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not being able to pick your own music! :(
hey ladies!
so, i went and checked out the club im most interested in (www.bareelegancepgh.com) the other night. the club was beautiful, definitely lived up to its rep as the nicest club in the city, and there was a mixed crowd (kind of slow for this time of year, i was told). i was expecting the crowd to be mostly business men with a sprinkling of others, younger guys, couples, etc. and i didnt get a chance to ask about it, but it was actually just the opposite! lots of young guys who looked a lot like my boyfriend (think a little bit eminem-esque looking) ;) and guys who i assumed were steelers or whatever back in the VIP areas with only a few older, business-suit type gentlemen here n' there.
so this is the thing -- apparently, you can't pick your own music! and after reading numerous posts & articles on SW (if you fill your club with punk music, youre going to have a club full of punks, etc.) it seems the ever-popular top 40 hits arent the best music to be stripping to, and i totally agree with this! i, personally, would prefer 80s / classic rock, which would seem to appeal to a businessmen type crowd way more than 50 cent or whatever. but that was allllll that was being played! do you think they were playing that music to cater to the crowd? or the crowd was sticking around because of the music?
i dont know, maybe this is a silly question. i dont even know if im asking a question! i think im partially just venting. but yeah, this sucks! it was seriously just one rap song after another & thats all good & fine, i like all different types of music but if im going to be exotic dancing that's sure as hell not what id choose to do it to! if i start working there, should i maybe approach the DJ and tell him what id prefer, if possible, and kind of ask for some songs more in that genre & tip him a bit before hand.. .?
any suggestions / anyone else not able to pick their own songs?
:'( :'( :'( :'(
<3 TL
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
Hey! that sucks that you can't pick your own song...
at my last job we HAVE to pick our own music, if we don't bring in a cd than we have to pay the DJ extra so he can pick the song.
What strange is the club recently won't let us play "Gangsta rap" any more. Even though i love 80s rock(my fav) sometime hip hop is fun to dance to...
I would def ask the DJ it wouldn't hurt, thats his job to know what the girls want. If you don't like hip hop, ask for R&b
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
I also worked in a club where this was the norm. They had no DJ but instead some music player on a loop. It meant that whenver they called you onto stage, you never knew whether you would be dancing to badass rap or techno music. Although bothersome, I wouldn't have minded too much if the club had the earning capacity to counter this downfall, but it didn't and I left after 2 weeks.
The good thing is, at my current club (which is WAY busier and nicer in every way other than it's smaller) we don't have a DJ, BUT the barstaff still have time to be DJ for us and play our choice of music. Not only this, but they even announce us appropriately and very effectively on stage, something which never happened at the previous club I was at.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
bbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddd shit man
bbbaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddd
Dead man walking!!!!!!!!!:O
Your seeing the evolution of the industry IMO,your watching the death of the SC DJ.
Speak well of me at the funeral.}:D
What i see comming...
In many mid level,most top clubs,and all show bars,the SC DJ will be gone.
We will lose the option of picking the music format for the shitty job we have done the last few decades "collectivly" of tossing on whatever "we"wanted to hear,whatever "we"thought would get us laid,and whatever some 18 year old dancer wanted to hear,regardless of who the audience was in front of them.
Now some old,ex dj,will be sitting in an office across the country,deciding what songs, and in what order they should be played,for hundreds of clubs across the country.
The DJ will no longer be stuck in the booth but will now be on the floor full time with wireless mic in hand,like you,not knowing the song thats comming next.
They will be in the spotlight more then the girls,almost like a ring leader or carnival caller.They will be "On"every 3 mins.
On the good side,they will have to dress up and look sharp and I think only the best will survive.The dj who cant MC is a dieing breed.
Music computer programs,set formats like yours,dj booths that are seperated from custies and dancers,dj house tip out,etc.These are all leading to one thing,a change in the job slot description of SC DJ.
Sucks for me and my kind,but in the end,its actually going to be better for the girls on stage.
I would like to point out another side effect for the good.
A good dancer can dance to anything playing,make it look sexy,and make money doing it.
Granted,I usually say that to an entertainer as an excuse after i tossed on the wrong song,but in reality,its true.
A good dancer can dance to anything,doesnt matter what it is.
This way an entertainer is all but forced to dance to r/b,rock,country,etc.
This will add to the dancers bag of tricks and make her a more rounded performer.
I know it sucks,trust me its worse from my perch,but in the future,this kind of training will be a godsend and in the end,mean money for you because you can adapt well to a new club with a different format.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
sure, a good dancer _can_ dance to anything -- its not the dancing part thats really worrying me. as i said earlier, and i am by no means an expert -- i havent even danced yet (!) -- but just from the one article on SW that i referenced and numerous threads ive read on here, it seems that the middle aged men / businessmen, etc. (which was the crowd this club was said to be catering to) are less likely to be sitting around hoping to hear such music. am i wrong? maybe im just judging by my dads reaction to it when i turn on the radio or something? heh.
anyhow, thats not even my main concern. music has always been a very big part of my life & i always liked the idea of being able to incorporate songs i chose to help develope the character i would want to portray as an exotic dancer.. . whether its the DJ playing it or satallite radio set to top 40 hits, it kinda ruins that for me, personally. sure, i can dance to some ludacris or whatever, but its not going to enhance my 80s hair metal / madonna "like a virgin" look im going to try to have going, yaknowhatimeeean? :P
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
Thats odd. I mean I can dig on a DJ going with the crowd and that sounds like what he was doing. But the bottom line is, somewhere in that young crowd is a guy that likes classic rock, and that guy will wanna check you out more because you dug the same thing. Once again the re-enforces my thought that most djs suck ass and have no right in this biz.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
I've worked at 5 different clubs through out Queensland and haven't been able to pick my music at anyone. It's quite rare here (in qld anyways) that you can pick your own music. It does suck not knowing what will come on next and one minute you'll be dancing to a slow sensual song next an up tempo fast beat one! It's always just been on a computer playing randomly as well (except for one club minx occassionally the hostesses would get up and DJ) I'd love to be able to pick my own music!!
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
I won't work at a club I can't pick my music, ever again. The day all clubs (or at least all decent ones) are running a music loop, will be the day I'm out of this business.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
i never dance to rap. i've worked in clubs where that was what was mostly played. i cant move to it or britney spears. i'm a skinny lil pasty white tattooed chick- you tell me how silly it would look! what irritates me is when most djs look at me and think 'oh she must love marilyn manson and korn' which i dont! i like more underground stuff- most djs wont have it. i kinda like having my own music- if i'm off somewhere in the club where i cant hear the dj or i'm just not paying attention, i can recognize my music to tell me when i need to get on stage. sometimes it doesnt fit with the crowd (especially now that it's become way more of a rap place) but when something different is played, ears perks up and notice. maybe this isnt the right club for you- it sounds like the clientele arent what you want to deal with. i've had that issue.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
This is a demon I have been fighting for along time now. I , like a few other dj's here have watched the industry decline over the last decade. I personally think the dancers should have say so in what they dance to. I also agree with what Green said earlier " A good dancer can dance to anything playing,make it look sexy,and make money doing it." I do not think a dancer or entertainer should have total control of what is being played (that was a nightmare). There is a medium that does seem to work and they way I have had the most success with. The SC DJ has a very large responsability of (a) knowing what each girl likes to dance to, (b)knowing what will keep the customers in the club and spending money, and (c) keeping up on the latest music available. The DJ also has to know how to sell the entertainers (again the fall of the industry). The ladies I have worked with over the years have really turned me on to music I never knew existed and probably still wouldn't if not for them. The down side is when an entertainer comes to the both and ask for "November Rain", " Careless Whipser" and "Don't Cry" for her first set at 8PM on a Friday night. As far as computers go, this is the other downfall of the industry I think. DJ software is great and I have used it for many years. It's alot easier for me to carry an 250 Gig harddrive than 1000 cd's. LOL. However the holy internet has taken the fantasy out of the industry. To sum it up, yes entertainers should have say so in what is played in whatever club they work but they should also keep in mind the customers that frequent them. I could keep going but I'll leave it at this for now.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
I agree that dancers should have a say in their music, but keep the customers in mind as well. (Thereby choosing a song that can be equally enjoyable, as much as possible)Also, I agree that a good performer will be able to dance sexy to any song that is played. Only thing I would like to add is the feeling behind the songs that dancers love. As I am sure everyone knows, certain songs for us bring out our natural exotic energy. When I dance to a song I love, I am so happy. I express my self through the feelings that this music brings to me. The end result consists of a happy, confident, girl who is ready to leave the floor and make sales. Now with this change I just read about, I think I could handle it as long as the club is busy, I am making good money, and I atleast have SOME chances to dance and express myself through a song of my choice. For example, if I did 6 sets a night, I would like to choose atleast 2-3 of my songs per night. My whole reasoning for this is because my most treasured part of exotic dance is this feeling. I love to express my sexuality through dance. Some songs just do not bring me this motivation. I do not want to give this great feeling up.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
IMO, a good entertainer has a variety of music she dances to and is able to pick her music according to the crowd, and/or does a good enough combo of dancing and music to make it work when she's playing something the crowd may not necessarily like (ie, house music in a largely rap crowd). She will also know BETTER than to play any slow, sleepy, whiny, drippy, crying music on stage, EVER. She shouldn't have to always rely on a DJ to know what to play, she should have a clue herself!
Give me a roster of GOOD entertainers and all the DJ will ever have to do is push the damn play button every 3:30 as he announces the next girl.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
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Originally Posted by Bridgette
She will also know BETTER than to play any slow, sleepy, whiny, drippy, crying music on stage, EVER. She shouldn't have to always rely on a DJ to know what to play, she should have a clue herself!
No way,i dont agree,100% wrong,and its been a long proven track record within the last decades of the industry as proof.}:D
If you let the entertainers pick thier own music,whereas YOU may identify the crowd and play whats needed,more then 90% of those "Other" girls are going to play slow,sleepy,whiny,drippy,crying music.
Thats proven.
The solution was to set formats and have ONE person determine the music played on a nightly basis within a set format,in walks the professional DJ.
Problem is,any swingin dick can be a dj so our ranks are full of guys who suck major.
The fault lies with those guys,and the girls who insisted on playing oprah winfrey music to a room full of jerry springer fans.
Kenny G and Michael Bolton would have been HUGE in the strip club industry,as big as GnR or Lords of acid at least,if the music was left up to the girls.
Its a clear case of venus mars.
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Give me a roster of GOOD entertainers and all the DJ will ever have to do is push the damn play button every 3:30 as he announces the next girl.
well,im sure just about anyone with a roster of "GOOD"could do that.
Gimmie a roster of good entertainers,and i wont even need a dj.(been there,done that,many times)
Gimmie a roster with a few good ones,a few bad ones,a few new ones,and a few semi reliable ones,and im going to need someone to keep the constant flow of the show together,again,enter professional dj.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
Get over the DJ-god thing BG. I said a GOOD entertainer will know better than to play the slow crap, and she'll also know how to work her music with the crowd. Read dear.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
Ok you two, BEHAVE YOURSELVES!! I understand what both of you are trying to say, the two of you are sort of missing each others point.
Bridgette I agree that a "good entertainer" will know how to read the crowd and be able to pick the right music. I have worked with "good" entertainers and like I said in my post, a few of them have turned me on to some music I never heard of before. However here is the problem as it may be from the DJ/manager standpoint. If a DJ has 15 dancers on his shift and lets say 3 of the 15 are "good" entertainers. The other 12 are gonna play the slowest R&B song ever recorded that takes them the least amount of effort to make it look good. Don't get me wrong, the song they pick could be great for the right crowd at the right time but not in a room full of 25 -40 year old middle class america good ol boys all sporting Pantera and Slayer t'shirts and turning up longnecks like Budwieser was going out of business tomorrow. This is what happens about 98% of the time though.
So yes I agree with you Bridgette that a "good" entertainer will know what to ask for and when to ask for it and Green I agree that if dancers had 100% control of what was played it would be total and complete kaos.
Personally, I like to know what type of music the entertainer likes and try to work it in with the crowd (remember the customer comes first). I explain to alot of the ladies I work with that is there is something they really want to hear, get a customer to come over and request it (remember we're working for tips too). This seems to work really well and keeps everyone happy for a brief moment.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
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Originally Posted by Bridgette
Get over the DJ-god thing BG. I said a GOOD entertainer will know better than to play the slow crap, and she'll also know how to work her music with the crowd. Read dear.
DJ god im not,I would hate to think dancers would be killin chickens or something in my name,but im kinda fond of the idea of"hearing confessions" from strippers.}:D
Even you must admit,in MOST clubs,in MOST places in the world,MOST clubs are not made up with just MOSTLY "good"dancers.
I stick to my opinionated new math.
80% of females CANT do this.(walk the malls of america and take a gander,then you can agree with me)
20% of the females who can do this,IMO,only 5% know what the fuck they are doing and SHOULD be doing this.
So with my math,and a roster of 30+ girls,see the problem??
Would you agree or disagree with this dear?
Glad you think you know what your doing,but the other 15% of girls you work with also think they know what they are doing,and they request music also.
Dont thank a dj god,just thank god for a "good"dj to sort it all out for you.(that way,when your finished with your VIP's,and decide you want to get up on stage,there will be a show still going on for your return)
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Am i following along right? In regards to this thread so far, it was established that dancers (who know what they are doing)can work their own music well to the crowd,effectively pick out music the crowd would like at times, and be able to adjust to music that is not slow(sappy) and more easy to move to?
The dj's are able to take a dancers certain music styles into account, and pick songs for her that he feels would best suit the crowd as well? (Therefore trying their best to satisfy everyone involved ). I am a little tired tonight so I lost focus.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
Am i following along right? In regards to this thread so far, it was established that dancers (who know what they are doing)can work their own music well to the crowd,effectively pick out music the crowd would like at times, and be able to adjust to music that is not slow(sappy) and more easy to move to?
The dj's are able to take a dancers certain music styles into account, and pick songs for her that he feels would best suit the crowd as well? (Therefore trying their best to satisfy everyone involved ). I am a little tired tonight so I lost focus.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
The point I was making was that a "good" DJ along with "good" entertainers can really work a crowd when it comes to the choices in music. I relly love it though when the "good " entertainer screams "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT" at me from across the bar while she is on stage dancing to Black Sabbath - "Heaven and Hell" so I can reply to her usually over the mic "THE SONG THE GUY YOU ARE DANCING FOR PAID ME $5 TO PLAY" . The "good" DJ knows what to play and when to play it most of the time (yes we do on occasion slip up) and the "good" entertainer will know why a certain song or format is being played and work with it along with offering suggestions of what to play for her next set. As nice as it would be to work in the perfect club, with all "good" entertainers this will never happen so we just learn to deal with it, work together, and make as much as we can.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
BG, I don't know what you're being so argumentative about. We're in agreement that GOOD entertainers know what they're doing in regards to picking their own music. You said yourself if that's all we had to deal with, there'd be no need for a DJ at all! THAT is my whole point and glad we agree.
I don't feel the need to defend myself regarding whether I know what I'm doing, so quit trying to pick fights here babe.
You're bringing in an entirely different point about most dancers not really knowing what they're doing and hence the need for a DJ. Too bad most DJs suck some serious ass as well! I go back to one of my personal soapboxes: if clubs would do some training with girls the way they (the better ones at least) USED to, we'd have more girls who know wtf they're doing now, instead of a bunch of girls who grew up watching the crap on MTV and think anybody who can bootypop is a stripper. If clubs would do something more than simply check for ID and speed-skim over "the rules" with them before chucking them out on stage, we would ALL be a lot better off for it.
And hate, a GOOD entertainer doesn't scream across the room 'wtf is this shit" when you play something she doesn't like. She makes the most of it on stage then politely tells you later to please never play it for her again (and if the customer paid you $5 to play it, you'll happily accept a smaller tip from her as a reminder ;D ). GOOD DJs have 3x5 card files or computerized lists of what every girl in the club likes and doesn't like - and they use it.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
nuttin but lub for ya!!!!
We agree!!!!
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
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GOOD DJs have 3x5 card files or computerized lists of what every girl in the club likes and doesn't like - and they use it.
Meh..I just memorize them,lol. Hell at least I LOOK at them unlike some of the other schlubs I work with.
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And Bridgette, I agree a "Good " Entertainer does not scream across the room about anything, she does make the most of what is being played, and yes, by all means tell us when we paly something you prefer not to hear while you are on stage. In return we will try our best not to play songs you don't like when you get up there and try our best to help make you the most money possible in the course of the night. ( or day for some of us) Personally I keep the 3x5 cards in my head. I might forget your name but I hardly ever forget your music. LOL.
Remember this though, the dj at the club still has to answer to the manager/owner or whoever is in charge at the moment. A club I worked at a few years ago changed ownership, the new owner hated all rap and R&B and refused to have any of it played in his club yet he thinks Eminem is god and should be played religiously throughout the night. We seem to be in a catch 22 situation most of the time and a "good" entertainer will understand.
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
Yes, we all know about formats and arbitrary forbidding of musical genres in some clubs. GOOD entertainers know how to work with that too - IF it's financially beneficial for her to work there over a more leniently formatted club ;)
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Re: not being able to pick your own music! :(
thanks guys! a lot of good points have been made, and im not saying i'd be "good" or better than anyone else, but i definitely would not be playing the weepy drippy bs! i used to go to this one bar/club that had a theme night called "bareoke" (strippers & karaoke! so fun!) and every now & then the dancers would sing & you could bet that at least one duo of girls would sing "love is a river" -- ugh! haha. im sorry, but thats really not what i want to hear when im going out on a friday night to have fun! also, i used to organize an event at a local club around here & i often did a DJ set myself, so i do have some experience in reading a crowd & pleasing a crowd by way of music. i think it has to be a compromise between what the dancer wants and what the audience would want, when picking your own music .. . maybe?
anyways -- i can identify with the skinny white girl with tattoos angle, as thats going to be more of my angle as well. i just think id look kind of silly dancing to certain things. i dont know! we'll see.. . ;)