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Some DJs opinion about the latest DJ Mag list
Ok sorry for bringing up another DJ Mag related topic but this time it's interesting to see what some of the top DJs have to say about the latest DJ Mag list. Feel free to post any other DJ's comments etc.
Here is what John 00 Fleming wrote in his latest diary. Interesting read, especially about the clubland climate in recent years in different countries:
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Come October and there's one thing that shakes up the whole clubbing community. Yes the DJ magazine top 100 DJ poll results. In it's history I don't think I've ever seen so much uproar as it caused this year. Usually you get 50/50 split of people debating the chart, but this year its a good 90% of people speaking against it. The chart leaked on various forums and most people thought April fools day had arrived early; they wanted to wait until the 'real' chart was announced from DJ mag. Then they realized it wasn't a joke and it was the real thing?!
So where has it all gone wrong? Why are people so unhappy?
The chart now reminds me of a government general election. The front-runners will always be in the public eye and appeal to the masses and have their strong loyal followers. But when the voting opens, suddenly unknown politicians appear wanting the next positions with powerful marketing machines behind them fighting for every vote possible, even turning to corruption. Then when the elections are over they disappear and you never hear from then again until the following year?! This angers the public every year because they ask why arent these guys active throughout the year showing us what they can do and earning an honest vote?
Sound familiar?
In the past the DJ mag poll has been a hard selling tool for many DJ, agents and clubs. Many have seen this and want to use this as a tool to sell themselves or the DJ's they are representing, hence why they will work so hard to get a place in the DJ chart. For years it seemed to be a successful way of doing business but I feel the bubble will soon burst. The people losing out on this theory are club owners and promoters. They have learnt a hard lesson not to book a number because it has been a financial disaster for them. One example is China. They have been the biggest culprits with local clubs fighting over charted DJ's. The result being clubs closing at an astonishing rate, 30 clubs in Shanghai over the last year to be precise?? They have no direction of what they are doing musically, so will never get a regular crowd. Their scene is very new and they haven't had a club culture so DJ's needed a number to be sold to the public. But things are changing (and other territories) as punters get smart and educated to what they really want. A national Chinese magazine even spoke out recently asking promoters to stop booking from the 100 list aimlessly!!
I feel things are now split in two. You get professional promoters who understand what they are doing musically, then the more corporate who dont and rely on charts. I've had first hand experience of both over the past few years and I'd rather play for the guy who knows what he's doing. The professional guy who lives, breathes music and programmes his events making sure he gets a regular crowd with like-minded punters. This creates a community of dedicated followers who know and trust his brand. However the corporate promoter hasn't got a clue where he's going and when DJs play at these events half the people don't know or understand what's given to them because they're sold on a number. These clubs never last long?!
Every DJ has a value and will bring X amount of punters into a club and many cases sell out a venue. Good promoters know this and will continue to book them as they not only please the crowd but financially it works out good for the club and promoter. So no matter where this DJ is placed in a chart (or not even in it) he will still be booked, it makes perfect business sense!! These same guys often produce music and it will sell to the masses, keeping their fan base dedicated to their sound. This is a familiar story to hundreds of DJ's out there in the World. But the problem being many of their fans don't vote. Only 217,000 people voted in this years poll that probably covers the amount of people that went out clubbing last Friday night in the UK alone. So how can this be a fair representation of what actually going on in the World? By the reaction created by this years results, it's obviously not fair?!
I don't think it ever will be a fair poll and the value of the poll has taken a bashing. Not only are the promoters getting wise to it, importantly you the punters are. After all, you know what you want to go and see and wont be fooled into get miss-sold something.
Every year we will see people fighting for a number. Some countries are patriotic about one of their local guys and get behind them and vote like crazy. Good on them for getting the recognition, but you cant buy a fan base from a number in a chart. They never become the superstar international DJ they think happens once they get that number. It takes years of hard work to get the trust and respect of the public. They'll get a few bookings from the poll, but usually at the aforementioned corporate clubs who book numbers, and this is humiliating and it wont gain them fans or respect because you're playing at the wrong venue.
Yes many of you avid JOOF fans are upset I didn't make it in to the chart, but for me the whole purpose of the chart has changed and it's turned into a massive marketing campaign, something I didn't want to do. Next year I'm now faced with the prospect of joining the others and hiring a professional PR company, having a team of people hit websites, email data bases and Myspace. But does that make me a better DJ or prove I have a stronger marketing infrastructure? This is something morally that I can't get my head around? Also I have the prospect of clubs booking me because of my number....yes I've explained that one!
This year the chart acted like a filter. I lost 20 places in the Poll yet I had the busiest year of my career at some of the best clubs and festivals.... another indication to how promoters are changing their approach to the chart. So my reaction when I heard the news, I was upset because I was hoping to squeeze a holiday in sometime next year, that now looks like that idea out the window as yet more bookings will be arriving??!! I have a massive collection of clubs, festivals and importantly you the punters who constantly support me and put the gold discs on my walls. It's this reason I'll still be here sharing my love and passion for music with you offering you an alternative.
There's only one loser in all this lot, DJ mag. They take the bashing from upset punters because their favourite DJ isnt charted. But how can they control mass voting, especially from patriotic countries that support their local heroes. They honestly vote, so are included in the chart and it's fair. How can they control cheats using smart IT guys? It's impossible because its all done online. Have DJ mag got an infrastructure to control this, no they haven't otherwise we'd vote for our Governments this way. Also take into consideration none speaking countries that many DJ's are well known in, for one they can't vote because the voting page isn't in multiple languages (A HUGE oversight on DJ mags behalf), have you ever tried to navigate a foreign website?! Also they dont know about the magazine in their country because they cant read it??!! Shame on you for monopolising on just one issue of your magazine, do you do this job for the love or money?!
It's impossible to include all styles of DJ's in this chart as some styles of music appeal to the masses, while others are more specialist resulting in so many DJ's being left out and not getting the recognition they truly deserve. A magazine specializing in DJ's should know this and address the fact. When I read my fav car magazines they dont test a Range Rover off the road against a Porsche 911! They know their stuff and categorise correctly, even with 'best car' categories, they are put into their specialist sections. The scene has completely changed since 1997 when the chart first started (9 years ago??!). We see new genres of music being born all the time as DJ's move the scene forward, DJ mag should know this from the constant new sections in their record reviews pages. So why hasn't the chart system been updated to move with the times, its impossible to include all these DJ's categories in just one chart? Maybe even a producers chart too as they seem to be getting mistaken for DJs these days??!
This chart seems to be dividing clubbing communities at a time when we should all be getting together to rebuild clubland into something it was once. The focus has been taken off the ball, as people are too busy fighting against each other. The poll is now doing more damage then good?
Now lets get on with the job in hand and let us be DJ's and not candidates and get this whole scene back on track.
I feel much better for saying that; its been bottled up for years!!!
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My new oldskool TRANCE mix!
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Plus, only the top three ever get braggin rights anywayz. 
