live band vs dj?

[dancin/dj]

hello all, question.do you like a live band or dj? or both? when you go to a swing/wc swing dance. i dj in princeton nj last night in between the band ,i like the both myself :D .the band was smoking 8)

[Spitfire]

This is a subject that comes up from time to time.

I myself am not particular to whether the music is from a live band or a DJ, but when a dance features a live band there is generally a larger turnout then for music being played by a DJ.

[Swing Kitten]

Both have the real potential to be wonderful or painfully awful! I would perfer a good dj over a bad live band and vise versa.

As a whole however, I would be more attracted to a dance hosting a live band.

There's a certain energy a good live band brings-- it's happening in the here and now-- just like the dancing. There's something sorta fun when the singer flubs the second verse a bit and looks around to see if anyone noticed-- then sees that a few people did... it's just a different dynamic.

I like having a moment in between songs. This gives dancers time to find their next partner and/ or clear the floor befor the next song starts. DJ's could do this-- it's been my limited experience that they tend not to. One venue I attended the dj actually would slightly overlap several songs in a row.

A great advantage to a DJ'd dance is that we can dance to the sounds of Count Basie, Nat King Cole :swoon: (sorry-- had to through that one in there ;) ), and so many of the greats and a greater diversity in artists and music types.

-- Personally I'm not much of a fan of throughing in contemporary music into a dance. I know lots of people like it. My favorite music is swing/jazz and I'd actually perfer to listen to it the entire night. I realize I'm in the minority on this os I deal with it. Perhaps that's why I perfer live bands in that if they're playing a swing venue they are more likely to stick to just swing than a DJ perhaps. But then again, sometimes they play a cha cha then I take my water break. :shrug: It's all alright with me.

This is just my onpinion. I'd love to see what other people have to say about this topic! :D

[LindyQuest]

I agree - you can have both good and bad DJs and bands. In my experience, though, some of my best nights of dancing have been with live bands! :D
One of my very favorite dances, ever, was when I saw Barbara Morrison perform live in Oakland! Wow! Her energy was contagious - practically everyone was dancing non-stop all night long. This was only the third swing dance I had been to, and it really solidified my love for swing!!!

[Swing Kitten]

:D

I SO wanted to be at that weekend-- too bad it was the weekend after I flew back tob the east coast!! grrr...

[dancin/dj]

thanx for the replys, i like the live bands if there really good,dj ok , i dj,but like some of you have said if the band or dj stinks ahhhhhhhhhhhh,so if you have both that should cover all bases hopefully :wink:

[Swing Kitten]

unless they both suck then you just have to go!!! :lol: ;)

[Spitfire]

ahh rain... ...nature's car wash!

Oh, don't say that; I just washed my truck! :mrgreen:

[Swing Kitten]

ahh rain... ...nature's car wash!

Oh, don't say that; I just washed my truck! :mrgreen:

That's my point. :lol: why wash the car? if you wait long enough nature will do it for you ;)

[SDsalsaguy]

ahh rain... ...nature's car wash!

Oh, don't say that; I just washed my truck! :mrgreen:

That's my point. :lol: why wash the car? if you wait long enough nature will do it for you ;)
Remember where he lives SK! That might be one long wait! :lol:

[Swing Kitten]

oh :roll:

point taken

If' you've got a hose by all means... use it

[Diavo]

The biggest differential for me in live band vs DJ is price: I expect band dances to charge $10-$15 and DJ dances to be free < $5 < $10.
If a DJ dance is charging $10+ then there should be something special about it. :wink:
I just want to dance! As long as the music is swing then live doesn't matter (though live IS more fun)

--Diavo

[bgirlswinger]

Overall I love a live band. I have been to some big band events her ein Jacksonvilel and the music just drives yuo so much. I have also been to soem exchanges with live bands and that was good.

I do agree though that I would rather have a good d.j over a bad band and vise versa..

Now there are d.j.'s that are expensive to get, or they are known throughout the land. And that is becasue of the way they lay out the music, the type of music they play- be it post, pre or during the war- standard or crazy outlandish stuff- neo and such, the volume of their music or just how they present themselves. The same wit hthe band. but not so much. Wit hthe d.j. they aren't really doing anything new or exposing people to new things unless a d.j. comes in and plays stuff that the people haven't ever heard before.

It is cool when people do that.

THose are the people that I GO TO SEE WHEN THEY D.J,
THose are the D.j.'s I will travel to go to see like abdel pressume from Tampa.

Abdel is known all over the nation and he often goes to orlando once a month to do his sets. He have d.j'ed all over the nation for workshops, exchanges and dances.

[TemptressToo]

I personally like a live DJ. Especially when they are playing some of the originals. Bands are okay when they are decent. But not all are... ;)

[dancing_moogle]

For me it depends on the dance. Generally I like both DJ and live bands, but I like live bands in salsa clubs because they make dancing fun! I remember this one band who extended a merengue song. It gave me quite a workout *whew*! And I was laughing the whole night, it was so fun! :lol:

[Vince A]

Obviously, as a musician, I favor live bands.

I could really get into live Glenn Miller (I know, it won't happen) or Big Bad Voodoo Daddy for "real" WCS dancing, or R. Kelly or Prince playing live for contempo WCS dancing, or our band for blues WCS dancing.

I could dance to most music, but for strict club atmosphere, I prefer a DJ.

Competitions need DJ's for the sake of consistency, especially when there are many, many heats.

I LOVE MUSIC . . . live or Memorex!!!!!!

[dancin/dj]

Obviously, as a musician, I favor live bands.

I could really get into live Glenn Miller (I know, it won't happen) or Big Bad Voodoo Daddy for "real" WCS dancing, or R. Kelly or Prince playing live for contempo WCS dancing, or our band for blues WCS dancing.

I could dance to most music, but for strict club atmosphere, I prefer a DJ.

Competitions need DJ's for the sake of consistency, especially when there are many, many heats.

I LOVE MUSIC . . . live or Memorex!!!!!! hey vince i agree i favor bands since i've played in them off and on for 30 years-but since i dj also there both good, its a shame thats bands are not more versatile and open minded-because dj"s would not have as much as they do now :( oh well .

[DanceMentor]

I have to agree that dancing to a full orchestra is quite amazing. The most memerable event was the celebration of VE Day here in Atlanta at the Fox theater.

Most of the time I like the variety of a ballroom dance that is djed, but it is quite *******ing dance "live".