If you've been to a Ducks game in the past three years, you've heard Devin Christopher's work. As the primary in-game DJ, it was probably Christopher who selected and played the blaring rock music the team skated out to, or the song specifically chosen to rally the fans and players for a goal or a big save.
How does deejaying a Ducks game work?
It used to be the DJ would come in and just play. Now we have a lot of meetings. We talk about offensive songs, defensive songs, skits that might be done on the TV prompter out in the bowl, contests that might be held where we need a special bed [of music] that goes with it. It's the same with songs for the game—songs that go with what's happening.
So what you play over the course of the game changes?
Yeah. In the beginning we stick to what's traditionally hockey—rock & roll. They come out to some hard, banging metal music, punk music, rock & roll music, from AC/DC to Disturbed. But we've [also] mixed it within the last few years, playing current hip-hop and dance music.
Are there content considerations?
We'll definitely stay away from a song like "The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire, we don't need no water let the . . ." and your whole crowd would scream the rest of the term, but there's not many songs that have segues like that. We try not to have any songs that have any cuss words at all.
Ever get song requests from players?
A couple of players have said that they would love to come out onto the ice with a little more hip-hop. So a couple of years ago we started playing DMX, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, but even with Tupac there's only one song we can really play.
Is your job any different now that Disney doesn't own the team?
Nobody's made a single comment about the music. My philosophy was that it's hockey, but it's family and it's Disney, and it's kids. Let's not get to the point where we have to be told. Let's do our job beforehand, and if we're not told, we did a good job.
Do you play the chicken dance?
There's a reason why one of the directors will call it—a contest where one section will get all these chicken wing coupons. I've played it once so far this whole season. It's got to be rare or it loses its novelty.
Do you have a go-to song when all else fails?
More like a go-to group: AC/DC. I love AC/DC—everybody knows the words and everybody's going to like it.
It seems like you put a lot of thought into what you play.
Every song we have to really think. To me it has to have a journey, it has to have a path, but everybody's got to know it. But then, when we do it again the next week, the next month, we don't want to be doing the same songs every time and become predictable. Sometimes you hear a song and you're just driving and listening to it, but other times you're bobbing your head and you're tapping your foot. It's the song. You enjoy it.
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