Lots of promoters and Dj's refer to 'playing to the floor' in numerous threads and talk about 'giving the punter what they want', but what does this actually mean?
I think it does depend on the crowd your night attracts and whether it is a niter crowd or a local soul nite. Local nites do attract a more eclectic crowd and depending on the venue and area may also be patronised by curious locals etc too. When I moaned about 'Duffy' being played at a soul nite once I was told that they were giving the paying punter what they wanted, as if that made it ok!
I don't want to turn this in to a debate on the pro's and con's of Duffy but just ask where would it end? At a recent do in Essex a DJ was asked to play 'Lady in Red' (not by Ronnie Dyson before you ask) by a paying punter at a soul nite ......should he have played it??
I suppose it depends how you advertise and promote your event as to who you attract but as do's become more desperate for punters the question is do you water down your music policy to please the lowest common denominator or do you risk an empty floor once in a while in the hope that people will get up and dance to the tunes the next time?
I think it comes down to the conversation in another thread about the skill of a DJ playing well known and lesser known tunes in a way that keeps people on the floor. My opinion for what it's worth, set your stall out and keep at it, rather than give in or eventually you will be spinning baby love and Red light spells danger to a room full of locals as the soulies who want to hear something different migrate to other do's that give them what they want. I travel to the do's I like or try new ones that other people I respect recommend to me. If I don't like them I don't go back. Should I be allowed to demand that a do play what I want to dance to to save me having to travel around the country? Should your do adapt to what people want or try and attract the people who want what they are selling?
So my question is....how much influence should the paying punter have on the music policy?
Should they be able to make a nite what they want because it's on their door step or should the promoters stick with it and let punter travel to the do's that have the music policy they like?
Lots of promoters and Dj's refer to 'playing to the floor' in numerous threads and talk about 'giving the punter what they want', but what does this actually mean?
I think it does depend on the crowd your night attracts and whether it is a niter crowd or a local soul nite. Local nites do attract a more eclectic crowd and depending on the venue and area may also be patronised by curious locals etc too. When I moaned about 'Duffy' being played at a soul nite once I was told that they were giving the paying punter what they wanted, as if that made it ok!
I don't want to turn this in to a debate on the pro's and con's of Duffy but just ask where would it end? At a recent do in Essex a DJ was asked to play 'Lady in Red' (not by Ronnie Dyson before you ask) by a paying punter at a soul nite ......should he have played it??
I suppose it depends how you advertise and promote your event as to who you attract but as do's become more desperate for punters the question is do you water down your music policy to please the lowest common denominator or do you risk an empty floor once in a while in the hope that people will get up and dance to the tunes the next time?
I think it comes down to the conversation in another thread about the skill of a DJ playing well known and lesser known tunes in a way that keeps people on the floor. My opinion for what it's worth, set your stall out and keep at it, rather than give in or eventually you will be spinning baby love and Red light spells danger to a room full of locals as the soulies who want to hear something different migrate to other do's that give them what they want. I travel to the do's I like or try new ones that other people I respect recommend to me. If I don't like them I don't go back. Should I be allowed to demand that a do play what I want to dance to to save me having to travel around the country? Should your do adapt to what people want or try and attract the people who want what they are selling?
So my question is....how much influence should the paying punter have on the music policy?
Should they be able to make a nite what they want because it's on their door step or should the promoters stick with it and let punter travel to the do's that have the music policy they like?