Restrictive Playlists

[nrgbeat]

Did club owners or managers restrict the type of music a dj could play.

For example if you were a dj at a predominately white suburban club would you be restricted from playing rap or more street-oriented material?

[NickNack]

I think sfbeary all ready alluded to this in his post. Some djs were restricted. Some clubs were restrictive. Racism has no boundaries.

[QUINNY]

Generally, I wasn't restricted in what I could play except ALL DJ's were restricted by what their punters would accept.

So, it could be argued that a good DJ would find himself less restricted than a bad one.

Occasionally, a manager would make it known that he thought certain records or types of music were more (or less) in keeping with his vision of what he wanted his club to be, but these were rare and never resulted in much. My own take on this, is that managers needed to let the DJ know who was boss or that figures may have been down that night and they panicked that they wouldn't get their bonus that month.

I believe I had a surprisingly good run of playing what I wanted.

[NickNack]

Screw it. Let's by-pass the bullshit. Nrgbeat: Are you asking about playing music to generate money or restricting music to keep certain people out? I'm going for the latter, but I won't say anymore until you reply.

[nrgbeat]

What I was actually getting at was that some clubs were probably catering to a core audience. In their efforts to please that audience did they restrict their playlists?

I would assume if a dj tried to go against the grain and play something that didn't fit the mold wouldn't he/she get flack from club management? Did management try to control what the dj played?

[Jimmy-Michaels]

Well of corse I wasnt back in the 70s.. but however when I was spinning classic underground at club boom in Phoenix. The first time I did some crazy stuff, my boss gave me ****! I did 2 instances in one night. I took it apon myself to take to a club something I did practicing at home. The first "offence" (lol) was mixing from Sumeria "Golden Tears" into a slowed down "America" by Neil Diamond. The second that same night was going from Geraldine Hunt "Cant Fake The Feeling" into "Squealer" by AC/DC. The crowed loved me doin those 2 things that night..so I thought all was good. Till the next afternoon I got a phone call from the boss and he basicly reemed me a new one LOL. Eventualy, about a week later the co-owner had come to my defence and told the big guy the great responce to what I did and then he said it was ok to do whatever as long as the customers were enjoyin it. Dont know if for sure this is what your getting at by this post but..theres a nice true story for ya'll if not LOL

[Mixmachine]

One has to play what ever the crowd present wants to hear and dance to, I played all kinds of different clubs, if the crowd was more top forty dance, that's what I played, Salsa club, play Salsa, I played black clubs, did my home work and played heavy funk, more of a 'mixed' crowd, played high energy and new fresh records, young latins, played pretty 'Hustle' music, in later years break dancing music and 'Freestyle", Rockers? played 'New wave'. Now, if you played Violla Wills in a black club you better put up the chicken wire :lol:

As far as ownership trying to control their clientele, absolutely, it's called marketing, and that's why they have private clubs and other tools like ‘cover charge’ and high (or low) liquor pricing; At Regines they didn’t accept cash!.

[NickNack]

Only once did a manager tell me what not to play. That was at The Eagle's Nest in Manhattan. He didn't want any music with the words 'DANCE' or 'DANCING' in it. Wouldn't look good if the leather crowd starting shaking their butts. Of course, within the hour a customer asked me to play Bryan Adams, "Let Me Take You Dancing". What do you think I did?

There were rumors floating around that djs had to submit their playlists to management at Flamingo and The Saint or some-such places. I'm not the one to ask. For sure, it was the crowd that 'restricted' your lists more than anything else. I mean, no "Feels Like I'm In Love" at The Gallery or The Garage. No, "Slap, Slap Lickedy Lap" at The Saint or 12 West. You get my drift. No one was telling Nicky Siano or Larry Levan what to put on their turntables. I don't what the other guys went through.

[JussiK]

If it's out on commercial cd it apparently cannot be spinned. I thought some robotik 120 bpm Italodisco would be perfect for an s/m leather queens-meet-Goth lolitas catwalk party, what with all kinds of electronic italo titles from the mid 80's re-emerging now in hip cd comps. You go to a club and see people dancing to Klein & MBO. But no, organizers of the said upcoming event say nobody wants to hear that sort of stuff anymore. I dunno, maybe they are just scared of hearing a Fun Fun track come on at a wrong moment.

[ALBATROS]

JUSSIK;

I was quite into Italo disco at the time ( mid 80s'), but considering today's remakes of said music makes me wanna puke. I don't blame them (organizers) - this is utter **** ( don't want even to use word "music" for this. In my town only the kids from 16 to maybe 20 listen ( and dance) to this). I think it is intentionally fabricated for that crowd. It have wery litle to do with 80s' Italo disco - it's overpretentious, too fast and really stupid. Try some and judge it by yourself.
Albatros

[Art Figueroa]

Legend has it that one night at The Saint, the owner/manager told Robbie that he wanted a more modern sound...that same night it is said that Robbie played the entire A side of Romeo & Juliet....to a packed dance floor!

Again, I was not there when it happenned, as far as I know it's just rumour.

Art

[Videoskooter]

Romeo and Juliet is super!!!
Over here you have restrictions too. All the topclubs over here have a certain style. And the management simply doesn't allow you playing other stuff. In the famous house-club "Café D'Anvers", technorecords are strictly forbidden while the "Cherry Moon" club forbids house and disco. So you have to play the genre they want otherwise you cannot play.
I think that's the question of the topic here, please correct me if I'm wrong. If the question is: do they play certain types of music to get certain people out of the club, the answer is no. But the audience here generally knows very good which club plays which style of music. Only the well-known Red & Blue club (gay) doesn't allow women on saturdays but they open their doors on fridays and sundays to them so everybody can come and have fun there. But the style of music stays the same for both sexes and is mainly disco.

[Studio74]

Albatros i have to disagree with you,i quite like some of the so-called "New Italo-Disco"...stuff like Metro Area,Putsch 79,Legowelt,Orgue Electronique,Parallax Corporation,Nancy Fortune,Bangkok Impact,Alden Tyrrel,Jolly Music,Francisco,Daniel Wang,etc is great.About restrictive playlists,this also happens in Portugal. In the more "comercial" orientated places the playlist almost never change for periods that go about 6 months or more.And of course some places only play or mainstream House or Dark/Tribal/Progressive House.The only place that i know that has a eclectic policy is Lux in Lisbon.I´ve heard Cerrone,Bohannon,Salsoul Orchestra,David Carretta,The Police,The Clash,Metro Area,Josh Wink,Donna Summer,Derrick May,Mr. Oizo,Daft Punk,Blackstrobe played in the same DJ set...ecletic or what?

[efunk_adelic]

I don't recall too many times management told me not to play a certain song.... other than don't play


THE ROOF IS ON FIRE! explicit lyrics in songs was a no no back in 1982 or 1983 when this song came out... he was furious!!! :oops:

[JussiK]

.The only place that i know that has a eclectic policy is Lux in Lisbon.I´ve heard Cerrone,Bohannon,Salsoul Orchestra,David Carretta,The Police,The Clash,Metro Area,Josh Wink,Donna Summer,Derrick May,Mr. Oizo,Daft Punk,Blackstrobe played in the same DJ set...ecletic or what?

That Lux place is apparently now considered one of the coolest clubs in Europe, articles abound in style magazines, people talk excitedly, designers are swooning over the decor etc. Great to read they spin good tunes there too!