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

[@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 💪🏻👌🏼😂😂

[@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

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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...

[@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?

[@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?

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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

[@_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

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@waveware4678]

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

[@josephustheinvestigator]

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!

[@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! 😉🤣

[@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!

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@HubrisInc]

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

[@aaronleverton4221]

@@HubrisInc 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.

[@HubrisInc]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@Beodude123]

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

[@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!!!

[@Crow.Author]

I foresee an upcoming Lindybeige video titled: “A point on transitional stock footage.”

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.”

[@generaldurchbruchmuller]

"Honey come back to bed" - " I can't , the history englishman made a video about a topic i didn't knew i wanted to see"

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@MrJ3]

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

[@joshuabessire9169]

I want the DJ to play that song!

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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. 😊

[@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.

[@AnthonyHandcock]

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

[@Ndanielb1]

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

[@Cjuo]

The only KZbinrs sponsorships I don’t skip! 😂

[@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.

[@TarmanTheChampion]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@ceegnz]

Can't recall ever remembering halfway through a sponsor slot that I haven't liked a video yet, and this is certainly the only one I've gone back to watch twice :)

[@hamilkarscha6925]

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

[@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.

[@dombridges01]

Very true! At most underground raves, the DJ is positioned to the side while the soundsystem is the focal point of the dance floor.

[@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.

[@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.)

[@calvingreene90]

When hiring a DJ or band specify the type of music to be played, songs not to be played in the contract with financial penalties for failure to conform.

[@alancrane4693]

Exactly 👍 if DJ not good than no payment and damaged equipment will be guaranteed. With band easy to check out majority will have a recording demo or video. Had a great band on a event couple of beers and nose candy drummer was on lucozade £150 split into for the four of them gave them £300 and couple of JD bottles after the event.

[@mandowarrior123]

@@alancrane4693 most people want freebies and will refuse to pay generally in my parts.

[@calvingreene90]

@@mandowarrior123 Contract are enforceable in both directions.

[@sus10651]

Two consecutive videos that are totally unrelated to history and swords! Really, Lindy owns this channel. We are at his mercy.

[@bilindalaw-morley161]

I realised some time ago that these vids are basically Lindy's shower thoughts, extended play version.

[@MonotoneCreeper]

Crossfading and ending songs early is my biggest pet peeve, it’s really annoying and unsatisfying

[@colinmackay92]

I'm so serious. I would listen to an entire album of lindybeige music ads. I would pay a pretty penny for that lol

[@Daniel-kx4sy]

Rule #1 it's pretty hilarious because literally every DJ I've ever met thought were hot shit and the star of the show.

[@elmaxidelsur]

Absolutely, I have heard many times "I play my stile no the music that is scheduled for the event because people come to see me and they want my style."

[@pyramear5414]

It only flies if the DJ is DeadMaus or something, and people are actually paying tickets to see you. Unless you are getting a cut of ticket sales, they aren't there to see you.

[@mandowarrior123]

@@pyramear5414 someone with a qualification and passion for music? Deadmaus is a musician too embarrassed to be seen called a DJ. I'd love to see him DJ a wedding with normie music.

[@Nyctophora]

I mean, if they thought they were hot shit, they were half right.

[@KS-xd6ql]

"Thing about really loud music is, that after a while, you don't notice it as much anymore." -Every factory machine operator that thinks earplugs are bollocks ever.

[@Mr_Foeko]

I'm more of a musician than a dancer but i agree on every level with this rant. I've seen so many DJ's completely unaware of the venue it's infuriating. They get to the point where they finally play a song that the crowd enjoys to cut it short and everyone is dissapointed. I am just as frustrated as you are

[@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.

[@CrimsonEclipse5]

31:20 you know it's serious when Lloyd walks onto a shot of a beige curtain wearing a beige sweater and beige shirt

[@lindybeige]

And twirling a beige cane. Sometimes, I have to bring out the big guns.

[@dekyras]

Contractual Obligation Blues 😂 Hands down the best sponsorship slots that i actually watch as they are fun - oh, and the videos are great too 👍🏻

[@ClamMan1989]

Best sponsorship ever and first I watched through in ages, laughed my A off at that

[@FrankTheThinkTank]

6:18 Even as a Kraut, i get this reference The (glorious) Madness! One step beyooooond! 😎

[@JoeWere]

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

[@johnbeauvais3159]

I’d really like to hear more about how you ended up at a goth wedding. In my head I’m picturing 2 different scenarios, the first being you dressed quite smartly in beige. The second is that you went the full monte and were adorned in black and leather.

[@lindybeige]

Two of my friends, who were goths, got married. I confess that I did not myself engothulate for the wedding, but luckily they picked 'medieval' as their costume theme.

[@Captain1nsaneo]

The only bad DJ story I have is the one where the hired DJ never showed up. I don't get out much.

[@DconBlueZ]

I was a portable DJ for 6 years, completely agree. I've been a sound engineer for local bands now for 25 years, still agree. The ONLY place where "crank it up to 11!" is appropriate is mixing a concert for a headlining metal band. Also, a few minutes of "THUMPTHUMPTHUMP" is fun, but most people need a break after that. Mix it up. Again, unless you're doing a concert of a specific genre.

[@bjornsadler1895]

I can't imagine this channel being Skabeige for some reason... the idea of that seems like MADNESS!!!

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I remember going to a uni event and it was just my flat and some people we'd met in the bar, who had turned up at this point, so it was only us in the room, so we requested some tracks and the DJ said he would do them after the next song and of course he didn't, three tracks later and he still hadn't, we went up asked again and he said next one, next one still wasn't our request and keep in mind we are the only people in the room. So after that we all just left and he was again in an empty room on his own playing music to no one.

[@ilari90]

Once we went to the local bar on Finnish Independence Day with my uni friends, we filled one table in that bar and there was no one else, we went there just for the drinks. There was this DJ, music booming very loud. We had to shout over the table, so I went to him and asked that could you turn the volume down a bit, he said ok. And we still had to shout over the table and left soon. Other time, same bar, this uni techno music enthusiast group was holding gigs, and this one guy was really atrocious. Everyone is dancing, there's a lot of glass on the floor from the broken pints, everyone having drunken fun. Then he starts to do the "scratch" on best parts of the song and it hurt everyone's ears, and every time he did that, dancing stopped. After that he did that in every song, he thought he is proper MC.

[@silverkitty2503]

This man has been to a lot of weddings.

[@recklessroges]

That's the good thing about a band - they usually stop at the end of the song, because they're also tired. "A good DJ is like a good carpet: it adds to the room, is comfortable and almost no one notices it, but loves to move around because of it."

[@aalborgsoundwboi]

Possibly the best ad i've seen on YT.

[@jamesallred460]

OMG I thought I was hallucinating for a moment, but no, that is in fact Lloyd doing an Adam Ant cosplay. Well done sir!

[@angusmctwangstick4079]

He stood and he delivered!

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Your money or your life :-)

[@TheBearInTheChair]

"... even though you fool your soul your conscience will be mine, all mine."

[@TheBearInTheChair]

He made quite the dandy highwayman, if I had to say so.

[@nickharvey7233]

As a kid I was convinced he was beseeching us to "staaaand in the river"

[@crazypomp927]

18:18 "You could even be standing quite close to the speakers and carry on a conversation." There was a club in NYC for a few years called District 36 that had an AMAZING sound system. No dead zones, never overpowering, could stand just a few feet in front of the speakers very comfortably. Phenomenal place, and I was bummed when it closed.

[@ghostfacedninja1000]

"DJ" covers a multitude of sins. Wedding DJ, Club DJ, radio DJ, scratch DJ all vastly different. Also dont be surprised wedding DJs are bad, it comes with the territory.

[@sdv4675]

I should be too young to know you were lloyd ant but i still immediately recognised it was adam ant, best of both worlds. Also was about to ask if your third costume was madness. Great taste for music Lloyd

[@pierrelahaie6359]

Previous amateur DJ here, YES! too loud music, was requested under the vague threat of "I'm the one paying you". And quieter, softer music when everybody's eating vetoed by a half drunk "I'm the one paying you". Ahhh the memories. ;)

[@blogobre]

As an 'ex' DJ and a fellow dancer, I think there's some misunderstandings here from our mutual friend Llyod. So here's some humble perspectives from someone who did it professionally for about 8 years. 1. Humble. A good DJ leads the crowd, the dancefloor, the music environment. Much like a chef takes ordinary food and weaves it into something delicious with the right combination of herbs and spices, a good DJ isn't just putting on music, no, he's reading the crowd, feeling the vibe, understanding what's working and what's not and making decisions to bring the most out of the crowd. Typically a cycle of build up the dance floor with hits of one style and then evolving into another style is how to approach this. At a club this is to keep the bar happy as people go for drinks and also it's to rotate people around to keep most happy. If it's something like a wedding [I just made a playlist for my own and hit play] then it's about knowing that not everyone's into 'your' style of music and to bring a mix up. It's not straight forward as most might imagine, there's a degrees of sophistication and experience required. Is llyod right? I think it's both humility AND assertiveness that are required, just like the chef. 2. Styles. I think it's silly to expect someone to DJ outside their style. Much like musicians, you know what you know in music, if you didn't hire a goth DJ with some experience in weddings then the best you're going to get out of them is what they already know. Being adaptive sure, understanding you're out of your depth if you are and if people are bringing you CD's you're probably way off the mark, though I think the biggest issue here is the person hiring and not being explicit, few people can properly DJ goth it's a pretty obscure subculture and whilst I could pull it off myself [I was mostly punk/ska/80s/sport/00s] I would probably get a friend in who's more suited to it in this case. They got what they paid for, a 'normal' wedding DJ. Asking to not play a certain song is more than fair and not cool that he did. 3. It's absolutely true that people take a while to warm up, you got to give people a little background music to start with, get settled, relax, though in the case of a wedding, essentially this is after dinner, get to it.. party time. One step beyond... ha ha.. my turf. As mentioned in 1, you want to put things in groups, so mixing it up with the specials, the jam etc, unless it's not working.. then you switch anyhow. Always reading the crowd, following your instincts and experience and of course sometimes pushing the boundaries. Funniest and greatest hit in my own wedding was 'jizz in my pants - lonely island', though DJ'ing for friends is easy. 4. Waltz, foxtrot... This goes back to 2, why would you employ a DJ outside the style of what you're looking for? Same deal, you can't expect someone who has no experience to perform adequately. I'm a dancer, did more than a decade of modern jive and much more of just making it up, made it work to almost any music :) 5. Volume, yep, 100% agree. It depends on your crowd too though as volume and clubs are part of the deal. Distortion isn't necessarily the volume, equalizing before the event/show/club is just as important for a DJ as it is for a band. This goes for any mic as well as music. 6. Wide range. Yes and no. Of course, have plenty of music, though what this smells like to me is that DJs get asked for silly songs that won't work all of the time. Just because one person likes one song, doesn't mean it will work with the crowd. If possible you will want to play it, though it's more important to keep the crowd happy and disappoint 1. .. that'll do. Have fun.

[@jamesmichael5762]

I am not a DJ, but I’ve seen events saved by a DJ specifically NOT taking input from certain opinionated members of the crowd.

[@alane7903]

Like he said: You are not the star of the show: The people who hire you generally are.

[@jamesmichael5762]

I’m not a DJ by any means. But I was a wedding caterer. And I’ve seen many a Lindy chirping at the side of the DJ table before…. And in my experience things go best when they’re either ignored or thrown a few bones then back to the songs that have a chance to get Uncle Simon and Great Aunt Rachel to hobble over and sway around to the music so the photographer can get a few nice pictures for the family. It’s not about making the hardcore dance enthusiasts happy. You want the image of a happy elderly family member guided by a cheeky 9 year old through the steps of the Macarena and other little memories like that. Not a perfect dance arena for the vibrant young dance enthusiasts to throw down their dopest moves

[@mandowarrior123]

If you advertise as a DJ you'd better have the skills to back that up. Just as an advert for a violinist better be able to perform as a studio violinist, concert violinist or a gig violinist for a jazz band. If you aren't specifying you are selling yourself as a competent, broad ranging DJ with a vast library and musical knowledge suitable for any venue. If you hire a clown for a children's party, he turns up and says i only do tightrope walking- that isn't acceptable. If you are a chef and you own your own restaurant, ONLY THEN do you get to chose the food. If you are a qualified chef, you are trained in ALL CUISINES.

[@blogobre]

​@@mandowarrior123 - I think we can come to agree that much like all clowns ought to know all kinds of clown stuff and chefs ought to know all kinds of cuisines a DJ ought to know all kinds of music and can pull off a few songs for any crowd. Where we may disagree is the degree of skill required. All clowns can't be expected to be an 'expert' tight rope walker, all chefs can't be expected to be an 'expert' in Australian bush tucker, all DJs can't be expected to be an 'expert' in Greek folk music. Should the clown be able to clown with a tight rope.... sure, he might just fall off after much theater and land in the net.. pulls of the clowning... the chef might pull off something tasty but not entirely bush tucker and the DJ might play a few Greek folk songs but not play them all night. Expectation of expertise in all fields seems unrealistic as I've met some very talents people in fields and none of them have become experts outside of a fairly narrow bandwidth. I hope we're on the same page here.

[@januszwojciak7756]

I don't even go to events or dance at these too much - but every single point you make is obviously right even for me :D

[@sorgan7136]

Bro lindy is so interesting he could talk about competitive ass scratching and I would watch all the way through

[@richardwaring8613]

I get the idea that the 'DJ' idea started in the '60's and that is what we got used to as a DJ. Current DJs provide us with what we expect so really it is partly our fault.

[@jonathanmahoney1672]

Truth is, there’s DJs and there’s DJs. Poles apart.

[@JohnDoe-ne4kg]

Slide blues ad was the best thing I've ever seen

[@drsch]

I've honestly never been to a single event in my whole life that was made better by the presence of a DJ. I don't understand the point. They just ruin everything.

[@ThomasBomb45]

May I ask what you want instead? Like a spotify playlist or no music?

[@666DarkTommy]

A band of course. A good funk band or something in that direction gets people absolutely crazy. I know enough people with a PA system. If I plug in literally any spotify Playlist, it will be more enjoyable than any dj I could reasonably afford.

[@Splatt_Gaming]

@@ThomasBomb45 A band, a playlist, anything really.

[@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.