DJ Shadow is among a handful of top-tier spinners in the world who make a true art of their craft, laying the groundwork for countless imitators in the EDM/DJ world. Yet operators of a club called Mansion in Miami kicked Shadow off the decks this past weekend for playing a set that was “too future” for the crowd.
Video footage below shows the DJ – real name Josh Davis – being approached by a promoter during a spin of Krampfhaft’s "Spit Thunder," The DJ addresses the crowd moments later, saying: “I’ve waited a long time to play here, but they said this shit is too future for all y’all.” He was then replaced by DJ No Máz, a relative unknown with limited capability.
Shadow later took to Twitter to clear the air “I don’t care if I get kicked out of every rich kid club on the planet. I will never sacrifice my integrity as a DJ…ever. Ironically it was drum and bass that broke the camel's back(!) Note to self…play more drum and bass!!!"
It's a damning diagnosis of social decay in Miami's scene when a world-renowned DJ who has hardly made a single misstep in his long and illustrious career is kicked offstage by spoiled kids with the cultural awareness of a gnat, attention span of a goldfish and taste barometer of a "Teen Mom" addict.
This isn't the first time a DJ has been booted in Mansion, either. According to NME (whose transcription abilities are sorely lacking), the club has a history of booting DJs. House DJ Dennis Ferrer had reportedly his set cut short for not being “commercial” enough. In other words, if you're not a sludgy brostep bandwagoner in the Southeast, it's best to stay home.
Update: Friday morning, Mansion Nightclub issued a public apology:
