Bernhard Gehberger was exceptional at Carablanca last night. Super strong music, it engaged everyone and did a great job of delivering beautiful tandas, pacing the evening, and demanding and keeping the dancers' attention. I think it was brilliantly calculated for the crowd, which is always very mixed and can be difficult. It helped a lot that it wasn't too crowded (despite the large size of the hall, this milonga has problems when crowded). But there were some seriously good dancers there, and they were the loudest in the standing ovation he got at the end.
A friend who goes there told me he was also excellent at the Dome on Wednesday.
Here's a thought:
A change of priorities towards excellent DJing (like spending a lot more money on it) is the next step London needs to take. And I think there's a payoff lying on the table for the first milonga to deliver a consistently high level of competence, and take a big step up from there.
I agree with you he was great ... loved even his cortinas, all those south american cumbias...
ReplyDeletedamn - i missed it.
ReplyDeletebut i totally agree- london needs some dedecent DJing, and its the next natural step in competing milongas.
but the audience have to appreciate it- and that's where i have my doubts. if they can't tell the difference - they won't pay, and maybe even the DJs won't want to come.
@Maya: the cortinas made me happy, and towards the end a surprising number of people actually cleared the floor for them.
ReplyDelete@anonymous: That's what people have been assuming. But I think the money is there on the table. Tell your friends how to tell the difference.
"The problem with xyz is that they keep playing good music. I want to dance to it all. Which means I can't get any rest!"
ReplyDeleteA "complaint" I've heard, and indeed made, about DJs.
There's enough reasons already to stop you getting a dance in London. It'd be nice is the DJ wasn't one of them.
I know the converse is true - people have stopped going to certain milongas because of the DJ and indeed returned when the DJ changed.
Or as someone recently put it, "Why are we paying more for this! We should be paying less, half the music is ****!"
Bernhard did a brilliant job. I am totally with you on the subject of DJs. Too many organisers feel the need to DJ themselves when there are people who could do it much better. The main concern of an organiser shouldn't be saving money, or stroking their own ego, but delivering the best experience they can. Which means a good DJ is a must. Sadly, that seems to be the exception in the UK so far. It needs to change.
ReplyDelete@AW, I can't hear your accent - I need it for the dialect processor ;)
ReplyDeleteYou mean the delivery must be stronger? I wasn't clear enough? ;-)
ReplyDelete"Achtung, meine Damen und Herren! Things must change! Now!"
@AW hehehehe - certainly the fun level goes up dramatically when it does change. Here's hoping!
ReplyDelete"The main concern of an organiser shouldn't be saving money, or stroking their own ego, but delivering the best experience they can. Which means a good DJ is a must"
ReplyDeleteOnly sometimes. The best experience for most London milonga-goers is delivered by money spend instead on class teachers or exhibition dancers. Those whose enjoyment is increased more by a good DJ are in the minority.
So agree.
ReplyDeleteHe was a very good that made me want to dance at the end of a working day.
Thats very often not the case in London even with the so called "good" DJs.