Michael Aregood (maregood@comcastpc.com)
Fri, 10 Sep 1999 18:28:39 -0400
hahahaha!! oh my god, that was so painful to read... yet i enyoyed it (guess
because it didn't happen to me). I'd totally be into hearing other such
stories if it's not too off topic, and if that wasn't too hard of an act to
follow! I know i can't top it... =)
aRgo
-----Original Message-----
From: NRahav@ixl.com [mailto:NRahav@ixl.com]
Sent: Friday, September 10, 1999 5:40 PM
To: erikg@macconnect.com; acid-jazz@ucsd.edu
Subject: RE:1. topic... or... What happens when you play music that isnt
y ours
yo, I have a horror story about that (hit delete NOW if you dont wanna read
a long tangent):
I got hired not so long ago by some Colombian friends for this huge birthday
party they were having in this BEAUTIFUL space, 1000+ people, and they were
all amped, they were like Yeah Yeah, bring salsa! house! latin grooves! Hip
Hop! and I was like word, this party's gonna be hot.
So I decided to go out on a limb with this one, I went to the music rental
shop, and instead of getting the standard pair of 15's, or even the really
fat double 15's, I splurged and got the BIG MOMMA double 18 bass cab, with 2
15" satellite speakers. The system came with 2 amps and a crossover and I
was psyched to get to play with such a fat sound system.
Should I have the sound system delivered and setup for an extra $125?, I
asked them. No, they said, we'll help you pick it up.
Spent 3+ hours in traffic to and fro the rental shop and busted my ass
carrying speakers and amps around all afternoon.
By the time we got to the spot, the restaurant told us that we couldnt set
up the sound system yet, because they had already opened for dinner, and had
set up all the tables etc. After they close for dinner (at 11), they will
clear out the huge space and at that point we can set up the system. For now
just leave it in the corner. fine.
We get back at 11, ready to set up the system, and of course the whole
restaurant/bar is PACKED and very dark, and we have to hustle through the
crowd trying to set up the whole system, in the dark, trying to figure out
this music gear that none of us has ever used. Luckily somebody had a
flashlight or we woulda been hosed.
Meanwhile the people throwing the party start stressing us because there's
no music, where's the music, i gotta hear some music, as if their pressure
was gonna get us to set it up any quicker.
Finally, we get it hooked up, and I start throwin down some joints. I dont
get further than 2 records into my set and the party-throwers start comin up
to me stressin oh can you play this, do you have that... and it's not good
shit they were asking for, it was like ricky martin kinda shit.
Then they bust out these 2 mix CD's that a DJ friend of theirs in Boston
made, and asked me to play them. LUCKILY I had borrowed a discman from a
friend as an emergency resort if exactly this situation arises.
So I put in the mix and it's the MOST CORNY crossover pop-house I have ever
heard, the kind of shit that made me want to get away from the tables so
that nobody would think that it was I playing this shit, and maybe vomit
quietly in the corner. not only that, but every couple of minutes there's
some cheesy sound effects and this DJ in boston saying his name over the
mix: "DJ Federico... ico... ico...."
Erik, your friend is LUCKY to have his party request a CD with SOME QUALITY.
at least your friend could cool out and enjoy the vibe. I had to front like
I was playing something which was totally against my fundamental musical
ethic. And I had to sit there and watch the CD's play for 2+ hours!
What's more, people were loving it!!! every ten minutes or so, I got so
bored and frustrated, I would try and throw in a record of mine, like a nice
70's salsa jam, with the songs on the mix CD, and EVERY TIME I did that, the
vibe would die and people would look towards me, horrified and shocked, I
felt like they were gonna jump me and start screaming, "PLAY MUSIC WITH NO
SOUL! NO SOUL!"
The moral of the story is, use whatever playback device you want to play
back your sounds. It dont matter. In the end there is the same effect from
any kind of musician: a person has some thoughts and translates them
somehow, through banging on a pot or playing a record or strumming some
strings, into sound. That sound travels through the air and affects
(effects) the people listening.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing, though, is that you are acting on your OWN ideas,
and that your audience is there to hear YOU do THAT.
.·´¯`·.¸¸.N·a·t.¸
-----Original Message-----
From: Erik Gaderlund [mailto:erikg@macconnect.com]
Sent: Friday, September 10, 1999 3:14 PM
To: acid-jazz@ucsd.edu
Subject: RE: 1.Topic to chat about
>
>You're right, i should have phrased that differently. "crowds of people who
>*don't care* what makes a good dj" would have been more what i was getting
>at. A crowd that would be happy with a mixtape... A mixtape with lots of
>trainwrecks on it ;P
>
This does remind me of a DJ friend who was doing a wedding reception and
they gave him the Dimitri from Paris MixMag CD and he ended up leaving it
on for several tracks. Said it was a great CD/Mix.
erik g
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