Danno13
28-10-2007, 01:30 PM
I've had a couple of weeks off from gigs due to my birthday, and not having any bookings last week, but this weekend was back into it, with Friday and Saturday gigs.
Friday: 21st Birthday (courtesy of Jamie, cheers mate ;) )- arrived 2 hours before i'm due to start, as I thought i'd put up a nice big rig.. but as usual there's not enough room and turns out its mainly for family anyway.. so not all that essential to have loads of lights etc. People started arriving around half 7, fairly full by half 8, but not much interest before the buffet. Couple of kids wanted cha cha slide, so did that and some pop/RnB (requested) and some 70s/80s party tracks.. but no-one really interested in dancing yet.
Buffet, cake etc. out the way by 10.30, and kicked off with some 80s party stuff.. whitney->billie jean.. not much interest so beatmixed into PCD - Don't Cha.. and full floor :) stuck with RnB for a while, then went to party stuff and had lots of family/older guests up. Then as usual, requests come flooding in for RnB (and speed garage, wtf???) from the younger lot.. back to that... not as many dancers (but the lads nodding about trying to look cool), so back to party stuff after 20mins or so and everyone back up again.
Fairly packed floor for the rest of the night with usual party stuff and some Killers, Fratellis etc. Birthday girl asks for "loads of dirty dancing music", so stick the 10min megamix on off one of the Mastermix CDs.. jammed packed floor, probably busiest of the whole night, then shake a tailfeather, grease megamix, oops upside your head (request), i will survive, raining men, everybody needs somebody.. finish with don't stop me now and then angels.. shouts for one more, have to decline as manager said its a bang on 1am finish.. then said manager comes up and says I can do one more, as long as its "are you ready for love".. fair enough, more dancing then finish.
So a pretty sucessful night, although I've been suffering with a cough and sore throat for the last few days, and hardly had any voice left by the end of the night.. back home for 3am, and up at 9 for a morning setup 1h20mins drive away :mad: and voice is still bad.
Saturday (Wedding Reception): So I just finish setting up, and in walks the photographer.. thought he looked familiar, and then recognised the cameras.. (yes, i'm a geek) .. turns out he was the same photographer from Friday night, and he also recognised me by the lighting! (Didn't chat much on the friday as he was setup doing portraits at the other side of the room) Another bonus is he's there till late (well, left around 10pm..) that night, so gives me a card and says he'll email over some photos for me :approve:
I arrive back for 7pm, still on speeches and they finish about 7.30. Groom wants to do first dance at 8pm, which I didn't think was very likely.. and was right.. room isn't turned round till about 8.15 and people don't really drift back in till 8.30.. so first dance was just after then. First dance was Ramones - Baby I love you, loads of people joining in for the second half.. then second dance.. "don't go breaking my heart".. even more people.. then a nice full floor right up to the buffet at 10pm.
Groom had asked me to keep it going during the buffet (turned it down a bit.. but its a big, long room anyway..), so played some dodgy requests, Sun always shines on TV... worked ok, so played Simple minds, duran duran, then couple more awkward requests and some "not so good" tracks from B&G's suggestion list. Kicked off properly again at 10.30.. spinning around, then take that - shine, filled the floor nicely again. Then the usual - 70s disco, 80s, indie, ska, glam, 90s, bit of dance, and don't stop me now as the final track of the night.
Another good night, B&G really pleased as were their parents (tip from the father of the bride biggrin.gif ) and lots of other thank yous. My voice never really recovered, but still managed to use the mic ok.. just not as much as I normally would.
So all in all a great weekend, and nice to be back out again :)
Here's a video collage I knocked up quickly in movie maker, not good enough for my website or anything like that though...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PuJNrP_j-M
Friday: 21st Birthday (courtesy of Jamie, cheers mate ;) )- arrived 2 hours before i'm due to start, as I thought i'd put up a nice big rig.. but as usual there's not enough room and turns out its mainly for family anyway.. so not all that essential to have loads of lights etc. People started arriving around half 7, fairly full by half 8, but not much interest before the buffet. Couple of kids wanted cha cha slide, so did that and some pop/RnB (requested) and some 70s/80s party tracks.. but no-one really interested in dancing yet.
Buffet, cake etc. out the way by 10.30, and kicked off with some 80s party stuff.. whitney->billie jean.. not much interest so beatmixed into PCD - Don't Cha.. and full floor :) stuck with RnB for a while, then went to party stuff and had lots of family/older guests up. Then as usual, requests come flooding in for RnB (and speed garage, wtf???) from the younger lot.. back to that... not as many dancers (but the lads nodding about trying to look cool), so back to party stuff after 20mins or so and everyone back up again.
Fairly packed floor for the rest of the night with usual party stuff and some Killers, Fratellis etc. Birthday girl asks for "loads of dirty dancing music", so stick the 10min megamix on off one of the Mastermix CDs.. jammed packed floor, probably busiest of the whole night, then shake a tailfeather, grease megamix, oops upside your head (request), i will survive, raining men, everybody needs somebody.. finish with don't stop me now and then angels.. shouts for one more, have to decline as manager said its a bang on 1am finish.. then said manager comes up and says I can do one more, as long as its "are you ready for love".. fair enough, more dancing then finish.
So a pretty sucessful night, although I've been suffering with a cough and sore throat for the last few days, and hardly had any voice left by the end of the night.. back home for 3am, and up at 9 for a morning setup 1h20mins drive away :mad: and voice is still bad.
Saturday (Wedding Reception): So I just finish setting up, and in walks the photographer.. thought he looked familiar, and then recognised the cameras.. (yes, i'm a geek) .. turns out he was the same photographer from Friday night, and he also recognised me by the lighting! (Didn't chat much on the friday as he was setup doing portraits at the other side of the room) Another bonus is he's there till late (well, left around 10pm..) that night, so gives me a card and says he'll email over some photos for me :approve:
I arrive back for 7pm, still on speeches and they finish about 7.30. Groom wants to do first dance at 8pm, which I didn't think was very likely.. and was right.. room isn't turned round till about 8.15 and people don't really drift back in till 8.30.. so first dance was just after then. First dance was Ramones - Baby I love you, loads of people joining in for the second half.. then second dance.. "don't go breaking my heart".. even more people.. then a nice full floor right up to the buffet at 10pm.
Groom had asked me to keep it going during the buffet (turned it down a bit.. but its a big, long room anyway..), so played some dodgy requests, Sun always shines on TV... worked ok, so played Simple minds, duran duran, then couple more awkward requests and some "not so good" tracks from B&G's suggestion list. Kicked off properly again at 10.30.. spinning around, then take that - shine, filled the floor nicely again. Then the usual - 70s disco, 80s, indie, ska, glam, 90s, bit of dance, and don't stop me now as the final track of the night.
Another good night, B&G really pleased as were their parents (tip from the father of the bride biggrin.gif ) and lots of other thank yous. My voice never really recovered, but still managed to use the mic ok.. just not as much as I normally would.
So all in all a great weekend, and nice to be back out again :)
Here's a video collage I knocked up quickly in movie maker, not good enough for my website or anything like that though...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PuJNrP_j-M