about the MCs and "speakers" between sets...

i'm a DJ so my bias is almost 100% in favor of music between sets... but i do understand and appreciate the value of disseminating certain information while the crowd is there... even when it seems a lot like preaching to the choir.

that said, i'd love less stumping and muttering from certain MCs (did someone say "Gadi Wad"?), and would really prefer speakers for the non-profits to be, um, better public speakers.

while it's easy to see that the speakers are enthusiastic, i don't always appreciate their delivery styles (yelling, for example, i would rather skip).

i suggest that approaching the crowd in a nice, friendly tone, and offering a brief summary of purpose and a means of gathering more information is the way to go. much more than that just annoys the people like me that come for music (even if the are for a good cause).

thanks/peace

Many of the speakers did in fact YELL into the microphone. It hurt my ears so bad I had to cover them up compeletely. I don't think they understood that the mircophone is amplified and there are 2 huge speakers pointed directly at us. Why oh why did they have to yell. It made me imediately not listen to what they had to say. I hope some of them read this and remember to not yell ever again into a microphone.

SR,

True....more attention is paid when you're not being yelled at!!

Ironically, when some people get handed a mike, they start yelling - ding dong, anyone home - that's why they handed you the mike....

Gadi Wad, ehh?

At least they didn't call him a Wod of Gum

i was just reviewing some field recordings last night and noticed this "gaddy wad" business. who was doing that intro? he had the most milquetoast voice and then couldnt even get the names straight? it would be funny if it werent so sad.

and worse than the yelling is the going on and on and on (and on) even in a low voice. cmon people, learn some basics: a short message is best. short and concise. dont just babble on down here in babylon.

one love
jah bill

wow i thought i was alone on this but man the mc on the village stage was not only loud but also very rude as he asked for some parents to get their lost kids,yes they lost them but c'mon.and then he not only announced the band that just finished playing,but he dissed them slandering them cause they played some minutes over or something then he talked for aother 10 minutes.who was this guy?

don't know who mo-hollah is talking about but jb that's our man Doug "The Muttering Machine" Green

and yes Zana this is part of what i was talking about

> why did they have to yell
> It made me imediately not listen to what they had to say

i would prefer that the mic is not handed to people who don't know how to use a mic or address a crowd.

i remember the guy on the village stage....I thought he was pretty good. don't remmeber him rambling on for too long. don't think he "dissed" any bands. i got the impression he was stoked to be there.

maybe he didn't need to be so harsh on the parents of the lost kid but you can't lose you kids....i thought he was pretty funny when he was talking about babysitting and charging $10 an hour.

i think he was a little bummed that he was experiencing the babysitting experience. he brought his own son out on Fathers day.....

well maybe it wasnt that bad but its nicer to adress the people in a more positive manner rather than coming straight rude boy.i just feel more irie at a show when the mc is vibing positive with the people not coming out with a mean mug.

Problem with the speakers is that they didn't figure out how to end their speeches beforehand, so they'd get to the end and then loop back to the top again, and in some cases three or four times. Public speaking is a skill.

Mr Gaddy Wadd was 'enunciated' by none other than Doug Green, AKA Mr. Babbles as he has become so intimatly known by the DJs.....hehehe

> Public speaking is a skill

yep.

can't remember who he was referring to - but the village stage dj did say something like .. give 'em a big hand even tho they played 10 minutes too long...
we have to keep on our schedule... not an exact quote but the sense of what he said. same day/time as the lost child incident. keep this guy off the stage please.

Somebody should have cranked up the compressors on the mc microphones. That would have kept the volume in the ballpark.

Dirtweed, that was the Village Stage MC, NOT the DJ. In fact, the DJ's had no mic Friday at the Village Stage.

Greetings all
I just got a call from a fellow poster telling me I should set the CD(record) in line,
He we go,
Yes I was one of the MC's on the Village stage ONLY Sat. for O-Maya, Hamsa Lila and Fermin then Anthony the DJ from Reno did the rest of the time.
I did get to deliver the lost wallet announcement and a guy from LA clamed it and the energy bar was great thanks,,
and I did get to throw off the stage the guy who was all over Ras Michael on Sun. that was fun..
My big treat of the whole festival was to see the expressions on the kids and parents faces who received Free Books on Sat. evening after the Parade.
Kids reading what a concept!!
I will see many of you at many different venues and lets kick it. 1st ones on me!!
Stop by the brewery any time for a beverage!! were open 362 days a year
Till our paths cross
Jah Guide
One love
Allan C.
Americana Stage at High Sierra This week,,,, see ya there,,,,

Greetings Allan - what brewery do you frequent? I like to visit many - my quest for the perfect beer! Peace and love at High Sierra, glad the books are getting 'round, seen? Keep up the great work!

Speaking of the village stage, did anyone notice when the ska tokyo band was playing, the speakers sounding like complete crap. I kept hearing a pop, like one of the front speakers was blown. It seems to happen every year, on sunday. Even at Ragga on da Rivah. Are sundays just to much for those little buggers.

spleece - you are right, my bad. certainly do not want to dis the djs who, i thought did a good job.

Just a note. I have been doing this, mc'ing, for 30 years now and would like to set the record straight.
A)If I mispronounced an artist's name, my apologies are given and due.
Re: DJs, In a late night venue the volume is between them, their audience and the cops, go for it. BUT, during a live show, they are not the main attraction. 1) we need to be able to communicate to each other on the stage to set up the next band. So, you see, I have one side saying I can't do my job well when it is so loud and the other saying it's my turn to be loud. It's all about respect. 2) Festivals are about creating community, so allow the audience to talk to each other by not pushing the sound limits. 3) a show must have a rhythm, ups and downs if you will, in energy.
C) I left RotR, my own decision, bacause it offered no further artistic challenges after 12 years. I felt the site was being over crowded. I do not approve of serving hard liquor to audiences. I will not introduce mysoginistic, homophobic or racist perfomers. Besides I had offers from many other events. RotR remains reggae's flagship event and continues to help many local non-profits.
D) Now that we're switching mc's around from stage to stage, I don't know who you are referring to re: lost children announcements. I invented the phrase "lost parents" 20 years ago, cause we have the kids, 90% of the time. I try and make a gentle reminder, "kids, tie glow sticks to your parents" because a child's safety is more important than a parents ego.

I welcome all feedback. Let's raise the level of discourse and refrain from any name calling, even though I kind of like Mr. Babbles, can I use it?....You can post your comments at my web site douggreenmc.com

hi Doug

thanks for the reply

i'm the one who wrote that original post (at the top, as "123"... hopefully it can be read in the tone intended, which was not pejorative. it's just my 2 cents which are often worth less than that.

i can appreciate where you are coming from. i think we see things just a little differently (i see the fest as more music-based, maybe you see the show as more cause- or information-based) but that's cool and we are in overall agreement.. and i think there's room for the DJs and MCs to reach out in all the ways that we want to.. in all the forms we can use (stage, speech, wax..).

hope all is cool on your side

peace

--

Ricky Trooper
Tony Matterhorn
Mighty Crown

Listen these guys if yuh wan hear screamin.

>nobody is coming to listion to these speakers. please keep the music going w/dj's & selectors^ as load as possible @all times unless the cops cum'again & want to hassle iNi then get sum1 on stage fast but besides that keep the tree huggers & such @ dem booth & let the good times roll!



-RASpects+

i have a recording of the mc yelling out-gadi wad- i belive its on briggy and carlton l. stage performance 04 at the very end of the set.
i agree on the less talking(or yelling for that matter)and more music from the selectors. information that these mcs are giving is good but should be kept short and sweet-
more music at music festivals!!!!!!!!!!
one love-juan love

DG sey: 1) we need to be able to communicate to each other on the stage to set up the next band. So, you see, I have one side saying I can't do my job well when it is so loud and the other saying it's my turn to be loud. It's all about respect.
................................................................................................

As I recall, they used to have some pretty loud DJ sets between acts at ROTR in the nineties...At least for me, some of those times were actually better then the live acts as you could dance with a big sound and big tunes with freedom of movement and not all crowded together stepping on each other's feet...
And, I dont think ROTR stage crew was having great difficulty setting up for the next band. No question they were able to manage with the music going loud.

Bring back the high volume DJ sets between live acts...at least part of the time.

I've been fortunate to have been one of the between set deejays the last two years. To me the role is to keep the vibes warm between sets, to feed the anticipation of a gathering crowd, and to keep things going afterwards for people who are dancing. In addition to inspiration, there's also a role for a little education, to play something maybe not commonly heard, maybe by an artist who has been forgotten or overlooked. Or sometimes to play something great, like hats off to the unknown deejay who played a killer set of Dennis Brown selections two years ago - this way at least Dennis' spirit is still at SNWMF.

On the other hand, sometimes the announcers are a little too full of themselves. Last year ine of the guys at The Village Stage was acting like he was asked to do half hour at the Improv, I literally expected him to pull up a stool as he stood up there and free-associated. This definitely was a crowd killer - people left en masse.

I guess thing would be if live acts, announcements, and between set music flowed together so well that folks would feel happy occupying their spot on the lawn for a whole evening.

wow i thought i was alone on this but man the mc on the village stage was not only loud but also very rude as he asked for some parents to get their lost kids,yes they lost them but c'mon.and then he not only announced the band that just finished playing,but he dissed them slandering them cause they played some minutes over or something then he talked for aother 10 minutes.who was this guy?

was that in 2004? friday ? after waiting to get in after the water main was hit by that truck?

Bring Back Muta as the special guest MC or how about Tommy Cowan
Yes Indeed