Sometimes the best way to see SL is on a nice (not so) relaxing bus ride...
Thanks to Shagz Anubis for his mad driving skillz and to Coco for showing us all the cool stuff there is to see. And as always, a big thanks to Moxie Grumby for inviting me!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
The wheels on the bus...
Sometimes the best way to see SL is on a nice (not so) relaxing bus ride...
Thanks to Shagz Anubis for his mad driving skillz and to Coco for showing us all the cool stuff there is to see. And as always, a big thanks to Moxie Grumby for inviting me!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
A new kind of DJ...
I've already given my rant of the day, so how about a happy-thoughts chaser to follow it?
Being a DJ is a tricky thing, as you're no doubt aware. Anyone who's ever tried it probably knows of the difficulty associated with perfecting a playlist. BPM's need to be measured in order to sustain a constant beat throughout, and the songs chosen need to mix well together so as to take the audience on a musical journey. After all, that's the fun of being a DJ--telling a story through music. If your audience is able to take that adventure with you, a good time is had by all.
That said, I want go break the mold and say that there are other ways to perform. I honestly believe in a new style of DJing, one that connects the DJ much more directly with his audience. There are no physical tools required, and you don't need a keen ear. All you need is the ability to "feel" your audience, to put yourself in their position and ask yourself what you would want to hear next.
It's not as hard as it sounds, and is even easier with a fantastic crowd that provides plenty of positive feedback. If I fall into that vibe, it's almost like making love to the crowd (and I mean that in a verrah figurative way, folks). Both you and the crowd are in sync and letting the music carry you. It's almost as though you're spiritually linked and let the take you wherever it might. In a much more literal sense, you as the DJ can "feel" what should come next. And when it does, your crowd responds in kind by going absolutely crazy; how did you know that was exactly what they wanted to hear???
I won't discredit the importance of the more technical aspects, but I won't dismiss a more free flowing, organic DJ style. In fact, on a personal level I find my best shows are the ones where I throw caution to the wind and let the music carry me. Although, the one caveat is that you can't get to that point without first establishing an audience. Any DJ that expects to play whatever they want and get a positive response needs to stop dreaming. It's a tough point to reach, but if you can set a pace and get an audience into your show, you'll find they're much more open to letting you call the shots. You in turn are guided by the music, and together everyone can have an awesome musical adventure.
At least, that's how I like to roll....
Being a DJ is a tricky thing, as you're no doubt aware. Anyone who's ever tried it probably knows of the difficulty associated with perfecting a playlist. BPM's need to be measured in order to sustain a constant beat throughout, and the songs chosen need to mix well together so as to take the audience on a musical journey. After all, that's the fun of being a DJ--telling a story through music. If your audience is able to take that adventure with you, a good time is had by all.
That said, I want go break the mold and say that there are other ways to perform. I honestly believe in a new style of DJing, one that connects the DJ much more directly with his audience. There are no physical tools required, and you don't need a keen ear. All you need is the ability to "feel" your audience, to put yourself in their position and ask yourself what you would want to hear next.
It's not as hard as it sounds, and is even easier with a fantastic crowd that provides plenty of positive feedback. If I fall into that vibe, it's almost like making love to the crowd (and I mean that in a verrah figurative way, folks). Both you and the crowd are in sync and letting the music carry you. It's almost as though you're spiritually linked and let the take you wherever it might. In a much more literal sense, you as the DJ can "feel" what should come next. And when it does, your crowd responds in kind by going absolutely crazy; how did you know that was exactly what they wanted to hear???
I won't discredit the importance of the more technical aspects, but I won't dismiss a more free flowing, organic DJ style. In fact, on a personal level I find my best shows are the ones where I throw caution to the wind and let the music carry me. Although, the one caveat is that you can't get to that point without first establishing an audience. Any DJ that expects to play whatever they want and get a positive response needs to stop dreaming. It's a tough point to reach, but if you can set a pace and get an audience into your show, you'll find they're much more open to letting you call the shots. You in turn are guided by the music, and together everyone can have an awesome musical adventure.
At least, that's how I like to roll....
Rane Rants...
Ever watch a comedy with a group of people, and everyone was having a great time except one person? That one guy that doesn't laugh, criticizes everything, points out every plothole, and is a general pain in the butt? If you have, you probably know what I'm trying to say with this post...
Hosting a DJ event is no easy task. A playlist must be handcrafted to suit a wide variety of tastes, without deviating too greatly from a location's "accepted" musical style; it's really a matter of pleasing all of the people, some of the time. Not everyone can be happy with every selection, especially in sims that feature a wide variety of musical tastes. Still, a good time can be had by all if people are willing to maintain a positive atmosphere.
Atmosphere is everything, and no matter how politely stated a criticism may be, in the long run it does far more harm than good. Think about it, imagine you're a listener enjoying a particular song, when along comes Joe Schmoe saying "AGH! NOT THAT SONG!" You'll probably feel a little upset, and if you're the DJ, you'd wish they could have just kept it to themselves.
I would never single people out; I'm directing this thread (or plea, rather) to anyone and everyone. Bad vibes can easily ruin a good time, and in a place like SL (where few are getting rich and most are just doing it for the love), a good time is a special thing. So please, if you feel the need to crticise, either keep it to yourself or just leave the show. Yes, as harsh as it sounds, I'd rather people just TP'ed out rather than ruining the experience for everyone else.
End of rant...and hey, it's Monday, I'm allowed.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Best. Show. Ever...
After a disappointing show at the Metronome friday night, last night's impromptu rave at Timeless Underground proved a smashing success!
If there's one thing I've learned being a DJ (and there are several) it's that a good crowd is key to a successful show. How do you get a good crowd? Well, it's a combination of things, and when these elements don't fall into place you can be left with a shoddy mess. On the one hand, your DJ might not be up to par. Perhaps he/she isn't playing what the crowd wants to hear; that's a surefire way to exterminate an otherwise roaring experience. On the other, maybe the crowd's just not giving back as they should. Remember, it's a 50/50 deal; it's the DJs responsibility to entertain, and it's the crowds' job to throw that energy back at them.
That's what's unique about the crowds of SL. So often people have such varying musical tastes that it's almost impossible to read them. When one person wants techno, another wants hard rock, and another wants whatever the heck tralsa is--you're left scrambling to create a mix of tunes that will at least please some of the people, some of the time. Now if the crowd goes along with it, and enjoys at least 50% of what they hear, you're good. Hopefully they return that energy even throughout the songs they don't care for and a good time is had by all.
As I discovered last night, feedback is key. When an audience sits there and says nothing, even for the songs they enjoy, you're left with a dull experience that eventually fades away. On the other hand, when an audience cheers with applause as you play some long forgotten song, that really brings the life back and gets people pumped.
That's how it was last night.
The crowd really gave back, and even if a song was played they had never heard, they seemed to go along with it and enjoy themselves just the same. Was it just a better crowd than most? Nah, things just came together a bit better. And whatever the reason, Timeless Underground certainly rocked the house last night.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Death at Gen X...
Yes, it's true, yours truly was "killed" at Gen X With Gabrielle last night. Oh sure, some would say lying in a pool of blood all night is in bad taste, but hey, this is how we get requests played! As always a huge shout out to Gabi Riel for a fantastic show!
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