h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

cheese does nto a good party make! that list is so reminiscent of going out in oxford, world capital of shit clubs...

Just what I was thinking, UH - I'm sure the author works at DTM's.

As a DJ who aspires to playing some decent music occasionally, I have a much more varied soundtrack - think Thursday night at the Zodiac mixed with a rock DJ set at the OFS, and you'd be somewhere close.

B

I disagree - the author wasn't suggesting club DJing, but something for an age-mixed family do. I bet YMCA is the only thing you're comfortable dancing with your granny.

I don't do club DJing - I DJ for a mobile disco outfit, which means I _only_ do mixed-age stuff.

I would only play that songlist if there was no-one aged under 35 in the room, which doesn't happen terribly often, unsurprisingly.

B

dtms

actually, its a formula for each and every oxford club. cheese in one room, rnb in another. booooring. and the zodiac is all metal. double booooring.

Do they not still do the Zodiac eclectic nights (I forget the name) where you listen to a whole bunch of weird stuff, and end up dancing to the theme from Ski Sunday?

B

Well, why don't we see what you're made of, and slap down a prospective playlist of your own?

TK

because, in this case, oxford is a town full of small minded tasteless geeks who dont know how to havea rela party

So what IS a 'real' party?

TK

It 100% depends on the people there. The one key skill in a DJ, and the one thing I was most surprised to find omitted from the entry, is the ability to judge an audience.

Sure, just about every night I DJ tends to end up with some degree of cheesiness, but if I see people leaving the dancefloor I will play whatever I can to get them back on, be it club, chart, house, metal or whatever. The only thing I don't do is RnB, because a) I know nothing about it, b) It's virtually impossible to dance to c) The sort of people who like RnB are far too 'cool' to get up and dance no matter how bladdered they are and can therefore be safely neglected.

B

Hi all,
I seldom check these threads, and was surprised to find such a reaction to an apparently innocuous entry.
Just a few observations. Master B is right. Judging an audience is a vital skill. As to the playlist. Well the songs seem to have stood the test of time, so they can't be all bad.
I think that you're allowing yourselves to be distracted by the title. The actual article is a gently humorous look at human nature based around the conceit of a DJ playing at a family party. The playlist was an attempt to neatly tie the article together. Try re-reading it in the manner it was written and you'll find a totally different entry trying to get out!
sbe

"Master B is right" - well that's not a phrase you hear on h2g2 every day.

I didn't take objection to the playlist as such - I agree, they are all very good songs. The thing that bugs me is that, if you don't read between the lines, you get the impression of DJ saying "Right - I am going to play these songs, no matter what", which obviously is a bit pointless.

I think maybe the problem is that the issue of music selection is a bit too subjective to make a Guide Entry from. In that light, you've made a pretty good stab at it.

B

Thanks for giving it another chance Master B. I think that some other readers had problems with the playlist. It sat around in PR for 2 months, so I knew it was a little contentious. Personally I would always listen to requests, but if few were forthcoming I had a list of songs that usually worked.
sbe