Ah, the plight of a nightclub DJ. When you go see a rock band, you don’t ask them to play classical, nor do you ask a rap artist to sing country, right? But when it comes to DJs spinning in a club, not everyone’s gotten the memo that the talent behind the tables is there for a reason, a party, a purpose. Basically, this ain’t your cousin’s wedding, so stop with all the requests.

“I’m always amazed by how many different things a DJ booth brings out in people, from being über appreciative to über obnoxious,” says DJ 88, née Bree Cohen. And one stereotype never fails. “There’s always the drunk birthday girl,” says 88, who encountered another one just last week. “She was hammered already at 10:30 p.m., couldn’t walk in the heels she was in, spilling her drink and throwing a hissy fit about hearing ‘Birthday Sex.’” 88’s solution? Tell ’em she’ll try to work in their song and hope they go away before puking on the mixer.