Requests Galore

Don't normally get a lot of requests. I mean would you approach a dangerously menapausal, bald, old git with  the suggestion that he might like to consider playing Tai Cruz. I used to attempt to get the punters to see the error of their ways by entering into a two way dialogue about what it is that constitutes good music and why Take That consist of none of it.  For some reason this never turned out well.
Now I just put my head in my hands and sob uncontrollably.

Often I give due notice. When asked 'Do you have any Lady GaGa', I reply 'Do you wish to see a grown man cry?'. Inevitably the answer is that my tears will only add to their enjoyment of Poker Face.
To prevent this situation happening too often I attempt to seize the high ground by ensuring  my default appearance is surly, aloof and close to extreme random violence. Often I pat my back pocket in a manner clearly designed to indicate that I am so glad my razor, 45 Colt or essential medication is still there.
This resulted in lots of folk enquiring if I had lost my keys. Still came the requests.

Anyway this night, even setting fire to a small pyre of my musical hopes and dreams was not enough to keep the determined requesters at a safe distance. Have these people no respect for Health and Safety?

Busy to start as some folk were heading up town to an engagement bash. Then settled into a mix of uptempo foot tappy tunes as I worked in the twenty requests that came my way. This included such diverse stuff as Belle and Sebastian, Aloe Blocc, Bob Marley, Tina Turner, The Kinks, The Saturdays, Deadmau5 and some Britpop. Thank the Lord no one asked for Lady GaGa!

Perhaps, surprisingly the young ones were asking for Marvin Gaye and Hall and Oates.

Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Buddy Rich to wind down.

Not a bad night and most of the requests, despite my protesting were pretty reasonable. I still can't excuse Kenny Loggins though.

1 Deeper In Love - Bobby & Steve
2 Big Love - Pete Heller
3 Groovejet - Spiller
4 So Much Love To Give - Freeloaders, The Real Thing
5 Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
6 It Just Wont Do - Tim Deluxe
7 On The Floor (CCW Radio Mix) - Jennifer Lopez
8 Heartbeat (Cutmore Club) - Enrique Iglesias

9 It Only Takes A Minute - Take That

10 French Navy - Camera Obscura

11 I'm Not Living In The Real World - Belle & Sebastian

12 Hey, Soul Sister - Train

13 Oh La - The Kooks

14 Be Bop Baby - Westlife

15 Skinny Genes - Eliza Doolittle

16 Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger*

17 Raise Your Glass - Pink

18 Hard To Handle - Otis Redding
19 It Takes Two - M Gaye + K Weston*
20 Nutbush City Limits - Tina Turner*
21 Super Freak - Rick James
22 We Are Family (Remix) - Sister Sledge
23 If I Can't Have You (Count Da Money Remix) - Bee Gees
24 I Can't Go For That - Hall & Oates
25 I_Need_A_Dollar - Aloe_Blacc*
26 Black And Yellow - Wiz Khalifa
27 Champion - Chipmunk *
28 Get Ready - Ella Fitzgerald
29 Proud Mary - Tina Turner*
30 Keep On Jumpin' - Lisa Marie Experience
31 I Remember - Deadmau5 And Kaskade*
32 Could You Be Loved - Bob Marley & The Wailers
33 Roxanne - Aswad
34 Working My Way Back To You - Detroit Spinners
35 You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates*
36 Mr Blue Sky - Lily Allen
37 Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins*
38 Fascination - Alphabeat
39 Rolling In The Deep - Adele
40 Only Girl - Rihanna*
41 I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye*
42 Baby Love (Halfby More Shambles Remix) - The Supremes
43 Shake Your Tailfeather - Ray Charles*
44 Dedicated Follower Of Fashion - The Kinks*
45 Beat Surrender - The Jam
46 Memories (Featuring Kid Cudi) - David Guetta
47 C'Mon Vs. Stupid Disco (Dare Me) - Tiesto & Diplo Vs. Junior Jack
48 Higher (7th Heaven Club Mix) - The Saturdays*
49 Connection - Elastica*

50 Girls & Boys - Blur*
51 Rocks - Primal Scream*
52 You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby - The Smiths
53 The State I Am In - Belle And Sebastian
54 London Calling - The Clash
55 Exodus - Bob Marley & The Wailers*
56 Reggae Got Soul - Toots& Maytals
57 Chaka Demus - Jamie T
58 Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
59 Saddest Summer - The Drums
60 Buffallo Soldier - Bob Marley & The Wailers*
61 King - Ub40
62 Guaglione - Pérez Prado
63 The Holiday Song - Pixies
64 Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Richard Cheese
65 It Happened In Monteray - Frank Sinatra
66 Love - Nat King Cole
67 L O V E - Al Green
68 Lovely Day - Bill Withers
69 The Beat Goes On - Buddy Rich
70 Power Of Love - Huey Lewis*

* Request.

Back this Saturday. This is almost turning into a residency.

Normal Service (ish) is Resumed

This was a quiet night in the bar. Where everyone had gone I knew not. But they weren't in front of me, that's for sure. 

A fortnight ago it was mobbed with a party shouting for 80's classics. Tonight was completely different. 

To exacerbate the situation I had headed off to Troon for a couple of drinks at 5pm, a meal and an eye on the Arsenal game. I then felt it wasn't worth going home and sobering up before starting behind the decks. In reality the Gunner's performance had the same effect as two cups of strong coffee. 

So I sauntered in to the pub at the back of eight and was all set up ready to go by just after the half hour. I had also decided that I'd just keep drinking. Faced with the dozen folk in the bar it seemed churlish not to join them. 

I seldom drink when I'm djing. Partly because it's not professional but then again who actually believes that spinning tunes is a profession and because I need the car to get the gear home after it. And I  know that when I drink behind the decks I am almost certainly going to wander off towards the hills of 'up your own arsedom' with a lengthening stride and the decision making skills of a General Haig. Inversely, the better I think I am getting the worse the punters think I am doing. This is because I decide it is a good idea to play them lots of the songs that are staple items on my i-pod and not anything by anybody who has ever had a song in the Top 40. 

End result is I have a great time but the pub is invariably empty. This night I looked around and saw my drunken finishing point was already in place, so I thought my work here is done. Let's kick off with Robben Ford. Let's follow that with Stevie Ray Vaughn. Happy, no too obvious how's about a more obscure Stones lp track. 

Although no-one came up to request the songs, it was clear to me that the punters were all aware that their Saturday night experience would be immeasurably improved by some less well known Britpop. With the whole Stone Roses catalogue to play,  it is clear I am going to go for the jangly one I stubbornly like the best and not the tune that sold 1 million copies. I will favour The Bluetones before Pulp too. 

I barely prevented my thrawn self from playing out 'Octopus' Garden' but took consolation by going with 'Dr Robert' rather than any Beatles song that had the temerity to be on any cd that could be mistaken for a Greatest Hit. 

Every week I get asked for Buffalo Soldier and this one was no different. It kinda put me back on track and I settled into some tap a long soul and tunes folk would know, with the obvious exception of Eli 'Paperboy' Reed, clearly. Let's not throw away the cumulative effect of several pints of lager and the tears of disappointment too cheaply. 

Kept it up tempo and cheery with a bit more guitar stuff than I would usually get away with until the end. One chap came over and asked for some Northern Soul and Mod music. He was rewarded with F Nero, Flirtations, Tony Clarke and some magnificent Booker T.

A young crowd came in later but seemed content with Mumford and White Stripes whilst I was happy with Pixies and The Clash. 

And that's the story Morning Glory. Back this Sat, so it couldn't have gone too pear shaped. 

Tracks Played here. 

1	Up The Line	-	Robben Ford
2	Pride And Joy	-	Stevie Ray Vaughn
3	All Down The Line	-	The Rolling Stones
4	Have A Nice Day	-	Stereophonics
5	What Do You Got?	-	Bon Jovi
6	Up On Down Side	-	Ocean Col Scene
7	She's Electric	-	Oasis
8	Slight Return	-	The Bluetones
9	There She Goes	-	Las
10	World Waiting For	-	Stone Roses
11	Doctor Robert	-	The Beatles
12	Buffalo Soldier	-	Bob Marley & The Wailers*
13	Masterblaster	-	Stevie Wonder
14	Come And Get It	-	Eli Paperboy Reed
15	This Old Heart Of Mine	-	The Isley Brothers
16	Let's Dance	-	David Bowie
17	Beat Surrender	-	The Jam
18	Alright	-	Supergrass
19	The Size Of A Cow	-	Wonder Stuff
20	Beautiful Day	-	U2
21	She Moves In Her Own Way	-	The Kooks
22	In The Morning	-	The Coral
23	Listen To The Music	-	The Doobie Brothers
24	You Make My Dreams	-	Hall & Oates
25	Bright Lights Bigger City	-	Cee Lo Green
26	Falling	-	Hercules & Love Affair
27	Peg	-	Steely Dan
28	Always There - Incognito	-	Incognito
29	Starchild	-	Jamiroquai
30	Kiss	-	Prince
31	S&M (Come On)	-	Rihanna
32	Got To Get You Into My Life	-	Earth Wind & Fire
33	You Can't Hide From Yourself	-	Teddy Pendergrass
34	C'mon Vs. Stupid Disco	-	Tiesto & Diplo Vs. Junior Jack
35	Rock With You	-	Michael Jackson
36	Footsteps Following Me	-	Frances Nero
37	Landslide	-	Tony Clarke
38	Nothing But A Heartache	-	The Flirtations
39	Son Of A Preacher Man	-	Aretha Franklin
40	Green Onions	-	Booker T. & The Mg's
41	Big Love	-	Pete Heller
42	Higher And Higher	-	Jackie Wilson
43	Do Your Thing	-	Basement Jaxx
44	Reggae Got Soul	-	Toots Maytals
45	On The Floor (Ccw Radio Mix)	-	Jennifer Lopez
46	Vive_Le_Swing_	-	In-Grid
47	Rolling In The Deep	-	Adele
48	Poker Face	-	Lady Gaga
49	Sweet Dreams Tonight	-	Enrique Iglesias Vs. Eurythmics
50	All Of The Lights	-	Kanye West
51	Black And Yellow	-	Wiz Khalifa
52	Little Green Bag	-	George Baker Trio
53	Are U Gonna Be My Girl	-	Jet
54	Supersonic	-	Oasis
55	Here Comes Your Man	-	Pixies
56	Brimful Of Asha	-	Cornershop
57	Weapon Of Choice	-	Fatboy Slim
58	Do You Belive In Magic	-	Loving Spoonful
59	Love Is In The Air	-	John Paul Young
60	The Honeythief	-	Hipsway*
61	Fields Of Fire	-	Big Country
62	Laid	-	James
63	Rock This Town	-	Stray Cats
64	I Fought The Law	-	The Clash
65	Hotel Yorba	-	White Stripes
66	Little Lion Man	-	Mumford & Sons
67	Friends Stuck In Chemicals	-	Stealers Vs Chemicals
68	Duelling Banjos	-	Eric Weissberg *
69	Rhinestone Cowboy	-	Glenn Campbell
70	Forever In Blue Jeans	-	Neil Diamond*
71	Dead End Street	-	The Kinks*
72	Proud Mary	-	Tina Turner*
73	I Got You (I Feel Good)	-	James Brown
74	Last Nite	-	The Strokes
75	A-Punk	-	Vampire Weekend
76	Walking On Sunshine	-	Katrina And The Waves
77	Don't Rain On My Parade	-	Bobby Darin
78	New York New York	-	Sinatra

* Request - Didn't think I'd choose to play Poker Face do ya??

Also usual dj story - was in the middle of Dead End Street when somebody came up and suggested that I might like to play The Kinks.