The first thing that matters about being a DJ is being in love with the music you play. You should love listening to it and be passionate about playing it for other people to experience and enjoy. This, I think, is what separates a good DJ apart from one who is clearly just in it because he needs a job. For instance, in my home town of Sheffield, England, there is a busy, themed city centre bar primarily targeting young people. The music is a mixture of recent chart entries with dance classics, but essentially in the disco-house vein of things. The DJ in this bar is one of many bad DJs I have heard playing in busy venues, and to be quite honest it puts me off going to that bar a little (although to be honest, the distinctly abysmal draught lager also figures in the equation!). He attempts to mix everything together, when he clearly hasn't even mastered the basic structure of dance music which allows proper mixing. He will match speeds as best he is able and just drop it in on any old beat he sees fit. The result is a pounding noise in your ear drums, which makes you cringe, and he doesn't seem to realise the crowd are unimpressed. Instead, he will leave the two playing until one runs out, or suddenly he will drop the original tune out of his mix. I may have to ask him for a tape to flatter him, just so I can bring you a clip on this page so you can experience this...........terror. The bar itself is not such a bad venue - nice decor, fairly roomy, decent crowd several nights per week - so quite how this guy has kept his job is something I'd like to take up with the manager/owner.