I used to be sort of snobbish/condescending about DJs. Partly because I don't go to clubs so I never saw what a good one could do. Seeing the DVD "Scratch" really opened my eyes and I have a lot more respect for good ones now. It is too complex a scene to make a simple judgment; but first of all ask yourself this: would you rather listen to (e.g.) an incredible DJ or a crappy acoustic guitar player? DJs who spin others' records never take credit (that I know of) for PRODUCING those records and indeed it doesn't even seem to be important to them. Cheating is taking credit for other peoples' work. Incorporating other peoples' work into good art/music is the way much if not all art and music has progressed...
Back to Live. Related to this is a great show I saw of Electric Skychurch. It's just a guy with an MC909 or something and a girl who sings, dances and plays a bit of djembe, but for as simple as it is they really blast out some amazing energy. The guy Jim Lumb gave a Live demo at NAMM or something last year and was talking about using it instead of the boxes he had been.
an interesting observation...
A common antipathy
Just about every single time a new technology comes about that does automatically what used to take skill and learning - people get up in arms. I worked at a camera store for a very long time, and there were always the old die-hard cynics who ridiculed the use of automatic SLRs in lieu of their manual counterparts. I think the main reason for this is that they are proud of the skills they have developed in being able to use a manual camera (which by the way isn't very difficult) and when they see people using automatic SLRs they think that a part of the art is lost on those people.
I started out using a manual camera, but once I got enough money I bought an awesome autofocus (the Canon elan 7e). The advantages were serious and things were easier to do, but I was still doing serious art. Without having to worry about taking time to adjust everything, I was free to be absorbed by my subject and devote all attention to it. I knew all of the skills involved with a manual SLR and could reproduce them more efficiently on a autofocus.
I think a similar thing happens with DJing - Conventional DJs see the Live DJs doing their thing whilst ignoring a great deal of what conventional DJs HAVE to pay attention to to do their job well. So I'm sure that in the eyes of a conventional DJ it would appear that Live DJs are somewhat of a copout. Fundamentally however, I think it just boils down to two different skill-sets. An awesome Live DJ will most certainly outperform a shitty Live DJ. And an awesome conventional DJ will also outperform a shitty Live DJ. What may however be the case is that a shitty Live DJ will outperform a shitty conventional one. I think this is what people get upset about.
Despite all this - skill is skill. What we have with Live sequencing instrument vs. turntables is just two different skill-sets. Live ain't cheating - it's just easier to sound kind of impressive with. The very skilled artists will define what a good live set is. Same with everything else.
Benny
I started out using a manual camera, but once I got enough money I bought an awesome autofocus (the Canon elan 7e). The advantages were serious and things were easier to do, but I was still doing serious art. Without having to worry about taking time to adjust everything, I was free to be absorbed by my subject and devote all attention to it. I knew all of the skills involved with a manual SLR and could reproduce them more efficiently on a autofocus.
I think a similar thing happens with DJing - Conventional DJs see the Live DJs doing their thing whilst ignoring a great deal of what conventional DJs HAVE to pay attention to to do their job well. So I'm sure that in the eyes of a conventional DJ it would appear that Live DJs are somewhat of a copout. Fundamentally however, I think it just boils down to two different skill-sets. An awesome Live DJ will most certainly outperform a shitty Live DJ. And an awesome conventional DJ will also outperform a shitty Live DJ. What may however be the case is that a shitty Live DJ will outperform a shitty conventional one. I think this is what people get upset about.
Despite all this - skill is skill. What we have with Live sequencing instrument vs. turntables is just two different skill-sets. Live ain't cheating - it's just easier to sound kind of impressive with. The very skilled artists will define what a good live set is. Same with everything else.
Benny