Now this is live

Here’s a glimpse of Run-D.M.C. performing live on Graffiti Rock in 1984. This is seriously one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen – no exaggeration. Perhaps years of seeing mediocre live rap has jaded me but they are just a cut above. It actually looks like they’ve practised, the DJ and the MCs [*gasp*] are doing things that compliment each other (01.31) and both Run and DMC are delivering the lines like they mean it, rather than sloppily rambling off two verses before the DJ does a spinback and they go “YEAH!”.

Watch out for the popper in a white shirt who self consciously muscles in front centre in front of the camera as Jay start cueing up the record as well. It’s hilarious.

Unexpected reaction to Leona Lewis

Last night I DJed a Christmas party for a sports club I go to. The whole night was a great laugh and it was fun trying to keep up with people’s expectations of what to play.

All this week I’ve been getting used to Traktor, which is a DJ software allowing you to play digital files off your computer using your old vinyl turntables. This technology is called a digital vinyl system (DVS) and is pretty common but like everything I’m behind the curve.

One cool feature is that it automatically sorts your tracks by BPM, meaning it can show you that tracks you never thought would go together are actually at the same or similar speeds. I was messing about blending various songs with predictably carcrash results until I tried Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love into Run-D.M.C’s Walk This Way. On paper it’s a nightmare but I assure you: IT WORKS!

After a few at the party last night I decided to try it in front of an audience to see if it would play and it killed! Having said that, I might have mistaken the cries of admiration for cries of relief that Leona Lewis had finished.

I’ll try and record a quick sample and bung it up here.