You know this is nothing new. DJs first appeared in discos in the late 70s and also took many jobs away from live bands.

During the 70s the UK Musicians Union tried to block the use of synthesizers in union controlled venues saying that the synthesizer was taking away musicians jobs by imitating other instruments.

Live bands can also point the finger at OMBs as many gigs and weddings etc. can hire a OMB at a lower rate than they would have previously paid for a full live band.

It is simply changing times adapting to new technologies and tastes. It has been that way before and will still be in the future. There really is little to gained by being concerned about it just simply adapt and try to survive. Sorta like a musical version of "Death Of A Salesman" where Willy Loman is a musician

Hip Hop and Electronica are fundamentally digitally contructed forms of music using sequencing and sample loops so can't be performed faithfully live anyway. Even the artists that perform this music live depend on computers provding much of the backing on stage. The wedding reception that chooses to use a hip hop or electronica DJ was never going to hire you to play anyway, your material isn't their taste. So you didn't lose that job to a DJ ... it was never yours to lose. If you see more and more of these jobs being filled by DJs it just means there are more people whose taste isn't something you can satisfy. That simply is life.



[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 08-08-2010).]