a verbatim exchange from one of my weeklies
dstill808
704 Posts
(ok, I know there's probably too much bagging on lame customers @ DJ nights, but I thought this one was pretty funny)Ms Thing: You got any GOOD music?Me: Sure, what do you want to hear?MT: Youknow, like some Maroon 5?Me: I'm sorry, no Maroon 5....MT: Well what about some Linkn Park?Me: I actually have mostly hip hop music tonightMT: So how about some GOOD hip hop music, like some Biggie Smalls?Me: Well, this IS Biggie right now ("Give Me One More Chance" playing)MT: Not this, some NEW Biggie.Me: Uh...Biggie's dead. He doesn't have any new music.MT: Hmmph!
Comments
classic.
Her: Can you play "Push It" (at 10:30)
Me: Sure, I'll play that a little later this evening
- she reaches into her purse to pull out some loot, I try to refuse (I don't like feeling obligated to appease people immediately) She tosses five dollars onto a crate and walks away
Her (15 min. later): Why haven't you played my song yet?
Me: Sorry, but I am not going to play that song this early, I will play it later, but you can have your money back if you like.
- I hand her back the five dollar bill which has not moved
Her: I gave you TWENTY dollars! Give me my money back!
Me: No, you gave me five, which I tried to refuse, now take your money and leave me alone.
At this point a friend of hers chimes in that I am trying to steal her money and I should give it back. We argue for a couple minutes, ultimately getting very heated and I curse at them until they leave me alone.
Two mintues later I see her talking to the manager who does not entertain her argument - possibly the first cool thing that guy has ever done for me.
Two minutes after that she is dancing it up on the floor and having a great time.
Normally Im a pretty level headed guy, but accusing me of stealing a TIP I tried to REFUSE?
all the managers ive worked with at clubs in the past have NEVER been this cool.
Seriously.
I've been playing at this place for almost a year now, though, and the manager knows me well enough to know that stealing is not my style.
Wow, this chick gets around.
Ms Thing: Do you have any music people can dance to?
Me: (looking out over the small, completely crowded basement club as everyone is dancing) Sure, you mean like what's playing now?
MS: No, nobody's dancing! I mean you are doing a grea..well, you're doing an OK job, I just want you to feel good about the job you're doing. So play something we can dance to, OK? Do you have any latin? Don't you want to feel like you are doing a good job?
Me: I feel great!
MS: No, but seriously. I am not one of those annoying people that bug the DJ. Seriously.
me: Oh? Are you sure?
MS: Ha Ha, well, maybe, but at least I'm not annoying, right?
Me: (silence/smile)
MS: OK, just play something danceable OK?
WHAT I WANTED TO SAY:
"Jesus Christ, if you just relaxed for half a minute, you might just have a good time instead of aggravating yerself over what the stupid DJ is GOING to play! And yes, you are fucking annoying, everything about you annoys me!"
Ya know, I was just thinking about it, and given the number of times I have gotten requests (particularly for biggie) for an artist that I was currently playing, I think that when people hear an artist that sounds familiar, it makes them want to hear more of that, like unconsciously they know who it is, but being all clowdy headed they can't place it.
And how many times do people come up and ask for a song by an artist you just played? It happens nightly to me, usually resulting in an "oh yeah!" from the patron when I clue them in.
I kinda goes hand in hand with "play something we can dance to" cuz all that really means is "play something I know."
When people feel like they are in on the game (i.e. they know the music that is playing) they want more of it.
Just speculation really.
All true, but the fact is 95% of folks in any given club DO NOT feel obligated to act like a moron, so what drives this 5% to be such dickheads about their requests? I really don't mind even inane vague requests as long as someone is sincere and even REMOTELY polite or even neutral. But why on earth would you go out of your way to make a DJ feel like shit in the pursuit of hearing "your jam"? IT MAKES NO SENSE.
Si.
Well, (only slightly) in her defense, Biggie does seem to still come out with a new verse on someone's re-mix every week, and has been steadily since he died...
its because these type of people dont know music..they only know what is shoved down their throats, what they see on MTV, hear on the radio..they want to hear a song they know or a song that sounds like a song they know...they feel insecure when they see a room full of people dancing to a song they have never heard and feel like they have to defend their ignorance by "requesting" ie "regurgitating" what little music they do know of...asshole requesters are just insecure morons...
I actually "LOL"'d at that.
always a winner of an opening line....
b/c they're oblivious dicks who don't realize:
a) the DJ WANTS them to have a good time.
b) the DJ is doing his best to do so.
c) the DJ MIGHT know more than them about going about this.
and their rudeness is inexcusable whether it's to the DJ or the bus boy. you see these types of people everywhere. people who think their rudeness and pushiness will help them get their way.
I should hope not.
Not hatting, just being an ass...
Different strokes,
Grounds for gettin' that drink smacked out of her hand.
sayin'
I seem to invite this kind of comment, or maybe I am just 'too nice' and look like I will put up with it. I have honestly been working on having more of a game face, and at least play the game of "I'm the DJ, you are the audience, you will do my bidding"-kinda thing, but someone always slips through and pops off with something like that. I wanted to say "Look, I don't come down to the Stroll and try to tell you how to suck dick, do I?", but I thought better of it.
I have a hard time imagining someone under DeeRock's withering glare having the sac to say anything that intentionally sideways. But I'm sure he has heard it all too.
My Saturday last week:
her: Can you play some of the new Beck?
me: no problem, as soon as my partner finishes his set, I'll hook you up.
me: (I play a song off the new Beck, frantically waving at homegirl so she won't miss it, and we point and wink-wink at each other - problem solved)
her (after I mix into next song): how come you only played one song?!?!
me: actually, I already played one earlier tonite, so that's the second one I played.
her: well, you should play at least two!
me: look lady, you're lucky I was nice and even played you the one.
her: you're a dick.
But she bought me a beer later on, so I played another Beck song, it's not like she was requesting Leo Sayer or something...
Damn, homie, you ARE too nice!
The weird thing is, this occurs while I am playing hits, familiar material and 'people-pleaser' type of sets! It's not like I am trying to use the DJ booth to 'educate' folls on a Fri/Sat night, I am trying to get the crowd grooving. So I am playing things they hear on the radio and classic shit AND THEY STILL SHOW THEIR ASS. So I guess I am saying that I don't really buy that 'don't know music' argument, but I see what you are saying. I think certain folks just feel like they are the boss wherever they go.
i actually "LOL"'d at THAT!!!
she bought you a beer after you had an argument? Did you check the glass for boogers?