Why DON'T we use the mic?

[dicky]

Thought I would start this one as a counterpart to a recent thread then


So from a DJ who has come much more out of his shell lately, using the mic quite a lot and enjoying getting a good banter going with the crowd(ish) and appear to be getting rather a lot of interest/bookings maybe because of that or maybe not - but there is no denying that the increase in bookings has coincided with the change in style


So - reasons for NOT using the mic.... what are they then? And why do many DJs think it is NOT the thing to do?

Or are you just scared of the holding little long stick in your hand and putting your lips to it :muppet: ???

Rich

[musicology]

I'd be interested to hear from younger Djs (If there are any on here!) who still go to clubs as to whether the club Djs are starting to use mics again. Maybe things are coming full circle? Otherwise, maybe that's the place you would never use a mic.

[Excalibur]

Why don't we use the mic? OK, serious answer, because often the customers don't want us to. Simples.

Now why they don't want us to, well that's a whole other can of worms. Have they had a bad experience with a DJK suffering from " verbal diarrhoea " ?
Do they want a hip, trendy DJ who'll mix the whole evening into one continuous offering?
Or is it simply the current style/fashion ?

[Nakatomi]

It's not seen as 'cool' among most nightclub & bar DJs. The problem with that outlook is that DJs who think that way don't even have a mic they could use in the event they have to, in an emergency for example.

As usual it's all about context I think. In the kind of clubs where everybody is turned to face Mecca (the DJ booth) it's mostly about the music, not about the DJ talking. But then, I've heard Tong, Morillo, Morales get on the mic during a set & it added an incredible amount of energy.

So why not? Because it can get in the way of the music

I guess the answer is always the same... Will getting on the mic add something? If not, don't.

[dicky]

Yes I would agree that when one is mixing/beat matching house/EDM then mic is not relevant in most situations - though i did once see Branndon Block gig (he was brilliant) and he did speak a bit too

But how about DJs who are not mixing or playing club music - if you are playing a range of music from rock and roll to Motown to 80s pop to dubstep and everything in between at a 'general party' then you can't be mixing (unless you are incredibly talented I guess)

So how about DJs who do not mix what; would be the reasons to not use the mic either? :)

There are definitely some who do neither - as I have seen some of them gig

Rich

[Andy P]

I'm not a rambler so other than announcements I tend to add a bit spiel to say were gonna start at the beginning and end at the end (aka start with motown and end with chart music) and to say good night. I'll sometimes announce requests too (normally when they are crap and dont want the blame). I dont use the mic if its not needed

[ckpr2]

The last time I was in a club there were two DJ's and neither said anything.

I tend to use the mic as required.
1/ Hello and welcome to x's birthday party. Any requests come and see me.
2/ Introduce tracks that people don't know well although don't play many of those.
3/ The buffet is now open.
4/ Last orders at the bar please.
5/ Thanks for coming hope everyone has enjoyed themselves, safe journey home.

Of course most of these are fleshed out a bit more.

[rth_discos]

I speak when I need to.

I use the microphone the inform the audience of something they need to do, or something that's happening.

I'll always name someone when they make a request. 1: it highlights why I'm playing the track, and 2: people love to hear their name mentioned, so will often get a cheer from the people around them = better atmosphere.

The gig I did on Saturday was a party where every song was chosen by my client. He wanted 1 x song from each year of his life so far. It worked really well, and I introduced every song, doing it like a "countdown" from 1965 to the current day. That made it more than just a list of random songs.

[DJIanScott]

It's certainly a talking point, if you pardon the awful pun....

Juski summed it up perfectly above.... 'I guess the answer is always the same... Will getting on the mic add something? If not, don't.'

As a presenter, singer and host, I've taught microphone technique to dozens of singers and DJs down the years, and it's definitely a fashion thing to avoid the banal chat at most events whilst DJing...it's deemed as uncool. Of course, if you are hilariously funny, it can add an edge to the proceedings....but we then enter the realms of what is and isn't funny and whether you are actually amusing or it's just your mum encouraging you!

[ukpartydj]

I went out at the weekend to a local nightclub to a favorite club of my girlfriends.

There are two rooms, one is RnB / Cheese / Old school the other is house, dance and club music - both do not use the mic.
I went there once and in the club room the DJ did use the mic to say rubbish like "whats up Bournemouth" and "lets get this started" haha ... it wasn't very clear as he said it over the music but I heard it and found it hilarious!

I actually got quite :Censored::Censored::Censored::Censored:ed off with the DJ at the weekend (guy about the same age as me playing music the I like) so I asked nicely do you have "Five more hours by deorro and chris brown" he put his finger up to suggest I wait... fine no problem then he started furiously tapping this random box which looked about 20 years old with buttons which didn't seem to change the music or the lighting in anyway (I really wanted to know what it did). When he finished his mix I repeated myself and he said sorry "I don't play chris brown, ask in the other room" and turned away. I said nicely - oh no problem (I really thought he'd have it as it's very popular and no doubt going to be charting / a no.1 track soon) Then a friend went up and asked for bills by lunchmoney lewis and he told her that he didn't know that song ... hold up, a club DJ doesn't know a track that's been in the top end of the chart for 3 weeks???
Anyway the music was alright so I just found it quite funny... then half an hour later he plays yeah 3x ... featuring chris brown and flipping AYO ... with Chris brown ... :daft::daft::daft:

Was a bit peeved! If you don't know what track I'm talking about then just say it don't tell me to go to another room haha!
wasn't like he was under a lot of stress like I have been in nightclubs before - hardly anybody was requesting music.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

If anyone says "I let the music do the talking", I'm going to delete them...:rolleyes:;)

[Benny Smyth]

If anyone says "I let the music do the talking", I'm going to delete them...:rolleyes:;)

I just let *end of this sentence possible edited by Darren, but probably wasn't*

;)

[yourdj]

*edited* removed by user.

Probably. :)

[Shaun]

I just let the music do the talking. :d

[Excalibur]

If anyone says "I let the music do the talking", I'm going to delete them...:rolleyes:;)
That's me safe then. The music doesn't talk much at my gigs, it's just fill between my learned discourses. :D


I just let the music do the talking. :d

And that's Shaun pushing his luck. :D

[Andy P]

I let the talking do the music :beer1:

[funkymook]

I let the talking ruin the music....

[Excalibur]

I let the talking ruin the music....

Then you're doing it wrong! The music should ruin the talking. :)

[funkymook]

Then you're doing it wrong! The music should ruin the talking. :)

Thanks for the feedback.....(see what I did there)

[Nakatomi]

I don't use the microphone because WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH <LOUD CLICK>

[DazzyD]

If anyone says "I let the music do the talking", I'm going to delete them...:rolleyes:;)

As if anyone would come out with phrase as cheesy at that! You have little faith in us! It's so sad! :zip: