Southern UK Jive

Nicky · Forum legend Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 401

Last week I decided to give Wednesday nights at Hamworthy another go after giving it a wide berth for several months. Imagine my dismay when , during the freestyle period, murder was commited on the dancefloor!....

There was nothing at all wrong with the choice of music, but ALL of the faster tracks were slowed down, some them to the point of distortion. What is the point of taking a popular floorfiller and slowing it right down? If you want slow, choose a slower track!

I spoke to the door staff about it and was assured that they would mention it to the DJ.....

Last night I took a friend who happened to be down working in the area. He couldnt believe what was happening when a well known Latin track came on sounding more like a dirge than a dance track! The same thing happened time and again with all of the more upbeat tracks..."Sing Hallelujah" feels just wrong slow, likewise "Amazing" by George Michael.

If this is going to be "the norm" on a Wednesday night, I will be going elsewhere! Sad

TeeDee · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 4:08 pm Post subject:

Don't blame you Nicky - I've been to other venues that have a habit of doing this. Candy Man is a favorite for being slowed down... It doesn't need to be!!! It's FINE the way it is. If you, the DJ, think it's too quick DON'T PLAY IT..!!! Evil or Very Mad

Oooo, get me with my little rant!!!

Like you say - if you want slow then select slow tracks!

Surprised that they'd get into that habit at Hamworthy though...
_________________
http://www.le-jive.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/cerocconexion

Steve · Forum legend Joined: 17 May 2009 Posts: 358

Couldn't agree more.

I hate when MoJive shoehorn slower tracks into their preferred 125-130bpm range by speeding them up!
I would hate fast tracks similarly slowed down, although aside from Candyman which is often slowed down (Edit: Opp, Teedee beat me to it Smile

), I don't hear fast->slow nearly as much as slow->fast which is quite common in this area.

I remember a year or so ago at Totton, they played "Fire". First time I'd ever heard that passionate slow track made to sound like a typical "Thump Thump" pop'ey song by speeding it up to something crazy like 125bpm. Ludicrous.
_________________
My local WCS dance guide: http://www.southernjive.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=726

Nicky · Forum legend Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 401

TeeDee wrote:

lilblue · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 5:58 pm Post subject:

My big complaint about the last DYD at Winchester was that they slowed down Shake It. That's my favourite song, it was extremely hot and the song is very fast. I'd rather have not heard it than had it messed with. Sad

Nicky · Forum legend Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 401

Don't you find it quite difficult to dance to a very familiar track when its been played around with? I find it just feels completely wrong....Almost like trying to dance off-beat!

Jiveonaut · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 6:17 pm Post subject:

My first rant - woo hoo!!!

Couldn't agree more: why play fast songs slowly or slow songs fast? Variety is the spice of life (and other such cliches). Its just lazy DJ-ing/computer programming when everything is played at the same speed!!! You hear your favorite song start, you grab your ace partner, you step back and.....its like dancing in spaaaaaaaaaaace. Bit of a disappointment. I like "Candymans" played at their proper speeds. I Like "Temptations" played at their proper speed. So please can they be played at their proper speeds!

However, I do have a theory that music is slowed down during the class for the class (fair enough, you might say), but then the DJ/laptop button presser just forgets to turn the dial back up for the freestyle bits....

While in rant mode, I also:

- REALLY REALLY REALLY hate it when songs get cut off before they end. Why? Is the DJ in a hurry and hoping that midnight wil arrive quicker if he plays less of the songs? Nah. It may be impatience, but its definitely pants. In dancing, and so enjoyment terms, it screws up big finishes and leaves people with an "oh, it finished" feeling, usually half way through a move when they wanted and were aiming for a "wow, good timing" feeling, hopefully at the end of a perfectly timed championship winning drop.
- REALLY REALLY REALLY hate it when they seemlessly merge into each other. Its unnecessary, adds nothing to the evening, and generates an awkward moment between you and your partner along the lines of "oh its over/has it finished /its still going er/is he carrying on/is she carrying on/can I let go and leg it/hope he keeps going/wheres that cracking blonde/he needs deodorant/can't be rude/make a decision per-lease/oh well we're here now and then someone will smile and say "shall we?"". This can be rather embarrassing. Then, if you do keep going, exhaustion can set in if you're still going after 10 minutes because its always the long thumping tracks this happens to. Merging songs is just naff. Its not even really showing off DJ skills, and if it is it has the wrong effect because its naff.

So, in essence, to create a happy Jiveonaut, could Mr DJ/Mr Pooter Pedaller play the entire song as the artist intended at the correct speed with a defo pause between each track please!

Simples!
_________________
Words are good, but hens lay eggs.

lilblue · Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:56 am Post subject:

Ah yes, the DJ - you can add to that list talking over the last song -WHY?! The entire evening will be over in about three minutes anyway: talk then! That way people might listen to what you are saying (or in some cases they might have the time to attempt to decipher what 'mmmphlll, mp mmmdler er mmmttnnnnn - mmmmmts lll mleeeeers tmmmm fuuu tnnnnhh.' actually means as they won't be concentrating on dancing! Grrr.

Nicky · Forum legend Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 401

Add this to the list of no-no's.....

The DJ at the Pavilion last Saturday play an absolutely horrendous, bastardised version of Michael Jacksons "Billie Jean".....

Just one question.... WHY???????!!!!!!!!

If he disliked the original so much that he felt the need to play that atrocity, why not simply refrain from playing it at all? Evil or Very Mad

Jiveonaut · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:57 pm Post subject:

Southern Jiver · Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 2:23 pm Post subject:

Do you think it's appropriate to name and shame in this case? Can you say which freestyle, class or venue you were at ? Confused

_________________
"We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance."
~Japanese Proverb

Nicky · Forum legend Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 401

Jiveonaut wrote:

Stan Dandyliver · Regular Joined: 30 Mar 2009 Posts: 68 Location: Hampshire

I too get exasperated with this "DJ" problem. Is the problem only apparent if the DJ is not a dancer? Does having a DJ that dances make for a better evening?

Diane · Frequent Poster Joined: 30 Dec 2008 Posts: 138

Hi just logged on after ages of not keeping in touch and although there are lots of bits and pieces I would like to add on various subjects...I just had to add my bit to this one!!
We were there that night Nicky and it was bloody awful, Bry, (having DJ'd himself)seemed to end up with a permanent look of confusion on his face, as in 'what the hell is he doing'?
Why do they have to mess about so much...............?
Yes, i agree, there are plenty of tracks about for all speeds of dance.

By the way Nicky, regarding the Michael jackson track............... crazy bloody crazy and I think you missed out an 's' ?? Laughing

Nicky · Forum legend Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 401

So I did!

..... All sorted now Smile

Good to see you back, by the way!