the dance floor cleared and a couple of times there were only a few people dancing. Someone has commented that when this happened I should have changed the record half way through, I assume for something that I knew would fill the floor.

My question is if you are a DJ do you change a record part way through because no one/ or few people are dancing, or if you are a dancer and do not know/like the record would you expect the record to be changed half way through.

I replied with my thoughts to the comments made, but I would just be interested to read what others think.

I look forward to your comments, Thanks Jimmy

[Jordirip]

Hi, apologies if this topic has been done previously, but I just wanted to get a few views on this question.

Was recently DJing and although I played a set that included records that I have not heard played out over recent years, In fact some that I have not heard out for many years, none were what I would call obscure or really rare.

A couple of times the dance floor cleared and a couple of times there were only a few people dancing. Someone has commented that when this happened I should have changed the record half way through, I assume for something that I knew would fill the floor.

My question is if you are a DJ do you change a record part way through because no one/ or few people are dancing, or if you are a dancer and do not know/like the record would you expect the record to be changed half way through.

I replied with my thoughts to the comments made, but I would just be interested to read what others think.

I look forward to your comments, Thanks Jimmy

Don't panic, have faith in your selections. If you bow to every request to "play something decent / what we know / what we can dance to / turn this shite off" etc then you'll never get to play a record all the way through! (at some venues )

Jordi 'clearing floors for 15 years'

[Ady Croasdell]

II

[Russ Vickers]

Post removed, as it even offended me.

Russ

[Ady Croasdell]

I think if you play one record that has cleared the floor, particularly in the main part of the evening you should come back with one that will get them back to the floor. A DJ set has to be built on trust with the dancers and if it's stop start then they'll just give up on you and go to the bar. I reckon you need at least 3 and ideally 5 good dancers before you chuck anything new to the crowd at them.

[jimmyw]

Don't panic, have faith in your selections. If you bow to every request to "play something decent / what we know / what we can dance to / turn this shite off" etc then you'll never get to play a record all the way through! (at some venues )

Jordi 'clearing floors for 15 years'

Thanks for the reply Jordi, I did/do still have faith in the records I played, but am interested in what others think. Cheers Jimmy

[Tezza]

I commented on this very subject yesterday and would say ..

It is rude and very unprofessional to cut a record half way through when someone is Dancing. They have paid their entrance fee and are entitled to Dance if they wish to. If it is the case where we remove discs that don't get a full floor where do we put the level before we lift a record - 2 maybe 3 people dancing ?? You should play a record through irrespective of the floor, should it be empty or full. Often get more feedback from a 'quieter' record than a floor packer. We are at an age now where the majority of visitors come to listen rather than Dance !!

You will get a lot of response to this tread stating that if, in the past, we lifted a record because of an empty floor we would never here anything new ( or conversely really old !! )

Have faith in yourself, the music is appreciated despite the lack of foot movement !!

[Harry Crosby]

I think if you play one record that has cleared the floor, particularly in the main part of the evening you should come back with one that will get them back to the floor. A DJ set has to be built on trust with the dancers and if it's stop start then they'll just give up on you and go to the bar. I reckon you need at least 3 and ideally 5 good dancers before you chuck anything new to the crowd at them.

Quite right, i allways have what i call, fall back records in my box, for occasions when i chuck something different in.

[jimmyw]

I think if you play one record that has cleared the floor, particularly in the main part of the evening you should come back with one that will get them back to the floor. A DJ set has to be built on trust with the dancers and if it's stop start then they'll just give up on you and go to the bar. I reckon you need at least 3 and ideally 5 good dancers before you chuck anything new to the crowd at them.

Hi Ady thanks for your constructive feedback, on a couple of occasions I did change the next record that I was going to play in order to ensure people were not sat around scratching their chins for too long

[jimmyw]

I commented on this very subject yesterday and would say ..

It is rude and very unprofessional to cut a record half way through when someone is Dancing. They have paid their entrance fee and are entitled to Dance if they wish to. If it is the case where we remove discs that don't get a full floor where do we put the level before we lift a record - 2 maybe 3 people dancing ?? You should play a record through irrespective of the floor, should it be empty or full. Often get more feedback from a 'quieter' record than a floor packer. We are at an age now where the majority of visitors come to listen rather than Dance !!

You will get a lot of response to this tread stating that if, in the past, we lifted a record because of an empty floor we would never here anything new ( or conversely really old !! )

Have faith in yourself, the music is appreciated despite the lack of foot movement !!

Hi Tezza, thanks for the comments yesterday and today, my feelings exactly.

[Sean Hampsey]

Would never take a record off half way through because it empty's the floor. Might 'crop' it or 'fade' it early, but only after I've given everyone a good earful of the record in question.

Depends on how you see the night itself and your role as a DJ:

If its purely or entirely about 'dancing' then you might want to do a 'graceful early fade' but its important not to forget that, nowadays, as many people on our scene approach retirement age ;0) at least half the crowd at most nights aren't there to dance, but to socialise and 'hear new tunes' in which case you'd be doing them (and the artist) a great disservice to end the record early, as has been suggested.

Just in case a record wipes out the floor completely, always be sure you've got a couple of 'winners' on standby. Nobody wants to see or hear 2-3 floor clearers in succession... except in those places with a 'Deep Room' - then its mandatory!

I've had nearly 40 years, trying to break or introduce new records, clearing hundreds of floors, length and breadth of the country.

Nobody ever got hurt in the incident.

Yet! :0)

Sean

Edited October 17, 2012 by Sean Hampsey

[Simsy]

I've known dj's play unknowns and clear the floor and you wonder what were they thinking. However it'd be very boring if everyone played safe all the time. Of course it's easy to say don't play records that are going to clear the floor. Slipping in a lesser known after a few winners of the same genre would be the way for me. For those that don't do this and just drop obscurities in out of the blue and it clears the floor completely, yes fade it out somewhere near the end and big up what a great you think it is, or is going to be, if you feel the need.

[tosspot]

Hi, apologies if this topic has been done previously, but I just wanted to get a few views on this question.

Was recently DJing and although I played a set that included records that I have not heard played out over recent years, In fact some that I have not heard out for many years, none were what I would call obscure or really rare.

A couple of times the dance floor cleared and a couple of times there were only a few people dancing. Someone has commented that when this happened I should have changed the record half way through, I assume for something that I knew would fill the floor.

My question is if you are a DJ do you change a record part way through because no one/ or few people are dancing, or if you are a dancer and do not know/like the record would you expect the record to be changed half way through.

I replied with my thoughts to the comments made, but I would just be interested to read what others think.

I look forward to your comments, Thanks Jimmy

Hi Jimmy, don't worry, be happy.....i've been emptying floors for years, & still do, i get pats on the back for playing some "not flogged to death tunes".

It'll be a sad day when the same 200 or so records are being played at... every venue, every weeek, every year.... Try to keep it fresh matey, you never know, after hearing something new or forgotten, they may even start tapping their toes lol

[NEV]

Hi, apologies if this topic has been done previously, but I just wanted to get a few views on this question.

Was recently DJing and although I played a set that included records that I have not heard played out over recent years, In fact some that I have not heard out for many years, none were what I would call obscure or really rare.

A couple of times the dance floor cleared and a couple of times there were only a few people dancing. Someone has commented that when this happened I should have changed the record half way through, I assume for something that I knew would fill the floor.

My question is if you are a DJ do you change a record part way through because no one/ or few people are dancing, or if you are a dancer and do not know/like the record would you expect the record to be changed half way through.

I replied with my thoughts to the comments made, but I would just be interested to read what others think.

I look forward to your comments, Thanks Jimmy

Let me guess ..your dj'n at a " Northern soul" event ..

playing records you've known on the scene for a lot of yrs ,but the records being referred to, havent been getting spins in the last decade ??

Sounds like your playing to a crowd of people who haven't been on the scene as long as you ..so these records will be new and alien to them .

i could write a few pages about the type of venue your probs dj'n at and cause world war iii all over again ..but im not going down that road today

Instead ,i will remain positive and say .. if someone has shown faith in you enough to book you to dj ,at his /her event ,they must have a idea of your taste and what you have to offer ,so by way of restoring that faith and returning the gesture ... you gotta play things that people know ,then introduce the odd new tune in slowly .. and always make sure it flows with the tempo ,especially if people are already on the floor !

[tosspot]

Would never take a record off half way through because it empty's the floor. Might 'crop' it or 'fade' it early, but only after I've given everyone a good earful of the record in question.

Depends on how you see the night itself and your role as a DJ:

If its purely or entirely about 'dancing' then you might want to do a 'graceful early fade' but its important not to forget that, nowadays, as many people on our scene approach retirement age ;0) at least half the crowd at most nights aren't there to dance, but to socialise and 'hear new tunes' in which case you'd be doing them (and the artist) a great disservice to end the record early, as has been suggested.

Just in case a record wipes out the floor completely, always be sure you've got a couple of 'winners' on standby. Nobody wants to see or hear 2-3 floor clearers in succession... except in those places with a 'Deep Room' - then its mandatory!

I've had nearly 40 years, trying to break or introduce new records, clearing hundreds of floors, length and breadth of the country.

Nobody ever got hurt in the incident.

Yet! :0)

Sean

Top revue.....a pleasure to read, theres still a shed load of records out there that want playing (or even finding if your lucky enough)

Where are you djing next?

Regards...Rob

[KevH]

"Get out of jail" tune.

[jimmyw]

Would never take a record off half way through because it empty's the floor. Might 'crop' it or 'fade' it early, but only after I've given everyone a good earful of the record in question.

Depends on how you see the night itself and your role as a DJ:

If its purely or entirely about 'dancing' then you might want to do a 'graceful early fade' but its important not to forget that, nowadays, as many people on our scene approach retirement age ;0) at least half the crowd at most nights aren't there to dance, but to socialise and 'hear new tunes' in which case you'd be doing them (and the artist) a great disservice to end the record early, as has been suggested.

Just in case a record wipes out the floor completely, always be sure you've got a couple of 'winners' on standby. Nobody wants to see or hear 2-3 floor clearers in succession... except in those places with a 'Deep Room' - then its mandatory!

I've had nearly 40 years, trying to break or introduce new records, clearing hundreds of floors, length and breadth of the country.

Nobody ever got hurt in the incident.

Yet! :0)

Sean

Thanks for this Sean

[jimmyw]

Hi Jimmy, don't worry, be happy.....i've been emptying floors for years, & still do, i get pats on the back for playing some "not flogged to death tunes".

It'll be a sad day when the same 200 or so records are being played at... every venue, every weeek, every year.... Try to keep it fresh matey, you never know, after hearing something new or forgotten, they may even start tapping their toes lol

Thanks for the comments Rob, yes maybe today they are tapping their toes, tomorrow they might be dancing

[Guest Duncan Ball]

i want to hear and dance to records i don't know surely that's the corner stone of the scene? if there good enough play them

[jimmyw]

Let me guess ..your dj'n at a " Northern soul" event ..

playing records you've known on the scene for a lot of yrs ,but the records being referred to, havent been getting spins in the last decade ??

Sounds like your playing to a crowd of people who haven't been on the scene as long as you ..so these records will be new and alien to them .

i could write a few pages about the type of venue your probs dj'n at and cause world war iii all over again ..but im not going down that road today

Instead ,i will remain positive and say .. if someone has shown faith in you enough to book you to dj ,at his /her event ,they must have a idea of your taste and what you have to offer ,so by way of restoring that faith and returning the gesture ... you gotta play things that people know ,then introduce the odd new tune in slowly .. and always make sure it flows with the tempo ,especially if people are already on the floor !

Hi, glad you did not get into the possible argument about venues, just want to say that I really like the event and the promoters are really good people. I would also thank them for giving me the opportunity to DJ ( which I don't get to do very often) even though they knew that I would play some records that are not necessarily usual plays.

[Headsy]

play what you want and stuff the lot of them

[Ernie Andrews]

Id never cut a record- I once played the wrong side of a record - It was Lou Kirton- heaven in the afternoon about 8 years ago and I played the instrumental by mistake (Too many glasses of wine!) My mates were laughing so I got the crowd into Karaoke mood and had them singing the Chorus! Never done it again since!

Played Judson Moore - Everybody push & pull right after a guy who played a Motown set (Again about 8 years ago)- suffice to say it cleared the floor- No way would I change it and when it finished Fraser Dunn stood there and clapped which made me feel pretty good. I then threw on Linda Jones to get the crowd back on the floor!

[Geeselad]

Sometimes, clearing the floor can be down to programming in a set, following UBP wth Sam Fletcher perhaps, whi9ch I've heard out! its not a s bad as it used to be be but there's plenty of times when track dont work cause the Dj's not considered how they fit into the flow of a set.

[Geeselad]

Id never cut a record- I once played the wrong side of a record - It was Lou Kirton- heaven in the afternoon about 8 years ago and I played the instrumental by mistake (Too many glasses of wine!) My mates were laughing so I got the crowd into Karaoke mood and had them singing the Chorus! Never done it again since!

Played Judson Moore - Everybody push & pull right after a guy who played a Motown set (Again about 8 years ago)- suffice to say it cleared the floor- No way would I change it and when it finished Fraser Dunn stood there and clapped which made me feel pretty good. I then threw on Linda Jones to get the crowd back on the floor!

judson moore is grt, top pick

[Len]

i want to hear and dance to records i don't know surely that's the corner stone of the scene? if there good enough play them

Unfortunatelly less and less people about now who think like that, or there's 'more and more' people about who don't - Hence second rooms at venues....."Yeh, put all that 'rare sh*t out of the way"...A really well thought out statement that one

All the best,

Len

Edited October 17, 2012 by LEN

[Northern Soul Uk]

Don't stop the record half way through, if it is the first time they have heard a record, then it's an education for them, and the next time they hear it maybe elsewhere, they will remember it and maybe dance then. Also the younger ones may not have heard some of the older tunes that we all take for granted, so same applies to them. Even the biggest tunes that we all know had to be played a first time and I bet not everyone danced to most of them on first hearing.

[Guest Bearsy]

Make sure then venue you been asked to dj at you can do justice with what tunes you have if your tunes don't fit the venue music policy don't dj there if they do then play what you think is right and try make your set flow, if they don't know the tunes played then maybe it's the punters that are at the wrong venue.

[Len]

play what you want and stuff the lot of them

....I'd love to, but I'm too scared! - Just the other week I was on the receiving end of the most aggressive outburst to date, I thought I'd had em all. What made it so unnerving was the fact, to me my set was working really well, floor busy, floor thinned but 'working' it nicely so it was so unexpected especially when I tell you what record was playing when this bloke shouted "Why don't you f*ckin' play something they like?" ......'The Dynamics - I Need Your Love'....I think I must just have 'one of those faces' god knows, but it didn't half shake me.

Later he lectured me, he’d been to Wigan etc, etc, I didn’t want to let on that he’d got to me so I heartily agreed with his ‘wisdom’ and to round it off nicely, he said “Don’t worry ‘son’ you got potential!” — Much to all my mates’ amusement!

Later of course it sank in - How f*ckin rude!?!!! and ignorant, all the hard work that goes into a set - Why do we bother? springs to mind sometimes...

All the best,

Len.

Edited October 17, 2012 by LEN

[Andreas B]

I love to start my sets with this one; people look at you like you're out of your mind for the first minute or so of the record with its gospel-tinged languid blues, but then BAM! it hits with heavy funky northern power and everyone comes running back to the floor as quickly as they left. that, or most do

[Guest]

I reckon you need at least 3 and ideally 5 good dancers before you chuck anything new to the crowd at them.

Taking into account the growing average age of the dancers, can they still throw themselves to 4 or 5 dance tracks in a row nowadays? SUre we used to dance all night, literally...well apart from when going through sales boxes, but for hours on end!

I ask this in all seriousness, as I keep reading on here that all the public wants is 100 mph stompers...I know I would struggle with a sixth disc in a row after giving it 100% to the previous tunes!

Jimmy, the playlist you posted for Eggborough... is it within that set that you experienced an empty floor?

[jimmyw]

Taking into account the growing average age of the dancers, can they still throw themselves to 4 or 5 dance tracks in a row nowadays? SUre we used to dance all night, literally...well apart from when going through sales boxes, but for hours on end!

I ask this in all seriousness, as I keep reading on here that all the public wants is 100 mph stompers...I know I would struggle with a sixth disc in a row after giving it 100% to the previous tunes!

Jimmy, the playlist you posted for Eggborough... is it within that set that you experienced an empty floor?

Hi Flynny yes that's the one

[Ady Croasdell]

Taking into account the growing average age of the dancers, can they still throw themselves to 4 or 5 dance tracks in a row nowadays? SUre we used to dance all night, literally...well apart from when going through sales boxes, but for hours on end!

I ask this in all seriousness, as I keep reading on here that all the public wants is 100 mph stompers...I know I would struggle with a sixth disc in a row after giving it 100% to the previous tunes!

Jimmy, the playlist you posted for Eggborough... is it within that set that you experienced an empty floor?

A lot do and there are a lot of serious and younger dancers about. There may well be a turnover of dancers in that 4 or 5 record set but the point is to make the dancefloor a welcoming and reasonably busy place.

[Guest]

there are a lot of serious and younger dancers about.

Tis good to read...there is hope then

Must admit the only regular doo I attend doesn't even have a dancefloor...but the venue serves some fabulous curry, pizza and spicy sausages...not all on the same plate, mind! There is also a big monitor screen on the wall showing the discs on the decks and a separate portable deck for the dealers to use...it is the future template for all collectors nights...I say the future as we are, after all, 8 to 9 hours ahead of the UK at any one time!

[Guest]

Hi Flynny yes that's the one

So, this is the 'offending' playlist, albeit not in the order you actually played them, as you stated on the other thread.

I find it hard to believe that these would kill a dancefloor.

Follow Your Heart - Bunny Sigler - Parkway

I Need You - Shane Martin - Epic

This Man - Wally Cox - Scepter (Argentina)

You've Been A Long Time Coming - Mitchell Braithwaite - ABC Probe (DJ)

Somebody, Somewhere Needs You - Ike and Tina Turner - Warner Brothers (DJ)

He Broke Your Game Wide Open - Frank Dell - Valise Records

Fool To Fool - Shep - TNT (DJ)

I Watched You Slowly Slip Away - Lou Courtney - Phillips (3rd Take)

Way Over There - Edwin Star - Tamla Motown

I Can't Seem To Get You Out of My Mind - Four Tops - Tamla Motown

Running Back And Forth - Edwin Star - Tamla Motown

People That's Why - Idle Few - Blue Book

I Only Get This Feeling - Chuck Jackson - ABC

In The Long Run - Curtis Blandon - Wand (DJ)

Let's Spend Some Time Together - Larry Houston - HFMP

Somebody I Know - Wales Wallace - BRC

I'll Be Around - Doug Parkinson - Southern Star

Like Her - Gentlemen and Their Lady - Roulette (DJ)

Captain of My Ship - Seventh Wonder - WG

I Surrender - Eddie Holman - ABC

Sensitive Mind General Assembly - Desiree (DJ)

My Heart Needs A Break - Linda Jones - Loma.

[NEV]

Id never cut a record- I once played the wrong side of a record - It was Lou Kirton- heaven in the afternoon about 8 years ago and I played the instrumental by mistake (Too many glasses of wine!) My mates were laughing so I got the crowd into Karaoke mood and had them singing the Chorus! Never done it again since!

Played Judson Moore - Everybody push & pull right after a guy who played a Motown set (Again about 8 years ago)- suffice to say it cleared the floor- No way would I change it and when it finished Fraser Dunn stood there and clapped which made me feel pretty good. I then threw on Linda Jones to get the crowd back on the floor!

Steve ..your just stubborn!

[NEV]

So, this is the 'offending' playlist, albeit not in the order you actually played them, as you stated on the other thread.

I find it hard to believe that these would kill a dancefloor.

Follow Your Heart - Bunny Sigler - Parkway

I Need You - Shane Martin - Epic

This Man - Wally Cox - Scepter (Argentina)

You've Been A Long Time Coming - Mitchell Braithwaite - ABC Probe (DJ)

Somebody, Somewhere Needs You - Ike and Tina Turner - Warner Brothers (DJ)

He Broke Your Game Wide Open - Frank Dell - Valise Records

Fool To Fool - Shep - TNT (DJ)

I Watched You Slowly Slip Away - Lou Courtney - Phillips (3rd Take)

Way Over There - Edwin Star - Tamla Motown

I Can't Seem To Get You Out of My Mind - Four Tops - Tamla Motown

Running Back And Forth - Edwin Star - Tamla Motown

People That's Why - Idle Few - Blue Book

I Only Get This Feeling - Chuck Jackson - ABC

In The Long Run - Curtis Blandon - Wand (DJ)

Let's Spend Some Time Together - Larry Houston - HFMP

Somebody I Know - Wales Wallace - BRC

I'll Be Around - Doug Parkinson - Southern Star

Like Her - Gentlemen and Their Lady - Roulette (DJ)

Captain of My Ship - Seventh Wonder - WG

I Surrender - Eddie Holman - ABC

Sensitive Mind General Assembly - Desiree (DJ)

My Heart Needs A Break - Linda Jones - Loma.

To be fair Dave ....it was a Rock n Roll convention

[jimmyw]

To be fair Dave ....it was a Rock n Roll convention

Lol

[Greety]

I'm writing as someone who over the years has clearedmore dance floors then mustard gas could!

If you thought that record was good enough to spend at least a few quid on there will be other people in the room who share your opinion.

Anyone who has dj'd on a regular basis knows the loneliness of being up there staring at empty wooden flooring. Unless you're a bog standard oldies jock this is an occupational hazard.

If you want to play "different" records choose your venues carefully. Because, at the right venues when you've finished your set, you will get compliments from people, who don't see a packed dance floor as the be all and end all.

You just have to learn to say no to gigs where you know your records will empty the floor. You'll be a lot happier at the right nights.

[Peter99]

I've had nearly 40 years, trying to break or introduce new records, clearing hundreds of floors, length and breadth of the country.

Sean

I'll vouch for Mr Hampsey.

[jimmyw]

I'm writing as someone who over the years has clearedmore dance floors then mustard gas could!

If you thought that record was good enough to spend at least a few quid on there will be other people in the room who share your opinion.

Anyone who has dj'd on a regular basis knows the loneliness of being up there staring at empty wooden flooring. Unless you're a bog standard oldies jock this is an occupational hazard.

If you want to play "different" records choose your venues carefully. Because, at the right venues when you've finished your set, you will get compliments from people, who don't see a packed dance floor as the be all and end all.

You just have to learn to say no to gigs where you know your records will empty the floor. You'll be a lot happier at the right nights.

HI Greety, thanks for your comments, but this is OK if you get the offers to DJ on a regular basis, a lot harder to do if you get limited offers. Must say that I got a number of people who came up and said how much they had enjoyed what I played which was nice to hear. Cheers Jimmy

[Sean Hampsey]

I'll vouch for Mr Hampsey.

I consider that a compliment Peter.

Sean

[Len]

That kind of set should work in a lot of places (Nothing wrong with it) 'In general' the scene has gone backwards 20 years due to 'The blind leading the blind' so sometimes you really don't know what to expect (Not aimed at this particular event as you explained that you have the upmost respect for the said promoters)

In answer to your question, no I don't think you need to fade out a record half way through mate - D.Jing is a 'funny' ol' business ain't it?

All the best,

Len

[Guest Byrney]

And there lies the problem. Many went to Wigan for a couple of years and only know a small number of records for the blink of time they were on the scene. Now that's no problem at all, welcome back but when a fughin storming northern classic like the Dynamics is blasting out of the speakers and some Knobber has to have a go at a DJ doing his job, that's when I get wound up.

I have so little respect for these types it's untrue, glad I haven't been behind the decks since 1990 ish, I think I'd end up rolling around with a few of these types.

To answer the question, any DJ worth his / her salt will clear the floor. I remember Jimmy Bo Horn c/u as Little Beaver clearing the floor, but if you looked closer clued up heads around the floor were wide eyed trying to find out what it was. Few spins later, a floor packer for Kitch & Dean every time. Keep the record on till the end.

....I'd love to, but I'm too scared! - Just the other week I was on the receiving end of the most aggressive outburst to date, I thought I'd had em all. What made it so unnerving was the fact, to me my set was working really well, floor busy, floor thinned but 'working' it nicely so it was so unexpected especially when I tell you what record was playing when this bloke shouted "Why don't you f*ckin' play something they like?" ......'The Dynamics - I Need Your Love'....I think I must just have 'one of those faces' god knows, but it didn't half shake me.

Later he lectured me, he’d been to Wigan etc, etc, I didn’t want to let on that he’d got to me so I heartily agreed with his ‘wisdom’ and to round it off nicely, he said “Don’t worry ‘son’ you got potential!” — Much to all my mates’ amusement!

Later of course it sank in - How f*ckin rude!?!!! and ignorant, all the hard work that goes into a set - Why do we bother? springs to mind sometimes...

All the best,

Len.

Edited October 17, 2012 by Byrney

[tosspot]

....I'd love to, but I'm too scared! - Just the other week I was on the receiving end of the most aggressive outburst to date, I thought I'd had em all. What made it so unnerving was the fact, to me my set was working really well, floor busy, floor thinned but 'working' it nicely so it was so unexpected especially when I tell you what record was playing when this bloke shouted "Why don't you f*ckin' play something they like?" ......'The Dynamics - I Need Your Love'....I think I must just have 'one of those faces' god knows, but it didn't half shake me.

Later he lectured me, he’d been to Wigan etc, etc, I didn’t want to let on that he’d got to me so I heartily agreed with his ‘wisdom’ and to round it off nicely, he said “Don’t worry ‘son’ you got potential!” — Much to all my mates’ amusement!

Later of course it sank in - How f*ckin rude!?!!! and ignorant, all the hard work that goes into a set - Why do we bother? springs to mind sometimes...

All the best,

Len.

when people lecture me about Wigan etc. i usually reply when the tomangos, dena barnes, yvonne baker etc. were 1st played, did you shout "get this new shit off ???? get with it mate, without new sounds the scene would have died in 1969"

Stick with it matey, the light will shine thro' to the dinosaurs lol

[Guest sharmo 1]

hi there for starters don't take a record off half way through , i'm afraid djing is one of those situations in life that you can spend all week working out what your going to play and then on the night sure fire 45's bomb like lead.I've had all sorts for instance a well known guy from the Ilkeston area once venomously repremanded me and called me arogant for not playing oldies and records that he knew , I'll quote "when are you going to play records we know ? we're sick of hearing all your modern shit" The records were Gwen Owens ,Delight's ,Danny Monday ,Vivian Carol,Lester Tipton , Al Williams ,Silohettes,Judy Huges ,ect. MODERN ? well what do we know ? regards Simon.

[tosspot]

hi there for starters don't take a record off half way through , i'm afraid djing is one of those situations in life that you can spend all week working out what your going to play and then on the night sure fire 45's bomb like lead.I've had all sorts for instance a well known guy from the Ilkeston area once venomously repremanded me and called me arogant for not playing oldies and records that he knew , I'll quote "when are you going to play records we know ? we're sick of hearing all your modern shit" The records were Gwen Owens ,Delight's ,Danny Monday ,Vivian Carol,Lester Tipton , Al Williams ,Silohettes,Judy Huges ,ect. MODERN ? well what do we know ? regards Simon.

Te he Si, look at the comment i had when i was playing "modern" shit upstairs at the Skeggy w/ender lol

[Citizen P]

I still wonder if all these that insist on only hearing tunes they know, actually ever went anwhere.

Tony

[Len]

Some would wonder why we do it, as apart from the flack when D.Jing you can also get it elsewhere. I suppose if you really believe in what you do (Which I do) it's all worth while even if you only 'connect' with a small minority. All we are doing is trying to share the joy we get from our records and I can't understand how these 'types' don't see that - I suppose it's 'yet again' a matter of people attacking anything they don't understand, which someone else pointed out on 'another' thread a while back - So true that.

All the best,

Len.

Edited October 17, 2012 by LEN

[Ceejay]

Unfortunatelly less and less people about now who think like that, or there's 'more and more' people about who don't - Hence second rooms at venues....."Yeh, put all that 'rare sh*t out of the way"...A really well thought out statement that one

All the best,

Len

In a lot of cases a record doesn't even have to be that rare.............it just needs to be one that folk hear week in and week out at local nights.

I know people that go to the same 2 or 3 local nights in a month, sit in the same seats, get up and dance once they've had a few bevvies (usually around 9.30 to 10 pm)............and yes, to the same records time after time!!!!

Usually the ones that go up to the DJ and say "CAN YOU PLAY SOMETHING I KNOW!!!"

[Guest sharmo 1]

Te he Si, look at the comment i had when i was playing "modern" shit upstairs at the Skeggy w/ender lol

Hi Rob more impotantly how are you mate ? saw you breifly last sat and need a talk to you but you'd gone.Do you remember the night I was talking about at Hugglescote ?Jesus talk about W***er eh ? He gives w***kers a bad name !!!! see you soon not Ibstock this week as we're in Southport but need to have a chat about something else regards Hillery Clinton.