My status as the ‘office DJ’ seems to be cemented. The latest commission is for our annual biggest-of-the-bigwigs convention, this year in Cape Cod. Sadly I’m not being flown out, box boy in tow, for a superstar set – I’ve been asked to provide a couple of CDs to play at the end-of-convention disco. I can just about imagine how drunken and ghastly this event is, but it’s not a pleasant effort. Anyway this is a golden opportunity to soundtrack (remotely) the social lives of 100 or so people in whose multiple hands my career prospects lie, who are letting off steam after a week of power cocktails and backstabbing. What goes on the discs?
I think what I’m aiming for is a disc or so of low-key but fairly well known stuff to provide background play, and then a disc for when the party gets hotter. Cheese is in: the object is for people to make fools of themselves, but only mildly. However this is not a wedding DJ set – nobody wants to hear “Brown Eyed Girl” again (oh, who am I kidding – but I’m not going to provide it). Pretty much any era is acceptable. Naughty lyrics are out, but other marginally subversive tactics would gladden my soul. The first song on the list is Bus Stop’s marvellous reworking of “Kung Fu Fighting”, to give you an idea of how high/low I’m aiming. So – any suggestions?