TheSamba.com :: View topic - Is music at VW Shows to cheesy? How do you break in as a DJ?

Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:05 am

I am a DJ/Producer trying to break into the VW show scene, is my music cool enough? It seems most of the music at VW shows is mostly rock and DJ's play the ubiquitous and in my view boring house/trance/techno. I have a blog where i am trying to create a perfect VW playlist, but dont want anything to obvious (The Who's Magic bus, the beach boys etc) Despite loving my dubstep, hip hop and grime ; i think that modern music spoils the vibe when driving in heritage buses, bugs.

I have posted my mixes (free downloads) here : http://barbarathevwbus.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/beats-for-vw-bus.html

and would welcome any suggestions for my playlist trying to avoid the obvious Beach Boys, The Who's 'Magic Bus' etc

Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:17 am

When you have large crowds you will always play music that someone doesn't like.

Personally I find it more annoying then anything else as the show is usually a chance to socialize and talk. Can't do that with music blairing.

I'd rather listen to the music of a well tuned machine! Or even one running like crap.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:18 am

Just play the beetles and the busboys and you'll not get beat up too often. :D

Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:38 am

I find DJ's and/or bands at shows annoying.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:00 pm

I won't pretend that I know the why of it but it seems that "events" for some reason MUST HAVE MUSIC.

Why?

All through the 50's and 60's and well into the 70's when you had a picnic, you went outside, you heard the birds, you listened to the wind rustle the leaves on the trees, the creek babbled and gurgled over the rocks nearby.

Today? It seems that the youth of America, teens, 20's and even the 30 somethings MUST HAVE MUSIC!!

Hiking in the woods, they must have ear buds in blasting some sort of music. Whatever the activity it seems that music is a must have. It is in car shows for sure. Used to be a band would come and play or an oldies group would give some atmosphere but not the canned crap blasting so loud you can't talk.

Anyway, that's my rant on music at any event, I think if an Air Cooled VW show feels it must have music, it should be golden oldies reflecting the era in which the car sold and thrived.

Sorry, I'm not a fan of your chosen occupation, I agree with Doc, DJ events are most often just annoying and loud. Just turn it off and let us hear the world around us and the music it creates on its own.
If you want music, turn on the radio in your car, if you want outside music go to a concert somewhere.

I'm old, I admit it. We've (the wife and I) got tickets to James Taylor at the Garden State Arts Center (PNC) for June of this year. That's music, real people singing real songs. We've been going to his concerts since he and Carly Simon were a pair and before those days!

Dave

Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:21 pm

50's music is the absolute worst. And every damn all car show plays it, it seems. i'd rather hear nothing.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:47 pm

Agreed.
50's music makes me sick. It has just been played way too much.

Country sucks unless your at the swap spot that's selling tractor parts.

"Rock" is too diverse to please everyone. Lots of stink-foot lefties mixed in the VW crowd anyway. I'm not even sure sure what "Rock" music really is anymore. The Beatles? Aerosmith? You can have them both. They're just the next genre of overplayed 50's music of the future.

The music people usually would like to hear is probably inappropriate for the age diversity anyway, so going back to the previous comments, the sounds of the vehicles is the music that is shared by all.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:58 pm

Yeah. Turn it down. A little background music is okay, but cranking up somebody else's idea of what's "cool" is just annoying.
A VW crowd is a very broad spectrum of people and you'll never get a play list that won't annoy someone.

I'd be perfectly happy if a show had no music at all.

I do kinda like it when someone plays a acoustic guitar, usually some kid with a crappy bay window van.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:50 pm

Reading back through this post something struck me.

If I drive an hour or more in my 55 to a show, it's so noisy inside I probably wouldn't hear any music anyway for several hours!

Wed Apr 04, 2012 7:53 pm

djkeev wrote: I won't pretend that I know the why of it but it seems that "events" for some reason MUST HAVE MUSIC.

Why?

All through the 50's and 60's and well into the 70's when you had a picnic, you went outside, you heard the birds, you listened to the wind rustle the leaves on the trees, the creek babbled and gurgled over the rocks nearby.

Today? It seems that the youth of America, teens, 20's and even the 30 somethings MUST HAVE MUSIC!!

Hiking in the woods, they must have ear buds in blasting some sort of music. Whatever the activity it seems that music is a must have. It is in car shows for sure. Used to be a band would come and play or an oldies group would give some atmosphere but not the canned crap blasting so loud you can't talk.

Anyway, that's my rant on music at any event, I think if an Air Cooled VW show feels it must have music, it should be golden oldies reflecting the era in which the car sold and thrived.

Sorry, I'm not a fan of your chosen occupation, I agree with Doc, DJ events are most often just annoying and loud. Just turn it off and let us hear the world around us and the music it creates on its own.
If you want music, turn on the radio in your car, if you want outside music go to a concert somewhere.

I'm old, I admit it. We've (the wife and I) got tickets to James Taylor at the Garden State Arts Center (PNC) for June of this year. That's music, real people singing real songs. We've been going to his concerts since he and Carly Simon were a pair and before those days!

Dave
Bargain basement Andy Rooney.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 8:25 pm

Polkas, Bier, und Lederhosen.

Oh, and maybe some Goetterdaemmerung for good measure.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 8:26 pm

djkeev wrote: I won't pretend that I know the why of it but it seems that "events" for some reason MUST HAVE MUSIC.

Why?

All through the 50's and 60's and well into the 70's when you had a picnic, you went outside, you heard the birds, you listened to the wind rustle the leaves on the trees, the creek babbled and gurgled over the rocks nearby.

Today? It seems that the youth of America, teens, 20's and even the 30 somethings MUST HAVE MUSIC!!

Hiking in the woods, they must have ear buds in blasting some sort of music. Whatever the activity it seems that music is a must have. It is in car shows for sure. Used to be a band would come and play or an oldies group would give some atmosphere but not the canned crap blasting so loud you can't talk.

Anyway, that's my rant on music at any event, I think if an Air Cooled VW show feels it must have music, it should be golden oldies reflecting the era in which the car sold and thrived.

Sorry, I'm not a fan of your chosen occupation, I agree with Doc, DJ events are most often just annoying and loud. Just turn it off and let us hear the world around us and the music it creates on its own.
If you want music, turn on the radio in your car, if you want outside music go to a concert somewhere.

I'm old, I admit it. We've (the wife and I) got tickets to James Taylor at the Garden State Arts Center (PNC) for June of this year. That's music, real people singing real songs. We've been going to his concerts since he and Carly Simon were a pair and before those days!

Dave

Blame Ben Selvin.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 8:39 pm

I have to disagree with opinions so far. Although I do agree the music can really hurt an event. I've noticed this is only if the music is too loud.

When the music is too loud it feels like someone is just yelling at you and it gets tiresome. It really does hinder conversations, especially when the speakers are really close to the vendors or swap.

I find that slower and more rhythmic music such as reggae is much more positively received.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:51 pm

Every car show organizer around here seems to feel the need to blast classic rock at high volumes.
No sir, I don't like it.

Thu Apr 05, 2012 3:56 am

The problem is you are playing(?) to a very diverse audience unless the show is specific. For example - customs show - 50's/60's work because the primary participant is around 60 years old. But a VW water-cooled is young guys, so some current metal and/or rap works. A VW show with a mix of water and AC - could get away with classic rock with a mix of older "newer" stuff like Sublime and Tool.

And the thing is, for some (like me) no music or something way in the background is perfect - could be Celine Dion or other crap since I am focused on the cars and am not listening anyway. On the other hand lots of folks work with tunes cranked all the time.

So - bottom line is that you can't wont please everyone, but tailoring to the demographic of the event is critical. And bag the DJ crap - learn how to play and start a real band :lol:

Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:00 am

agreed. i'd rather hear a band then a dj IF the show really need to have music.

Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:18 am

I'd rather hear the noise of the air-coolers going down the track.....music to my ears. Of course the occasional haggling of prices in the swap meet area.

Mark

Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:40 am

I'd prefer to hear a live band and the musicians could be vw owners showing their cars. An open jam, or a sort of talent contest.

Other than that, there's nothing wrong with a DJ, but I agree with the previous poster about playing music from the air cooled era.

Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:41 am

I am so sick of going to car shows and hearing 50's and 60's junk. That crap is soooooo worn out.

Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:58 am

80's "party music" is always cool. lislisa cultjam, new edition, thompson twins etc.