HI im doing a barbacue for a football club. I have a good range of music selected already, but I was wondering when to start playing erasure, abba etc. as The last gig I did ( 37th birthday) I was playing stuff like Bodyrockers at the start and for the first 45 minutes. I got a guest saying 'give us someting we can dance to' - I put on erasure and the floor was full.

I guess it depends on the crowd - but I was just surprised how quickly people wanted the 'old' songs on. I wanted to keep my set as varied as possible and play a few 'cool' tunes.


Im sure knowing what to play and reading crowds gets easier with experience. I still think I need to learn a lot

play the cheese when they are beer'ed up

hi wahee,
every croud is different. what i sometimes do is take their age (37th birthday = born in 1968) add 15 years = 1983. i then sort out the non dancy chart music from the next 5 years which i play as people are arriving. when they have eaten and had plenty of beer you get the dance music on from that same time span (when they first started going to clubs). then throw in some cheese.
but it doesnt always work that easy so its best to speak to the birthday boy/girl prior to the event to get a rough idea what they like.
good luck
jim

That's interesting Jim, you've actually applied a mathmatical equation to the playing of music. I think you may have missed your vocation in life! (maths teacher if you were wondering!)

I have a theory that people have listened to music their whole lives. When they were babies they would have been subjected to their parents tunes, as they grew up younger and older siblings would have been playing their music, etc., etc. Therefore, playing one type of music on the assumption it fits with their 18th birthday may not always be the best approach - certainly an ideal timeline, but rules are made to be broken.

I try to play a huge mixture of recognisable music early on, following the buffet a few middle of the road easily danceable foot-tapping tunes (Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally, etc.) From there I gauge the reaction.

Test the water with some mild cheese - Shania perhaps, and take it from there. If she works, then go for it. I like to get some cheese played by 10 so as the early leavers can enjoy themselves. At 11 I start on the chart/dance/rnb section, by 11:45 I'm back in the world of cheese again!

One thing though, my definition of cheese may be wholly different to yours. Just feel the vibe on the night, watch the floor and watch the punters sat down. Ask for requests and spot who likes what. Many will tell you, get the girls on the floor and the fella's will follow.

Wise words.

im crap at maths
as i said it doesnt always work but after almost 27 years on the road a pattern seems to form. through speaking to the party organiser before the event about 80% had asked for a variation of chart music from when they were in their mid to late teens as background/ warm up music.
i totally agree on a varied mixture of music once the buffet is out the way.
no two events are the same and you can only tell by looking at the croud. so if you play a cheesy song and only 3 people are dancing you know its too early. you could play the same song an hour later and the dancefloor will be packed. (thank god for alcohol)

I tend to grill one side of the bread, the turn it over, put on some grated cheese and then place under the grill again untill cooked

If only someone could give an adequate definition of "Cheese".
Do you mean good time, Party orientated music?

One mans cheese is another mans bread & butter!

I am happy to play "Cheese"!!

How many times have I seen other Djs at hotel functions totally mis-reading the crowds and thinking that they are in a nightclub.

The cheesier the better.

I NEVER play cheese, just quality tunes like Black Lace, Abba, Steps, S Club 7 etc

hehe - I suppose I mean instantly recgonisable party tunes - the kind that usually talk about girls having fun and getting over real 'bad' relationships - Weather Girls/ Cindy Lauper etc.

I suppose theres different levels of cheese. Mild - low fat like Erasure to Full on 100% cholestrol = Black Lace

anyway just my opinion:)

I cant knock any tunes like these though cause if they get people dancing - well thats gotta be winner.

After you`ve put the butter on.