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Reading the Crowd
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| d0odx |
| quote: | That's what is so important: the ability to read the crowd and give them what they want.
But there are DJs that think differnently about this. I heard an interview with Armand van Helden at MTV Ibiza and he said something like: i'm going to play what I want. If the crowd doesn't like it, they can f**k themselves and go somewhere else.
That's a ty attitude for a DJ. If people reacted to a statement like this in the correct way, Van Helden would only be playing for (with) himself by now. Cause it's the crowd that makes up a party, not the DJ. |
From another thread an individual said the above...and it got me thinking; How do you guys read the crowd? What are signals to do certian things?
For example (i have NEVER been close to doing anything live, and infact i dont even have tables yet, so this might sound totally off the wall) If you were spinning and maybe playing a track you thought was going to get people totally exploding down there, yet the general feel of the crowd is calm... What would you do? Try to put on another track that bangs harder to maybe get them going? or put something on next that is a little calmer/chill? Maybe the crowd is made up of a majority of people who are not into getting crazy, they like to flow.
Thats kind of a bad example/senario, but im just trying to explain my question a little better here. :thepirate
SO, How do you read your crowd?!:clown: |
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| Sinonick |
i just don't think "hear the crowd" is the right word.
in some clubs most of the people have been there before, so the majority of people are probably into the same way of having fun. "read the crowd" mostly means "guess what they want after that one". it's more like trying to achieve a goal. the goal is to make them happy. they'll only be happy if you spin what they want...
i can't really explain this better, maybe someone else does. i'd love to read someone elses opinion on that.
there's one thing for sure...: people DO read the crowd! |
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| DJ Charlie |
Here's my opinion:
regarding club kinda parties...
People go out to have fun with there friends in general.
So those kinda people to don'T really care if you choose a song instead of an other one... and usually 80 % of the people down there they don'T know crap about music. Thats your job... to make them discover new tunes... One thing for sure... If you play some hip hop for a trance crowd... you wonT' make succes thats for sure.
just to say that whatever you do ...people are gonna party anyway.
but if you want to see the crowd jumping like crazy ..screaming your name... and all those kinds of things... well you need to to play one of the greatest sets you ever done in your life...
always give your 110%. |
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| Vizay |
I don't really think specific songs do such a difference....just throw them songs with much energy and I think you will have them dancing like crazy :)
the hard part is to know when to you should pick the softer songs and when you should pick the top parts but that often figures out when your'e standing behind the decks :)
just remember....if you have fun when your'e playing the crowd will most likely have fun too :)
[edit] ohh yeah forgot one part.....interact with the crowd....point at them, clap your hands with them...jump with them etc etc...
it might sound a little weird but it helps :D [/edit] |
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| d0odx |
so Vizay ur saying that u just play what u like and make sure its energetic...and the crowd follows?
Im sort of trying to understand how u guys grasp the emotion of the crowd and ride it? |
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| Vizay |
| quote: | Originally posted by d0odx
so Vizay ur saying that u just play what u like and make sure its energetic...and the crowd follows?
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try to pick tracks that is popular at the moment and also have that little extra energy......maybe it takes some practicing to hear what is right and wrong
then there's the simplest (spelling?) thing...watch how the people act....are there many folks out on the floor....how do they dance etc etc. (hope u get the point)
[forgive my bad english at the moment...I'm tirered and from sweden :p ) |
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| d0odx |
Vizay got it.
thanx for the reply...
ps
ur english is fine... im from the US and not tired at all ... and ur english is probably better than mine hahaha
=) |
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| TranceCluber |
| reading the crowd is not playuing what they want to hear ists producing a vibe they can get into ......a dj should play what he wants and not play tracks he knows other wants....dj should play from his heart....but producing a journey with a set ... a good dj will read a crowd by producing a certain vibe with the songs that gets the people going ...dj who can read the crowd can make a dance floor that is with only 5 people and in the first few tracks put the crowd to 50 or 100 ..... reading the crowd and being able to program a set to produce a vibe is essential .......djs also have to produce energy through the transitions of tracks meaning mixes ..this is another sign if a dj is good technicall..the transitions should keep the level rather then lower the level of the vibe...all these things are extremely essential to a crowd ...reading the crowd is also something u cant have someone tell u or learn from someone its usually u have it or no ..or u learn from experiance but some people juts have it in them naturally |
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| -=Sky=- |
| quote: | Originally posted by TranceCluber
producing a journey with a set ... |
well i dont know about dj~ing but as a crowd member this is what makes it a fun night for me...... |
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| trancearmada |
| quote: | Originally posted by TranceCluber
reading the crowd is not playuing what they want to hear ists producing a vibe they can get into ......a dj should play what he wants and not play tracks he knows other wants....dj should play from his heart....but producing a journey with a set ... a good dj will read a crowd by producing a certain vibe with the songs that gets the people going ...dj who can read the crowd can make a dance floor that is with only 5 people and in the first few tracks put the crowd to 50 or 100 ..... reading the crowd and being able to program a set to produce a vibe is essential .......djs also have to produce energy through the transitions of tracks meaning mixes ..this is another sign if a dj is good technicall..the transitions should keep the level rather then lower the level of the vibe...all these things are extremely essential to a crowd ...reading the crowd is also something u cant have someone tell u or learn from someone its usually u have it or no ..or u learn from experiance but some people juts have it in them naturally |
I agree but at least 75% that are in there in the club don't know about music, they are there to just have a good time, so I think that you have to trough in some known tracks. So that people can get their moneys worth. Anyhow that's just my point of view. |
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| TranceCluber |
| quote: | Originally posted by trancearmada
I agree but at least 75% that are in there in the club don't know about music, they are there to just have a good time, so I think that you have to trough in some known tracks. So that people can get their moneys worth. Anyhow that's just my point of view. |
well thats it they dont have to be there for the music or know the songs ..but a great djs will play songs that they dont know and get the people who are there just for fun and make them dance till the break of dawn even though they dont even know who the dj is ....thats what a good dj can do ......Sander Kleinenberg did it here in springbreak .... the club was pakt with spring breakers ..mayb 80% of the people didnt even know who the hell he was ....but he had the club dancing like there lives were depended apon it the whole crowd stairing at the dj ...u know thats when the dj is in his groove..... and after i bet majority knew who he was afterwards.... and most people were there for him or the music just find some girls and party and sander just brought the vibe and made it a night to remember !! |
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| Spin Doctor |
| quote: | Originally posted by TranceCluber
a dj should play what he wants and not play tracks he knows other wants....dj should play from his heart.... |
That’s all very well if you a top of the pile Super Star DJ. However the majority of us aren’t and at you local ritzy doing what you said just isn’t going to cut the mustard. If you span what you want at the local ritzy you’d get booed off the decks. (Incidentally Van Helded did, I think it was three years ago at Space in Ibiza for the very same reason.) Hell even if a top level DJ played at a local ritzy, as long as they kept their identity form the crowd they’d get booed if they just played what they wanted. At starting level people want to hear the cheesy commercial pap they hear in the charts and can have a bit of a shin dig to. In my opinion the reading the crowd part only essentially applies to the lower rank DJ’s. Once you get to a certain level – 90% of the audience will be there either knowing your own musical style or the club’s musical policy so won’t really be going unless they enjoy either or. |
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