80's/90's crowds vs. crowds now

[PB Entertainments]

Hello

This is more aimed at DJ's like me who've been in the business for a few years, although input from younger/newer people is of course welcome.

I started doing discos in 1989. Things were great, there were loads of bookings, the company I worked for had three residencies, two of which were friday and saturday and one was saturday only. There were also lots of parties, weddings, dinner dances and of course no credit crunch and no smoking ban! You used to get crowds at weddings that never left the floor, the atmosphere at functions was usually electric. Not always, but 9 times out of 10 you had a fantastic night.

Nowadays, I find it quite different to those heady days of yore.

I have to say I am finding the usual floor-filling tunes not filling the floor as once they did.

Does anyone else find that nowadays people are more reluctant to enjoy themselves? OK, reluctant is maybe the wrong word, does anyone think people have forgotten how to enjoy themselves?

Maybe it's just me, maybe times have changed and generations view 'partying' completely differently from their parents or older siblings?

Maybe people have become used to sitting watching Saturday night TV supping cheap beer from the local supermarket, rather than going out to a pub with a disco - there are certainly far fewer of those these days in this area (for info I am a resident in a local pub and it's usually a belter of a night).

Maybe people ARE staying in because they can't have a fag without going outside? Not being a smoker I can't see if this is a factor or not.

Your thoughts obviously are appreciated.

This stems from a few recent bookings which should (on paper, or comparing them to similar gigs in the 90's) have all been fantastic, but made me end up feeling I wasn't able to do the job. I nearly whacked all the gear on eBay/DJ Bids and said 'no more'.

:confused:

[BeerFunk]

Having been DJing since 1999, I can't really say one way or another. I haven't noticed any difference in the past decade though, there are still floorfillers being released now and again.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I know what you're talking about PB.

There seems to be a certain amount of lethargy about and people don't seem to let go so much any more. Having said that, the day of the 'personality DJ' seems to have passed and maybe crowds aren't whipped up so much by DJs who either don't talk or talk the minimum required?

[Have a disco]

Hello

This is more aimed at DJ's like me who've been in the business for a few years, although input from younger/newer people is of course welcome.

I started doing discos in 1989. Things were great, there were loads of bookings, the company I worked for had three residencies, two of which were friday and saturday and one was saturday only. There were also lots of parties, weddings, dinner dances and of course no credit crunch and no smoking ban! You used to get crowds at weddings that never left the floor, the atmosphere at functions was usually electric. Not always, but 9 times out of 10 you had a fantastic night.

Nowadays, I find it quite different to those heady days of yore.

I have to say I am finding the usual floor-filling tunes not filling the floor as once they did.

Does anyone else find that nowadays people are more reluctant to enjoy themselves? OK, reluctant is maybe the wrong word, does anyone think people have forgotten how to enjoy themselves?

Maybe it's just me, maybe times have changed and generations view 'partying' completely differently from their parents or older siblings?

Maybe people have become used to sitting watching Saturday night TV supping cheap beer from the local supermarket, rather than going out to a pub with a disco - there are certainly far fewer of those these days in this area (for info I am a resident in a local pub and it's usually a belter of a night).

Maybe people ARE staying in because they can't have a fag without going outside? Not being a smoker I can't see if this is a factor or not.

Your thoughts obviously are appreciated.

This stems from a few recent bookings which should (on paper, or comparing them to similar gigs in the 90's) have all been fantastic, but made me end up feeling I wasn't able to do the job. I nearly whacked all the gear on eBay/DJ Bids and said 'no more'.

:confused:


Have too agree whole heartedly with you mate I have been DJing since 1988 then whatever I played kept punters on the floor wether in a club or a private function. Over the last 5 -8 years I have seen things completely deteriorate many reasons cheaper booze, no smoking policy, people growing up and moving on the list is endless

In general disco's are not treated with the same respect. DJ's even less so. I have done more home based disco's or karaoke disco's than ever before. Even when I go out locally you have pubwatch in effect as well as doormen in places that use to be so quiet troublewise, but due to regulation changes they now have to fork out for door personnel.

Clubwork has dived due to smoking rules. Even a lack of people wishing to dress up for a night out in clubland (due to lack of old fashioned dress to impress rules or plain dress code has gone) everyone now dresses down R.O.A.R. no longer exsists.......

We are being superceeded by drink as much as you like nights that never use to exsist. No one cares to make a night really special discos are even becoming bulk standardized hired shows or replaced by inbult lightshows and systems behind a screen and cheap rate DJ's rather than a good mixing personality DJ

I have watched the demise in many ways over the las 20 years and Im afraid we are much in decline compared to the late 80's early 90's dancefloors.

I can remember going out on a Thursday, friday, saturday, and sunday and being able to have a full pub everywhere. Now most pubs are relatively dead Sunday to wednesday and even Thursdays to saturdays are no where as busy as they use to be

[rob1963]

I know what you're talking about PB.

There seems to be a certain amount of lethargy about and people don't seem to let go so much any more. Having said that, the day of the 'personality DJ' seems to have passed and maybe crowds aren't whipped up so much by DJs who either don't talk or talk the minimum required?

I agree, although I'm not sure how much of it is due to DJs talking less these days...

...If you go back 10 or 20 years, I remember loads of occasions where people were up & having a good boogie to the BACKGROUND music...which was being played at low volume & when I hadn't even said a word!

That just doesn't seem to happen these days, but I'm not too sure why.

:shrug:

[Vectis]

I don't think things have changed too much - but then I've never played pubs (clubs yes, but not for many years :p ) and always focused on private functions. Might also be something to do with the fact that the IoW is stuck in the 60s somewhere...

Sure, crowds these days tend to take a lot more to get them going. Folks rarely arrive for parties before 8:00-8:30 and I've found myself playing background right up until the buffet on several occasions recently which has been a bit puzzling.

One thing I've tried recently is to identify the cliques of female smokers early on. Then if the floor's full with quite a few of them, give them an excuse every 5 or 6 songs to go and have a puff. Example, Saturday last. The crowd were calling for 80s all night long - no matter what else I played, despite their wide age range, they wanted 80s. So every now and then I'd deliberately break the flow, play something completely different and announce we were going back for more 80s "after a few jives" (or whatever) "to give the dancers a chance to go for a drink / wee / ciggie / whatever" - and to my surprise this really worked!

[theoloyla]

Dont really think there has been much change but the cigarette thing is a pain in the butt!

[sleah]

I agree 100% with PB. I'd even thought of some of his points before I read them!!
Also agree with Badgers comments:eek: :D

Apparently it is a fact that 1 in 5 people are staying home these days.
That may not sound much, but look at it as a percentage: 20%
So a venue that used to have 500 people in, will now have 400.

Cheap supermarket booze IS a very real problem/issue, especially for the on trade.

Slightly OT.....
There are debates raging at the moment about financial responsibilities.
Many pubs/clubs have to contribute towards additional policing due to alcohol related crime, however supermarkets don't contribute a penny.
The on trade are NOT happy about this!! A lot of alcohol related crime will be as a result of cheap supermarket booze, and the on trade are paying for it:( - that's how they see it.

Related to this, people are coming out later often having had a few drinkys (cheap supermarket booze) at home first.

[rob1963]

Also agree with Badgers comments:eek: :D


:jawdrop:

[PB Entertainments]

Wow - thanks guys, I know things change, people change and attitudes change, but I really did think it was something I was maybe doing (or not doing). At least hearing of your experiences is putting my mind to rest a bit.


...If you go back 10 or 20 years, I remember loads of occasions where people were up & having a good boogie to the BACKGROUND music...which was being played at low volume & when I hadn't even said a word!

That just doesn't seem to happen these days, but I'm not too sure why.

:shrug:

Rob - blimey, I also remember when this was the case! :eek: I don't know if this is the same with you or not, but did you ever get people asking for you to kick the second half of a function off when you were only about about 5 or 10 minutes into the buffet?

[soundtracker]

Rob - blimey, I also remember when this was the case! :eek: I don't know if this is the same with you or not, but did you ever get people asking for you to kick the second half of a function off when you were only about about 5 or 10 minutes into the buffet?

That happened to me on Friday - no chance until I had been in the trough!

[rob1963]

Rob - blimey, I also remember when this was the case! :eek: I don't know if this is the same with you or not, but did you ever get people asking for you to kick the second half of a function off when you were only about about 5 or 10 minutes into the buffet?

Oh yes...I had this on many occasions in the past.

Not these days though.