DJ To Charge Punters Asking For 'Mr Brightside'

Someone is not feeling so bright, with a UK DJ vowing to introduce a fine for punters asking him to spin Mr Brightside.

In a recent interview with the Daily Gazette, Colin Gingell-Good (aka DJ Pressplay) explains that he now displays “tongue-in-cheek” signs at the Coda nightclub in Colchester, London. The sign is there, Gingell-Good says, to deter those who “don’t take no for an answer”.

“The majority of people request songs they personally love,” Gingell-Good said. “But it doesn’t always fit the vibe of the night or the crowd.”

The DJ mentioned, for example, no Foo Fighters or anything rock or metal on a disco and soul night.

To combat the most insistent of fan requests, Gingell-Good has hung up a sign that contains a “song price list” for “overplayed” songs in the UK, including Sex On Fire by Kings Of Leon (£250 per play, $476), Wonderwall by Oasis (£500 per play, approximately $950), and The Killers’ smash hit Mr Brightside (£1,000 per play, $1,900).

You can view the sign below.

In another interview with BBC News, Gingell-Good claimed that since the sign went up, he’s no longer receiving requests to spin Mr Brightside.

“In a bit of a tongue-in-cheek kind of joke, I’ve put this sign up,” the DJ said. “It’s more of a polite notice that if you’re going to come up and not take no for an answer… then I’m going to pretend I’m going to charge you for it.

“Strangely, since I’ve put my sign up, I’ve not had one single person request Mr Brightside.”

Maybe Gingell-Good is onto something. Despite Mr Brightside being officially released in 2003 — it’s The Killers’ debut single and smash hit from their 2004 debut album, Hot Fuss — the song still appears on the ARIA (and Spotify) charts.

On this week’s ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart, Mr Brightside is #48 and remains on the chart for its 119th week. The song was at #56 last week and has been certified 19 times platinum in Australia at the time of writing.

@thekillers check out Colchesters finest #DJPressPlay aka Colin Gingell who plays at Coda in the High St, is making the headlines with his tongue in cheek request prices 😎🤘🎧 pic.twitter.com/p1qWdEZFee

— Colchester & East Anglia Music Scene (@MusicLoverCO1) June 18, 2024