your time will come

redhotdj said:

Mix i think you're talking about Motown, and yes song back then were songs you could understand what they said. As for clean or explicit lyrics at the bar anything goes everywhere else was clean. I remember back 15 years ago i was playing a Brittany Spears song and in it say ass i had a chaperone come up to me and say you can't play that i told her I was 100% sure the kids have worse than that on their phones or iPod but today no big deal and as far as I'm concerned, no big deal back then.

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For me it's a big deal. I like doing private events that they want clean music. I don't like the ones that are OK with songs with explicit lyrics. I stay away from those. I don't know how old you are but I'm 65 and don't have the patience with such crowds. Let someone else who doesn't mind doing such events handle those.

We used to do a Pop Up in Elizabeth, NJ and I'm glad to be done with that place. The last event we did there was a open mic thing. The people who came there to do their thing, some of them made their own songs. They were low down ghetto people. We were in the back of the store. They were drinking and smoking weed. Most of the songs they did was filled with curses and ong guy even touched my partners laptop fooling around with it for some reason. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to take a chance of a fight breaking out.

The last time we got asked to do something there was for NYE. My partner gave them a price of $250. I knew they wouldn't agree to that and I was happy. Never been back there since that last mess I just talked about.

Let me say this. There are those clients and events that they will let the DJ who they book to their event that's a NO NO.

If you are an older DJ playing for an older crowds new music doesn’t necessarily have to an issue. I know expect for business reasons I don’t even know what’s on the charts. I don’t listen to regular radio, all my music I listen to for pleasure is via, playlists streamed, a usb drive with my music files, audioDVD, and lately Sirius. It seems they got a new programing director for the only channel I listen to. I might keep the trial subscription which came with a car a little longer. For adults I might add a few new songs but with the ability remix songs on the fly and remixes/redrumed versions of songs there is plenty of good older stuff out there.

Mix asked why did I stop DJing parties, well many of there new songs come off of Tik Tok now for younger students. Just for fun I went to look at the what is the number 1 song on the Billboard TikTok chart. It’s Mr. Take Ya B*tch by Lil Mabu, listen to it on YouTube for laughs. I can see them asking for this at the party. Gez, how would I even get an edited version?

So, last Thursday after I finished my karaoke night at a college, someone turned on their music. No kidding, a song had “F_ck” like 50 times in 4 minutes. Really? I told my wife I’m think I am going to made a song with every other word a curse, put it to a good beat and see if sells.

My time has all but come!! After working most Saturdays for over 50 years it is time for a little weekend fun!

MIXMASTERMACHOM said:

The people who came there to do their thing, some of them made their own songs. They were low down ghetto people. We were in the back of the store. They were drinking and smoking weed. Most of the songs they did was filled with curses and one guy even touched my partners laptop fooling around with it for some reason. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to take a chance of a fight breaking out.

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Only in your DJ world Mixxy.....I've never heard anyone else here have those complaints. You are a unique DJ with unique gigs....just sayin'....

redhotdj said:

As a DJ you learn to deal with them, or you find a different place to play.

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Oh, you must be new here.

redhotdj said:

Mix if you started from the beginning i think it's the 3rd page i said I'm almost 69 and we have gone over this 100 times. Different areas have different people, you have to deal with Degenerate low life punks i used to deal with rednecks we all have are setbacks but as a DJ you learn to deal with them, or you find a different place to play.

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Please read what I said. As I have said before I'm careful about the client's we deal with. When I first came back I was just excited to be back. Now that part has vanished. I still enjoy what I do as for the reason at 65 I'm still at it. What I do now is let another DJ who doesn't mind dealing with that kind of client. Also my partner has the same mind set as well. As a person gets older they should become wiser. Also I don't have the patience to deal with those type of clients and their guests.

As I have stated before there are those who don't mind the DJ playing music with explicit lyrics. They say it's OK and prefer the songs that have a 1000 curses in a song. Not my cup of tea. Also as I stated in the past, safety first is my thing. No amount of money is worth risking my life.

One DJ on here said when playing in a bar the music can be whatever. I played in a place where they were very strict on what the DJ played. They did it that way to keep to keep the bad element from wanting to come in there. One night I was playing there and got a request for 2 Chains. I played it and the owner had me quickly stop playing the song.

For some establishments they have a good reputation and want to keep it that way. They are not desperate looking to have a certain crowd come in just because they have money to spend.

One DJ on here I remember a long time ago said they played in a place where fights broke out quite often. They said if I'm not mistaken they played there for 7 years. You can have that. Basically after the last bar I played in I have looked at playing in a bar. There was a place I was dying to play at. The owners didn't allow a DJ to play to songs that would bring in the bad element. I never got a chance to play there because the Pandemic hit and eventually they decided to close. They sold it to see else who didn't have the proper licenses and the police came in and shut it down with the owner getting locked up.

redhotdj said:

Mix i'm not arguing with you just stating the facts. First you said " i don't know how old you are"? which i had to say twice i was almost 69, then you said "One DJ on here I remember a long time ago said they played in a place where fights broke out quite often" you have a good memory it wasn't every weekend but there were a few that was also me also. You deal with degenerate's I deal with rednecks' people who WORK hard all week to make a couple of bucks to sends it and let loose on the weekend. You have to deal with everything that comes you way as a DJ because as they say Life's not always a bowl of cherry's. YES i had my ass handed to me and I've done the same but along this path it is something i would NOT change. I have learned from my mistakes dealt with the good and the bad and come out of it feeling good about what I've done. Mix i will say this if you have never had a confrontation with anyone while DJing you have a lot of learning to do.

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I don't have to deal with anything I don't want to. Stop saying I'm dealing with degenerates. I said today I'm selective as to the clients I deal with. If I don't feel comfortable about doing an for a client I just don't do it. I have no problem with turning down an event that a client wants us to do. Lately I haven't had those kind of clients contacting me about doing an event for them. It's also about the location where an event is to take place. If I don't feel comfortable about where an event is to be I will pass.

Today I like nice catering venues where they have a nice venue and are careful about who they allow to have an event there. An event can be in a VFW/Legion hall. I just have to feel comfortable with the client having the event. Time to get ready to do a job I have on today, Tuesday November 14th. I will be gone before 10AM. Going to Montclair, NJ to do a repass. Wish me well. I should say wish me good skills.

Yes, a lot of the top 40 is crap BUT the dancing crowds pretty nuch feel the same way, and when great dance music from any generation or genre is laid on them, the reponse it just as it was 5, 10, 15, 25 years ago; party time on the dance floor.

I take as much music choice control out of the hands of of the 20-30 somethings because they are clueless in terms of entertainment directions.

Also, anything marked XXX on my subscription service is ignored without listening to a note. It is easier to deal with one pissed off requestor than to alienate an entire dancefloor.

As you have seen over the years, and I have been often critized sternly for it, I run my show; clients do not. For me and my 44 ongoing years, that strategy has worked well for my business and ongoing career.

Cap Capello said:

Yes, a lot of the top 40 is crap BUT the dancing crowds pretty nuch feel the same way, and when great dance music from any generation or genre is laid on them, the reponse it just as it was 5, 10, 15, 25 years ago; party time on the dance floor.

I take as much music choice control out of the hands of of the 20-30 somethings because they are clueless in terms of entertainment directions.

Also, anything marked XXX on my subscription service is ignored without listening to a note. It is easier to deal with one pissed off requestor than to alienate an entire dancefloor.

As you have seen over the years, and I have been often critized sternly for it, I run my show; clients do not. For me and my 44 ongoing years, that strategy has worked well for my business and ongoing career.

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Let me say it this way to end it. I used to deal with the types of people you mentioned. I stopped dealing with those types of people some years ago.

MIXMASTERMACHOM said:

Let me say it this way to end it.

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Well that would be a first.....

Any DJ concerned with lyrics should stick with clean versions of the top 500.


The internet gives DJs & listeners an infinite array of genres & songs to play. We are now only limited by the time we have on earth.

Jeff Romard said:

Cap you said almost the same thing 25 years ago and it hit me then how right you are and I have been doing it since. I don't think I ever thanked you for that but Thanks

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I truly enjoy Cap's posts and his "wordology". He is a unique, honest, no BS, level headed, experienced and much travelled presence here.

I just wish he was here posting more often.

redhotdj said:

You are 100% right most if not all the good dancing music comes from the past and as you said taking control without the younger people knowing it is correct. You are also correct saying at a wedding, birthday party or whatever type of an event you play the clean version but in my opinion at the bar pretty much anything goes. As i said different area different gender of people

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When it comes to bars it's about how an establishment is being run. My personal experience has seen different bars being run in different ways. I have seen one bar being run one way and another bar in the same area being run a totally different way.

Some bars are very strict about the rules for that bar and are serious. They operate that way because they don't want their place to turn into a mess. Then there are those bars that will allow anybody to come in the place and the DJ is allowed to play songs with explicit lyrics all night long.

There are those owners who are smart enough to know to avoid having fights breaking out regularly and their place finally getting shut down because the police are tired of having to come to a place where there's always some kind of drama going on that the police are coming there regularly to stop the madness.