I might have seen that 1995 incident with Jon Williams. Over the years, I've seen several turntable-divers. This may be more of a west coast thing, because we have always favored putting the turntables on the floor with the crowd rather than in a booth or up on a stage. Most people are very good about not getting too close to the gear, but it does provide opportunity for those who are little too twisted . . .
by the way, the practice of putting the DJ in with the crowd is probably the reason I returned to DJing (and many others got started), because you get a chance to see what is actually going on and learn a bit about mixing styles. Of course, the downside is the rubberneckers who stand completely still and watch every little movement the DJ makes (in awe or catatonia, I'm never sure which). Which completely dampens the vibe, naturally. I mean, go ahead and take a look, but standing there completely still for half an hour while someone is trying to move a crowd? I haven't seen this for years, but some DJs would tape over the record labels to stop the constant trainspotting (and sometimes set stealing) that was going on when this scene was really breaking out in a big way. fred
