The Top 10 DJs in Second Life's Gay Scene - 2011

I've spent the last few weeks surveying 250 DJs from Second Life's gay club scene, asking them to pick their favourite DJs for a follow-up to last year's Top 10 list.

As with last year, voting was close, except for the front-runner, so several DJs have tied at different levels of the list.

A year is a long time in Second Life, so there have been some significant changes, with some names dropping off, and others rising to take their place.

Here are the top 10 DJs in the gay grid, followed by their DJ name, fan group name* and some brief commentary.

Equal tenth place:

• Jared Palianta (aka DJ Jared, Friends of DJ Jared): making his first appearance on the list. Jared DJs at Inferno, Tadd's Cabaret and Dance Club, The Rusty Nail and Club TBone
• Romeo Reardon (aka DJ Romeo Reardon, DJ Romeo Reardon): was a runner-up last year.
• ツTrickyツ (aka DJ Tricky, Dj Tricky Drool Mob): making his first appearance on the list. He DJs at Vibez, Bounce, Oceanstar Beach Club, and Unity... and helps manage at Oceanstar.

Equal ninth place:

• Ritch Nicholls (aka DJ Ritchie Rich, Ritch-a-Holics): making his first appearance on the list. Ritch DJs at Blu Dancebar, Gay Riviera Beach, Boystown Beach, SET Event Sound Stage Boystown, Cabria Party Zone.
• Šђěpĥėŗɗ (aka DJ Shepherd, DJ Shepherd): Shepherd DJs at Blu Dancebar and owns Pure Sound.

Eighth place:

• Sasch (Sasch Petrov) (aka DJ Sasch, * * * DJ SASCH GROUPIE * * *): Sasch DJs at Club TBone, Tainted Boys, Starfall, Studio 777, Chilipepper, Club Universal, AquA Lounge.

Equal seventh place:

• Arc (aka DJ Arc, DJ ARC): rose from runner-up last year. Arc DJs at Sanctuary, Q Lounge, The Den, The Forgotten, Retro-Active (Cabria Landing).
• Kaj Juutilainen (aka DJ Kaj, DJ Kaj's Groupies): Kaj DJs at Starfall and Aqua Lounge.

Sixth place:

• Merrick Kayo-Ying (aka DJ Merrick, Dial M for DJ Merrick): rising three places from ninth last year. Merrick DJs the Week-End Street Jam in Boystown.

Fifth place:

• Dextrum Boucher (aka DJ Dex, DJ Dex's Filth and Fury): Dex DJs at Blu Dancebar, Impulse and Gay Riviera Beach.

Fourth place:

• Dehrynn Shepherd (aka DJ Dehrynn, DJ Dehrynn): rose three places from seventh last year. Dehrynn owns and DJs at Starfall, and DJs at Jungleboys and The Black Dragon Tavern.

Third place:

• Wesley Spengler (aka DJ Wesley, DJ Wesley Spengler): rising two spots from fifth last year. Wes DJs at The Pavilion. He's the top real life DJ on the list.

Second place:

• Hotboy Lockjaw (aka DJ Hotboy, DJ HOTBOY): number two (with a bullet as he didn't appear on last year's list). Hotboy DJs at Folsom, Blow Buddies, Bull Ring, 3Bears Resort, The Barnyard, Teej's Castle, Honcho, Cox Leather and Hubs Cargo City.

First place:

• InsyX Piranha-Botanical (aka DJ InsyX, InsyX's Fan Club): for the second year running InsyX has easily topped the list. InsyX owns AquA Lounge and DJs there. He DJs at Arsenal, Milehigh Club, Engine Steampunk Gay Club, Hidden Door, Club TBone, Tainted Boys, Tadd's Cabaret and Dance Club, Jungleboys, 3Bears Resort, Inferno, and Club Universal...starting next Saturday he will add Impulse Club Splash.

Runners-up this year include ⒶⓁⒺⓍ, Cooper Janus, Dov Watanabe, Kev Anton, ɱɪƈɦєʅʌɲʛєʅσ, ოίκεdɐςσoκ, ...Regi Yifu..., Sy Whitesong, Thorn Andel, TinaMarie Beck, Tralos De la Cruz and Graves Bloodwyn.

*Unfortunately I had trouble linking to the fan groups this year, so you have to search for them yourself!