Over-rated DJs

[Briggsy]

Are there any DJ's you think are massively over-rated?

Personally, I don't understand all the hype about Gareth Emery at the moment. Sure, his productions are always top notch, but i've seen him 4 times as a DJ now - three times his mixing was abysmal. It was only at ASOT 400 where I actually thought he was really good. Nice enough guy, great producer, but someone DJ'ing professionally as often he is shouldn't heave beats drifting out after every mix, nearly every set.

Tiesto - OK, once upon a time he was good (2002ish) - but now, he plods along, plays whatever he likes with no thought for the crowd, and is generally quite bland. His mixing is OK, but nothing i've not heard before from any other DJ. How did he get to world number 1, and why has he got such a big fan base? He's not bad - just nothing special really.

Oakie - absolute joke. Can't mix, randoms sets, too many old tunes still being played regularly. No, just no.

PvD - Anyone for Binary Finary - 1998, Camisra - Let Me Show You and Underworld - Born Slippy?

Above & Beyond - Anyone fancy a girly trance tune with a cheesy vocal? No? Oh ok, how about a girly trance tune with a cheesy vocal? No? In that case, how about a girly trance tune with a cheesy vocal?.....

Boy George - Sorry, but being a celebrity popstar doesn't make a good DJ. You are the weakest link. Goodbye!

[Ian_k]

i dont get the hype with Gareth emery.

his productions are good, and when i seen him his mixing was good, but i find all his sets very samey......dont really go anywhere and its the same style of music for 3 hours.

tiesto - i agree is a bit bland now and he was at his best in 2002'ish, but then again so was many djs.

oakie - is pants now, cant mix for toffee and his sets are generally crap now days, dont really know what happened there. although some of his recent vids iv seen of him hes played some blinding sets.

Above & beyond - I Disagree there. Most of the time they play great sets and know how to build a set, and generally there mixings spot on and play great tunes and there productions are spot on. They play more vocal stuff, but sometimes thats good, as there well remembered for there sing along anthems.

Seen them live and they took the roof off the last hour of there set. It has been said that there at best when its Paavo & Jono DJ'ing.

[Max Kane]

I'd agree with the Tiesto shout, I can see why he's massive though. He's marketted himself quite brilliantly & really made something out of the Number 1 slot in a way that no-one else had done before. He's a pioneer really, everyone has tried to copy his arena shows & he simply sells places out which is all he & most promoters care about.

I've seen plenty of DJs that I don't rate highly & I have to say the majority of over-rated DJs are just producers who took it up as a means of selling more records & making a living. Usually the best DJs are guys who got into production later on once they had established something of a DJing portfolio.

I'm not bitching about it as it's the way of the world right now but it does kind of annoy.

[Briggsy]

Very true that - its a gripe i've had for a while. DJ'ing and Producing are two completely different things, yet promotors suddenly think that because someone has released a couple of successful tunes, they're suddenly superb DJ's too - wrong. You wouldn't get an electrician to do your plumbing, so I don't know why promotors insist of getting producers to DJ. I know they're more marketable, but they also clear dancefloors.

Sean Tyas - he admits he's not the greatest DJ and admits that he couldn't beatmatch before he released his first tune - he's also notorious for making lots of c**k-ups such as stopping the wrong CD player - yet he's playing at huge festivals such as Global Gathering. Its so wrong.

Ronald van Gelderen is another crap producer-DJ. Not only is his beatmatching awful, but he doesn't even understand the structure of a tune. The last time I heard him mix, he was just starting the incoming tune in any old place - and not at the end of a bar.

This is the sad part of the modern clubbing scene and its no wonder clubs are struggling. Talent rarely comes into it now - its all about making a name as a producer or being able to flog 20 tickets for the promotor.

Bring back the days where DJ's had to be good behind the decks - nor producer-DJs or DJ's that had to take along 20 people to be guaranteed a gig.

Funnily enough, on that subject, the Syndicate Bristol promotor messaged me on Facebook a couple of weeks ago asking if I could organise a coach for last weekends bank holiday event - and if I did, "I was guaranteed" a gig at their next Trance event at The Syndicate. It was obvious that it didn't matter whether I could mix or not - he just wanted me to take a coach load of people down to get this gig. Most people would probably be pleased and jump at the chance - but I actually found it quite annoying and kindly declined his offer. That's probably why I don't get very far with my DJ'ing - but i'm a stubborn sod. I won't play a style I don't like just to get a gig, and I won't arselick, play club politics or put on coaches, etc to get gigs. I'd rather be judged and booked based on what i'm supposed to be judged on - DJ'ing.

[Ian_k]

This is the sad part of the modern clubbing scene and its no wonder clubs are struggling. Talent rarely comes into it now - its all about making a name as a producer or being able to flog 20 tickets for the promotor.

Bring back the days where DJ's had to be good behind the decks - nor producer-DJs or DJ's that had to take along 20 people to be guaranteed a gig.

Funnily enough, on that subject, the Syndicate Bristol promotor messaged me on Facebook a couple of weeks ago asking if I could organise a coach for last weekends bank holiday event - and if I did, "I was guaranteed" a gig at their next Trance event at The Syndicate. It was obvious that it didn't matter whether I could mix or not - he just wanted me to take a coach load of people down to get this gig. Most people would probably be pleased and jump at the chance - but I actually found it quite annoying and kindly declined his offer. That's probably why I don't get very far with my DJ'ing - but i'm a stubborn sod. I won't play a style I don't like just to get a gig, and I won't arselick, play club politics or put on coaches, etc to get gigs. I'd rather be judged and booked based on what i'm supposed to be judged on - DJ'ing.

i couldnt agree more there, im getting f****** sick of promoters only giving you gigs if you can fill there club.

if the promoters pulled there f****** finger out and started promoting there nights a bit better, they would actually book dj's who show raw talent and are good at what they do, and not book dj''s who can bring a coach load of people to there gig, make it look a little bit busy, and spend a bit behind the bar, who cant mix a batter, let alone 2 simple tracks!!

I also dont feel i should be mixing now thats what i call music 72 just to blag some gigs!!

[Briggsy]

i couldnt agree more there, im getting f****** sick of promoters only giving you gigs if you can fill there club.

if the promoters pulled there f****** finger out and started promoting there nights a bit better, they would actually book dj's who show raw talent and are good at what they do, and not book dj''s who can bring a coach load of people to there gig, make it look a little bit busy, and spend a bit behind the bar, who cant mix a batter, let alone 2 simple tracks!!

I also dont feel i should be mixing now thats what i call music 72 just to blag some gigs!!

Exactly mate. I'm a DJ - I won't bring people just to make the promotors life easy. They're the ones making the money, its up to them to earn it. They should shift their arses and flog the tickets - not get DJ's to flog them instead.

As for playing now 72 - i've turned down gigs simply because i've been offered warm-ups or asked to play a different genre to what I usually play. I'll only play Trance - I won't change my style just to get a gig. I DJ because I love the music. If i'm not loving the music, there's no point me DJ'ing - which is why i'd rather refuse than accept a gig and not get into the set.

People say I should play warm-ups or anything that is offered to make a name for myself - but at the end of the day, i'm 31 at the end of the month - too old for making a name for myself, and my ears couldn't handle DJ'ing on a weekly basis anyway - so i'm happy as I am. I don't want to be the next Tiesto or the next Sasha - i'm happy regardless of whether i'm DJ'ing in front of 10 people or 1000 people.

[milkybarkid]

I would agree with most of these, but I have to ask about PVD. Is he still playing all that crap? He came to my town (Ireland) a year ago, and played an almost techno set. No-one recognised one tune he played. It was actually very refreshing. He was last dj on too, so I was at least expecting For An Angel or something to please the masses. Maybe its because it was in a smaller environment, he tried something different. Its a real shame if he's still playing all that old tosh.

Oh, and can I be cheeky, and suggest our beloved Jules? How he still gets so high in dj polls now is beyond me.

[Ian_k]

Exactly mate. I'm a DJ - I won't bring people just to make the promotors life easy. They're the ones making the money, its up to them to earn it. They should shift their arses and flog the tickets - not get DJ's to flog them instead.

As for playing now 72 - i've turned down gigs simply because i've been offered warm-ups or asked to play a different genre to what I usually play. I'll only play Trance - I won't change my style just to get a gig. I DJ because I love the music. If i'm not loving the music, there's no point me DJ'ing - which is why i'd rather refuse than accept a gig and not get into the set.

People say I should play warm-ups or anything that is offered to make a name for myself - but at the end of the day, i'm 31 at the end of the month - too old for making a name for myself, and my ears couldn't handle DJ'ing on a weekly basis anyway - so i'm happy as I am. I don't want to be the next Tiesto or the next Sasha - i'm happy regardless of whether i'm DJ'ing in front of 10 people or 1000 people.

iv been offered gigs, and people say i should play commercial, or play hard house and get more gigs, but im happy playing progressive, tech & peak time trance.

i dont have any issue in terms of doing warm up gigs, because its a challenge and this is generally how the dj ladder works.

i dont like the idea of doing the promoters job for them though.

[Ian_k]

Oh, and can I be cheeky, and suggest our beloved Jules? How he still gets so high in dj polls now is beyond me.

errrm you can suggest who you want, but i dont class jules as being in the premier league of dj's anymore. he's not a mega big bucks earner i dont think, doesnt command stupid fees.

with a bit of alternation to his sets, change of music style a bit, better set planning/flow and paying more attention to mixes, he could be absolutely spot on

[Number2Fan]

I think they're all great I'd do any one of them if I could, except Oakie, Fergie and Tiesto. :whistling:

And on the other note, I would play a bit of what someone asked for........I'd be happy playing stuff people were enjoying and I'd plop in a tune I loved here and there. Compromise so to speak. I don't care, but then I certainly am NO serious (snob) DJ I'm in fact no DJ at all now, but when I was I loved every minute of it, as long as the tunes were good ones I'd play them, and they were the best times I've ever had in my life!!

[Briggsy]

but I have to ask about PVD. Is he still playing all that crap?

Unfortunately, yes, all of those tunes are still regulars in his sets. They don't just come out occasionally - they're still almost guaranteed to be played when you go to see him. Its shocking. Every DJ has the odd favourite old tune that they drop more often than others - but they're pretty much still the backbone of PvD's sets.

Oh, and can I be cheeky, and suggest our beloved Jules? How he still gets so high in dj polls now is beyond me.

I guess yeah - although I don't think he's over-rated because nobody rates him highly any more. Everyone knows now that if they go to see Jules, its gonna be a hit-and-miss set.

[lennox2s2s]

Tiesto is dreadful in my opinion, seen him twice before and I would have been better off listening to one of his cd's as he packed both sets with his own material. His mixing is not the best also, he seems to mix tracks together that dont match in any respect.

But in fairness I would imagine that he is seriously rich, he is packing Privilege every Monday night in Ibiza...must have a good business head or manager...its a shame his talent doesn'tI match

I can understand how PVD and Oakie are always in the top 10 of 100 DJ Mag poll

[Briggsy]

Tiesto must be minted - he drives an Aston Martin for starters

[Number2Fan]

I think they're all pretty minted!!

I suppose aswell though there has to be a DJ for everyone and certain types of people like certain types of DJ, when Tiesto first came on the scene he was relatively good, had a couple of good tunes about him, looked a big ugly but then became the beer boys next step after Jules, whereas PVD took the Jules fans that had got in touch with their feminine side, then Eddie appeared and people who wanted it to stay a little more banging went that way, and the guys who were slightly duller in personality liked Armin, all of those DJ's were much cooler to say you liked than Jules.

But were pretty much playing the same kinda thing!!!

No ... I know... I'll be quiet!

EDIT* But also don't forget, NONE of them were exactly hard up living on the bread line in the first place!!! That's one of the reasons they were able to fly high so quickly once it all hit the mainstream!!

That's what I think anyway.

[lennox2s2s]

Out of interest where do you reckon Tiesto lives as he seems to be always touring the world if you check his DJ schedule, This is funny for any one interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UBoGSjEXQg&feature=related

[Number2Fan]

There's a Hungarian word for ' Blimey! ' :mrgreen:

I like that reporter!!

[kml]

Judge Jules?

[Briggsy]

Out of interest where do you reckon Tiesto lives

He still lives in Holland mate

[dj9928]

To be honest Judge Jules. Sorry but he doesn't cut the mustard anymore. Which is a damn shame, He used to be so good.

[Ian_k]

he hasnt cut it for a good year or 2

[Simcut]

Oakie (he was a god pre 2002 but since too much cocaine's f***** up his DJ'ing skills!)

PVD (overrated to the max, major ego too)

Tiesto - agree with the others 100%, used to love his old productions though, but he's majorly overrated

Doesnt it just p*** you off where some people are booked on their productions alone, not on their DJ'ing "skill", Sean Tyas is a perfect example of this :/

[Briggsy]

PVD (overrated to the max, major ego too)

I'm glad someone else agrees with me. I have never ever rated PvD as a DJ. I don't even think his productions are anything special either - For An Angel was his biggest tune, but compared to many other tunes around back then, it was average.

Doesnt it just p*** you off where some people are booked on their productions alone, not on their DJ'ing "skill", Sean Tyas is a perfect example of this :/

Yeah, I agree with that entirely too. To be fair, Tyas can be superb on his day - but he's so hit and miss. He was amazing at Escape Into The Park last year, and then a month later at Global, he was crap. I think Tyas's problem is that he likes his drink and gets a bit carried away before/during his set.

What annoys me is when you see all these producers in the top 100 DJ poll. Everyone has voted for their favourite producers rather than their favourite DJ's - and then because they're in the top 100, promotors book them.

[lennox2s2s]

Tiesto - agree with the others 100%, used to love his old productions though, but he's majorly overrated

Tiesto - Urbain Train is still one of my favorite tracks from the last 8 or 9 years, absolute quality track, his productions have went down hill since.

[Briggsy]

Tiesto - Urbain Train is still one of my favorite tracks from the last 8 or 9 years, absolute quality track, his productions have went down hill since.

Traffic was decent, and Lethal Industry was OK too - but after that, they went crap. I think thats when Montana stopped producing for him though and someone else took over.