At what point are you too old to DJ?

I also think it helps that our generation has never really grown up. Acid house culture has been a great preserver of youthful exhuberence both musically and stylistically.

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Never too old as long as the tunes you are playing are aligned to the party and the crowd and are authentic. If you’re an older Dj playing upfront, hyper trendy tunes for the youth that you’ve got zero connection to it just won’t work and imo would be a bit desperate/sad. But there is nothing to stop older DJs having an authentic connection to new sounds and scenes and then being able to play those tunes.

Personally I love the depth of experience and musical knowledge an older DJ has. Hearing Danny Krivit when he’s on fire and you know he’s been there in New York all those years you feel a sense that his style and sound is just imbued with HISTORY. But then again I’m pretty fucking old nowadays myself.

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It’s when you rock up with the crate of 78s, and there’s no gramophone and the young folk won’t turn the volume down because it’s too loud to think and… I forget the rest.

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i’ve mentioned it in other threads too but:

when i was young i figured that there was a pipeline - you’d go from DJ to maybe remixer/producer to A&R or studio work to label management to something else. i was led to believe that at a certain age, or with enough experience, those who were a generation older than me would “get out of the way” and graduate to a new tastemaker space. i may have somewhat arrogantly thought that those DJs of a certain age were still trying to find their big break.

which is funny to me now, because all of the DJs that i grew up being really, really influenced by are basically - still DJing, still clever, still in love with it for the right reasons. i couldn’t tell you if doc martin or the wicked guys or all of the chicago folks or detroit folks attract a young crowd but i’m not sure it matters that much to them or anyone else. derrick carter is gonna be great for as long as he wants to be. i certainly don’t need him to retire just because there’s younger people who want the billing space.

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music is forevaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr

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Dixieland jazz will never die!

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And the discotheque booth doesn’t even have a proper pipe holder.

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That’s what I’m telling myself anyway :slightly_smiling_face:

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All about the context and person. I play at a venue regularly where a collective of young DJ’s, musicians and producers also play and hang out. One of the young DJ’s/musician started asking me to play when they had a session. And since then I am always on the bill with them. We get on just as if there is no real age difference, but I usually draw the line when I get invited back to the share house for shenanigans(usually). I’m 55 BTW.

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I turned 70 last year. I am not too old to DJ, but waaay too old - and happily married -to do any pulling! But I’ve considered myself a DJ for over 40 years now and had my moments of renown.

This does not mean I play out now ‘cos I live in a rural area, on an island at that, and local musical tastes do not correspond to mine. I tried it several times and it flopped every time. If I lived somewhere with a more musically sophisticated population (sorry, but that’s how I see it) I’d definitely be looking at gigging. Not quite sure how I’d frame it style and genrewise ‘cos I will admit to not being au courant in the slightest.

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Old DJs never die. They just spin away, mix out, segue to the run out groove, remix to eternity.

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See David Rodigan at 71:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfWKlZWqu96/
Who can raise to a clip of an older dj ?

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Is Junior Vasquez still doing the do?

He’s 73 now.

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When you can’t be fucked anymore, but definitely not when someone else tells you so

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Senior Vasquez.
Yes I am a dad.

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I DJ’d with “Japan’s oldest living DJ” in Osaka and can report you are never too old to be a deck hog.

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do tell!

I’ve already said too much, but it’s not Nori or anyone super-well known like that.

My dad had a party at his (art) studio and played only 78s, for his 78th. Pretty sure it was his first time

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When I was 45 I had a 45s party (and sent out the invites on old 7"s).
So saving this one up.
PS this is RAD

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