I was asked to DJ a wedding. I was told "Clash dance party and you know, britpop." by the bride, the groom plays in one of my rock bands. What do you guys think, should I play it safe and bring the hits of yesteryear along with a couple of Clash records, or did they mean for me to get a little adventurous? It is hard because it is a wedding and I have a lot of leeway in an hours time. I know what I want people to play at my wedding but I am a god damn weirdo. So do I bring Magazine with H. Devoto's faltering voice or do I stick to the Stone Roses and Pulp? Basically should I play to the room? Should you?
Thanks a million.
Church of the Light by Tadao Ando
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6 comments:
Personally, I would, like you said, "play to the room." It's just because it is for them, for the bride and groom, you know? not you. Maybe you could ask them to be more specific about their music choices though. Ask about certain bands and albums and stuff. But it is really important that the bride (especially I think) enjoy her special day with the music she likes and wants.
In the end, no one really cares what kind of music you play as long as it's the right energy for the right moment. I'd take Lisa's advice. Play to the room.
It seems to me that the analogy just doesn't hold (and I'm a big, big fan of analogies!). It doesn't hold because while the dj is hired for a particular occasion on a particular day by certain group of people with certain needs, an architect, painter, sculptor, musican or writer can change the course of history.
Look at Michelangelo, at Shakespeare; look at Picasso, at Gaudi; look at the Beatniks, the Beatles; look at the LANGUAGE poets, etc. These people have changed the course of history.
Now, it is true that a dj in many ways wears the hat of the pedagogue, teaching hir listeners how to listen to whatever dope explosion surrounds as an artist teaches the populace how to view, to sound off, even, in a new and spectacular fashion. We need those who force us beyond. Maybe even at weddings.
Otherwise, I guess, it's just a matter of waiting, waiting until someone has to admit:
"I fought the law and the law won..."
In another class today, a student was talking about another student's work, and he said, "It's like poetry in the form of prose." He talked a little more, and said the imagery of the student was done well and stated, "It's like mixing paint." Again the painting and poetry analogy.
It is funny how much like writing poems DJing is. You are using concepts (either language or music) that are not your own to make something that someone might find memorable. Things that fit together. I tend to try to play rooms as best I can anytime I play out (yes this is as a writer too) and am careful to choose venues for art that help this. Sometimes reading well is not enough, but reading, or music, or comedy, or sound scapes, painting, sculpture, film.... we can go on...has the right place and the right voice/vision/sound, with the correct people experencing it. I think that last essay we read helped me articulate this. I am going to give it to a painter friend of mine who's life he claims has gotten too comfortable for him to paint in. Maybe he will get it.
The important thing that needs deciding in this matter is what holds more weight? attempting to make a statement, or respecting the wishes of the bride? Unless, of course, an attempt to make a statement, that is a successful attempt, can satisfy and respect her wishes altogether. That, I think, would be the best think to acheive, for what is harder, to impress by jumping outside of the box, or by jumping inside the box differently than expected?
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