Discussions like this one always amuse me.
Let me share why.
You get the people who say
"I requested a song, & I never heard them play it"
Then you get the people who say:
"They play the same music over & over again..."
Then you get the people who complain about pop-music being used because it has a swear in it (which may or may not have been edited out).
Then you get the people suggesting the most random songs to be played here on this website... and not directly to the DJ themselves at the competitions.
So.. let's think about some things for a second.
If you had to DJ a
FIRST competition, would you conform to all the following??
A) Have 24 hours (minimum - three 8 hr days after all) of music available to you & never play a repeat.
B) Be able to satisfy everyone who made a request because they didn't hear a song you just played.
C) Not play songs that were staples in
FIRST multiple times. Ie:Sandstorm, Cotton-Eye Joe, (this year - Cupid Shuffle), or The Macerena - btw, when the heck is the last time you heard The Macerena outside a FIRST event - and no, weddings don't count! Seriously. 10 years ago??)
D) Play everything at a level of sound that would please everyone?
E) Have a fully screened music collection with songs seperated by edited & unedited versions?
F) Play a mix of songs from ones that will entertain & not offend people from ages <12 to about >90? Ya know, after all, even having music for all the very proud Grandmothers in the audience to enjoy is a good thing!
(Btw, have you seriously looked at the broad spectrum of people we have showing up at competitions nowadays?? It's awesome & crazy at the same time!)
G) Time every song perfectly to what is "supposed to happen" as we've come to expect it. Ie: Playing Thunderstruck anytime other than the finals. I personally like hearing that song during the practice rounds & qualifications of competition as well, & while I am kinda dissapointed to not hear it during finals, it's not assumed by every DJ.
H) Have a perfect music collection with every single song someone would come up with. - This is easier nowadays with online connections & streaming music from sites like iTunes & Rhapsody & what not, but not every DJ at events have an interenet connection available to them.
I) Play only the awards songs during awards time - because after all, we can't have repeats of songs now can we?
Ok... ::takes deep breath::
So.. long story short, if you can somehow magically satisfy every one of those requirements - then you my friend, should be the event DJ at every single competition.
Bottom line, just chill.
Adapt to the music, enjoy it, have fun, & remember, as much as the competitions are NOT about the robots which we spend 6 weeks building, it's even less about the music played at the competitions.
/rant
Oh, and if you DO hear a cool song you want to identify from an archived video of the webcast, post it here!
I've done it, & gotten the CD/
FIRST community to identify them for me & found some awesome music I had never heard of before!