DJ’s Are Human Too

Believe it or not one of my hobbies is Disk Jockeying. I don’t aspire to be the next Paul Oakenfold that’s not my style. I DJ because I love music. Not club music – you won’t find me queuing up outside Creamfields. You see I love cheese.

I was a resident at my uni - playing all those 80s & disco nights. Throwing in chart, Abba, Robbie, Disco, Steps, wham! Mixing it up and somehow making it all work. Technically I don’t even think I’m a great DJ I just love music, love a bit of fun, press play and hope for the best.

I’ve been Djing (is there such a verb?) since 1999. In five years I’ve only ever had two bad nights. Tonight was one of them.

I don’t know what it was. Perhaps the crowd didn’t want to dance, perhaps I played the tracks in the wrong order. Perhaps there was too much chart not enough cheese or vice versa but for what ever reason it just didn’t happen. People left early – some sniggering that the DJ was crap. Fair enough to them I felt I was tonight – we all have our bad days.

Music is a very personal thing. When Djing – especially party Djing as I do, you realise how arrogant some people are about their musical tastes.

“Oi DJ, get this crap off – play something modern” they shout, not realising they’ve offended half their best mates who requested the track. People also seem to forget that perhaps, after Djing for five years, you might have insight as to what works and what doesn’t. I once had someone request Eminem in the middle of a Northern Soul set.

“Yes yes, certainly I’ll play it later” I told him.

“Nooooo Noooow!!” he slurs, drooling over my Cd cases.

Fontella Bass mixed into the real Slim Shady? I don’t think so, though there’s probably someone out there in webland that’s done it.

Anyway next time you leave somewhere and the DJ’s had a bad night just think how they feel. Tonight I’ve come home with the horrible feeling that whenever the booking remembers their 30th birthday they’re going to have memories of everyone leaving early and a flat atmosphere. What makes it even worse is that she was really really nice. Thanking me and saying it wasn’t my fault.

Still at least the Boogie Pimps went down well!