DJs - What Did You Find Frustrating?

[QUINNY]

Thinking about the Remember The Party events has opened up an old festering sore with me (too much info already?).

Jerry Bonham had a long time to prepare his music and his playlist for the event, something a busy DJ BITD wouldn't have had. Moreover, it would appear that he more or less stuck to a playlist. Again, unless a DJ was ultra arrogant/talented, ultra lucky or both, this would have been a total luxury BITD. Always, but ALWAYS, there were people who'd force suggestions upon me when I didn't wanna play 'em. Either they'd be ultra old hat, or they wouldn't fit with the mood I was trying to create, but as a DJ I was expected to make room for requests and not question the whys or wherefors. Most managers were fairly understanding, but even they would get involved at times, handing out a seemingly innocent suggestion, which later might transpire to be a dangerously barbed missive. Quite often these requests would take the night off into a totally different direction and I'd end up some time later wondering how I got to where I'd arrived at, when all along I really didn't wanna go there.

THIS was always a huge frustration for me........what was yours?

[JussiK]

Back in the Day: we were all very young and thinking of the nights behind the decks during the 70's everything seemed to be done in a mad rush, either in triumphant euphoria caused by brand new vinyls, or in a nervous jittery state resulting from competition next door, almost panicking, spilling the drink and losing the beat in the mix. My deejaying was mostly chaotic with sudden, unplanned changes of mood and structure, punctured with sudden more or less useless mindstorms and influenced by a film or an experience abroad or even by weather: it's hot so I must do the tropical, oh no that gorgeous girl looks stoned and I don't have my copy of "Smoke Your Troubles Away" with me etc. What was frustrating was the enforced volume control - in my country it was a constant fight for your right to crank up the volume. Of course in many clubs the sound systems were so horrible maybe it was a blessing to the punters not being subjected to "You + Me = Love" at 120 decibels, would have caused permanent damage through those speakers.
Now: people demanding Madonna or worse still Carola, or any other entry for the Eurovision song contest of 2006. "But that's Disco, no?"

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by JussiK

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Now: people demanding Madonna or worse still Carola, or any other entry for the Eurovision song contest of 2006. "But that's Disco, no?"

It amazes me lately how almost anything gets described as disco. I almost wish for the days when disco was a dirty word! Especially on the gay scene when a club night is labelled 'fabulous disco' for example in an ad only to arrive at the club to find music that sounds like a car alarm set to a computerised beat all night!

[DJDynasty]

You can please some of the people all of the time.
You can please all of the people some of the time.
But you cant please all of the people all of the time.

This is a fact and true.
But
The most annoying is the request

"Can you play something good"

Usually posted by someone who has exceeded their drinking limit.
You can see them coming a mile away

I remember just that question as I had a packed dancefloor.
My slightly sarcastic but true answer

"They seem to be enjoying it"

[tony98]

The Question thats always irritated me while DJing is "What have you got?". It happened to me yet again last friday while playing to about 300 people at an office party, most people were having a great time apart from this misarable girl. How can i tell what i have from the 1000 tracks i have with me!

[RetroRuss]

I'll never forget two years ago I was playing a bar and in the middle of a number of Disco tracks, which included GB Experience - Disco Extravaganza, the owner came over and said, could I play some Disco!!