You don't have it?

So, we're out playing a wedding reception and this little girl, maybe 5 or 6, walks up and requests a song that neither of us had ever heard of and certainly

didn't have in the library. It was some "kid song" and not really something that would have fit the mix anyway, so we just told her we didn't have it. Her instaneous response was "Can't you just download it?" This little incident underscores the fact that DJs, as well as cover bands, are now being expected to play (in the case of DJs) or fake (if you're in a band) anything the crowd wants. While bands typically get fewer "on the fly requests" than DJs, there are those who use their break time between sets to go online and, log into YouTube, and try to learn anything they may have had a request for during the first set—and if they can't remember the lyrics, they simply sing them with iPhone in hand. Check out this video from French tv where Will.I.Am uses his phone as a handy teleprompter.

For DJs, telling a client "Sorry, I don't have that" is an admission that they are simply ot of touch with the technology. There will, of course, always be those requests that simply don't fit the mix or event, but being able to go online and purchase that "special request" that you do not have has value that goes way beyond the .99 it costs to get the track.

Links:

Megaseg.com