Solution for requests?

[Won D'funk]

What is your solution to people coming up requesting in the middle of your rocking set?

My favorite is, "Do you have anything with words in it?"

or

"You got any Ja-Rule, man?"

[petey pablo]

Ah yes, the age old question how to keep people from asking for hip hop or anything with words during your set. This one has been a real thorn in my side for some time now, too.
Well, there are two simple solutions to this problem. First off is: play hip hop. But of course when you are playing a house set it becomes a problem. Second solution is play shit that has words.
You have to play to the audience. I bring a shit load of vocal house (or anything that people might recognize) and disco when I play at parties like this now knowing that this will be the case. I'm no longer afaid to get a little cheesy. After all it is a party. If Derrick Carter can do it, why can't I?
Also, you need to remember that many people don't realize that you aren't a high school dance dj and that requests aren't normal, to them requests are what a dj does. Don't take it out on them.
I'm sure you know all this, but it makes me feel better to actually say it.
Nice thread...I'm sure it means alot to many of us...

MB

p.s.- If it is guys coming up and asking for stuff and you really are rocking the place just point out the fact that every girl in the whole place is dancing. Just because he can't dance to anything but Big Pun doesn't mean shit...He had better figure it out.

[djsteel]

Siiimmmppplleee....

you hand out invisible fencing collars as tickets. paint them bright colors. The kids love them.

Set up a perimeter around the DJ table, and it becomes a bugzapper.

Great fun.

[dj metro]

Originally posted by Won D'funk
What is your solution to people coming up requesting in the middle of your rocking set?

My favorite is, "Do you have anything with words in it?"

or

"You got any Ja-Rule, man?"

my solution is to become familiar with all kinds of music so you can drop it in. the most important thing to do is read the dancefloor and listen to the kinds of requests coming in to determine what kinda music is currently more popular. you don't want to have a packed floor with some house and drop in ja rule and watch people scatter. just because some trendy fuck doesn't like that song or music doesn't mean you have to put the vibe to a halt so he can pretend to be a mackdaddy for the 4 minute duration of the song.

another thing to do is mix about 45 minute sets of one genre and move to another to keep people happy. some people sit around, nurse their drinks, and bullshit with others so you give them enough time to be social before they can go shake their ass. plus, it helps the bar out when people drink. they eventually gotta get another, drink it, go dance their ass off and dance their buzz away and then go get more. the bar managers will love you.

as far as requests being what a dj does, that is partially what a dj does but only in a nightclub aspect. when you are at a party or "rave" most dj's spin a set that they either have planned out or spin on the fly. in a nightclub it is a different story. if the patrons paid a cover to pay for your time then you should at least drop in requests. i know a dick that refuses to play requests unless you tip him. i wonder why he no longer dj's at the place anymore? haha...

just go with instinct, but remember that in different places you need to make different adjustments. i would stick with the 45 minute rule. that is what i do and it works pretty damn well.

[Charlie Deep]

"I'M NOT A HUMAN JUKEBOX, DAMN IT!!!" :mad:

[Jizosh]

i need 50 dollaz to make you holla...i get PAID to do the wild thang!

[corbettfields]

My ABSOLUTE 100% favourite was this....

H (for it was she) "Can you play (iio's) Rapture?"

Me "this IS Rapture"

:eek:

[Charlie Deep]

Originally posted by dj metro
as far as requests being what a dj does, that is partially what a dj does but only in a nightclub aspect. when you are at a party or "rave" most dj's spin a set that they either have planned out or spin on the fly. in a nightclub it is a different story. if the patrons paid a cover to pay for your time then you should at least drop in requests. i know a dick that refuses to play requests unless you tip him. i wonder why he no longer dj's at the place anymore? haha...

The above only applies to DJs that play commercial music (stuff that you hear on the radio and MTV) in clubs - not DJs that play underground dance music.

Would anyone dare go up to Mark Farina or Derrick Carter in a club during one of their House sets and ask them to play some Ja Rule or Madonna? You sure as hell won't find any of that stuff in my crate when I'm playing records at a gig and I don't think you'll find it in theirs either. (I've actually had a girl come up to me and ask if she could look through my crate and after looking through it, not recognizing any record, she just walked away.)

DJs that play underground dance music are putting on a peformance that displays their taste in music. Most of this music will be stuff that's not heard on the radio or MTV. Requests just don't work in these performances becauase the DJ probably doesn't have the requested song and the requested song is in a completely different genre of music than what the DJ is playing. The clubbers that make requests must learn this. Mixing music is a tactic with several variables involved and requests don't fly.

Oh, and if you need to ask me something during a set, please wait until I'm finished with the mix.

[Recess]

As much as that request for Marvin Gaye in the middle of your electro set might make you cringe inside don't forget to be nice and put on a smile as you sadly inform the patron..."as much as I like Marvin Gaye I didn't bring any of his stuff with me tonight."

^^^ Yes, this really happened just last month. And yes, I really do like Marvin Gaye.

[vinyltap]

either tell them you don't have that or tell them to fuck off!

[Recess]

Originally posted by vinyltap
either tell them you don't have that or tell them to fuck off!

My point was in complete disagreement with the latter...just because someone might not understand that DJs outside of the wedding/bar mitza realm don't typically take requests or that someone is clueless with their tastes in music for that particular event, doesn't mean they need to have it rubbed in their faces. I think there can be many other creative, graceful ways to handle these annoying requests besides succumbing to that initial gut instinct. Had I told the the Marvin Gaye fan to just FUCK off he'd at the very least start spreading a negative vibe throughout the party...instead I think he actually started diggin' what I was playing.

(Obviously, if a polite decline of sorts has been made and that patron starts harrassing or acts rudely then that's an entirely different scenario all together).

[corbettfields]

Another Story to pass on (fm Bill Brewster) from a set @ Pacha in Ibiza

Punter - Have You Any Roy Ayres (!!!! )

Bill - This IS Roy Ayres

Punter - Yeah but not that one.....

sometimes folks are ridin' the DJs.... end of story...

most folks who are asking for hip hop, or certain records are usually getting into it (take it as a compliment, they are staying!), just want to hear there own taste.... Recess's answer is usually best way.. or "the managers dont want hip hop, i'm sorry" (this is true in PDX!)...

if they ask 2nd time, a head-butt works great

[PulpMind]

since I spin mostly stuff in the realm of downbeat / midtempo / IDM, I have a bit of freedom... so, my solution? play it! or, at least play a version of something like it remixed by a real artist =)

for instance:

"hey, you have any rap?"

"yah! I sure do! lemme throw some in!"

moments later, comes the Kid606 remix of a Missy Elliot track (imagine putting M.Elliot into a blender, throwing in some elephants and turbo jets...)... boo ya!!

but nevermind, I'm not a DJ, I play on CDs =P

Shu'kran,
- Jesiah -

[djsence]

hand them your headphons throw your hands up and walk away in disgust. Then go get a drink and stand there.

[dj plantlife]

Originally posted by PulpMind
but nevermind, I'm not a DJ, I play on CDs =P


HEY! CD's have feelings, they are discs too, ya know. ;)

I've actually heard someone say, "Do you have any hip-hop?" to my friend who was in the middle of playing a Slick Rick medly... go figure.

My suggestion is, always bring hip-hop if you are going to be in a situation where it isn't necessarily a "electronic dance music" night.

Charlie Deep - I've seen people ask for requests from international DJ's (Mark Farina being one of them, at the -ho-box). Granted, these are usually people who stumbled into the club by mistake.

[petey pablo]

*drools* Mmmmm....Roy Ayers....

Matt

p.s.- how do you know the punter wasn't just wondering if he had any other roy ayers :rolleyes: ;) :p :D :o :eek: :confused: :(

[Headphones Dude]

I find it a little weird you guys should even have to compromise with a lame ass request for some hip hop.....You're susposed to go with the music that moves you, and any requests you get, is something the fans who know you know you have in your bag/crate....To actually have to waste an extra few pounds of vinyl you may not even play, except for the one request you may get, just doesn't seem worth it to me.

I mean, you don't see somebody come up to a jungle dj and ask "Can you play any trance???".....:rolleyes:

[Sophistik]

I've NEVER, run into this problem playing out house partys. A while back I was playing with my homie Bo and I had to do an extended shindig since he left his records at a friends and couldn't get in because his friend hadn't returned. I would have filled everyone's requests just because of the different vibe, and I had been playing for about 2 hours. It was a little weird because half of the crowd were all club kids, and the other half were people there for a kegger.

Only I had no CDJs at the time so the best I could do was throw on some Invsbl Skratch Picklez while someone ran to go get CDs.

The funny thing is when I left some dude was pretending he was doing the cuts... Bo and I had a good laugh at that.

Thats all I really remember, then a passed out girl and some dude getting choked slamed for messing with her, then my ex went to go take care of her in a back room. On top of that I lost my keg cup 5 times, and my girlfriend kept making out with chicks.

Ok, a little TMI but that was the setting in wich I was asked to play something else. heh.


(Including but not limited to:)
Almost everytime at house parties it'll happen. But it's not just limited there. If you were playing at say Bell Town Billiards or a similar club where people really just come to get smashed and pick up chicks you could probably expect the same thing. Same if you were playing some kinda fair/festival such as Arts Walk or something, or a shool dance etc. Basically any place where the primary function is not to come to a showcase electronic music in specific.

My solution for people that aren't gonna fill that request is to either a) say you will and then dont. b) explain that you can't, but try to play something else they might like, or start mixing accapellas into you're stuff, or remixes. or... .well ya know..

I dunno... Just do what you think will work it really doesn't matter too much in that situation unless you act like a dick or are about to get socked in the face for not playin it. lol.

[RNA]

The funniest part about this post is that Won knows exactly what to do in this situation. We played a weekly house night in Eugene for 2 years straight. In a small college town, there is ALWAYS someone asking us to play something else.

I agree with most of the above, being nice about it is the best way to go. Most of them are actually cool about it if you are genuinely nice to them. Drunken beeyotches (both male and female) can be dealt with a bit more sternly.

I kind-of agree with Charlie, but there are very sublime ways of satifying some requests while staying true to form. Most people just want to hear something they are familiar with. When someone asks for Prince - Erotic City, just drop the Miles Maeda remix. No vocals,definitely underground, but they pack the dance floor anyway. That is just one example. If you play one for the crowd, get them on the floor, then you can drop 5 underground funky tracks after that, and they will stay out there. I am a firm believer that good DJ's (I am not claiming to be one of them) can get any crowd rocking without straying too far from the underground.

Spoon feed them a bit... they'll catch on.

[edotdj]

heh, one of the djs in our crew, Cozmix Vixen, wears this t-shirt with a graphic on it. It's a little stick man with headphones on and underneath it, it says "I can't hear you".

I had this happen at a house party to me once. When asked "can you play some hip hop", I just shake my head no and tune them out. Works pretty well.

[No Pants]

I agree-- but I also hear that if you have a buddy REALLY working the lights that the place will be rocking so hard that nobody will ever request anything. The music is one thing, but working the lights-- man, that shit is serious.

[dj metro]

Originally posted by Headphones Dude
I find it a little weird you guys should even have to compromise with a lame ass request for some hip hop.....You're susposed to go with the music that moves you, and any requests you get, is something the fans who know you know you have in your bag/crate....To actually have to waste an extra few pounds of vinyl you may not even play, except for the one request you may get, just doesn't seem worth it to me.

I mean, you don't see somebody come up to a jungle dj and ask "Can you play any trance???".....:rolleyes:

this is also because most of the people that attend shows where there is an array of different shit goin pretty much know what music is what. if you are a trancehead that goes to a jungle party then you are a moron since all flyers for shows are pretty specific.

the compromise comes from what you are doing as a dj and what background the club has. personally, i have always had to take 2 or 3 bins with me of different shit because different people come in who have different tastes. some like hip hop, some like house, some like trance, some like disco, etc... i have always spun in a club that caters to many different people with different tastes so i do take requests of what people want and if i don't have that track i will get something on that is similar to it. where i spin, my job as a dj is to keep people moving and play what they enjoy, but also play what i know will make them enjoy themselves. i can mix many different genre's in and out of each other and it really helps if you spin in the kinda places that i do.

some people are too close minded and only give a shit about what they are doing. these are the dj's that will only spin at certain parties that allow them to do what they do. when you are at a place spinning that has a set genre type then it is easy to tell people "no". when i spin at the places that i spin at, i am mixing different shit up because the bar generates the revenue and pays the bills. if people don't have a good time because of the music that i play, then they leave. no patrons = no liquor sales = no paycheck for the dj and other employees.

i love watching people have a good time, and that is still true if it means i have to take requests and possibly play something i don't like. i know i don't have to play shit if i don't want to, but that is what separates me from a lot of people. i care if people do have fun, and i have fun watching others have fun.

i will say that ignoring people isn't the best way to approach not taking requests. i did that once to some bitch who felt it was necessary to throw a chunk of ice at my turntables which hit the tonearm of the table that was currently live through the sound system. when you get people liquored up they can be unpredictable. i generally do not have a problem, but the best thing to do is just nod and smile. if you make excuses they will eventually come back, so let them down gently without pissing them off.

i guess i have a different view of what a dj should be. shame on me...

[Headphones Dude]

Well, I see your point actually. A gig is a gig, and it's better to build up a good reputation, even if you need to play something that you can't stand, or would prefer not to put on, but I see your point in your response.....

[willie]

i pretty much agree with charlie, although there are quite a few uneducated dancey folk who are clueless. if you come from a smaller market, like i did, and have to learn the ropes in a crappy-ass top-40, ten-years-behind, 4/4+notanywordsicansingto="techno" environment, ignorant bastards can annoy the piss outta ya.

back home, i had to rely a lot more on cds because good wax was a couple hundred miles away and if it weren't on mtv 90% of the crowd were clueless. my standard "i don't have that, sorry" often was met by the person saying, "i've got that cd in my car, i'll go get it, then ya have-to play it!" ....uggh.... ultimately, i had to move on because my heart & soul wasn't into most of the music the fickle crowd the establishment was targeting wanted to hear on a regular basis.

dj P's website has a video clip of a eminem track mashed over a drum n' bass track, which was what my solution was to a large extent. if ya are "forced" to play something you don't like, make it yours. mash it up & get creative.

the absolute worst thing for me was to work a request into a mix, only to have the sonofabitch who requested it NOT FUCKING DANCE!!!! my eyes would bore holes through their heads if they weren't out there shakin' their ass a minute into the track.

[dj metro]

Originally posted by willie
back home, i had to rely a lot more on cds because good wax was a couple hundred miles away and if it weren't on mtv 90% of the crowd were clueless.

yep, that is exactly how things are in bend when it comes to hip hop, r&b, and some electronic. what stands out here is the crappy top 40 radio station, MTV, and a couple yuppie nighclubs with dj's that play the same shit as the radio station. the bad thing is that some of the dj's are shitty cd jocks that cannot mix at ALL.

there are 3 places in bend that i know of that have good dj's who spin records and keep it vibed. the scene here is shaky at times, but for the places that have a following, the scene is good. i have had to do the mtv bullshit record spinning at clubs, so that is where a lot of my argument comes on to play or not to play requests. if i have it, i will play it when it will mix in the best during what i am doin. i am random at song selection, but i also select songs that would work well together. i can do this because i know my crates well. but it is nice spinnin records and not having a song that is requested that you just don't want to play. 99% of the time the asshole won't be able to run to his car and grab the record i would need.

:D

but, the reason i keep the patrons happy is because if they don't buy booze the club can't pay bills and employees. if i didn't have to worry about that, then i wouldn't be as lenient as i am.

[forrest_avery]

I would say the goal is not to have to deal with people asking for requests, but to expect it, and try to hook them up. Even if you don't have what there asking for, your a dj damit you know music right, and you should be able to say, well I don't have that, but I can play you something you might like based on that request. That has always seemed to work good for me. When you give people at least the impression that you care about there request, then it helps a lot. They will tend to walk away pleased even if you can't fulfill there specific request.

Now a days im very careful find out what type of crowd is expected and what they will most likely want to hear. This goes for all styles, whether your doing pop hip hop, or house. Is the crowd trendy and wanting to hear the Ja rule shit, or are they more underground hip hop style looking for some Latryx. Is the crowd wanting to hear some deep house, or super funky vocaly house. You have to have versatility in this business. I'm talking within your style here. I'm not saying to be versatile as a house dj you need to have some hip hop, but you damn well better have at least some deep stuff, funky stuff, etc. If you want to make people dance, then you have to be at least a little receptive to what they want to hear.

At a lot of Clubs your gonna get requests, sorry thats how it is. I have never really run into the request problem at a one off party. I'm sure it's happened but not enough to make me gripe about it.

my 2 cents, or 3, damn thats more like 50 cents huh. sorry
forrest avery

[Charlie Deep]

This girl (why is it always a girl?) came up to Tasty and asked him if he had Alice Deejay's 'Better Off Alone'. He left the record at home. Too bad. :(

[Lailoni]

Hey Charlie....can you play me something with a verse, then a chorus and then perhaps another verse? Thanks...your the best.

[Won D'funk]

Originally posted by Charlie Deep
This girl (why is it always a girl?) came up to Tasty and asked him if he had Alice Deejay's 'Better Off Alone'. He left the record at home. Too bad. :(

Tasty actually owns that record?!? Damn!~ (Shocker!)

;)

[A.P. Zoutes]

Oh, and if you need to ask me something during a set, please wait until I'm finished with the mix.


WORD!!!!!

I'm sorry I can't hear you :D what? :D huh? :D Sorry don't have that, do you have it with you? :D SORRY :D :D :D

[RNA]

Originally posted by Charlie Deep
This girl (why is it always a girl?) came up to Tasty and asked him if he had Alice Deejay's 'Better Off Alone'. He left the record at home. Too bad. :(

Charlie... as you start to play out at bars more and more... you will get requests. Period. You can be belligerent about it, and not get gigs, or you can be tasteful to the patrons while still saying no. If you refuse to deal, then you WILL have a hard time finding gigs. Dealing with it does not mean playing requests, it means not being an asshole to someone when they make a request.

Did you see Tasty's response to the girl. He was nice about it, and no trouble. If he had been an asshole, then she would've taken her crew and left earlier, and my bar sales would have taken a hit for it. I didn't really care about having them there, per se, but the bar sales are key to maintaining the night. If we don't get them, then the night is over.

It always is a girl, because no self-respecting guy would come and make a request, and girls know that they can usually get their way with guys in bars (buy a drink, play a record, etc...).

I understand your stance as far as not playing anything except exactly what YOU want to play. Nobody is trying to stifle your artistic integrity. You just have to recognize where underground music fits in the club scene in this economy and in this city... it's not the same as it used to be. The "RAVE TREND" is dead.

[Tasty]

Originally posted by Won D'funk


Tasty actually owns that record?!? Damn!~ (Shocker!)

;)

LOL!! Actually, no I don't own it. But the young lady in question didn't know that. ;)

Heck, she was having fun. I didn't want to dampen her night, or demean her tastes in music. It's not my place to do so.

If she were my younger sister, or other type of acquaintance, I would have razzed her till her ass was purple. :P

[Charlie Deep]

Donnie, lighten up, bro! It was all in jest. I'm not trying to deter the mainstream music listeners on this board from attending your night.

I get requests often and I politely respond to them every time because I'm aware that not everybody knows what House is about. I've even had people come up to me and tell me that the music I'm playing is "crap", but I still give them a friendly smile and tell them that I'm sorry that they aren't enjoying it.

I still have to say that some of the stuff that people request makes me laugh inside.

[RNA]

Originally posted by Charlie Deep
Donnie, lighten up, bro! It was all in jest. I'm not trying to deter the mainstream music listeners on this board from attending your night.

I get requests often and I politely respond to them every time because I'm aware that not everybody knows what House is about. I've even had people come up to me and tell me that the music I'm playing is "crap", but I still give them a friendly smile and tell them that I'm sorry that they aren't enjoying it.

I still have to say that some of the stuff that people request makes me laugh inside.

Charles: I wasn't trying to get heavy on you. I was taking the impression that you don't agree with "letting them off easy" for their idiotic requests. Yes, I agree, many of the requests make me laugh inside too (actually, many make me sad for the state of the mainstream and the obvious lack of musical taste in this country).

I am not trying to encourage the mainstream music listeners to show up at my night at all. I would rather have it be all heads. The truth is, though, most of the underground heads just don't go out and spend money any more. Most of them do not have any.

My point is, is that, at the very least, if the mainstram music listeners show up at your club night, and you are otherwise unable to make the club night survive on the underground heads alone, then you can at least use the mainstream crowd to your advantage as far as them spending for that extra drink.

I mean no disrespect. I stareted my night to be underground, and stuck to the underground for a while. I have found that a small bit of concession here and there has greatly extended the life of the night. I am chhosing my words carefully, to avoid giving the impression that I am selling out...for rather I am not... I am staying alive.

Generally, if you respond to requests the way you say above that you do, then I do the exact same thing.

[dj metro]

i like to think that the term "selling out" is just meaningless slander thrown out by people who are afraid to expand their horizons or have no understanding of how certain things really are.

people can call me a sell out all they want for playing ja rule, 50 cent, eminem, and other mainstream stuff that people are familiar with. mainstream sells, and if you are someone that isn't down with mainstream then it's all good. do your thing. i do mine, so keep my style and my ways out of your mouths. i can spin the same shit others can, if not more. i have chosen the road to be universal as a dj, a crowd pleaser, and i still play the music that i like and think others would like too. i do my best to expose underground hip hop, or stuff that they just wouldn't hear anywhere in the town that i live in.

i am not directing my comments at any one person, but at anyone who feels that people who cater to the mainstream are sell outs. i guess that makes me a sell out in the ways of hip hop, r&b, trance, house, disco, funk, and any other genre that i might spin. i like to think of it as keeping my options open. hell, i even throw swing into the mix if it gets people going. if i like it, it gets played if i have it. mainstream or not.

but this has been a good topic. the biggest point that everyone needs to realize is that no matter where you go, you will have people approach you to make a request. it is how you deal with the situation that matters the most. don't get an ego about being the dj and being the one in control over the music. i have approached asshole dj's in the booth to ask for a song that i would like to hear and have gotten the attitude problem. you have to be nice about it, because those people paid to get in the door and they are paying for your time. let them down gently if you don't feel like playing it.

because you never know, (in a club aspect with a resident dj) one of these days you might be an asshole about it to a dj that happens to be better than you and he could walk away with your job. i have done it before, and i am sure that someday it might happen again to someone else with the cocky attitude. requests are just part of the job description. if you don't want to deal with it, then i would suggest finding a new career or hobby.

[G.A. Production]

I heard that Bar 71 in Portland might be looking for a new DJ to play their raging Saturday night parties. Anyone interested?