Disc jockeys - why are they so often so very very bad?

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Have you ever been to an event and been amazed at how bad the DJ was? I have - many many times. If this helps any DJ anywhere to improve, then I have done some good.
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It is possible that I went too far here. The too-long-didn't-watch summary is: typical DJs who get booked for weddings and conference parties tend not to be terribly good, adaptable, vigilant, knowledgeable about dancing when they should be, and tend to be a bit more self-centred than is optimal for their role at an event.
Many thanks to King Size Slim for providing proper blues musical skills in the advert.
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Lindybeige: a channel of archaeology, ancient and medieval warfare, rants, swing dance, travelogues, evolution, and whatever else occurs to me to make.
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[@mitchdouglas9844]

Fun fact: The reason why Lloyd is always shot from the waist up is because he's always doing the lindyhop with his legs just out of frame. Hence why he's so tired.

[@Pangloss6413]

He's so good he doesn't even have to move his torso at all to do it

[@Vazlist]

Yes, he is somewhat of a dancer, he is.

[@quietdignityandgrace]

I thought it was because he doesn't wear pants. Now I know. Thanks.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

If Lloyd ever rested, he'd have a resting heart rate of 1.

[@klaymann888]

Should play “baggy trousers” .. another scar track 💪🏻👌🏼😂😂

[@breadman2983]

What I learned today: Lloyd's an absolute party animal.

[@dundeedideley1773]

That's not surprising ☺️

[@Taolan8472]

Was that ever in question?

[@pandakicker1]

@@Taolan8472 Nope. I have known this for years. I would party with him. I am also one. It takes one to know one.

[@WalkingCWild]

if he's into archaeology, trust me, this was always going to have been the case

[@scruffythejanitor1969]

I didn't appreciate my Wedding DJ until I had attended about 6 more weddings and realized how good I had it. Our Wedding DJ was into some fairly obscure techo/dance music, and was trying to make a name for himself in some obscure genre that is probably dead. He play ZERO of his style of music. He pulled out 30 minutes of those cheesy 50s dance hits because some older guests requested it, started dancing, and got most of the room twisting, trotting, and hopping. He kept the dance floor full and busy for two hours (maybe longer; the wife and I left about that time) at a DRY wedding. The only time I heard his voice was when he made an announcement about a lost cell phone. I talked to him a bit when he was setting up, and he was proud of his absolute monster collection of hi-res music in just about every genre you can think of. He would scour the internet to come up with good party music in every genre imaginable -- he said he found out he had well over 3 hours of (apparently quality) Polka music when it turned out that the Bride and Grooms family were both filled with Polka dancers and performers -- he had been under the impression that he was going to play standard wedding music. He said that he had a sort of standard play list to start with, but that each wedding would go one way or another. After my friends wedding where the guy INSISTED on playing some gawd awful house music -- with some of his personal creations sprinkled in-- I began to realize how easy it is to screw up.

[@moaningpheromones]

dry wedding night?

[@OuroborosWorm]

@@moaningpheromones No alcohol

[@boldvankaalen3896]

I once was at a party where the DJ was trying to shove his particular taste of some house genre through everybody's throat. I did notice he was skilful within in that genre, there were good transitions and a good build up. But the party guests just did not like this genre and the floor remained empty all night. So credit to your DJ for not behaving like a pretentious pr#ck.

[@kenanderson3954]

I mean, this is the big thing about finding a good DJ. Talk to the DJ, ask what they generally play at weddings, make arrangements ahead of time if you have requests. If you hire a DJ that only plays house to work your wedding and they place house music, that's not the DJs fault. Sure, if you talked to him ahead of time and he still accepted the job without being able to accommodate the needs, then yeah, he's a bad DJ and a bad person. Most of the horror stories I've heard about DJs is more along the lines of 'we skimped on the DJ, we got a family friend, we didn't talk to the DJ much outside of hiring them, etc.' It especially blows my mind when those getting married are willing to spend weeks finding the perfect wedding cake and turn around to snag a DJ without having a meeting with them.

[@matthewshepherd5390]

Why dry

[@stevenbryant3055]

Rule #1 of dj-ing has always been “read the room, play what’s appropriate” too many people have never learned that and it definitely shows

[@tedferkin]

And yet still earn a living from it.

[@stevenbryant3055]

@@tedferkin yep

[@JackPorter]

as he said in the intro, the onus also falls on the hiring management. if you just look in the yellow pages under "DJ", call him just to hire him without inquiring on tastes and capabilities. Don't be so surprised when it's just some git with a laptop and big speakers. i understand it's nigh on impossible to know offhand because good DJ's are purposefully not the centre of attention, the entire point is to be noticed as little as possible. that's why you need to be extra careful when hiring.

[@blogobre]

Yup, what you said.

[@jeffsmith9351]

Too many people cant read any rooms ever period

[@gen-x_dude]

came for flaming arrows, search for Hannibal and siege ladders... stayed for contractual obligation blues

[@johansmythe5909]

Personally, I came for flaming arrows, search for Hannibal and siege ladders, but stayed for the snazzy transitions

[@Stray___]

And scholar cradles

[@megagrips6470]

lindy's presence at a goth wedding is a beatiful thing

[@AlanGChenery]

Beige and Black, Sounds sorta whack, But I'll have you know, Its was due quite the show. Except the DJ blows.

[@DM0407]

When the bride is wearing black and Lindy is wearing beige

[@mandowarrior123]

@@DM0407 lets be honest, Lloyd would've been the most authentic goth there dressed to the nines. I'm not sure Lloyd is capable of half measures.

[@ensignphil]

I imagine Lindy being invited to a "goth" wedding and getting the dress code totally wrong.

[@tezatheboffin2184]

Friends wedding. The bride asked for Lucretia My Reflection and the DJ played Dominion. At least he tried I guess...

[@jordanthomas4379]

As a person of Italian decent who has attended many Italian weddings, I have a solution for everyone, don’t hire a DJ, hire a band instead.

[@alexkfridges]

this

[@tallenta6071]

Or don't hire anyone at all

[@mattoseland5920]

We did this and yes totally, do this instead :)

[@jordanthomas4379]

@@tallenta6071 that might be a bit boring though.

[@BrianRPaterson]

Definitely!

[@moonboogien8908]

I was a wedding DJ from 99-13 and have A LOT of crazy stories, but my favorite was just a regular wedding (with the disco hits that always go over) until it hit midnight when the groom asked me to stay for an extra 3 hours to play hard-core, punk and metal music, which i am really into.... slayer, misfits, nofx, hatebreed, etc. Even the bride was moshing. The hotel finally kicked us out around 3am. Made an extra 600$ and had an alcohol infused blast. Out of over 1000 weddings, this one is still my favorite.

[@jurgenstoll2394]

A friend of mine was a very successful DJ. When playing for an unknown audience his secret weapon was: Estimate the average age of the audience. Then calculate back the year, when they were young adults. Look up the hits of this era and play it. Try three different styles and stay with the one with the best reaction.

[@6661313]

good general rule most of the time, but then, the Loyd (and any other swing dancers) don't have an average age of 120 yrs, so it's far from perfect lol

[@jurgenstoll2394]

@@6661313 Your're absolutely right! This procedure was for an unknown audience and of course not for a theme party. During the booking process he asked the host, if there are some specialities this evening, like salsa dancers or a performance of some guests in the audience. Without this previous knowledge he relied to his guesses.

[@mandowarrior123]

@@6661313 based on their outfits* paha.

[@himtraldi]

Sounds a bit the way my grandma bought clothes for us grand kids. look at what we and similar kids are wearing and buy something similar. I've rarely had to return clothes she's bought and they were mostly size issues.

[@paddington1670]

brilliant

[@Moranah]

Also, unrelated, but when Lindybeige says he went to a "nightclub", I'm tempted to think that he didn't go to a dark place with loud music and flashy lights, but rather to a "knight-club". 🤷‍♂

[@adamcetinkent]

He's threatened to go to a knightclub in armour on several occasions

[@joshuabessire9169]

@@adamcetinkent the lost member of the Village People.

[@tomasdawe4423]

isn't a knightclub also called a mace?

[@ProductBasement]

When my wife and I got married, we hand-picked every single song that got played throughout the entire ceremony and reception to avoid just these sort of problems. It wasn't that hard, and it was perhaps the only fun part of the wedding planning (for me, anyway)

[@dinkledord7026]

yup, same here we also made a DO NOT PLAY list

[@therealavolpe]

More cr,inge, guys

[@dhyrim604]

Wait so, why did you even get a DJ then lol?

[@ProductBasement]

@Jasper Thys lol to set up his sound system and play the songs for the various dances and whatnot at the right time. He also performed a song live for us

[@upinarms79]

In my experience, bad DJs usually find out just how bad they really are when they end up in small claims court when they inevitably ruin someone's meticulously planned event by refusing to do anything they were told to do by the clients and decided they knew best. If you have no intention of doing what you agreed to for a client, don't take the job in the first place.

[@toshikotanaka3249]

I've never hired a DJ so I don't know what is involved, but can't you just tell the guy if you don't play what we want to hear you won't be paid? Unless you pay before the event?

[@mikehawk9531]

really channeling your "old man screams at sky" energy in this one

[@1fareast14]

Surprised he don't use his dies irae intro here

[@n0etic_f0x]

And yet it is appropriate. I have taken over as a DJ with just my phone and it made for a better party. People actually booed the DJ because nobody liked his music. In fact, nobody would find a good bit of his songs because he had this soundboard he would use to play the name of his website over the music. When it is that bad even screaming into the void can work.

[@path1024]

I was a professional DJ for 16 years. I kept winning second place in the local DJ awards behind a guy who couldn't even mix. He just wore crazy outfits and invited people to afterparties. The people get what they want.

[@tisyfish]

Marshmellow did me dirty too. I feel your pain.

[@AA-lj5rp]

​@@tisyfish😂

[@tisyfish]

haha thanks for bringing me back to this @@AA-lj5rp

[@killerguppy2988]

That point about volume hits home. I was at a wedding that, even when the bride went up to ask to turn it down, he still didn't. Everybody filtered out of the room with the dancefloor and into the hallways outside. We propped up a door just a little bit, and had a great time out there.

[@evilemuempire9550]

I found that with most concerts too (admittedly I mainly listen to a genre with a culture of being loud), most times I’ve found wearing earplugs improved the experience a lot. Either that or you get blasted through half the set until your ears adjust.

[@jaakko14]

Are people too polite to say an asshole DJ like that to not play the music so loud? You are paying his salary for the night. Imo the DJ has two options, play quieter or pack your stuff and leave.

[@thomaskovilakath715]

Fun fact: In case anyone was wondering why at some venues the music is loud but you can still easily hear the person next to you, It's because you have a cleaver DJ who has Equalized the music to have the "mids" be low because those are the frequencies the human voice is in (so the music's frequencies are not competing with your voice). You can try it your self if you have an EQ on your stereo or in your car. make like a gentle V shape on the EQ and turn the volume way up. the music will seem so loud but you can totally hear the person next to you. Not only is this a great trick for DJs but it's fun for playing music hanging with friends. No one will notice the music sound different either. I've learned so much fun stuff from this channel and it's user's comments It feels good to be able to finally have a fun fact to give back.

[@wetwillyis_1881]

Lindybiege can literally rant about anything and I would watch it. He could talk about how to butter toast and why everyone dose it poorly, and I would watch it.

[@maddockemerson4603]

He has made videos about salt, neckties and saucepans if you’re interested.

[@anyways4438]

To be fair if I was buttering toasts poorly for my entire life I'd like to get better at it

[@wetwillyis_1881]

@@anyways4438 Same here, mate.

[@fishingrealtor]

Next vid idea

[@Crow.Author]

Same. I’m not a dancer, DJ, or even an event goer, I’ve not gone to an event with a DJ for over a decade, and yet, I still watched and enjoyed every minute of the video.

[@Annihilord]

There was often a DJ at after parties at student association galas, now the association I was a member of was quite a nerdy one and that usually comes with certain tastes and dislikes, quite often a DJ would play the hottest latest and greatest and only the people who really liked dancing went dancing, the rest would just sit and talk and drink a bit (luckily the venues were always setup so that was always an option) but once there was this DJ, started out like all the others but he did what no other DJ had done, he sensed the mood. So he started to play some other stuff, no immediate reaction, started mixing in some 80's, more people reacted, some 90's, people got into it, some 2000's, some people sat down again, and he kept just going back and forth until he had a good idea of wat we wanted to hear. It honestly was a weird mix of 80's, 90's, 2000's and some more modern songs but it worked really well, he had found some pattern in our taste that I couldn't have detected, it wasn't all the same stuff or even all the same genre but it was received well almost all the time once he'd honed in on our taste. I've seen people dance that night that normally would never dare (including myself, not much of a dancer). That DJ really understood his job, masterfully done.

[@Seelenschmiede]

Indeed, the mix makes the crowd go wild. There is a reason mixed bags of snacks exist.

[@4TheWinQuinn]

NERD

[@Puschit1]

That's how I DJ and always assumed that that's the only way to go.

[@marthamryglod291]

He must have worked at a senior dance at my school. Never in my life did I think that nearly everyone would be dancing at the same time like in the movies. It was a memorable night.

[@frankharr9466]

I hope his career's going swimingly.

[@Vote4Drizzt]

As a person who just cannot imagine actually dancing in front of people, I still think its interesting the degree to which observation and humility are critical to service. Same can be true for food, drink, any kind of art done as a service.

[@_R0BB_]

I was a DJ for about 20 years. I had a good reputation and people specifically would come to events if I was playing. The reason was because I played the right songs at the right time to the right people so that everyone would enjoy themselves. Any glory I got was gleamed from seeing smiles on faces and the gratitude for a job well done. I always went in with the attitude that "these people are giving me money for something I love, I owe them for that."

[@therealavolpe]

You played for pi,ssh,eads at weddings, let's be fair..

[@_R0BB_]

@@therealavolpe Never played a wedding in my life. I've never done private gigs, always thought they were for "hacks".

[@PeterShaw-lb9lt]

That is a good attitude that is how i dj i never advertised all my jobs i got from people seeing me work

[@BruceForte]

Lindy just verbally beating the snot out of bad DJ's is something I could get used to watching...

[@Nerobyrne]

I'm actually amazed how bad so many of them are. Do we need to beat more of them up if they suck? Are there no DJ classes? Do they need to be regulated?

[@FlyingWingless]

id like more in-depth knowledge on scholars cradles.

[@Svit.S]

@@FlyingWingless brilliant idea

[@EnglishroG]

So true. This video should be mandatory viewing for anyone who wants to be a DJ or who thinks being a DJ is easy.

[@harmondaniels5108]

If I ever need to hire a DJ I'm gonna ask him if he watched this

[@richbob9155]

The worst part is being a DJ really is easy. Most are just too lazy to spend 20 mins a day to practice. Anyone can learn to be a fantastic DJ in a few months. Most do it for the title rather than because they enjoy it though.

[@TheDangerousD]

@@richbob9155 being able to mix fantastically does not make you a good DJ

[@MaGiCMushroomClouds]

If a DJ wants to blow up don't put vocals on an EDM track. The addition of vocals have absolutely ruined way too many bomb tracks that otherwise would have been absolute fire. Learn from history's best: Oklahoma Federal Building, no vocals and it totally brought the house down, even little kids got into it. Manhattan 9/11/01, no vocals and it had people jumping like never before, even the squares in cubicles wearing suits & ties from 9am to 5pm Mon thru Fri. The Chicxulub asteroid impact, no vocals and it became an overnight global phenomenon like Y2K if it lived up to the hype and then some.

[@Nerobyrne]

@@TheDangerousD for some reason track mixers are called DJ. It's really inaccurate and needs to stop

[@Ireallymissmymind]

Around 30 years ago I was a member of a pretty versatile band doing everything from Cripple Creek to Hotel California. We did the pubs, clubs and the odd wedding/bunfight gigs. We did a very well-received set at one wedding at a posh sports club. As we started to clear our stuff to make way for the DJ taking over, said DJ arrived, a portly man with an unconvincing toupee, a sparkly waistcoat embroidered with treble clefs and an attitude. He looked at us and said, "Hurry up out me way and lets get some proper music on the go". As I was also a serving police officer at the time, it was my duty to pull the bass player off him - otherwise I would have let him finish the 'conversation'. The band was called Lazy Dog btw.

[@PopeSalty1]

I DJed for over 25 years, and I absolutely love DJ-bashing. Is that weird? And, for the most part, Lindy is dead on here. That being said, it does make me wish that I was a KZbinr, because I promise, I could do at least half an hour on bad partygoers. Why anyone would want to become a DJ in 2022, is beyond me.

[@08mlascelles]

At the end of the day, a decent wedding band will outshine any dj. We cost more because we’re worth more…

[@AlexR2648]

I mean you could be a KZbinr if you wanted.

[@PopeSalty1]

@@08mlascelles Not sure that I agree. You don't have to worry about a DJ-played song not sounding like the original. Plus, a band is limited to the songs it knows. Mainly, bands cost more because there are more of you. Per person, a DJ generally makes more.

[@thesymbolistlink3548]

@@PopeSalty1 Tbf mate I was thinking it'd be great if some DJ provided a 10 point counter argument to Lindybiege's video here. Even though I agree with this video it'd be great to see the other side of the argument but I do feel most DJ's do not, can not, or even worse, outright refuse to read the room. Largely down to catering to women's tastes? (A subject in of itself - tonight's soap awards being a prime example). Of course, whatever women dance to, guys will inevitable dance to too any way. Not an easy job I grant you to do well but this video has made me realise just how poor most DJ's are.

[@brainycheddar]

@@thesymbolistlink3548 That's the thing though, as a DJ for over a decade, I completely agree with most of Lindybeige's points. It was extremely disheartening to lose a gig because someone offered to do it slightly cheaper, only to show up with pirated music on an iPad. No taste for music, no feel for the crowd, no mixing chops, just train-wreck after train-wreck of overplayed pop songs and mic abuse for 3-6 hours. At first I blamed the DJs for not taking the craft seriously, not knowing the fundamentals of beat/phase/phrase/key matching. Then I realized most audiences don't seem to notice or care about bad DJs. So it's kind of a two way street. Besides, people generally don't know what a DJ is. When people go to a concert to see a "DJ", what they're really wanting to see is a music producer. When people hire a "DJ" for a wedding, they're really wanting an MC. There's also a massive difference in types of DJs: In general, a progressive-house DJ isn't a good pick for beat-juggling/scratching. A turntableist isn't a good pick for a wedding, and a wedding DJ is never a good idea. ;) Occasionally you'll have really good DJs where you really can't tell where one song ends and the next begins (Maya Jane Coles comes to mind), but they're rare. if you want some insight into the mind of a really competent DJ, Ean Golden had some really thoughtful work on the DJ Tech Tools site/channel.

[@SquireComedy]

British DJ: Yeah, I'm a pretty popular DJ *Plays Mr Brightside*

[@TheStupidEggs]

To be honest, in rock clubs I will only go after they have played Mr brightside. It's just a banger

[@herbiehusker1889]

What's wrong with Mr. Brightside?

[@alucardgd2831]

hello squire, hope your having a nice day

[@kh5736]

KZbin unsubbed me from you .... lovely

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I wouldn't complain

[@BxPanda7]

I dj for fun, nothing serious, and one time I held a party at my place where we had so many people my whole house was full to the brim with people everywhere, among the guests there was a "real dj" who plays at clubs and events, we took turns at the turn tables so we could both enjoy the party, and I found it quite funny how multiple times during the night, while I wasn't the one doing the mixing, people came to me and asked that I go back behind the decks and take over because they couldn't stand the other guy and they thought he was rubbish. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@blipboop5594]

3:54

[@jackjones4248]

The real DJ probably was playing music that he liked, rather than music that the crowd liked

[@kevinalmgren8332]

On the flip side, I recently went to a wedding that had a few professional dancers and some talented amateurs. The DJ was fairly mediocre, but the quality of the dancers made the event substantially better, because they infused energy and passion into a playlist that otherwise would have been bland and forgettable. Having watched that, I’m almost inclined to say that if you have an event that includes a dance floor, hire a few pro dancers, give them some free drinks, and let them pick a few tracks to dance to. They will make your event far more successful.

[@bickyboo7789]

That's genius.

[@Stray___]

It's like hiring people to cry at a funeral, but more festive

[@ark_ryl9384]

I'm a DJ and producer, have played in my fair share of nightclubs over the past years (not so much now, since I graduated), and I want to give some thoughts. Although I was a club DJ (playing, as you say, music that goes *thud* all the way through very loudly), and this video is specifically more about mobile DJs, I think a few points are still pertinent. It's hard to underestimate the star power of a really good headline DJ. I remember being on stage the night we had a DJ/Producer whose recent song had blown up massively, and all eyes were on him as he took to the stage to play his stuff. Phone cameras were out and everyone was dying to get a video of him dropping this hot new track. It was made all the more funny because we'd booked him to play months before his new track blew up in the dance scene. We were just a small collective of students doing our thing, and before and after our booking he was playing festivals across Europe who had payed x10 what we booked him for. I'd never seen that club so packed out of people. There were people that had come from many many miles away to see him live. In a number of cases, at least in clubs, the DJ really *is* the focal point. After I closed a night playing techno, the crowd was going crazy at my set. I had more than a few people come up to me afterwards to compliment me on my set and get selfies/pictures with me. It was surreal. People in their local dance scenes will definitely have their favourite local club DJs and will go to the nights when they're playing. Definitely agree though that there's a shocking number of mobile DJs who think they are God's gift from heaven who has been sent to us mortals with the divine mission of playing S-Club 7 and the Cha-Cha Slide. You do make a number of really good points though. A DJ who has been rented for a function/wedding should absolutely be willing to play music requested of them or they shouldn't take the job. Only exception to this rule is if you have enough money to rent a DJ with enough 'star power' that their name carries a lot of weight and have a well-established style of music. Also, the ability to read the crowd is a MUST. DJs will always play a song that they really thing will resonate, but it'll fall flat, but that's all a part of the experience in trying to find out what the crowd is feeling. If the crowd doesn't respond, then don't play that style of music again. It's equally important as a DJ however, that you don't play massive hits back-to-back. The dance floor needs some time to relax, people need time to go to the bar to get drinks, go for a smoke, or go to the toilet. If you don't have any 'downtime' in your set using less well-known or using music that's not the crowd's hot stuff, then people will get tired and agitated. Also, on the point about really loud DJs: if you're going to a club, or are a club DJ yourself, then by god invest in some good earplugs! The one thing that irked me when I used to DJ, would be clubbers who would request songs that were *completely* outside the theme of the night. If I'm playing Techno, I'm not going to play your request for Neurofunk, even though I'm a massive fan of Neurofunk. Usually at the club I'm in a big DJ booth so people aren't close enough to ask for requests. But at the odd event where I'm in a smaller booth and people can lean over and ask for a song, I get some of the weirdest requests ever. Granted, 75% of the requests are actually good ones, and if I have the song and I think it'll slot into the set nicely then I'll play it. But for gods sake, no self-respecting club DJ will play 'Mr Brightside' at a tech house night. Very good video though! I think a lot of mobile DJs would do well by listening to this video.

[@piers_bellman]

I fully agree and think this should be higher up!

[@willynebula6193]

I was looking for this comment. Couldn't have said it any better!

[@habibishapur]

finally an educated comment. People outside the scene confuse "club dj/producer djs" with "wedding/birthday party djs". They are a completely different animal, and the confusion is made clear when Floyd asks for the djs to play a song until the end. No sane electronic music dj would ever do that. So much so, that the tracks are often made with long repetitive beginnings and endings not because it sounds nice, but because it allows for mixing. Mixing in creative ways is the entire point of djing. Playing every track until the end and just queuing the next one defeats the purpose. I'm usually patient with people because there's no reason for me to expect everyone to be knowledgeable about music or mixing, but I did expect better from Floyd, since dancing is so important to him. Also, of course the DJ that takes a job at a wedding and then refuses to deviate from his set is pulling a a scummy move. But clients normally do research for every service they hire to ensure they're not getting ripped off. I don't understand why they dont do the same when they hire a dj.

[@LinkoofHyrule]

Who was the headline DJ?

[@KironVB]

Similar thing with DJ and producer, once I got asked to DJ a wedding at a gig of mine, I was like no, and they begged, I said "Just use a ipod with a playlist, I don't do wedding Djing, it's a completely different thing" they still pushed and said they wanted me to DJ because the music I play, I was like whatever, a few hours for a few hundred quid and I get to play my music? sure. Of course, as soon as I started playing, they just wanted like 80s and 90s pop music, knew this was 100% going to be the case, so I just pulled out my laptop, asked them for what tracks they wanted to hear, I made a youtube playlist, a few hundred quid for that., Dance/Electronic Music and Pub/Wedding DJing are two completely different beasts. Dance/Electronic music is more like your conducting a symphony, it's all about track selections that cause ebbs and flows and good mixing. (Like said you don't play a full track through generally, imagine playing like a 10-14 minute classic trance track from start to finish lmao) That said, these days especially I don't get why people don't just use spotify for weddings/pubs etc make a playlist of like 40 songs you want played, then the Algo legitimately will just scan the tracklist and start adding songs in that most likely fit that theme better than most DJs could, it's honestly one of the best ways to find new music as well.

[@hallamhal]

The DJ at my sister's 18th was amazing! He spent a lot of time going back and forth bouncing ideas, my sister (born in the 90s) loves 80s music and they prearranged a set that balanced her tastes with a sprinkling of standard "school disco" classics, he took requests and suggestions through the night, and seemed reallt enthusiastic about music and creating a great experience! Crucially, when we were all eating/socialising... he read the room and played slower numbers and turned down for a bit!

[@SMacCuUladh]

that dude's a pro

[@pagegreer700]

Sounds like a rarity

[@Nerobyrne]

at my school dances in the 2000s, the DJs were always standing relatively close to the crowd and took requests. To the point where almost the entire track list was crowd-sourced by the students, so obviously we loved it ^^

[@alastairlocke4621]

At our school formal (like prom), the year 12s just handed the DJ a Spotify playlist and he just played it all in a row XD

[@SMacCuUladh]

@@alastairlocke4621 easy work if you can get it

[@TheBigRedOctopus]

Lloyd out here just showing off how many costumes he's got

[@alancrane4693]

Thought I was watching Mr Ben 😅

[@everythingknife8763]

That was one of the best ads ever. The unedited flub was priceless. I am so happy Loyd left it in.

[@The23s]

That last one is actually something I codified into what I call the DJ’s Fallacy, after a particularly bad wedding reception a few decades back: the belief that, just because you have a microphone and we can hear you better than we can hear each other, we necessarily care what you have to say. It applies in all kinds of situations.

[@ErikHolten]

This is a metaphor for the Internet.

[@Cheepchipsable]

I don't know, seems like good manner to acknowledge the crowd and thank them etc, more about how you do it I expect. I don't know that it has to be "original".

[@BarokaiRein]

As a stage technician,sound designer and even an occasional DJ I can tell you right now that the main reason is because most clubs will hire whoever acts most like a complete asshole on the phone. I don't know why,but being a dick is often seen as the sign of being "a legit DJ". I know a lot of really damn good DJs but almost none of them gets work as often as the absolutely dreadful ones I've met who just talk a big game. Also for those who don't see what club hirings have to do with stuff like being hired at weddings well it's naturally because you've got a longer résumé so people think you're legit.

[@CB-vt3mx]

I moonlighted as a dj for years...broke in at an FM AOR station. My greatest source of pride in those gigs was that at the end of the night, no one knew anything at all about me. They knew the "company" name on the sign, but nothing about me. I had nothing to say, it was not about me. Over the years I learned about a lot of great music I may never have been exposed to and met thousands of great people...all because I did homework BEFORE the event and again, IT WASN'T ABOUT ME.

[@kidShibuya]

Dude its the same in any occupation. I am a programmer and I see people who destroy projects get promoted to department heads because they talk a good game.

[@ArifRWinandar]

It's easier to look better than you are than to be better than you look.

[@TheValueOfN]

@@ArifRWinandar That's a sentence that I'll try to remember to recite at relevant situations.

[@moonandstars1677]

I don’t necessarily think a talented DJ would always have the talent to also market themselves. I mean… Business cards are cool to let customers have a way to follow up with you. A website that allows people to schedule events, contact for details, has a an about me section that summarizes the process of hiring you, and then some testimonials from previous clients to tie it up at the end.

[@aa-uj9ls]

I cannot believe Lloyd made a contractually obligated blues advert for Wondrium with a false fade to black. That was an emotional roller coaster

[@Meg_A_Byte]

The suspense!

[@Setonrebel]

Man, the loud resonates home. Far too many times I've been at a charity event, or a charity run, and the organizers think "yeah a dj is fun" and get one. Meanwhile I'm meeting all the people I've asked to come support, getting my group together for a picture, etc. Lo and behold, I can't talk to the person 2 feet away because some dj thinks trace music played at jet engine level is appropriate for a Sunday morning charity walk

[@tay-ai5397]

Lloyd, your channel is probably the only one I watch where I don’t skip the sponsored ads. I really appreciate the way you keep them fun for the viewers. Amazing job sir!

[@ciddax754]

In student days I did some work as a DJ. And then there it came: A wedding and broom and bride had a taste of music quite contrary to my own. The loved german "Schlager" which you could be translated to folk music, but it's not. It is an own style. With a little bit of NDW strawn in. That acronym stands for "Neue Deutsche Well" and the most famous stuff would be Nena with "Neunundneunzig Luftballons" and Falco with "Rock me Amadeus". They gave me a list of their favorite songs and bands and I took a peek at their record, CD and mp3 collection. It was the days when Napster was still alive and kicking and the internet were more or less a law less space for most practial uses. Damn, that was twenty years ago .. time races. Luckily for me, I was a kid when the NDW hit the radio waves. So I knew a lot of stuff. from that genre and had it already on disk. The infamous "Schlager", not so much. So I digged in and aquired that kind of music. Rated it, what was popular and what not. Furthermore, what was danceable and a lot of it, was not. Then I searched for more rare recordings. A faster version of a song, one with more omph or a version sung by another star of that genre. At that point Napstar was totally invaluable. You could easily find a song sung by another artist or a different recording. Today we have spotify and youtube, but in those days not. It took me a while to get into that genre and make a usable playlist. One that does not make the ears of "normal" people bleed. But it was well worth it. Furthermore, having heard the greatest hits of that genre and having the stuff, helped a lot with whishes from bride, groom and their guest. And the first rule ist: Do not play anything that will clear your dancefloor. For that wedding: "No, sorry! Yes I love Metallica, but it would not fit in!" or "I have indeed a lot of electronic music here, but I can't play Kraftwerk, even while they were released in the same time." Bride and Groom were pretty happy and other jobs followed. So it was well worth it, getting into that genre. A friend, which came along on later jobs, even is still in the business and he is playing the big halls. So whatever you do, get to know your customers, what they want. Be prepared for something similar on that genre that got whished. But be clever enough, to say no to a job, when you need too much time to get into that music. That happend to me with HipHop. I got asked if I could play. And it was clear, that was no mainstream, but much more underground. I had two friends deep into that kind of HipHop. I introduced them, taught them a little bit the ropes and off they went. Those guys too had a name in that scene in my town in a pretty fast time.

[@lindybeige]

As I said, good DJs do exist!

[@randalhorselord]

Intrigued; I only know the word Schlager from the fencing implement (and I only know that from Flashman). I wonder what the etymological link from swords to songs is....

[@dragoonguard6504]

@@randalhorselord "Schlager" - the music - much like the weapon "Schlager" can be deadly for people who aren't properly prepared for its impact.

[@EmblemDefender]

@@randalhorselord It's simply German for "hit", it's a genre but it's simply derived from songs being popular just as you talk about hit songs in English and similar to how "pop" is a genre but means popular music. Schlager is also a popular genre here in Scandinavia and while we use the German word for the genre we have the same word for "hit" etymologically, being "slag" (noun) or "slå" (verb) in Swedish. We almost exclusively use the English word "hit" for hit songs these days, but accordingly an older word is "slagdänga"

[@smalltownfarmer4826]

@@randalhorselord Im not 100% sure, but I would assume it comes from the word „Kassenschlager“, which is used to describe a big hit that breaks record sales for example. Its a similar word to the english „blockbuster“, except for music. There is also the old timey word „Gassenhauer“ for popular songs, thats even closer to the word blockbuster. But nowadays you will have a hard time finding someone who still uses the word. Schlager on the other hand survived as a genre name and new Schlager music is released all the time.

[@MIKE-TYTHON]

19:33 the effort put into these videos is something else, Definitely need more LindyBlues. The guitar player incorporating the suspended chords part into the song is class too. 👌

[@OBtheamazing]

For our wedding we handpicked 10 MUST PLAY and 40 other great and RELEVANT songs that we wanted. He played basically all of them and added only a few of his own. Perfect night. Great DJ.

[@EnwardSnowman]

Holy shit Lloyd! You're really kicking ass when it comes to unmissable video titles and thumbnails. You earn my utmost respect and appreciation more and more with every release!

[@fearisthemindkiller387]

I remember after the service we went for the reception, DJ in the lobby was blasting the music so loud you literally couldn’t hear each-other speak. (The ceiling was low which might have affected the acoustics) it was about 1pm so hardly the rave part of the evening and when politely asked to turn it down, he replied with ‘this is a big opportunity for me’ and carried on. The entire congregation moved immediately into the other room, he literally DJ’d for three hours to an empty lobby.

[@noaccount4]

I can't stand it when ppl do this. It gets to a point where it's too loud to enjoy the music, talk to your m8s, and the only thing you'll get to enjoy is fucking Tinnitus going EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe in your ears at night

[@connorperrett9559]

@@noaccount4 I once went to a metal bar that was located in an old basement. I was with a group of about six people, and aside from one other patron alone at the bar and the bartender there was no one else there. The bartender was nice enough to turn the music down when I first asked, but I guess she had to turn it back up when other patrons were there for the "experience", so when the other person arrived it went right back up. It was like being in a sound torture room, lol

[@stamfordly6463]

To which the correct response is "So far there's a big opportunity for you to not get paid," but sadly, being British, that is unlikely to happen.

[@fearisthemindkiller387]

@@stamfordly6463 Aye that’s so true, everyone was just way to damn polite, I wanted to hit the roof but as is always the way people don’t want to make a scene haha

[@alancrane4693]

@@connorperrett9559 awesome hope she played some venom

[@waveware4678]

The production quality of this video reflects how important this topic is to Lloyd

[@alvarorodriguez1592]

Dear Lloyd, I would enjoy a video by you on the topic of "is history really history of war?". It has supposedly been a very popular opinion that it is, while my interest in history is much more focused on giving socioeconomical context to the development of the different philosophies, sciences, and sociológical movements, like suddenly nearly every atlantic country feeling the call to naval exploration. If you'd be so kind to someday share your thoughts on this topic in one of your fantastic videos, I'd be very pleased. Kind regards! Álvaro

[@LuukvdHoogen]

Simple check: If you are the first person on the dancefloor and decide to walk away for a drink, look over your shoulder: if you see a mix of disappointment, self-loathing and panic,. you booked a good DJ. Some 'DJs' are actually entrepeneurs who found out that you can get away with bringing a PA set and bring just a few personal favourite dance-tracks. Their dance-music is also the most terrible in its kind. Please do understand that preparing well for an occassion for which you have been given the honor of selecting the music, can be a heartfelt day-long job for a (well-meaning) DJ. When I was asked to play at a wedding, and I realised they did not pick me for my 'own style',. I would start with asking for favourites, ..imagine what music would suite the reception.. Find out what the hostes and her girlfriends like (The first serious dancers are always the girls, I would be calling them quite a few times to be on the same page.). And if someone says they like swing,. that means they probably also like a salsa song. Treasure the silent Loyde-like dudes who cassually keep dancing near you booth; their requests can be genius and just what you needed. But just playing requests, easy at it may seem, brings weird mood-swings and end up in disappointment left and right. Top price is probably when you get a group to stay on the dancefloor, even though they 'only' came to dance or wait for their request. And playing untill the end of a track? If one group on your dancefloor would obviously be disappointed if you cut it short, notice that. Otherwise it is sometimes what the room tells you to do with very long tracks.. Remember that there are also people waiting for 'your' music to be over..

[@grimmriffer]

I think DJing is one of those things where some people think they're somehow in a revered profession, to be deferred to and in awe of. In reality, its not the DJ being hired, its the equipment and someone who knows how to plug it in. I had some mates who went to a big event with a superstar DJ. They described how he just played a series of tracks people seemed to like. The others on the night filled their sets with mixes, sound effects, and sampled movie quotes, and continuously left the dancers baffled. 😀

[@ensignphil]

With technology as it is now I wonder is there a market for "Audio Engineer with PA" for hire.

[@thenameless3271]

Definitely

[@Puschit1]

I have to disagree. The Dj IS at the center of the party and the mood, energy and fun depends in him. Of course the problem is that this tends to attract attention seekers and arrogant pricks. What they don't understand is that being in this position also comes with responsibility. If your screw up, people will have a bad night. Take Lindys video and the points he makes. For all these reasons it IS important who you hire. Therefore, if you really think that you only hire the equipment and someone to plug it in, then you are part of the problem. If you just stream random playlist from Spotify or your own you won't get far either. What you need is someone who can read the crowd and mood and to pick the right song that fits it, preferably with smooth transitions. There are misconceptions on both sides, bad DJs that don't really have a clue how to please a crowd and ungrateful audiences that don't know anything about this profession and think pressing random buttons and acting smug is all it takes. The story with the goth wedding is a sad example of both. If you know that most of your guests are goth why on earth don't you try to hire a DJ that is proficient in this genre? EBM, wave and industrial aren't exactly mainstream which goths know (you could say they are proud of it) so don't expect any DJ to know much about this. And you can't really salvage it by throwing CDs at him - it is hard to DJ with songs you don't know. You don't know how songs end, where the breaks or drops are, if it has any special parts, what the BPM is. All of that needs preparation but since we are dealing with a DJ that wasn't prepared you are stuck with a guy that desperately wants to go back to the tracks he knows. I do make preparations but one time I was mis-booked. Everything went wrong. I was supposed to do the last segment after another DJ and a band. Both of them overplayed, so I took over very late. They didn't have the equipment they promised me, so I had to get my laptop and couldn't use the CDs I prepared. Most importantly, though, I was told to do a 90's segment. The crowd, however, were mostly punks, alternatives and squatters, the band that played earlier was strange, the DJ before me didn't fit my set either. I tried my best to fit the bill and find something within the 90s that would fit which wasn't easy. At some point I abandoned the directions I got from the host and tried everything. The guests asked me all kinds of things that didn't match each other. One girl asked for "girl power songs" and I was perplexed, that's not a genre and I never judged songs by girl power. That evening I really, really wanted to give up and just default to the routines I know best like most DJs would because it clearly wasn't my fault. But I also knew that it wasn't the crowd's fault either and that they would blame me anyway and think I am just a bad DJ so i kept on trucking, improvising, trying odd things with mixed results. Don't judge too fast. Being a good DJ is hard, time consuming and tiresome.

[@ensignphil]

@@Puschit1 Maybe there is room for both. If you have a specialist audience wanting a specific genre plus someone who can handle Spotify well enough then maybe you can run with PA plus engineer. I've been at many events that could have run that way. If you need a expert, hire an expert

[@nathanjasper512]

That's only true if the DJ sucks. If he's great he is kind of revered. I used to do gigs where I'd do huge tips and people would tell me how great I was. Of course the second the party is over they're gone lol.

[@paradox7358]

That's why I subscribe to this channel. You never know what you're going to get.

[@lindybeige]

Not like a box of chocolates, then. They come with a list of all the flavours, next to pictures of all the shapes.

[@stevencooper4422]

@@lindybeige listen here you.....I never knew that 😢

[@Ratty_Rex]

@@lindybeige wait..... you read the "What they are" instructions? I bet you read owner manuals and flat pack instructions too..... like a sensible person should! 😉🤣

[@MissingTheMark]

That was very cathartic. Thank you. (That part about the music being so loud that it dims your vision had me laughing quite strenuously. So very true.)

[@josephustheinvestigator2433]

I will say about the DJ that got hired to play at a goth wedding, that learning to properly DJ a whole different style of music is definitely pretty hard if your general shtick is very far from it vibe-wise. The onus for the DJ fitting the venue is as much on the people hiring the DJ (i.e.: hire someone who knows how to play Goth stuff and has the catalogue to do so), and also on the DJ to inquire into the kind of music that will be expected of them, and to then turn the gig down (well in advance) if they can't deliver.

[@piers_bellman]

this!

[@Beodude123]

Best sponsored content ad ever. Even managed to work scholars cradles into a song. Well done sir!

[@No-1.In.Particular]

I would personally love if you covered more miscellaneous topics like this, even if you make a second channel for it.

[@maddockemerson4603]

The whole channel is miscellaneous.

[@emilchandran546]

This is a miscellaneous channel, which started with an emphasis on dance. It’s most popular videos have been on history. But it was about dance all along. And to call this miscellaneous is a bit unfair when other videos include how to die your shirt beige, an explanation of old money and travel blogs.

[@Ndanielb1]

I really do love how this channel keeps expanding its repertoire of topics!

[@Grymbaldknight]

Most of these points fundamentally boil down to either "Bad DJs play what they want to hear, not what everyone else wants to hear" or "Bad DJs don't actually know much about music". Two very salient through lines, I think.

[@stevenfaber3896]

When I need to hire a dj, I will send them the link to this video before asking for a quote. Please don't ever take this down and THANK YOU!!!

[@Aquatarkus96]

I used to think DJs were all just bad at their job. Then I started a job as an audio engineer for a large night club and realized there can be a ton of skill put into it. Our DJ started in the 90s using real vinyl, he has a 6th sense for what kind of music any crowd might enjoy, and can create these smooth mind bending transitions between tracks that not only keeps the beat going but enhances the overall atmosphere. Probably helps that he's the manager lol

[@Cheepchipsable]

Well it would help if people were actually interested in music and entertaining people, but I expect the people who are really interested in the technical underpinnings of music are off studying music or engaging in a more active way. Most people see DJing as just playing music, in the same way they think fixing a car is just changing parts, or cooking food is just throwing it in a pan for a few minutes.

[@joshuabessire9169]

If there's one thing I know about music, (it's the only thing, but I imagine it applies to DJs and live bands alike) if the crowd starts throwing beer bottles, play "Rawhide." They will stll throw bottles at you, but they will be throwing it in a happy way.

[@diazinth]

happy bottles good bootles

[@aaronleverton4221]

If there's one thing I know about music (it's the only thing I know) it's that it's in A.

[@Brok3nC4rrot]

@@aaronleverton4221 and you would be wrong 11 times out of 12 (assuming equal weightings for every key, which is also probably incorrect)

[@aaronleverton4221]

@@Brok3nC4rrot Next time, if the obvious answer seems *way too* obvious try googling some keywords or phrases. You might save yourself the public embarrassment of being identified as not getting the joke.

[@Brok3nC4rrot]

@@aaronleverton4221 buddy, if you think i didn't get the joke you need to take a trip to r/whoosh yourself

[@superdog1964]

Having DJ'ed / MC'ed professionally (It was my ONLY source of income) from 1996 until 2016 I can truly say that having an open mind, an open ear and the ability to LISTEN when guests or attendees come to you for requests is a MUST or you are doomed to failure. I had a policy that if I was doing an event for a birthday, wedding or any event that I was being hired to work at involving a direct connection to a person(s) special day or celebration, the customer and I MUST meet within 2 weeks of the event itself so that I could conduct an interview. When hired to do a club or bar it wasn't needed as only an idiot would go to a dance club and get mad because the DJ never played any thrash metal. This was done to find out why the event is being held, what was expected of me, what I expected to be at the job site in order to properly do my job and most important, what type of music they preferred I would also try and get the demographics of the guests expected to be in attendance, as the age, ethnicity and cultural traditions can make a huge difference as to what should or should not be included in the play list. Since I was their employee, I felt that in order to do my job, I needed to know who I was working for. One thing that I never, ever was.................A PERSONALITY! I was never hired to be a talk show host on a morning radio show? You can be certain that not a single attendee of any event was there because of how cool or charming, witty, comical or intelligent I was. They were there because sissy or their 3rd cousin was getting married,a 50th birthday party or anniversary etc. and in some cases, not by choice and would rather be someplace else in certain situations. The bottom line is just shut up and do your job. The microphone is a tool used in the completion of your job, NOT an outlet for your every thought about something past or present? One also needs to have a constant awareness of the group reaction to each song, as it has the ability to strike a chord in people and cause an emotional reaction. You are constantly trying to find music that has the strongest effect on the most amount of people in the room. Maybe it's a sixth sense or something? If you lack this ability? find a new career. Did I 'hit it out of the park" at every event? No, I didn't as there will always be some factors beyond your control like the A/C quitting in August and the room temp hits 100F or the grooms mother gets in a fight with the grooms stepmother that Dad married the day after their divorce was final? You name it, I have seen it Lol. I stopped because dealing with drunk people just wasn't fun anymore.........................

[@CrimsonEclipse5]

One of the best high effort ad reads I've seen, good one Lloyd. Up there with IH nord spots.

[@Crazyneil1986]

Addthyme.

[@jayteegamble]

Nothing will ever top Lindy's dollar shave club ad

[@MrJ3]

Possibly the best sponsorship segment I have watched in my day.

[@joshuabessire9169]

I want the DJ to play that song!

[@TarmanTheChampion]

Whatever topic you cover...your videos are always fascinating and on point!

[@zakusarecool]

Very well summarized "Read the crowd" explanation. Every good dj always tells you to read the room, read the people. You went into detail of what that actually means. Well done.

[@HumbleDirtMerchant]

As a young’n, I’d help my Dad DJ for weddings, talent shows and dances. He taught me the art of keeping the music just below conversation level during dinner. A friend of his came to the table once and said “I could tell it was you because I could hear the people across the table.”

[@reaver1414]

The dj at my wedding was horrible. He didn't listen to us and made everyone very uncomfortable

[@alancrane4693]

If only you got a band. Unfortunately majority think of DJ instead of looking at hiring musicians and cost isn't expensive over a DJ. A good instrument shop will know a good recommendation of musicians.

[@dasschaf2476]

@@alancrane4693 EXACTLY. I used to play in bands and loved doing weddings. My eldest son had a great band for his wedding, and they didn't mind playing a few CDs through their PA in their break. Fantastic night

[@bretalvarez3097]

Agree 100%, every wedding I went to with a band was leaps and bounds better than weddings I've been to with DJs.

[@simonspacek3670]

@@dasschaf2476 Why would they mind? They get a break to get some drink, they probably understand that people want something they do not know (at least not good enough to play it) and they are still getting paid the same, so it is win-win situation.

[@bpb210]

That is the best ad I have ever seen! Bravo. Awestruck.

[@mjmulenga3]

A word about ear-shattering volume: as a photographer, you'll often find me working at an event with noise-insulating headphones on. 😑

[@Wyzai]

I hope you stare at the DJ as you put them on.

[@nottherealpaulsmith]

mind-boggling that some DJs don't even ask their clients what music to play, even just in terms of genres imagine going to a restaurant and they don't even give you a menu, the cook just makes what they "know you'll like"

[@6661313]

it's the person booking the DJ that should be asking what they play. a more apt analogy would be. imagine going to an Italian restaurant and being mad they don't serve egg rolls after all a menu is more like a request, it's a list of items the restaurant has and you can select from. you don't order rack of lamb at a McDonalds, you equally don't ask the swing DJ that was booked to play Pantera

[@nottherealpaulsmith]

@@6661313 that's not how being a DJ works, sounds like you're immensely full of yourself and probably angry that the punks/goths/rave kids didn't like it when you played YMCA fifteen times at your last gig

[@mandowarrior123]

@@6661313 yes, cd, vinyl, tape, mp3. Its their job to be able to do a reasonable job with all music genres. His one job is to carry music. What kind of useless DJ is genre limited? Sorry I only do barroque classical? You should've said? Of course not. If i hire a harpist and want them to play meme music, they damn well will. As a musician this is the most disgusting thing i've heard. As a violinist i don't wait for the day before finding out they want me to play the fiddle and i didn't bring my fiddle bridge. I'm not so proud I can't play hip hop or jazz. As a DJ there is hardly a skill issue, just an ego issue. If you don't specify you are a motown DJ etc - you are expected to be able to do it all, just like I expect a studio musician to be competent in every single style of music. And if you are charging, i expect you competent even if you specify- as that only tells me you only carry certain pieces. I won't expect a concert pianist to know Zanarkland by heart for example, but they'd be able to sight read it relatively competently.

[@habibishapur]

@@mandowarrior123 Playing music is not the same as mixing. Mixing requires an intimate knowledge of the genre and a mental "library" of tracks that work well together and how exactly to make them work well together. Giving a musician a piece and asking him to play it is just a request to follow a specific set of instructions. If he knows how to play his instrument and can read the sheetmusic (or hear the piece) he can just do exactly as the sheet says. When you ask a dj to play a different style, or somehow squeeze in a track that doesn't fit with the genre/theme of the mix, you are requesting him to be able to recall an entire catalog of music (not just the names but intimately knowing the structure of each song) out of the blue. You're also doing something akin to asking a musician to randomly play a different chords than the ones in the sheet just because you are attached to those chords, and then complaining that he cannot make the piece sound right with your random dissonant chords thrown in the middle. Asking a musician to play a different piece of music is like asking a house painter to paint the wall a different color. Asking a dj to play something different is like asking a restaurant for a dish that isn't on their menu. I know cause I do both. I play instruments and also mix.

[@Ssarevok]

The last wedding I went to the DJ did the emulate-a-nightclub thing, so I left after the second song... however, the bride, groom and their immediate friends had a great time and I'm told they kept going 'till around 4 AM. So I guess he did do the research and knew his audience. (the rest of the wedding was at normal volume, so I had a nice day anyway :D )

[@soppdrake]

We had a job-do to organize and our theme was "the peace, love era" - 60's to 70's memorable pop and joyous well-played music that was dear to us all all. Getting a cover-band in was not an option as we knew that whomever it was were sure to completely murder our collective memories, so we went DJ. What a night it was! The DJ just stood there, stfu and played the greats back-to-back non stop for the entire evening. The key holders had to break up the party because we wouldn't go home. 😊

[@JoeWere]

As someone who starts doing some DJ gigs I found this video very helpful. Thx for answering some of my inner questions.

[@RijaMo]

Damn. Wow. This is like my third lindybeige video and I'm still amazed at how he can just make topics like this so interesting

[@mandowarrior123]

Enjoy the binge.

[@scarface5856]

My recommendation for you would be the last charge of the Calcutta light horse

[@MyTv-]

I have professional experience in the subject, and it’s discussed! The problem is that many Disc Jockeys play only for them self and don’t care about the audience at all.

[@oneghost1257]

Thank you Lloyd, the tiny swing dancer in my brain that breaks every song possible into a swing-able tune I have zero skill enough to actually dance to is sated by this validation.

[@aintnobitchms]

the ad was painfully hilarious to watch. youre doin great

[@Straightfromthehorsesmouth]

Love lindybeige. I have watched all the content. I have never seen him sound like such a grumpy old dad before!

[@Nerobyrne]

I was at a wedding and the DJ played the music so loud that I couldn't stand being inside. Thankfully the weather outside was nice, because I relied on someone else for a ride home. Basically, he was playing at a volume fit for a large dance hall in a tiny foyer with maybe 30 people. I guess everyone else was just hard of hearing.

[@xxxggthyf]

The last wedding I was at, as a 'plus one', the DJ played "Linger" by The Cranberries which I thought was in appallingly bad taste the moment I recognised the opening bars. I mean it's a truly beautiful song but it's a truly beautiful song about dishonesty, betrayal, infidelity and lost love. Turned out the bride and groom had selected it as their first dance. No accounting for taste I suppose :-D

[@MatthewsPersonal]

Shared this with all my dj friends. Thanks for the public service, Lloyd!

[@Daekar3]

The volume thing is so true. I absolutely refuse to damage my hearing any further, so I always take earplugs to those kind of events. If you leave my ears ringing for two days, you are doing it WRONG and you should feel bad about yourself. Best ad ever. Whatever Wondrium is paying Lloyd they should double it.

[@mljesus7743]

My rationale brain tells me there no way lindys videos could possibly be scripted. But my God you are so charismaticly fantastic at storytelling that it makes me doubt that.

[@davidwilson6577]

Why would they not be scripted? Lindy has points he'd like to make, why would he not formulate them and ensure that he's being efficient and including everything he has to say by writing it down first? Does that make the information somehow less valid, if it's been worked on for a bit before it's presented?

[@DM0407]

@@davidwilson6577 I think he means that he speaks off the cuff using notes. Clearly he has the points he wants to address, but he has a way of filling in gaps with high quality conscious thought. If he was reading verbatim the script would be as large as War and Peace.

[@mljesus7743]

@@davidwilson6577 Well I would just think most of his videos are far too long for any kind of script to be feasible. I mean you wouldn’t realise how many thousands of High quality lines he’d be writing down until it’s the end of the year and he hasn’t unloaded

[@lindybeige]

I have never written a script for a video like this. Occasionally, I write a script for a voice-over. I find that scripts work only for slow measured speech, and not for rants.

[@rosmundsen]

I love the Adam Ant costume at 2:07. Hurrah!

[@kHolm]

"Stand and deliver!"

[@DaRealKakarroto]

Thanks for mentioning that, I really didn't know what he was going for with the costume before.

[@Wildschwein_Jaeger]

​@@kHolm Your money or your life!

[@guidokreeuseler9566]

For a themed event, if the organiser books just "any" DJ (without much vetting), the organiser has failed. Imagine a folk festival, where after an afternoon of bluegrass, polka, klezmer and skiffle the DJ closes the night with just this year's hot 100... If anything, if you are booking a DJ for a niche crowd, get the correct genre DJ, or vet a generic one better.

[@mandowarrior123]

I disagree strongly. I'm a musician. If you sell yourself as a violist for example- you have to be able to play near enough everything on it due to years of experience and musical training. If you are a motown DJ you'd better well put that front and centre on your ad. If you are a studio violist, or a concert violist, or a gig violist, all these are caveats and you put that. A gig violist will probably have a set, a, concert violinist needs the pieces in advance, a studio violinist is capable of anything but might not be willing to be up on stage.

[@Cheepchipsable]

Generally I agree, but surely a professional should know to ask those questions when being booked.

[@ProDoucher]

I set up PA systems for big events and definitely agree that no matter how large or high quality the system, DJs always manage to make it sound like a distorted mess

[@captaincrazyhat]

Former DJ here and yeah a lot of them suck. I always tried my best to make things fun and to be friendly. Heck a lot of DJs don’t even take requests or even seem to try. Even when I was a DJ I would have subscription services that I could download or play whatever requests or whatever styles or genres. I also would ask the host what they wanted to hear and tried to get requests before hand that the people would like.

[@mandowarrior123]

Its almost like its the least you can do. Also, particularly at weddings, the best man is the Master of Ceremonies, if i hear a DJ on the mic without being asked to announce something (Mid song!) it better be because the place is burning down. Likewise with other events that have one. If i wan't an MC like at my own birthday etc i'll ask for it and pay for it. Not that any DJ can ever be heard on their microphone as they waffle into it like a raffle night.

[@SparkleCarcass]

This was such a pleasant surprise and lots of great points! --- Being a private event or wedding DJ is nearly an entirely different skill set from being a club DJ and some of the best club DJs out there struggle with it so much. Research is 95% of the work and that's why good private event DJs charge soooooo much money. When I did private events I would often encounter the same kinds of folks looking for the same kinds of music (it's easy to get into a rut as a DJ if you're always asked to play the same 100 songs for dozens of gigs a year), but each night is always customized to that group or that wedding couple/party. If I had an event where the style of music was new to me, then I would often spend hours and hours researching that genre and really figure out how it works musically, how people dance to it, what songs are popular, and what songs are the killer b-sides that would really get the enthusiasts going. I did that for about 5 years professionally and if I'm honest it was very taxing. That being said, I'm very thankful that I had that opportunity and it made me very well rounded and comfortable in most settings as a DJ. If you find a good private event DJ who does that research day in and day out, cherish them! I've been very fortunate to get to the point where I mostly get booked to play my own interpretation of Global Funk/Soul (Funk, soul, and boogie tracks from West Africa, Brazil, The Caribbean, Latin America, and beyond) for most sets, but as I love Country Music I will occasionally do Country Swing and two step gigs. The funky sets I can flow in and out of various styles and genres smoothly and play lots of new music that people have never heard. On the contrary, when I do the country gigs, I'm doing almost zero mixing so that the dancers can do their finishing dance moves and find new partners before the next track starts, and I'm playing mostly recognizable material. It really is always about context. Sometimes 4 on the floor high volume is the right move, but it usually isn't. Thanks for the great rant!

[@Clanhalfdude]

Gave this video a thumbs up simply for the ad spot, it was brilliant!

[@ccityplanner1217]

I once stayed at a waterpark resort on a Greek island. You couldn't sleep between the hours of 3pm & 9pm because they had a DJ out the back of the hotel playing the sort of techno music that gets played on repeat in the background at the entrance to Legoland to make people walk through faster. Then they had the Africa show, which had nothing to do with Africa.

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

I delved into DJ'ing when I was a teenager. in high school, the art teacher let us bring our own music to play during class, to lighten the mood and spike inspiration. I put together a tape (early 2000's!) with many of the hits playing in the radio during those days, that I knew many people would like. I had overheard a couple of mates talking about some singers as if they liked them... they were smiling and discussing songs, so I figured "Oh, ok, they like that style of music", I never asked them directly, but I got a rough impression of their tastes by their general attitude. So, I added a couple of those songs to the mix, and the next time around *I* got asked directly "Do you have anything about _this other band?"_ , I said "No, not here, I do have a few tracks in another mix, but not this one. I do have some songs from *that other guy"* (the one singer I thought they liked), and their response was "Bleh... who likes that fat-ass junkie?" literal, that response. one day they were mentioning that guy's music, the next they're totally dismissive of the same guy. some time later, I did some video editing work, for birthdays and graduations, and I was asked "Here, put a music track on this video, something cheerful." that was the task: "put something cheerful here".... ok, so I went to my library and found _something cheerful:_ an upbeat remix of another song (English pop style... the client was Spanish), which I figured that even if they didn't know the words, they'll still like the music (because it was, genuinely, upbeat and cheerful) when the video was delivered, I got told by the boss "That video you made? They didn't like the music." "But, you told me to pick something cheerful!" "Yes. They didn't like it... what did you pick?"... and I played them the track, and they agreed, that it was _upbeat and cheerful_ when the client comes along to say the same thing, I stuck to my case: "You told me to pick something cheerful!" "Well, yeah, but that music, we don't listen to it... give me something like [cheap folk music that people play in my area]" some people outright DON'T know what they want, and some people will only listen to things they can comprehend. people are stupid... especially people who tell you "pick something" and then get mad when it doesn't agree with them. that's why I stopped listening to the radio and working as a DJ.... I listen to whatever I like.

[@toshikotanaka3249]

I can imagine a job where your livelihood literally depends on pleasing other people can be a f**king nightmare. I've been lucky so far in my career, I've had no contact with the public in any capacity.

[@Ghi102]

The DJ at my wedding was a spotify playlist with a nice speaker set. Great experience because we played the tunes we enjoyed (with 1-2 quirky songs that aren't crowd pleasers as much, but pleased us quite a lot) and it was a blast! It was a ton of fun to put it together before the wedding as well.

[@aalborgsoundwboi]

Possibly the best ad i've seen on YT.

[@gwensgaming]

Needs to be more comments about the effort Lindy is putting into these ads. Top notch.

[@northernway4769]

A nice and appropriate collection of advices! I once asked two DJs about advice for making a good dance night. DJ1 (female goth): I play all requests, if the dance floor starts to get empty I put on Cure and Bauhaus. DJ2 (male synth/techno): I never play requests. I try to educate people, play music no one have heard before. Guess who made the funniest night?

[@Cheepchipsable]

Not sure the type of music they played had anything to do with their attitude. I guess the problem with requests is that is can break up a music set which might be chosen to keep a particular atmosphere. Obviously a good DJ will try and accommodate both sides - though I wouldn't be wanting music "lessons", but sure the odd rare song interspersed.

[@northernway4769]

@@Cheepchipsable Yes, I see that one. But the Goth DJ was pretty safe, audience at goth clubs very seldom have requests that would break the mood to the extent that the DJ could not wait 15-30 min before getting it into the set. I have never heard a DJ play requests directly, if they do they usually wait until it fits in, which might take an hour or so. I think most people like hearing new songs at clubs, but I think the majority prefer to recognise a few of them.

[@cobalt2672]

"The Mind Craves Revolution" would probably be a great album title

[@pontythython1901]

I never expect a lindybeige video, but a video about bad dj’s is something I never knew I wanted.

[@chrupek272]

it was for the first time I've listened to the wondrium ad :D. masterpiece my sir.

[@tamsinp7711]

The best wedding I went to was that of a fellow member of The Damned's message board. For the wedding itself and the immediate reception there were three tribes - the groom's family, the bride's family (both in standard, smart wedding-going attire) and then there were the Damned fans in a hotch-potch of gig-going outfits. The date and location of the wedding had been deliberately chosen to coincide with The Damned's preview/warm-up gig for their end of year tour. No DJ, just the band and their support act.

[@hamilkarscha6925]

I just loved the Contractual Obligation Blues. Please record an Album, Lloyd!

[@briang3598]

At a friend's wedding a couple years ago, the bride was furious to the point of tears at one point because of how the music that she and the groom had taken the effort to put together for a playlist, or at least to give some guidance for one, had been utterly disregarded in what was played.

[@archercolin6339]

I would say excellent video, but that is just what I'd expect from Lloyd! He's also the only YTer whose sponsor-ads I never skip!

[@TheBappin]

even tho i know lindy is into dance stuff i still instantly imagined a edm type dj. Flashing lights, deafening base, smoke machines.

[@FrejthKing]

maybe a video to see if Full Plate armour would slow you down when dancing?

[@philhughes3882]

That conjured up a mental image of medieval knights all moonstomping to Greensleeves and sounding like an avalanche in a scrapyard.

[@mouser6474]

Going to use this video as a basis to launch my disk jockeying career. Thanks Lloyd you're a legend!

[@rolanddutton4723]

Lindy - talking for 38 minutes about bad DJs, and making it the best thing I've seen in ages.