Sitting high above the ice at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, Tom Grainger can see almost everything that goes on.
The media room (and food) are conveniently located to his right, the video replay booth is to his left and directly across from him sits the Victoria Royals hockey bench. He has the perfect view of both nets and thousands of people sitting below him as well.
Grainger, a West Shore resident and business teacher at Belmont secondary school, is the DJ for the Royals.
He is responsible for choosing the music in the arena during home games B次元官网网址� from goal songs to intermission music and tongue-in-cheek songs that come on during power plays or when the opposing team scores.
B次元官网网址淚 see my job as really to pump up the fans. Everything that I do is for the fans and to get them more engaged and active,B次元官网网址� said the 31-year-old. B次元官网网址淚 measure my success based on how involved the fans are in the game, how loud theyB次元官网网址檙e cheering.B次元官网网址�
Grainger has a computer with seven folders of roughly 1,000 songs to play in every situation, 300 of which are crowd favourites he constantly plays, including classic rock music from Metallica, Led Zeppelin and of course, Tom ConnorsB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淭he Hockey Song.B次元官网网址�
Grainger will play B次元官网网址淪ay it ainB次元官网网址檛 soB次元官网网址� by Weezer when the away team scores. HeB次元官网网址檒l play Miley CyrusB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淲recking BallB次元官网网址� if an opposing team player crashes into the Royals net minder, ACDCB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭hunderstruckB次元官网网址� before a penalty shot, or Carly Rae JepsenB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淐all me maybeB次元官网网址� if a call goes to video replay.
Grainger said the Royals players enjoy when he includes songs with their names, such as playing B次元官网网址�1994B次元官网网址� by Jason Aldean when defenseman Joe Hicketts scores or ACDCB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淏ig JackB次元官网网址� for winger Jack Walker. HeB次元官网网址檒l cycle through roughly 80 songs in one game.
Being a DJ is a talent Grainger learned during his time working in guest services on the Fantasmic! show in Disneyland in Florida while he completed his business degree at the University of Victoria.
Having grown up playing hockey in Sooke, his first DJ gig was with the Salmon Kings in the East Coast Hockey League.
Shortly after, he applied for the DJ job with the Royals and for the past 10 years, Grainger has been spinning the tunes audiences and players enjoy from game start to finish.
ItB次元官网网址檚 not just about playing certain songs, but having the music reflect how fans are feeling and contributing to the overall experience, Grainger said.
B次元官网网址淚f the fans are feeling a certain way during the game, then IB次元官网网址檒l pick a song based on that and try to really match the mood of the crowd,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of thought that goes into every song we play ... ItB次元官网网址檚 really rewarding when you put something on that matches the mood in the building and the crowd really gets into it.B次元官网网址�
However, some nights can be more challenging than others. Low-scoring games or games when the Royals are losing can be more difficult to get the crowd engaged, Grainger admitted.
B次元官网网址淚f itB次元官网网址檚 quiet in here, weB次元官网网址檒l play some clapping and organ bits to keep the fans engaged,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淥ur hope is that the fans will give the players the spark they need out on the ice.B次元官网网址�
Grainger is quick to credit the entertainment team with his success.
B次元官网网址淲e have an NHL-calibre game entertainment team and that makes it easier to come back every year,B次元官网网址� he said, adding the team also includes the PA announcer, lighting person and game producer. B次元官网网址淲orking through everything during the game as a team is really cool and I think because weB次元官网网址檙e such a strong team, weB次元官网网址檙e able to do some really cool things.B次元官网网址�
Up next, Grainger is gearing up for the most exciting time in WHL hockey B次元官网网址� the playoffs.
He said the music will be more dramatic to match the level of excitement in the arena.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
