Over To You: Dealing With Requests From Drunken Teens At A House Party

Phil Morse | Founder & Tutor
Read time: 2 mins
Last updated 6 November, 2017

Drinking
“‘Ere mate, got any Smiths?” Can you help our reader with a strategy to deal with pushy and inappropriate music request from his drunken peers?

Digital DJ Tips forum member Brinkerz writes: “I have a house party that I’m going to be DJing at in the next month with about 150 schoolkids in my year. I’m thinking of doing around a two-hour set because people at parties like to have their early night playing what they want from YouTube and whatever, and I’ll DJ when people are starting to get more drunk.

“Now, the normal music we listen to at parties (unfortunately) is big room electro/progressive house, there’s no deep house, hip hop etc. I’m comfortable playing the big room etc but I’m concerned what I will do with requests. I have seen an article on here about how to deal with requests but I feel like I am in a different situation to that, because I am going to receive requests asking for the world’s shittiest songs like The Beatles or The Smiths that one or two people want on and everybody else is loving what is being played, and if you don’t play them they will literally do whatever they can to annoy you, and get angry at you – and it’s not like you can get rid of them and throw them out.

“Most of the guys there will understand my situation, but a lot of girls are like put this on, put that on and while you’re throwing this dirty tune with a mental drop they’re asking you to play some kind of acoustic guitar cover. I’m a 16 year old as well so I understand how everyone thinks. My friends say just tell them to piss off and that I’m DJing, but I would like to hear what you have to say. Any advice would be gratefully received!

Digital DJ Tips says:

Ha ha you make me feel old, it’s the first time I’ve heard The Beatles (1960s) and The Smiths (1980s) thrown together in the same sentence and written off as purveyors of “the world’s shittiest songs”!

Anyway, my first suggestion would be that as you’re having the old YouTube / anything goes “open format” section of the evening first, then advertise the type of set you’re playing later as a feature of the party – “Brinkerz Electro House Two-Hour Set” – on posters around the place or on the Facebook Event or something like that. If people know what you’re going to be playing, then you can point to the poster if they ask for something different.

I’m sure the readers will have lots more ideas for you, so let’s throw this one open to the floor.

So how do you deal with drunken requests at house parties? Please share your ideas, so Brinkerz can prepare himself for his party, in the comments.

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