What Is A Dj Nowadays

[Guest Bearsy]

an entertainer or a jukebox if the latter then promoters could save a fortune cos you can get five tunes for a quid

[Julie Moore]

an entertainer or a jukebox if the latter then promoters could save a fortune cos you can get five tunes for a quid

Nice one

I would say jukebox cause there are some miserables ones out there IMVHO but then again some are very good entertainers I think im on the fence here not knowing which way to fall off it

[Mark Bicknell]

an entertainer or a jukebox if the latter then promoters could save a fortune cos you can get five tunes for a quid

One of these it would seem nowadays.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[funkyfeet]

Entertainer, Informer and Educator.

[Guest JIM BARRY]

Entertainer, Informer and Educator.

no one likes a informer

[Guest andrew bin]

a prima donna, Know all, Bleeding heart

Edited June 2, 2010 by andrew bin

[Guest JIM BARRY]

or a prima donna, Know all, Bleeding heart

?

[Tabs]

A DJ a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience.

Note - I did not specify format.

an entertainer or a jukebox if the latter then promoters could save a fortune cos you can get five tunes for a quid

[Brav]

an entertainer or a jukebox if the latter then promoters could save a fortune cos you can get five tunes for a quid

Bloody hell when was the last time you put money in a Jukebox ? its 3 for a quid in my local

[Paul Shirley]

sombodywith a lot of mates .the records arnt important it seems these days

[Guest]

an entertainer or a jukebox if the latter then promoters could save a fortune cos you can get five tunes for a quid

Whatever makes a DJ nowadays, I'm not sure but there seems to be an endless stream of people masquerading as DJ's on the scene .

[Realpeoplesmusic]

sombodywith a lot of mates .the records arnt important it seems these days

Have you not got many mates steptoe? , joke! I Disagree about the records not being important, essentially it's all about what records are being played. What makes a good dj a quality dj? For me it's passion and charisma behind the decks. Sometimes it looks like the dj doesn't actually believe in or love the record he/she is playing which does have a effect on the crowd as the dj is the main source of entertainment for however long the spot is.

I get the impression a lot of the time records are played for the wrong reasons such as rarity + how much it costs!

Just my Opinion of course

[harpo1]

It is an extremley rare animal,

Edited June 2, 2010 by harpo1

[Suinoz]

Bloody hell when was the last time you put money in a Jukebox ? its 3 for a quid in my local

Grt yerself down to the Soulville Cafe in good ole' Nottingham. They have a juke box full of Motown and Northern and yes it's FREE. Do a fantastic steak too. Lot's of memorabilia around the place and a great meeting place for likeminded soulies.

[Guest gordon russell]

someone who hangs around a new venue for at least 3 times slapping the promoter on the back......if he dos,nt get a spot you never see him again.Someone who never attends a venue thats been running for quite a while and has no intention of doing so....then they get a spot and post on this site things like "just sorting my playbox" or "looking forward to spinning a few at this venue" someone who never goes anywhere even if it,s quite near cos they're always busy,but would walk 500 miles in the snow to dj at some godforsaken hole. someone who djs at a nighter always before 2 then fecks off home saying they've got work or something. someone who's always got the tune you asked for ,but has always left that tune at home (you can just picture that one record sat on his mantlepiece lol). Someone who when you ask for a tune thats cheap to buy they tell you "won,t play that it,s a cheapie". peggy babcock

[Guest Simon]

someone who hangs around a new venue for at least 3 times slapping the promoter on the back......if he dos,nt get a spot you never see him again.Someone who never attends a venue thats been running for quite a while and has no intention of doing so....then they get a spot and post on this site things like "just sorting my playbox" or "looking forward to spinning a few at this venue" someone who never goes anywhere even if it,s quite near cos they're always busy,but would walk 500 miles in the snow to dj at some godforsaken hole. someone who djs at a nighter always before 2 then fecks off home saying they've got work or something. someone who's always got the tune you asked for ,but has always left that tune at home (you can just picture that one record sat on his mantlepiece lol). Someone who when you ask for a tune thats cheap to buy they tell you "won,t play that it,s a cheapie". peggy babcock

[Guest gordon russell]

Sometimes it looks like the dj doesn't actually believe in or love the record he/she is playing

I get the impression a lot of the time records are played for the wrong reasons such as rarity

Hi Callum, ya missed the point mate.....these records are super rare don,t you realise what a huge favour these guys are doing for ya,how out of their way they are going to dj for us all atb tezza

[Sean Hampsey]

Not what he used to be!

Sean

[Guest Simon]

Can't speak for everyone else but i dj because i have to, if i didn't i might kill someone!

I've got too many high levels of musical passion, love, hatred, anger to keep inside one person, i literally have to share it with the world, a bit like i guess to use other musical analogies Pete Townshend or Joy Division, they played because they had to not because they wanted to.

Simon

[Guest Beeks]

I DJ because I have a huge ego...and because I think my taste is better than anyone elses

Well at least i'm honest

[Simon M]

Sometimes you need a Jukebox or DJbot and sometimes you need a DJ / producer . It all depends on the situ' .However it can all be entertaining ( for a while at least )

[Cunnie]

Very few DJ's on the Soul scene, just a load of collectors who play music they like.

[Ian Dewhirst]

I DJ because I have a huge ego...and because I think my taste is better than anyone elses

Well at least i'm honest

Yep, credit where credit's due Beeks. The taste thing is a crucial part of wanting to become a DJ - that's certainly why I got into the dark arts and why I still do a radio show and sporadic gigs......

Ian D

[Guest Beeks]

Yep, credit where credit's due Beeks. The taste thing is a crucial part of wanting to become a DJ - that's certainly why I got into the dark arts and why I still do a radio show and sporadic gigs......

Ian D

When I got my first set of decks at sweet 16 it was 50% about the music and 50% about getting laid

As I got older...put on weight and got more haggered that percentage changed and changed...now it's just 100% about the music

[Roger Williams]

As I got older...put on weight and got more haggered that percentage changed and changed...now it's just 100% about the music

Whereas with Ian Dewhirst it's the other way round.

[Keithw]

someone who has a passion for the music

and gets a buzz seing other people enjoying it

knowing that people have paid to have a good time

and hopefully giving them that

oh and not someone playing from cds or pc

orig only for me

[Simon M]

Whereas with Ian Dewhirst it's the other way round.

[Ian Dewhirst]

Whereas with Ian Dewhirst it's the other way round.

Damn, you noticed LOL.....

Ian D

[Roger Williams]

Damn, you noticed LOL.....

Ian D

Simon Murray goaded me into saying it mate.

Now there's a interesting concept eh? Taking up DJ'ing on the Northern Soul scene to get laid.

[Simon M]

Simon Murray goaded me into saying it mate.

Now there's a interesting concept eh? Taking up DJ'ing on the Northern Soul scene to get laid.

[coops]

a dee-jay is the man or woman playing tunes and making you think that he/she actually cares what he/she is playing, knows why he/she is playing it and makes you think that he/she actually respects you/us the paying public.

gonna get me one hand out and start counting on it's fingers just how many actually meet all of the above!

[Roger Williams]

Now there's a interesting concept eh? Taking up DJ'ing on the Northern Soul scene to get laid.

Thinking about this, if that was the case, would the 'originals only' scenario come into play here? The DJ can only have sex with somebody who actually went to the Torch or Wigan?

[Guest Beeks]

Thinking about this, if that was the case, would the 'originals only' scenario come into play here? The DJ can only have sex with somebody who actually went to the Torch or Wigan?

Wouldn't be many Near Minters though would there?

I think most from that era would have a few scratches and pops in the intro

[Paul Shirley]

Have you not got many mates steptoe? , joke! I Disagree about the records not being important, essentially it's all about what records are being played. What makes a good dj a quality dj? For me it's passion and charisma behind the decks. Sometimes it looks like the dj doesn't actually believe in or love the record he/she is playing which does have a effect on the crowd as the dj is the main source of entertainment for however long the spot is. I get the impression a lot of the time records are played for the wrong reasons such as rarity + how much it costs! Just my Opinion of course

disagree with what? regarding the records being important thats exactly what am saying the records shuld come first but instead these days its based more on how many punters the guy is going to bring . its all ...you come to our's and we will come to yours its sad , regarding rarety and how much they cost . where are they playing them as i would like to go ?? coz they f... sure arnt playing them at any place near me . thats my point all i hear is the same tunes over and over by the same er? dj's personly i dont realy want to be listning to somthing that you hear all over the place but if i do then i would like it to be on an original. but anyway if yer play somthing diferent then most of the time your not wanted as you wont fill the place . even worse manly due to gossip you offten find that the people that have the records as well as rarer and expensive tunes never get a chance to play them ....as there tarred with the rare and expensive brush for the rest of there life i try and avoid gossip and hardly go out to soul does any more as i offten find a lot of gealousy and tickletacklin  thats mainly unfounded or made up!! just my opinion wigan paul ps: thats why i started st tersas to play somthing diferent somtimes rarer somtimes not somtimes expensive somtimes cheap and i sufferd because of it ' so if anybody cares about what they play mate ? its me!! Edited June 2, 2010 by steptoe

[Paul Shirley]

sombody that spends every penny they have on records !!! if you didnt have the pasion then you wouldnt be spending everything you had on them ......regardles of what they are oldies cheap rare or expensive

[Roger Williams]

Wouldn't be many Near Minters though would there?

I think most from that era would have a few scratches and pops in the intro

Plenty of old boots though!

[Roger Williams]

sombody that spends every penny they have on records !!! if you didnt have the pasion then you wouldnt be spending everything you had on them ......regardles of what they are oldies cheap rare or expensive

Isn't that a collector?

[Guest]

No idea !!

[Ernie Andrews]

Very few DJ's on the Soul scene, just a load of collectors who play music they like.

Clarify that please Cunnie!

I ofetn practicesets - moving records around in sets- A bit like managing a football team some players get promoted from the bench (Or box in the case of 45s) and some get demoted.

Its an art this Djing lark

Anyone can buy the latest bootlegs/reissues what ever you want to call them and play for an hour and call themselves a DJ.

However the true Northern/Soul etc DJ practices his art of buying /tasting playing and reviewing to see what works with what and what doesnt! So you do have to work at it.

Ive been to soul nights and watched one of the Top Djs play and it didnt really work for him because he said he was rushing and didnt trawl his boxes to put together a good set. He just picked up alot of records and put them in a box and it was probably the least enjoyable of his spots Ive ever witnessed and the dance floor action represented that thought. However Ive witnessed other Djs Ive met for the first time (Eddie Hubbard) Play a set of under £200 tunes and it was a superb set- Good presentation at the deck(Voice) and dancefloor action represented this on a night of fewer than the ususal numbers of people. (Having spoken to Eddie - he had to work to put that set together)

So its difficult to define what a good DJ is but its certainly not a I want 60 mins of fame by playing all the top sounds that were booted in the last 12 months.

Thats my opinion! Rant over!

[Paul Shirley]

Isn't that a collector?

well i supose yes and no.not realy given the price of most records these days !!!

another misconception by the il informed is that rarer records are all weard unknown records that no bugger knows .completly wrong loads of well known classics are rare some more than others

[Roger Williams]

Anyone can buy the latest bootlegs/reissues what ever you want to call them and play for an hour and call themselves a DJ.

Anyone can call themselves a DJ and play for an hour with original vinyl 45s and still be rubbish, I've seen it plenty of times.

Original vinyl doth not a DJ make.

That's a quote from the Rare Soul Bible that is.

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Last time we did this thread (or something similar) I asserted that one clear thing that a DJ most certainly is not, is someone who stands behind the decks with a box of records and plays them one after the other without saying a word.

"Playing records in public" is not the same as DJ'ing. There is a world of difference between the two. Anyone with the ability to stick a stylus in a groove can do the former, and and quite a few 'DJ's on here do nothing but that. I'd personally never consider anybody to be a DJ, unless there are between song announcements in at least 60% of their sets.

And if I was a promoter, I would regard any 'non-speaking record playing people' as being in breach of contact and I wouldn't pay em.

Doesn't have to be the Gettysburg Address, and you don't have to be Smashie and/or Nicey; just make sure you say a word or two of cheerful between song banter to remind us all that we're not listening to a badly-presented mix tape!

[Guest gordon russell]

disagree with what? regarding the records being important thats exactly what am saying the records shuld come first but instead these days its based more on how many punters the guy is going to bring . its all ...you come to our's and we will come to yours its sad , regarding rarety and how much they cost . where are they playing them as i would like to go ?? coz they f... sure arnt playing them at any place near me . thats my point all i hear is the same tunes over and over by the same er? dj's personly i dont realy want to be listning to somthing that you hear all over the place but if i do then i would like it to be on an original. but anyway if yer play somthing diferent then most of the time your not wanted as you wont fill the place . even worse manly due to gossip you offten find that the people that have the records as well as rarer and expensive tunes never get a chance to play them ....as there tarred with the rare and expensive brush for the rest of there life i try and avoid gossip and hardly go out to soul does any more as i offten find a lot of gealousy and tickletacklin  thats mainly unfounded or made up!! just my opinion wigan paul ps: thats why i started st tersas to play somthing diferent somtimes rarer somtimes not somtimes expensive somtimes cheap and i sufferd because of it ' so if anybody cares about what they play mate ? its me!!

spot on mate......thats why an awful lot of folk could,nt get it at burnley it was brill however many folk were there...in fact when numbers were down it was even better.....all those unknown (largely) fellas playing music coz they looved it...atb tezza

[Guest steve64]

an entertainer or a jukebox if the latter then promoters could save a fortune cos you can get five tunes for a quid

For me its someone who can build a set, not just throw on an uptempo track followed by a slow one, can keep me intrested & on the dance floor & at the end of the night make me think "I had a cracking night, I will come back here again". So I will go with Entertainer

[NEV]

Isn't that a collector?

I kinda sensed where this would end up ..."let's have another go at the soul collector /dj "

How many people do you know that spend thousands on records and get paid very little in return ?

The soul scene dj is predominantly a collector and does it for the love of it,why else would you spend so much money ?

THE terminology for dj is disc jockey ...how many soul dj's look or sound like Jimmy Saville or twitter on like Chris Moyles and most of Radio one's over paid ego maniacs??

Sam ,Butch ,ginger and every other more well known dj's probably have some of the best collections in the world ..so what are they dj's or collectors?

Do these guy's ramble on like a radio dj ? or do they play fantastic sets and provide the service required by the promotor who booked them.

At the end of the day it really comes down to the experience of the promotor ...if you want nostalgia northern soul sounds to fill a big room then don't book dj's with rare obscure records.

Time and time i see ridiculous posts by people who think it's acceptable to pour scorn on a dj because he did'nt do the business ..he played to himself blah blah

Most dj/collectors i know really do put their heart and soul into the sets they play and honestly do it for the love of it and in the hope the punters enjoyed it ..never for money.

Ok some guy's are exceptionally good on a mic ..and i take my hat off to em because it's a skill that either comes naturally or something that requires yrs of practice ,but for me it's what a dj plays that i remember the night for most .

It's simple if you want your venue to look and sound like a 60th birthday bash or a wedding celebration then please book a dj with his own roadshow ..flashing lights ..smoke machine etc.

If you want a soul night based on the ethos of the soul scene that was set in stone since it's birth then book someone with real records and a real passion for the scene!

[Roger Williams]

I kinda sensed where this would end up ..."let's have another go at the soul collector /dj "

You've quoted me but I didn't 'have a go' at anyone, I just questioned that his post was more applicable to a collector rather than a DJ, no more than that.

[Jumpinjoan]

You've quoted me but I didn't 'have a go' at anyone, I just questioned that his post was more applicable to a collector rather than a DJ, no more than that.

So how many non collector Dj's are there?

[NEV]

You've quoted me but I didn't 'have a go' at anyone, I just questioned that his post was more applicable to a collector rather than a DJ, no more than that.

Well instead of laying bait for meat eaters like me and Steve (ernieandrews) give us the pearls of your wisdom and just answer Bearsy's question yourself

"what is a dj nowadays" ??

[Modernsoulsucks]

So how many non collector Dj's are there?

From my observation I'd say quite a few.

Im guessing that when you were first asked to dj you didn't see what records were in-demand dance floor favouirites from all genres and purposely go out to amass a playlist. You no doubt had your 45s that you considered worth hearing and played them without worrying what others were doing.

I do get the impression that some buy records just to be able to play out with no involvement in or attachment to the actual music which makes it easier to "refresh one's playbox" or sell 'em off if the dream fails to materialise.

ROD

[Harrogatesoul]

From my observation I'd say quite a few.

Im guessing that when you were first asked to dj you didn't see what records were in-demand dance floor favouirites from all genres and purposely go out to amass a playlist. You no doubt had your 45s that you considered worth hearing and played them without worrying what others were doing.

I do get the impression that some buy records just to be able to play out with no involvement in or attachment to the actual music which makes it easier to "refresh one's playbox" or sell 'em off if the dream fails to materialise.

ROD

Would i be wrong in saying some dj's don't actually amass/collect 45s in a big way that a collector might??

Would much rather listen to the collector who as you say has 45s that they consider worth playing out/hearing as opposed to the 'hot boxer' . Much more interesting IMHO.