Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

Slick · 2012-03-05, 00:03:18

I've been curious to know what your opinions on MCs are. At some parties / festivals, there's someone talking over the microphone 'to keep the crowd going'. What's with that? Who started all this?

I hate them. It literally makes me think the party or festival is crap; a good DJ playing the right tunes will keep the crowd going. If you need some guy saying 'put your hands up' to make the party better, you're doing it all wrong. As you might notice, I don't think there's anything good about it, haha.

But for some reason, when I talk about it with my friends I'm one of the few who actually has 'problems' with this. When an MC says something, people go wild. Sure I don't have any problem with someone announcing the next DJ or anything like that but besides that I think it's not necessary and ruins the mood.

Last August I was at a festival where a guy stood on stage for 3 straight hours saying 'put your hands up', 'are you enjoying yourself?!' etc. once in a few minutes. He had his own nickname, got cut of by the DJ because he talked over the best part of a song - it was really embarrassing.

auxrevoir · 2012-03-05, 00:36:04

I think they go hand in hand with some genres. Mostly dubstep and grime. (Rod Azlan and SGT Pokes are perfect examples) Anything else and it's just painful... i cant imagine what i'd do if i heard some wanker talk over a set brodinski was playing, but without being culturally discriminative i think the USA do it alot. its all over the Shipfaced videos, fucking annoying.

bertal · 2012-03-05, 00:45:47

i guess it depends what genre of music.

Slick · 2012-03-05, 01:13:07

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that it was a house festival (afrojack/avicii type of music) in the Netherlands... Don't know anything about other countries.

What's so great about that MSTRKFT video? If you're in that crowd you probably won't hear anything he says so everyone just cheers and screams because well, everyone else is doing the same. I don't think it really matters, the music alone would've also made the crowd go wild.

I just remembered I liked Benga cheering up the crowd while Skream was DJ'ing.

Skelefunk · 2012-03-05, 01:36:57

they can make or ruin a night like any other aspect of a dj set really.

Bela · 2012-03-05, 09:31:45

(2012-03-05 01:36:57)Skelefunk Wrote: they can make or ruin a night like any other aspect of a dj set really.

Attack Yourself! · 2012-03-05, 12:44:28

Sometimes MCs can be decent, I saw Jakwob a while ago and his MC RoxXxan was actually good. But I've also seen sets where MCs have totally ruined it.

rollie · 2012-03-05, 13:50:22

There was a recorded set from Gui Borrato and some italian festival floating around which had an MC on which was about the worst use of an MC ever. Gui Borrato's stuff is complex, melodic, has vocals and really doesn't need some awful person screaming "yeah" "come on" and attempting to sing along to beautiful life. Never was much into MCs when I was more into DnB and other MC friendly styles - when it comes to house, techno, disco and the like they can definately go away please.

MAX TAPE · 2012-03-05, 13:51:49

Depends on the MC really. Bare big ups tbh.

Slick · 2012-03-05, 15:02:57

(2012-03-05 09:31:45)Bela Wrote:
(2012-03-05 01:36:57)Skelefunk Wrote: they can make or ruin a night like any other aspect of a dj set really.

Could you give me an example of a night that was better thanks to the MC?

John Thorp · 2012-03-05, 15:30:45

I've seen some great MCs really add something (just enough) to sets that focus on a funky or grime sound, but not exclusively, the MC just needs a decent sense of when to stop and start and also preferably of how the DJ mixes and the tracks work. Shadz, L-Vis 1990's original MC/vocalist is great, for example, and he ultimately plays between 120-130BPM.

Unfortunately, I saw Joy O last year with an MC who was great for the warm up, but when Joy started with what was mainly a house set, he still carried on, repeating "Yoyo, it's the Joy O!" FOR THE WHOLE SET. Really annoying.

Incidentally, I like the phrase, "Give it up for the sounds of..." That's a keeper. An MC can bring the crowd together.

murray888 · 2012-03-05, 15:56:45

As said, they can be a good or a bad thing.

I remember when UKG was losing popularity (around 2002 I guess) and I saw the Dream Team playing a house set and trying to MC all over it. It just didn't work at all.

Conversely, Script (who's currently MCing for Zinc) and Rod Aslan are belting.

sushilnash · 2012-03-05, 17:06:45

Personally I've never seen an MC add anything positive to the set and can't quite get my head around how an MC could ever make a set better. Maybe that's because I don't listen to the right music but they always just seem so ridiculous and annoying to me.

I remember the first time I witnessed an MC and me and my friend just looked at each other like "wtf is this guy doing and why is nobody stopping him?" Honestly thought it was some drunk punter who'd jumped onto the stage and thought he'd have a laugh. I still genuinely just don't get them at all.

Slick · 2012-03-05, 17:27:17

(2012-03-05 15:30:45)John Thorp Wrote: I've seen some great MCs really add something (just enough) to sets that focus on a funky or grime sound, but not exclusively, the MC just needs a decent sense of when to stop and start and also preferably of how the DJ mixes and the tracks work. Shadz, L-Vis 1990's original MC/vocalist is great, for example, and he ultimately plays between 120-130BPM.

Unfortunately, I saw Joy O last year with an MC who was great for the warm up, but when Joy started with what was mainly a house set, he still carried on, repeating "Yoyo, it's the Joy O!" FOR THE WHOLE SET. Really annoying.

Incidentally, I like the phrase, "Give it up for the sounds of..." That's a keeper. An MC can bring the crowd together.

True, there is one Dutch act called Baskerville and their vocalist also is sort of an MC. He just adds a lot of energy to the crowd, but that's also because he's not just standing there. Almost every other MC is just standing still, talking in the microphone every now and then and that's it.

Worst case scenario was when an MC asked for a sit-down... Crowd didn't get it, it wasn't the right track for it, it was really embarrassing.

Skelefunk · 2012-03-05, 17:31:34

(2012-03-05 15:02:57)Slick Wrote:
(2012-03-05 09:31:45)Bela Wrote:
(2012-03-05 01:36:57)Skelefunk Wrote: they can make or ruin a night like any other aspect of a dj set really.

Could you give me an example of a night that was better thanks to the MC?

If you watch any of the Boiler Rooms, the MCs usually bring a nice vibe, if a little overexcite-able sometimes. couldnt imagine a oneman set without asbo

aidan_h · 2012-03-05, 17:43:09

never seen oneman live then have you

ZILLO · 2012-03-05, 19:00:46

Beardyman is his own MC. He is a good example.

KADKAD · 2012-03-05, 20:17:38

good MCs are rare.

Newkid · 2012-03-05, 22:17:54

Recently I've seen Hot Chip DJ set with an MC. He was talking and shouting from time to time only tbh, but can you imagine haha? So poor. But I'm sure there are some who fit to the show, especially in 'higher BPM' music.

Boogie Time · 2012-03-06, 18:03:20

Most of the time they do my head in especially when they are much louder than the music, just sounds awful.

I did however once really enjoy an MC in more of a hypeman role for Tom Middleton at Bestival a few years back. He was mainly dancing on the raised area of the Arcadia but would chip in occasionaly with a few lines that I felt really complemented the set. No idea who he was unfortunately.

Patrick122 · 2012-03-06, 18:10:44

I have to say MCs within an EDM realm are rubbish.

I have Jamaican background and soundsystem culture wouldn't be what it is without a toast. Also, contemporary music would sound a million miles from what it does today if it wasn't for a certain MC by the name of Kool Herc.

You can't just say "MC's are shit".

CounTakeshi · 2012-03-06, 18:46:52

They are an absolute must and go hand in hand with DnB. Anything else it's just some twerp up on stage chatting shit.

John Thorp · 2012-03-06, 18:53:37

This thread is so white.

sixs · 2012-03-06, 19:10:34

(2012-03-05 17:43:09)aidan_h Wrote: never seen oneman live then have you

but ASBO's with him 90% of the time tho.

speaking of oneman, might be up for him on friday

Joben · 2012-03-07, 00:09:02

Can't stand boiler rooms with Asbo. Saw Oneman recently in Portsmouth, luckily without him. Great night