Disco.....Multigenerational?

[QUINNY]

I thought this subject was worth discussing in more detail (especially as I appear to be the only one who thought discos were for young people).

These are my personal observations.

The primary age group that I played to as a DJ was 18-23. I think there are valid reasons for this, the primary one being that the music I played appealed to this age group more than any other. Maybe it's because the disco movement was always slightly more underground in the UK than in the USA during Disco's peak. Possibly it's because we tended to play less commercial records, possibly a wider spectrum, with more funk and jazz funk especially.
Another obvious reason why this age group predominated the scene was the simple fact that by 23, many people had found their life-long love and ridden off into marital bliss, never to return (well very seldom to return), or abandoned clubbing as a lost cause.

In my experience, the venues that tended to have a wider age group were the more commercial ones. Those that were more upmarket, more professional, more safe in their overall approach. You have to realise that Disco was, to some extent, a dirty word and to be a DJ wasn't considered an honest profession by the vast majority of people. Yes, I did feel that what I was doing was rebellious (with a small r) and the music was a big part of that. Don't get me wrong, there would always be a few older people in the crowd (die hard night time animals, party people, hard drinkers, lechers, losers), but in most of my venues they stood out like a sore thumb and very rarely got down wit' their baaad selves.

I was glad to be playing to young people and not old fogeys. One of the reasons I gave up DJing was that I simply felt I was too old and I shouldn't be dictating my taste onto young people. I felt a real phoney by the end.

[vienne]

In my experience, it was certainly multi-generational, although I did find a big divide as to the generation gap only when I visited England, with only very minor exceptions. Those exceptions were a club in Soho in which it was mainly an Afro/Carribean crowd where I found 2 generations happily mixing and partying together and a male gay club in Headington, Oxford.

I visited, Antigua, Martinique, Guadaloupe and Switzerland at the time and although I only visited one or two clubs in each country or Island, each had a very international and multi-generation crowd and were all very comfortable with each other.

I think this great generation divide is very strong here in the UK, that "old fogey" term is so derogatory and unworthy. Of course you would feel like a phoney DJ'ing because remember, your feelings of being unworthy because you are now no longer a "kid" is inherent. Personally I feel that a good DJ regardless of age, has a lot to give and one should not give up just because of the inherent "age-ism" that prevails here in the UK more than anywhere else in the world.

As with all knowledge it is only truly acquired with age - think about all those tracks that the younger generation may not get to experience because of "their" lack of experience.

Man, don't do yourself down.

BTW - my favorite DJ is Tony Blackburn - that man KNOWS his music and any kid that truly loves music of all genres here in the UK rate Tony very high on the list. It's the kids that only enjoy the bubble gum music factory that will slate Tony as an "old fogey" :roll:

Vienne

[Forrrce]

A younger crowd will always be more into hearing what's new, whereas an older crowd or the less fussy will be content to hear what they already know. Whether it's the disco period or nowadays, the same rules will apply and that would explain away some of the generational split. Also, peoples' priorities change, like you say - and they have to grow up sometime. I don't see much difference in the current dance scene, other than it's far larger and a lot more fragmented than it was 20-odd years ago.

[paul]

I'd say typically the crowd at the discos I went consisted 65 to 75 percent, people 18 to 30. The rest older and tapered off to I'm guessing those who looked around 50ish.
I still have this naive view that you are as young as you feel. Just occasionally my body remeinds me I'm not 18 anymore :o :lol:

[born2disco]

As a DJ, I'd rather play to a miniscule group of 20 middle-aged queens than a packed stadium of silly kiddies. And as a punter, my preferred age group to party with is a predominantly older crowd (30+). A few twinks here and there is fine, but let's face it, in large numbers they're not very interesting or attractive! ;)

Unfortunately these days it seems that the majority are not there for the music and couldn't give a toss what they are dancing (badly) to. Sad but true!

I am 30 and am probably too young to be so jaded, but there you go! :lol:

[Videoskooter]

Well, I'm 40 (41 next october-so start sending the presents :) ), so I grew up during the discoyears and when I go out to different places I'm always amazed to see what today's youngster's idea of partying is. Totally different from the way "we" used to go out.

My parents never gave me instructions about what time I had to be home but it usually was 2.00 am since everything closed here at that time. Now people are starting their night out at 2 or 3 in the morning and they go on till 10 in the morning.

That's weird so it is not difficult to find out the reason why a large group of them is falling asleep during work- or schooltime. Also, the way they dance and have fun amazes me. Many don't seem to be able to enjoy themselves without getting incredibly drunk and dare not to dance without having taken drugs. While disco was joyfull and uplifting most of the musicstyles nowadays are more aggressive with the exception of deephouse and R&B.

A lot of young people that I know are discovering the vintage disco now and when I come in places where there are special disconights I clearly see how the old grooves have a positve effect on them. They start to enjoy themselves and tell me that they are having fun like they never did before.

So disco is definitely multigenerational and I don't think that the "older" people like us are the last generation that will cherish the ancient grooves. People will DISCOver and enjoy it years from now. But will they have the same feelings and atmosphere like we had in the golden 70's? Impossible, since the days back then were totally different.

[Nano]

I hear that comment often, VideoSkooter. But I think we over-romanticize that time because we were too young. That is, we didn't need anything "extra" to dance all night long, but over the years I read there were lotsa 25 years old and older getting their noses "dusted" in the disco bathrooms.

[Videoskooter]

Originally Posted by Nano

I hear that comment often, VideoSkooter. But I think we over-romanticize that time because we were too young. That is, we didn't need anything "extra" to dance all night long, but over the years I read there were lotsa 25 years old and older getting their noses "dusted" in the disco bathrooms.

That's right. Like lots of people who grew up in the 80's say that it was the best period of their life. But comparing the "warmth" in disco's we went out back then and the atmosphere nowadays, well, it's very different I think. Maybe we sometimes are too nostalgic :D

And when I read posts from Bernie, who is only 24 days "older" than me, I notice that he also has favourites from the 80's and 90's, I must confess that all of my "honey's" are situated in the late 60's till the very early 80's. :oops:

[JussiK]

Last Friday night I watched a bunch of 20-somethings getting down to c. 13 minutes worth of Santa Esmeralda's Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, spinned by Sami M. Didn't seem to matter the track was older than any of the dancers.

[efunk_adelic]

I'm not sure anybody experienced this or not....


I forgot to mention that I was vacationing in Las Vegas and went to Studio 54 with my sister. I had told her that it's most fun to get there early... because the music progresses from 1975 - 04. Of course... lots of the old people like me got to the scene early.... it was so much fun!!! :D :D

At around 12:30.... the younger crowd came in and the music went straight from mid 80's which was still good... to full on techno.... To say the least.... no lyrics, no emotional feel. I almost developed a headache.

Not to cut down the younger crowd.... but, jumping around like weirdo's and with no rhythm whatsoever... I was disappointed watching both males & females dancing like this???? wtf???? :roll:

It's not their fault... there is no music like the old days for them to develop any kind of dancing skills...

[QUINNY]

Originally Posted by efunk_adelic

Not to cut down the younger crowd.... but, jumping around like weirdo's and with no rhythm whatsoever... I was disappointed watching both males & females dancing like this???? wtf???? :roll:

It's not their fault... there is no music like the old days for them to develop any kind of dancing skills...

I can't go for that, no can do.
Don't forget, that to our parents (well mine anyway) anything that wasn't a Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, etc wasn't proper dancing and to their parents The Gay Gordons, Military two-step etc were proper dancing.
Dancing is just self expression, usually to music (never heard of Jazz Dance?). Look at those Africans who merely jump up and down as a form of dancing or native Americans who'd put on warpaint and then have a dance (OK this had serious intentions, but was a form of dancing, no?). None of them dance cheek to cheek and are in effect, jumping around.
I, for one, am glad that one doesn't have to be a brilliant dancer in order to get one's rocks off!! :lol: Proper dancing is a form of elitism!!!

[paul]

I think you missed the point Quinny. It's the ability to dance to the rhythm of the beat. Whether it's Africans jumping to drum beats or westerners hustlin' to Show Me The Way to Go, keeping rhythm is key.

[Videoskooter]

Originally Posted by efunk_adelic

It's not their fault... there is no music like the old days for them to develop any kind of dancing skills...

Well, I totally agree with that. When you play deephouse you clearly see people moving the right way but when you are in a club that plays techno or hard-techno (gabber)???? What are they doing???

They stand in the middle of the dancefloor waving their arms and are surely not following the rhythm. But nothing's new here. When I saw the change of music from disco to for instance Daf and (early) Simple Minds in the early 80's, dancing already became very individual and one of the favourite moves at that time was "worshipping the strobelight".:o

And it surprises me that the Studio 54-party in Vegas turns Techno. We also have the 54-parties here and they're strictly old-skool mixed with Nu-disco ( Joey Negro,....) so they are staying with the original concept and deco so it's a n immense pleasure to visit them.

But....let's presume that the "54" would still be open in NY, what kind of music would they be playing nowadays :roll:

Who knows???

[efunk_adelic]

Originally Posted by Videoskooter

But....let's presume that the "54" would still be open in NY, what kind of music would they be playing nowadays :roll:

Who knows???

Thanks Paul & Skooter... understanding my post.... After 12:30... I did feel like I was in another club or planet. There is clearly a way to dance to deep house/techno.... anything over 133bpm's just isn't my cup of tea... You get worn out to quickly... but, I still enjoy dancing to deep house & just a few techno songs... it's all good..

[Studio74]

If Studio 54 was open today,it would be playing that typical Dark/Tribal/Progressive House,or it would be playing commercial Hip-Hop/R n B.I wouldn´t see it playing Deep/Soulfull House or this new Electro stuff,this would be the stuff Paradise Garage would play if it was still open.