When are you a good DJ?

The previous blog by guest blogger Menno from Supa-Dupa Rental was about whether you should work with vinyl or digital as a ‘real’ DJ. But when are you actually a good DJ? You can ask ten DJs and get fifteen answers. In this blog, Menno shares his view on what makes a good DJ!

My background

Before I answer the question of when you’re a good DJ, I’d like to share a bit more about my background. I’m 47 and I’ve been around the DJ circuit for quite a few years. I DJ in clubs and I also do a fair number of weddings and corporate events each year. I know what my strengths are, and I also know my limitations. For example, I don’t want to play cheesy singalong party tunes or completely overplayed tracks (like Paradise by the Dashboard Light or Relight My Fire).

What is a good DJ?

The question of when you’re a good DJ is simple and complicated at the same time. Until recently, I always thought you were a good DJ if you could move your crowd with amazing timing, an exciting track selection, and the way you can technically blend records into a compelling story. To me, a DJ should stand for something and project an identity without putting themselves too far above the crowd. I’ll come back to that later. A few weeks ago, after an experience, I added another important dimension to it.

A bad good DJ?

I was recently asked to DJ at a staff party. The brief beforehand was: really try to feel what the crowd needs. For these kinds of events, I rely completely on my experience, musical taste and instinct. For corporate events, people often ask for a broad and mostly well-known repertoire. That evening, the crowd overwhelmingly requested Oktoberfest-style German party music and cheesy singalong Dutch pop hits. That’s all music I don’t have—and don’t want to have. It didn’t take long before I was told I’m a very bad DJ, and from the requesters’ perspective, I certainly would be.

The right match

My conclusion from that night isn’t so much that I’m a bad DJ, but that it’s the task and responsibility of both the organiser and the DJ to make a good match. A DJ can mix the most beautiful records perfectly, but if the crowd doesn’t get it or has a completely different taste in music, then in the end nobody goes home happy. In the situation above, a DJ with less strict musical standards would have had much more success. That would immediately put my earlier list on shaky ground. So, to make it add up again, I’ve added ‘the right match’ to my checklist below.

My five requirements

The right match. A match between the audience and the DJ comes first for me. A good DJ must know what their audience is.

Timing. The great art of DJing is timing: the right track at the right moment. I really hope the art of the DJ will always beat the music computer. To make that choice well, you need insight, a big collection and a lot of musical knowledge.

Exciting track selection. As far as I’m concerned, a good DJ gives the crowd what it wants, but… not without a bit of resistance. A DJ is allowed to challenge people—like a great meal, you don’t start with dessert. A DJ should be able to surprise by playing a track people don’t know yet, or that makes the crowd think. I personally love that ‘Oh yesss, this one!’ feeling instead of ‘Oh, this one.’

A story. A good DJ is able to tell a story with their DJ set. That matters because it creates unity in your set and you can take your crowd along for an experience. That becomes a lot harder if you constantly switch styles abruptly (for example, from a slow R&B track to a hard, up-tempo techno banger). Whether it’s a thriller, a comic book or chick lit doesn’t really matter to me. Every story has an audience. What matters, in my view, is that you as a DJ understand what you’re doing: are you building a set from mellow to harder and harder, are you easing off now and then, or are you going flat-out from the start?

Identity. I think a DJ should stand for something. As a DJ, you’re in charge of the music. OK, you can be open to requests from the crowd—verbal or non-verbal—but the DJ is ultimately responsible. Because if the DJ gives in to every individual wish and opinion, the night won’t get better. The set will start going in all directions, from a cheesy singalong to an obscure underground record. That means you’re completely giving up control. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s good to keep watching what’s happening on the dancefloor. If the crowd leaves the dancefloor en masse, it can of course be wise to adjust your track selection. But aside from that, I really appreciate it when a DJ has their own style and stands behind every record they play. That would, in my opinion, improve the appreciation of the craft.

I’d love to invite you to add items to the list or share your opinion with me. Leave a comment below!

Playing Keys in a Band: What You Need to Know The Hammond Organ: A Classic Want to turn LPs into MP3s? Here’s How to Digitise Your Vinyl Setting Up the Band with a PA System? Here’s What You Need to Know How to Breathe: For Vocalists & Musicians Vocal Damage: How Does it Happen?