Why are there so few bands / performances in MJ?

[MartinHarper]

Originally Posted by Lynn

I think that is a big issue - they cost a lot more than a DJ and most of the time the dancers would be just as happy with a DJ.

So on Wednesday I went to a dance with a live band with a $4 admission. Small local three-piece. I think they played for free - one of them owned the bar in question.

I came to the conclusion that it really is all about the speed. Lindy folks can dance to most tempos (particularly if you add Balboa and Blues into the mix), so the scene can get any local band in, put them on a stage, and it will more-or-less work. That makes things easy, cheap, and safe.

While I'm still amazed that there are bands out there that just won't follow the instructions of the organiser, the fact that instructions need to be given in the first place makes things harder, and the fact that the band can clear the floor by playing the wrong music makes things riskier. It also means you can't book free/cheap bands - whether that be student bands or groups of friends or whatever. If a band only has a repertoire of 20 songs, it won't be able to handle losing 15 of them because they're too fast or too slow.

Of all those things, I'm guessing risk is the big one. It probably doesn't take more than a couple of times of being burned for an organiser, or dancer, to decide to stick to DJed music.

[ducasi]

Perhaps it's because, like dancing, it's sometimes harder to play slow than fast.

It must be harder to disguise your mistakes when each note has to last longer before the next one is played.

[TA Guy]

Originally Posted by ducasi

Perhaps it's because, like dancing, it's sometimes harder to play slow than fast.

It must be harder to disguise your mistakes when each note has to last longer before the next one is played.

Good try, but no apple

Personally, I love a live band set, the Jive Aces at Storm I were one of the highlights of that weekender for me, Drifters at Breeze II were pretty good too. Locally, we've had all the usual bands, The Rubettes, silly party bands, Rufus Stone, Robbie Williams (OK, that last one is a lie ). All kinds, to many to list. And all of them have been very danceable.

In the end, it comes down to the organiser. If a band won't play as you wish, you find out at the booking stage. Worse kind of organiser in this instant are those who 'hope' it'll be alright on the nght. It often isn't.

No MJ organiser would book an unknown or stubborn 'play what I want' DJ, so why they should do it with live bands beats me.

[Sheepman]

It seems everyone has forgotten about Jive Party, who are still running monthly MJ band nights, and have done since the early '90s.
From what I remember though, their DJ only nights were the most popular amongst the dancers.

It was live music that got me into dancing, and I've often danced to live music enjoying interpreting those differences when the band is playing a cover.
But I've also often sat out, because the music isn't right for dancing, nowadays I want the variety of music that can only come from (certain) DJs.

Greg

[sidney]

A group of us went to Coventry last thursday to a mj freestyle with jive ace playing, and they played great music to dance to all night, the floor was packed plus you had the lindy crowd there who were up for having a go with mj and us having a go with the lindy. I got to dance with the guys who are dead friendly and the music the dj played for the rest of the night was just fab, all in all a great atmosphere, so it can work when you get the right band, and I have seen them about five times in five years, and they always look like they still really enjoying themself's plus I got my massage.