It's the classics that work

I posted a few pics from my gig last week with some games, and I have a Parent/Kid dance for a school tomorrow night that will also include games.....
But I have found that it's the classics that work best,,, Hula Hoops, Limbo, Balloon games,,,, we as DJ's get bored with the same games over and over, but the people don't....

It's like DJing, I don't care if I ever hear YMCA again, but most peopel still enjoy it, and it gets a better reaction than most "new" music....

Just my thoughts....

Chuck - Great point! It's been my assertion for a long time that much of what we as DJs see as "cheese" and "McWeddings" (or "McParties) is indeed tried and true "crowd friendly" programming.

We need to remember that most people go to an event with a DJ two, maybe three times a year. They don't see "the same old thing" every weekend. And people like that which is familiar. They know those classic songs and feel comfortable enough to dance to them.

Same thing with games... People like the things that are familiar and comfortable with. That's why they work, and crowds eat them up... Sometimes there's a reason that games and songs are "classics!"

Very well put Zac

Just got off the phone with a bride. We had the very same conversation. I explained to her that despite my goal of never playing YMCA ever again, there is a reason that those "wedding" songs are played at weddings - they work!

People may classify the stuff as rotten cheese, but just like you said it Chuck, it doesn't matter how rotten it is, it still gets people to fill the dance floor. If it works, use it.

Zac your comment about the number of events a guest has experienced in the past in some cases is more frequent than Ive found over the yrs. Having talked with guests many times finding some hadnt been to a doo in yrs. Some possibly since they danced to the YMCA when it was a new song.

Jon - Very true. In fact, I'm starting to see more and more of my younger wedding clients who have never been to a wedding at all, or maybe one or two at most in their lifetimes... They have no idea of what the formalities are, what happens when, or anything else. There's a lot of hand-holding that goes on with these types of clients...

Imagine playing "Party Like a Rockstar" 10 years from now.... :sqeek::sqerr::sqlaugh:

I can imagine it being sampled and thats a stretch Papa.

When I was in the Bay Area jocking (10 years) I did play on a "no YMCA policy" which did get me a LOT of cool weddings - Chuck you must remember all the Berkeley and SF Hotel jobs...

It did work wonders although I did get asked for it by guests at "No YMCA Weddings" I had a simple rider for the B+G and an independent witness (usually the photographer) to sign authorizing me to play YMCA without risk of a lawsuit.

In actual fact I didn't really care what I played as long as everyone was happy but it was a usp in my favor.

YMCA was a great song - once ;)

Imagine playing "Party Like a Rockstar" 10 years from now.... :sqeek::sqerr::sqlaugh:

I can picture it, in 10 years the kids that are 13 & 14 now will be getting married and people will always like to hear crap from their childhood when they have had a few drinks. People are starting to ask me for the Boy-Band type stuff agian that was big in the late 90's, because when the bride was 13-14 she had a crush on (insert name here).

Dan I bet they will ask for ACDC and some of the other classics the kids ask for currently. Thunderstruck or TNT will likely be like Old Time Rock N Roll.

You mean classics like:

Smoke on the Yangtze

Bravo!!!

You mean classics like:

Smoke on the Yangtze (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRYdAuUlg2Y)


So Tom, is there a version of "My Woman From Tokyo" out there? :sqwink:


BTW, thanks...I enjoyed that. You ever hear the "12 Girls Band"?

Deep Purple should sue these guys for song slaughter.:sqlaugh:

I loved it!!!

Zac, I couldn't agree with you more. I absolutely hate YMCA except when it fills the dance floor. It becomes a favouite song for about four minutes and after that I hate it again.