When did the DJ become the Main Character? | Voltage Labs

Comments · 301

• SH

  @shahi3m · 1 month ago

  “Which DJ are you going to see?” instead of “Which DJ are you going to hear?” - a powerful contrast..

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• DA

  @damosk1 · 1 month ago (edited)

  I remember the good old days, when DJ’s were tucked away up in a DJ booth killing it, with space to work and nobody posing behind them. The crowd just danced crazy, loving the tunes and each other. Not a mobile phone in sight. If you got a good glimpse of the DJ and you were lucky enough to lock eyes for second, a simple smile or a nod felt like a special moment. But most of the time they were too busy rifling through their vinyl or beat matching the next track to notice you gurning up at the booth. <br><br>Back in the early to mid-90s we went to the club. Yes we knew what nights were gonna play the kind of music we liked and if you were lucky enough to live in a city where the best DJ’s that played the music you loved visited regularly, then chances are they most likely played at the clubs you went to. I saw Carl Cox, Jeff Mills, Dave Clarke, Billy Nasty, Sven Vath, Laurent Garnier, Plastikman, Dave Angel, Carl Craig and Andrew Weatherall to name but a few. Many multiple times. But I don’t recall every planning to actual go see any of them play. They just all played at the clubs I went to on a regular basis. <br><br>And usually we were so out of it and consumed by dancing and vibing with those around us that we were often unaware when they had started their set, usually only fully aware that it was definitely who we thought it was at 6am, when the lights came up and we got one final tune to celebrate the DJ and another banging set!<br><br>And please don’t ask me for photographic evidence… because I literally don’t have a single photo of those nights. I used to think it was a shame that we didn’t have camera phones back then, because it would be nice to trigger some memories, but now I’m glad I don’t. What happened in the club, stayed in the club and that was part of the magic that kept you going back, week after week. Well that and the Doves! 😂<br><br>Big up the Final Frontier at Club UK crew! ❤

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• MA

  @markmckinney4149 · 1 month ago (edited)

  One of the things that attracted me to the scene back in the day was because everyone seemed to lose their ego for a night. That &apos;random bloke giving you a light because you lost your lighter earlier in the night&apos; was just as important as the DJ. There were no &apos;main characters&apos; back then. Internet culture killed all that.

  92

• DO

  @DocScott31 · 1 month ago (edited)

  I’ve been DJ&apos;ing for almost 40 years, the visual performance of certain DJs (constantly waving and point at the crowd) and the crowd all facing the same way are 2 of the worst things to happen to the scene. We lost something along the way.

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• YI

  @yiorgos_fil · 1 month ago

  Every crowd gets the &quot;DJ&quot; that they deserve.

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• NG

  @NgaTaeOfficial · 1 month ago

  First DJ: “Wanna go to the movies tonight?”<br><br>Second DJ: “I dunno, who’s the projectionist?”

  108

• KO

  @Koṇāgamana108 · 1 month ago

  I found over the years the local DJs developed massive egos, they would hardly even talk to you. Then I met some producers from the UK when they were travelling, they actually had time for a conversation, which I appreciated immensely.

  3

• WI

  @windoee · 1 month ago

  I love that when you have tekkno raves the DJ is furthest from the stage, you almost don&apos;t know who is playing, the main attraction is the sound system.

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• RD

  @Rd11987 · 1 month ago

  In Australia, DJs from overseas are coming here and are increasingly treated like we’re attending a concert. It’s expensive tickets, not held in a club, and after that DJ is done the lights go up and everyone has to go (and it’s still so early).

  24

• ID

  @IdoSchacham · 1 month ago

  That would be amazing to get back to obscured DJ booths

  1

• SU

  @SuspiciousMud · 1 month ago (edited)

  It sucks because it also attracts mainly people who are comfortable with performing. The scene loses all the introvert people, artists that propose somethings different. less focus on the person that is performing

  21

• AL

  @Alice_Ravven · 1 month ago

  My favourite local DJ who&apos;s been a cornerstone of our city&apos;s music scene for almost 30 years wears a hoodie that says &quot;DJs should be heard and not seen&quot; 🤝🏻

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