Getting chucked off the decks.

[Lionman]

Not sure if there's a thread about this?


Anyway, it happened to me for the first time ever on friday. It was a friend of mines party & we'd talked about music that she wanted so I thought we were on the same level. However, many of her friends weren't.

It was in a bar & still before midnight (4am finish) so didn't want to be throwing down bangers just yet (I refuse to be that guy playing bangers to an empty floor - it's embarrassing for everyone).
Been at it for about 2/3 hours & I'd already tried quite a few different styles but no one was biting. Not even a head nod so I'd settled on playing New Orleans style funk & was just starting to switch it up into more Disco-y stuff as it was pretty full by this point & they'd been drinking for a few hours by now. I figured they might go for that vibe. Wrong.

20 minutes later I was playing Manu Dibango's Soul Makossa when a young lady came to complain because I wasn't playing enough "Soul music". I made a vaguely sarcastic comment & then 2 minutes later I was booted.

I've been taking solace in the fact that both the guys who took over (who played from itunes btw*) didn't get anything going either. I think it was more a combination of a crowd that didn't want to dance & the wrong dj for the night rather than me being shit. Either way, it still stung.

Oh well, I'm over it now... I guess it happens to everyone at some point right? Anyone got a similar story?






*Not hating, just saying.

[TrickTheDJ]

wow, replaced by iTunes. You could of stopped and offered to take requests, If Britney Spears gets the crowd moving, play it, a lot of the time a crowd wants to hear things they recognize, if pop isn't your genre, play a remix of the song from the genre you're spinning. Could of also been your mixing techniques, a bad mixer can and sometimes will ruin the vibe.

If someone comes up to complain, you learned you don't tell them to "Piss Off" you say "I'll see what I can do" and you can satisfy them and blow them off for awhile, however if someone comes to complain it's an obvious hint you need to switch it up or come up with something that will work (see taking requests)

Lastly, there is a difference for being booked to entertain a party and being booked to play your style, when you know the difference you shouldn't have an issue like this

[andypandy]

http://beatdreams.com/2012/02/dennis-ferrer-kicked-off-decks/



Don't worry dude, it happens to the best of them!

[LouieV]

http://beatdreams.com/2012/02/dennis-ferrer-kicked-off-decks/



Don't worry dude, it happens to the best of them!

Dammit! you beat me to it. but i did see dennis friday, and it was definitely one of the best sets I've seen a while. When things like this happen its usually not the djs fault, its usually the person hiring them that is at fault. People think that all djs play everything, and its really not like that, peeps need to research what they are looking for and get someone who has a similar style. Nuff Said.

[RDRCK]

Wear it like a badge of honor mate. I've been kicked off the decks by more types of crowds than I can remember (well, actually only two types of crowds :lol:).

[TrickTheDJ]

Wear it like a badge of honor mate. I've been kicked off the decks by more types of crowds than I can remember (well, actually only two types of crowds :lol:).



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU1H88Hv4Tg

[Quentin Legend]

http://beatdreams.com/2012/02/dennis-ferrer-kicked-off-decks/



Don't worry dude, it happens to the best of them!

Site is down?

EDIT: Nvm, it's back online lol

[Adzm00]

Should've played them some shranz.

[Sigma]

A friend of mine getting kicked off the decks a few years back was one of the things that stopped me from pursuing local gigs. He was booked to play a gig in my town and his name was top of the flier. It was supposed to be an underground/old school hip-hop event, but the warm up DJ was playing top 40 crap and when my mate got on, the crowd wanted the top 40 guy back. After 3 records, the club owner told my mate he'd have to get off, so he packed his shit up and left. A lot of times the DJ is to blame, but not this time. You don't turn up to an underground/old school hip-hop night and ask the DJ to play Black Eyed Peas records. There's plenty of bars/clubs playing that stuff. After that it seemed like any hip-hop night was pretty much exclusively top 40 and that "old school" meant a record that came out 2 years ago and I just couldn't be bothered with it.

I've never personally been kicked off, but I have had one or two times where the DJ that's on before me doesn't wanna get off.

[Rek_Aviles]

Was just about to post about Dennis Ferrer.

Crazy shit. Although I know and been to that club and the normal weekend crowd does not fit his style.

[login]

A while back I used to play EDM in private parties, when for any reason I felt it wasn't working I asked the host what he feel it would work with his friends and play whatever music was requested, I proceeded to enjoy the party and stop fearing being busted XD

[Mahatma Coat]

Sometimes shit just doesn't work, no matter what you do.

Sounds like you had a (really) difficult crowd.

Shame the girl who booked you couldn't talk to her friends on the night and tell them to chill out, or give you more pointers on what she/they wanted.

Just put it down to experience and try to learn something from it :shrug:

[NPC]

I've been thrown off, it's not fun and I don't think it was really my fault (there were 4 other House DJs booked that never even got to play). I try to avoid it as much as possible by only taking gigs I know the promoter and crowd are on the same level with the music.

Anyway...



http://beatdreams.com/2012/02/dennis-ferrer-kicked-off-decks/



Don't worry dude, it happens to the best of them!

Oh my god, I was going to rep you for the story anyway, but this gem is just... oh my god:


At this point, they should just replace the doorman, who’s a psycho Blackwater reject anyways, with an SS guard, and have everyone have to show their papers before entry. Once inside, they can waltz away to the sounds of good Aryan composers, like Wagner and Guetta, and laugh about how uncivilized the Jews and tech people are. Then they can get on all fours and form a human centipede, like the rim-jobbing sheep that they are.

:lol:

[Lionman]

wow, replaced by iTunes. You could of stopped and offered to take requests, If Britney Spears gets the crowd moving, play it, a lot of the time a crowd wants to hear things they recognize, if pop isn't your genre, play a remix of the song from the genre you're spinning. Could of also been your mixing techniques, a bad mixer can and sometimes will ruin the vibe.

If someone comes up to complain, you learned you don't tell them to "Piss Off" you say "I'll see what I can do" and you can satisfy them and blow them off for awhile, however if someone comes to complain it's an obvious hint you need to switch it up or come up with something that will work (see taking requests)

Lastly, there is a difference for being booked to entertain a party and being booked to play your style, when you know the difference you shouldn't have an issue like this


All good points but I'm not sure how applicable it is to what happened.

I thought I had been booked to play my style, I'd sent the host a link to my soundcloud & she was into it.
I had also made it perfectly clear that whilst I wasn't going to be a jukebox or play a mobile style set (I only do that for money) I was open to requests & I'm experienced enough to know that when you're dealing with a slow night requests can be a godsend.

Even if someone is asking for the most inappropriate thing I'd never tell them to piss off, I try not to be a prick about requests when djing & one of the great things about using SSL is the old "Sorry, I've only got that on vinyl & didn't bring it tonight".
But if I've just played this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcC7f96340E) & I'm now playing this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWK_Josc0Og), when someone asks for soul music I can't help but say "Errr... This is soul music!". I did ask her what she'd like to hear anyway & she said "Some Stones/Beatles & that"... girl has a funny idea of soul music. I mean, really..? It's not even like these songs are super rare nuggets or anything.

As for my mixing... There was no monitor & because of what I was playing I was keeping it pretty simple (if any at all) so I don't think it was that.



Anyway, like I said - I'm over it. Wrong dj for the wrong crowd & now I've got my "I got kicked off the decks once" story. I just thought your post reads like you assume I'm a noob so I wanted to clear my name or whatever.

[Andrew B]

http://beatdreams.com/2012/02/dennis-ferrer-kicked-off-decks/



Don't worry dude, it happens to the best of them!


Don’t forget to catch Pauly D at Mansion on March 16th. The fist-pumping Douche Jockey will be auto-syncing mashups of this month’s top 40 with last month’s top 40. Get crazy, get wild!

:lol:

[peterwo2e]

is a freaking bar! lots of bars around my area folks do not dance. well not much dancing anyway!. maybe dancing is the normal in that bar.
but that shit does happen. take it as a learning experience.

[djkvg]

is a freaking bar! lots of bars around my area folks do not dance. well not much dancing anyway!. maybe dancing is the normal in that bar.
but that shit does happen. take it as a learning experience.

i've played at lounges and bars where i only have a couple people dancing. bars are not clubs.... i think that is what your friends friend was trying to go for... without paying the price lol

[Ferryman]

http://beatdreams.com/2012/02/dennis-ferrer-kicked-off-decks/

Don't worry dude, it happens to the best of them!

Oooooo tough break!

Yeaaah I've been knocked of the decks once or twice. Usually when playing at house parties and everyone else has decided to get Ketamined out of their face and it's all a bit too hectic.

[DjDisArm]

wow, bogus

[Mahatma Coat]

That Soul Makossa is some excellent fucking music though!

[Chay]

Should've played them some shranz.

I would try that as well :lol:

[Wakka]

http://beatdreams.com/2012/02/dennis-ferrer-kicked-off-decks/



Don't worry dude, it happens to the best of them!

wow i wonder how much they paid for him too

[de.j.l]

When I play a sticky situation gig, I will bring a tag partner a guy with a totally different variety of music than mine.
To be totally honest, any request I have gotten for a "mainstream" type song, I have never had(i take the time to explain to them that i am not a mainstream dj, nor will I ever be, nor do I really every play at a venue that would require me to be, I came here with the music in these binders, and the tracks are solid ;).. I play off cd's, one track per cd and it is all hand selected quality tracks of multi genres of course.
I definitely wouldn't stress about this though but maybe take the precaution next time and have a dj friend handy(of different styles than you) with a cd wallet/laptop or whatever the heck the guy uses.
.

[Austin GoGreen]

Did you get paid? If so, fuck em. If not, take em to court or throw bricks threw the front door.

[Lionman]

Nah, it was freebie for a mate, part of the reason I'm not too stressed over it. I've spoken to the girl that asked me to play since too - she was very apologetic... not that it was her fault but still nice to hear.

Could've definitely been worse, it's not like I was boo'ed or bottled off & I still hung out at the party for a few hours, had a pretty decent night & then got the girl anyway!



Will be buying some Shranz for next time though, just in case like.

[de.j.l]

If it was a freebie they should have shown you some respect in the matter that you were there for FREE and show some appreciation for your taste in music.

[de.j.l]

If I play for free, people are usually just happy there is a DJ there throwing out some good tunes, the particulars of their personal preference in music is them just being greedy/ungrateful little piss heads.

[Adzm00]

Will be buying some Shranz for next time though, just in case like.

That, and throw on some scan 7, epic.

[-J]

All good points but I'm not sure how applicable it is to what happened.

I thought I had been booked to play my style, I'd sent the host a link to my soundcloud & she was into it.
I had also made it perfectly clear that whilst I wasn't going to be a jukebox or play a mobile style set (I only do that for money) I was open to requests & I'm experienced enough to know that when you're dealing with a slow night requests can be a godsend.

Even if someone is asking for the most inappropriate thing I'd never tell them to piss off, I try not to be a prick about requests when djing & one of the great things about using SSL is the old "Sorry, I've only got that on vinyl & didn't bring it tonight".
But if I've just played this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcC7f96340E) & I'm now playing this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWK_Josc0Og), when someone asks for soul music I can't help but say "Errr... This is soul music!". I did ask her what she'd like to hear anyway & she said "Some Stones/Beatles & that"... girl has a funny idea of soul music. I mean, really..? It's not even like these songs are super rare nuggets or anything.

As for my mixing... There was no monitor & because of what I was playing I was keeping it pretty simple (if any at all) so I don't think it was that.



Anyway, like I said - I'm over it. Wrong dj for the wrong crowd & now I've got my "I got kicked off the decks once" story. I just thought your post reads like you assume I'm a noob so I wanted to clear my name or whatever.

I will say that chick is probably an idiot, but I personally wouldn't classify either of those tunes as "soul".

I am gonna look you up on soundcloud now though. :tup:

[Atomisk]

Sorry to be a h8r, and I don't know the situation at all, but it sounds like you weren't playing to the crowd at all. Maybe that's something you need to work on?

Anyways, there are some nights where people just don't want to dance. It happens. :shrug:

[-J]

Sorry to be a h8r, and I don't know the situation at all, but it sounds like you weren't playing to the crowd at all. Maybe that's something you need to work on?

Maybe you should work on reading posts and understanding context before you reply.

He was under the impression that his style was what the crowd wanted to hear based on his negotiations with the person who booked him.

[Atomisk]

Maybe you should work on reading posts and understanding context before you reply.

He was under the impression that his style was what the crowd wanted to hear based on his negotiations with the person who booked him.

And even if you're booked under a certain style, if you get through the first hour and no one is dancing, it's probably time to change it up and play something they will like. As you know, DJing is all about song selection and if you aren't coming prepared, that's on you. I normally play on CDs but I ALWAYS bring my laptop, timecode CDs and audio interface just incase the crowd isn't feeling what I normally play on CDs and I need to draw from a genre that I don't have burned to CDs.

I mean, as a DJ you're just some guy playing music. You're not running a full PA rig. It isn't hard. A DJ's job is to make sure that the night runs well. For example, I play prog/electro house. Even if I get booked as a house DJ and am told the night will be entirely house, I still have a ton of hip hop burned to USB/CD incase the crowd that shows up despises house and only listens to hip hop.

[-J]

And even if you're booked under a certain style, if you get through the first hour and no one is dancing, it's probably time to change it up and play something they will like. As you know, DJing is all about song selection and if you aren't coming prepared, that's on you. I normally play on CDs but I ALWAYS bring my laptop, timecode CDs and audio interface just incase the crowd isn't feeling what I normally play on CDs and I need to draw from a genre that I don't have burned to CDs.

I mean, as a DJ you're just some guy playing music. You're not running a full PA rig. It isn't hard. A DJ's job is to make sure that the night runs well. For example, I play prog/electro house. Even if I get booked as a house DJ and am told the night will be entirely house, I still have a ton of hip hop burned to USB/CD incase the crowd that shows up despises house and only listens to hip hop.

You can just re-read my previous post.


Been at it for about 2/3 hours & I'd already tried quite a few different styles but no one was biting.

[Atomisk]

You can just re-read my previous post.

Sorry I don't have time to read a 34 post thread, I actually have a life outside DJF. Just because he tried a few genres doesn't mean he tried everything. There's always a way to make people dance. You just need to do your prep work.

[Marc S]

if you dont have time to read the other replies, dont post. and then get annoyed when someone corrects you.

also, some events you cant just switch the music up, you have strict music policies and you are often told to ONLY play a certain style.

[longducdong]

I wouldn't stress over this. Its probably happened to every EDM dj, with so many genres, you can't make everyone happy, especially if you only want to play stuff you like. If you're a mainstream DJ though, this shouldn't happen to you, unless you get booked for Sprockets the club.

[bernardgregory]

ive never been kicked off the decks but i have been not invited back.

people ask for one thing then get mad then it doesnt work. everything is the DJs fault. but when the crowd is rocking the owners / promoters take credit.

oh well dont sweat it

[mostapha]

Anyways, there are some nights where people just don't want to dance. It happens. :shrug:

Yeah…that's what I'm thinking.

That's one of the reasons it's good to be versatile. It's also one of the reasons I'm really wigged out by house parties. I've been to a lot of bad ones. Fortunately, the only time I've had an argument like that, the owner was on my side.

In the middle of a psybreaks set that was actually going over really well for the crowd…

Dumb Chick: "Can you play some good music?"
Me: "No. I only play crap."

A couple minutes later:

Same Dumb Chick: "Come on! Play something people can dance to."
Me: *looks at a room packed with dancing people, notices one of my Fraternity Brothers making out with one of her friends on the floor* "I'm sorry you're not having a good time, but I don't think I'm the problem."

She got kicked out because the owner didn't want her bringing her own negative energy back to the party, plus she was already so hammered that she was about one drink away from becoming a serious problem anyway.

Unfortunately, the ones where there's not a confrontation are even worse…unless you're a Kanye level narcissist, there's no way it won't hit your ego and make your next set or at least your night suffer as a result.

I've gotten really fed up when the crowd was wanting something completely different from what I wanted to play (usually they want poppy garbage and the crap side of mainstream hip hop/electro) and have definitely thrown my CDJs into my trunk at the end of at least one of them (BTW, Pioneer can survive anything…their one good trait).

Now, if I do those parties, I'll have my big music library with me…including a lot of pop that I don't listen to and hip hop that I do listen to but wouldn't spin (because I'm not a hip hop DJ and can't do it justice). And anyone who throws one knows that I'm in charge of music and that nights like that–where people just don't want to dance or obviously want something completely different from what I want to do–are perfectly valid times for me to bust out iTunes or frakin youtube if I need to. And they don't get to complain that I'm not doing anything, because I am…I'm just not wearing out my CVs or needles with shit I don't even want to listen to. I usually also swap out musicians plugs (or IEMs) for shooting earplugs so I don't have to listen to anything…just know the music half decently and watch the floor.

It feels a lot better to swallow your pride and just be a jukebox for people who don't care about DJing and just want to hear garbage than it does to get replaced by another DJ or a random guy who's just going to plug in his iPod anyway. If you stand your ground and refuse to play garbage, the other guy looks like a savior and everyone walks away with a bad impression of DJs. If you do the jukebox thing, you've got a lot of time to get drunk, smoke, mac on chicks (or dudes), or make friends with the few people in the crowd who like EDM.

That's also the only way you'll still be in the right mindset to play an awesome after-hours set at 5am when all of the frakin' amateurs requesting BEP and Gaga have turned in for the night and you're free to play deep house or big room techno or breaks or D&B or whatever your passion really is for other people who are used to partying that late and enjoy it.

Remember, if people hate your music at 11, they're going to turn in early. If they still hate your music by 3…don't play for them again and hope something happened to balance out carrying around all your gear…even if it's just drinking for free and maybe meeting an interesting person or two.

That's also the reason I'm probably going to invest in an all-in-one controller if those house parties come up again…it's a lot easier to justify carrying some crappy serato intro controller than it is to justify carrying 1200s, and if you can spin on 1200s, you can fake it on a controller with no prep work. If it lives in your trunk, it's even easier. And if anyone makes fun of you, "I have 1200s…I didn't expect this party to be good enough to bother bringing them" is perfectly valid and turns it around so they're the lame ones instead of you.

[-J]

Sorry I don't have time to read a 34 post thread, I actually have a life outside DJF. Just because he tried a few genres doesn't mean he tried everything. There's always a way to make people dance. You just need to do your prep work.

I'm sure my life rivals the busyness of your's, but I still took the time to read the original post before opening my mouth.

[mostapha]

Sorry I don't have time to read a 34 post thread, I actually have a life outside DJF. Just because he tried a few genres doesn't mean he tried everything. There's always a way to make people dance. You just need to do your prep work.

There is not always a way to make people dance. Maybe they just want to drink and play beer pong and goof off. There's no serious crime in that. People unwind in different ways, and highly musical people need to realize that the reason so many people have such shit taste in music is because they don't care. It's just not a huge part of their life, or maybe they just like a scene that's completely different.

They might not care about being exposed to music any more than you care to be exposed to Computer Science, or high-level philosophy, or religion, or gay sex (or straight sex if you're gay), or anything else yo don't like. That just means that either you or they are at the wrong party. If you're at the wrong party…it's a choice between saving face and making a scene. If they're at the wrong party, it's a matter of just letting them leave.

[dj_chaz]

It seems like it's always the free gigs or when you are doing someone a favor that the people want to be SUPER picky and critical...
I haven't been kicked off but I had a girl try and go tell the owner I wouldn't play and Mary J Blige for her while I was playing MJB and another girl that screamed at me to play Shakira...

[Lionman]

but I personally wouldn't classify either of those tunes as "soul".

Indeed, definitely more funk than soul but I couldn't resist.

[KLH]

It seems like it's always the free gigs or when you are doing someone a favor that the people want to be SUPER picky and critical...
No good deed goes unpunished.

Hey OP, if you found yourself in the same situation, what would you do differently now?

-KLH

[Ravi Ravs Singh]

yeah getting booked for the wrong gigs suck.. I've gotten booked for hip hop parties and had to play commercial music which I didn't have any off in my crates =/ I have been booted off the deck once for being too drunk (Accidently taking the wrong needle/record off, packing away my headphones and trying to find them, packing up the cartridge as opposed to the record and I'm sure there was plenty more things that went wrong that night.) Another time I got kicked off was cos I got into an argument with the soundguy at the club =/

[ccabungcal]

damnnnn! sounds like you had a good time that night though ravi! must of been a hell of a party haha

[Ravi Ravs Singh]

damnnnn! sounds like you had a good time that night though ravi! must of been a hell of a party haha

My gig started at 9pm I remember I started drinking at 12:00noon and was already doing shots of Serbian Krappa and Rakhia at like 2:00pm lol. I used to play with a friend at the time he wasn't too impressed especially when he told me at 3:00pm not to get too drunk as he was going home to rest up lol. 'The Ravs Fail Steez'

[Lionman]

Nice work Ravi!


KLH - Good question. Asides from not accept the gig in the first place I'm not really sure if I'd do anything differently tbh. Maybe dip into my more indiedisco stuff but that's about it. As several peeps have already said - sometimes folks just don't want to dance. That was pretty much proven when the guys who took over were playing exactly what a lot of the people there wanted to hear but there was still no dancing.

[Adzm00]

Sorry I don't have time to read a 34 post thread, I actually have a life outside DJF. Just because he tried a few genres doesn't mean he tried everything. There's always a way to make people dance. You just need to do your prep work.

You are such a fucking superstar these days, we are all jealous of your success on the party bus.