Re: [bomp] Re: DJ culture (and all that jazz)

[jumpinginthenight <jumpinginthenight@xxxxxxxxx>]

At my last soul gig, my friend Jett (same age, ex-DJ) said I played too many hits all in a row but that was my plan. I thought it was a good change of pace from my partner's set of Latin soul. The paying customers didn't complain.
   
  At the Subway Soul Xmas party I did 22 minutes of obscure floor pounders, realizing all the DJs present were "auditioning" me. But the crowd wanted to dance. They loved it.
   
  At the pre-Cavestomp party, I also had 22 minutes. I played some crazy shit like "New Orleans" by Vern Elliott & the Fenmen, crazy but not so well known stuff like "Bama Lama Bama Loo" by Little Richard. Everyone loved it and I though most of the other DJs were showing off obscurites.
  Anyway, you can only rely on "the people" being present, not "the collectors." All  of the club owners tell me they like what I play. Noemi at Tainted Lady told me I play the songs everyone knows but nobody else plays. That's my bumper sticker now.
   
  It's a fine line to walk. Mr. FineWine's soul dances are almost the same songs in the same order every month but on his weekly radio show, I don't think I've ever heard the same song twice. He knows the difference between a dance hall and the radio (and yes even I am disinclined to break into a jig in front of the radio).
   
  Smashed!Blocked! and Subway Soul try to keep it fresh by having guest DJs.
  Friday I am going to start off slow but at midnight play hits interspered with obscurites.
  

hoodoo3005@aol.com wrote:
  
I said: "Hell, my preferred set is just plain stuff that sounds good, hit or
miss."


Then Dave said: "Why go out to hear stuff I already know?B Why spin stuff
that everybody's already heard?"




You missed my point by three country miles.




Okay - when I select records for my soul night, I don't think in terms of
whether it was super popular or not, I'm more like: will it fill the dance
floor? Whether it was a hit or an obscurity is secondary.




Now, I'm not too proud to play the hits every now and then. When I heard those
excited female shrieks during the opening bars of "Rescue Me" one night, I
knew then and there that it was a wise decision to always keep some hits in
the crates!B 




But remember, I said "every now and then." I ain't no fool - I wouldn't play
too many common songs back-to-back, or else the set would start sounding like
the playlist of an oldies station. Or your cousin Amber's wedd




At the soul night that me and John do, we're blessed with a crowd that will
hit the floor during both the hits and obscurities, just as long as the beat
is right.




It doesn't have to be wall-to-wall hits, or an all-obscure set. You can rock
it both ways.




James













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