Dj's At Festivals - Why Do They Get Such Good Billing?

[Mattk]

I actually like a lot of the stuff by the likes of Calvin Harris or David Guetta but don't see why they get such good billing at Festivals.
They are simply playing their own pre-recordings after all which quite frankly pretty much anyone could do! I think they should be filler whilst proper acts are getting ready at best.

As best I can tell all they do is turn the volume down every now and then so that the crowd can interact.

Its probably a generational thing!

[douglas9401]

People are stupid and will whoop for who or what everybody else whoops for. It snowballs from there.

[Mattk]

Calvin Harris headlined at V !

[shanehh]

You clearly do not understand electronic music at all...a genre of which Calvin Harris and David Guetta are poor examples.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAagkcFHzOs

[Mattk]

"You clearly do not understand electronic music at all"

Who mentioned electronic music? My problem is that DJ's simply play pre-recorded songs which is hardly headline-worthy in my eyes.

Also I don't claim to 'understand' it but have probably been lisetning to it since way before you were born (I am a Kraftwerk fan - the Grandaddies of electronic music).

[jd_1984]

Festivals do attract a diverse range of acts but the above mentioned Guetta and Calvin Harris will attract a huge following regardless of whether they play live or simply play their own recordings. Also, other artists like to colaborate with these artists which increases the popularity of the tracks produced. I agree it is a generational thing, look at the average age of a festival go-er. Having said that, Mumford and Sons headline Glastonbury, a band a miilion miles away from David Guetta in terms of style, but with just as much appeal

[andy-hughes]

Live dance DJ's attract the audiences, and therefore billing, based on their ability to 'read' a crowd and play music that reflects their taste.

Anyone can play a selection of dance music to a crowd.

The skill is assessing what the crowd enjoy, and then manipulating the atmosphere of the night by raising and lowering that expectation, and thus providing a unique experience for every different audience on any given night.

It is a considerable skill, which is why 'name' DJ's are famous, and attract the fees and billing status that they do.

It is a generational thing, insofar as it does not appeal to me in the slightest, but I completely understand how it works, and why it does appeal to festival and dance crowds.