Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[Excalibur]

Had a tough booking last night. It was a 50th Birthday Party
At times I felt like I was talking to myself. I asked for requests a number of times and didn't get one all night.
I played everything that I could think of that would work. Classics, New Stuff, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, Motown, Ska, Northern Soul.....

I could see people reacting positively to certain songs I played whilst chatting at the bar and around the venue

Thankfully for me, I've been doing this job long enough to know that there wasn't a lot more I could have done. Around 80 guests in the end with 90% of them being middle aged blokes who were big drinkers and not dancers.

Now that I've selected the matching items: Snap! 50th Birthday in a local rugby club, for an equally laid back fella. For two hours, nothing, although I could see lots of reaction, especially in the queue for the ( excellent ) hog roast.
Managed to move them with a couple of hours to go, and from then on, the dancefloor had two states. Rammed and empty. Either no room for any more, or absolute No half measures. Client was happy enough, but it should have been better.

The night was significant for a couple of reasons. First up, a client who had read the contract. Birthday boy's wife comes up at the atart with an envelope containing the balance of the fee, and says" here you are, it said you had to have this at the beginning ". Wow!
Secondly, I must avoid loading the van up too early, cos I forgot the overhead and uprights. Worse than that, I forgot the mic stand!!
Fortunately, I was able to place the Teutonic powerbar on a tripod, and two lasers on top of that, no problem. One of the lasers has lost half it's memory, and keeps forgetting what it should do next, so that's due a trip to the menders, if it's still under warranty. Ah well.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Did my first ever freebie for the special needs school I teach in last night. Apparently I was "co-organiser" but given that me and one of the senior management team booked the hall and put posters up, there wasn't much in the way of organisation to do.

Was just a wee fundraiser in a local hall.

Small set up and my brother (he works there too) helped me set up so we rocked in at 6.45 and had the tunes and lights going by 7.

I'd been pretty much dreading it to be honest - special needs kids being what they are, there was a lot of propensity for the night to descent into chaos but the kids were absolutely brilliant.

It was all very much your cack of the day for the most part - Katy Perry, 1D, The Wanted and so on but the kids lapped it up and it was great to see them having such a great time when I know the kind of challenges they face on a daily basis.

The woman I'd apparently organised it with said I should put cards down on the tables. I never do that anyway - if someone wants a card they can come and ask for it, and not to sound arsey but as a fairly expensive wedding specialist and the majority of these folk coming from the local area (which is socially deprived to coin the current parlance) it's not really the crowd I cater to and I doubt anyone there would pay what I usually charge.

With that being said, one of the parents who is getting married soon asked for a card and a woman I used to work beside in a bar has a daughter at the school asked if I'd DJ at her 40th in May so I might get some work from it.

The school gave me a bottle of Glenfiddich for my troubles too. It might be the Budweiser of single malts but it was a kind gesture and will be hammered into once all the nice whisky is done at my Burn's Supper next week.

That's me racked up some good karma for the week so I'm going to go out and be a total on the bevvy tonight to counter act it

[DiscoMagic]

Had an interested one last night. 21st with only music instruction - no cheese, no old stuff, mainly modern dancey clubby stuff and no D&B!

Sounds easy yeah??? Yeah, erm no...

Birthday had 8 friends turn up, the rest was family who weren't into dancing (another 25 people). Starting off with some clubby stuff and old school, and then veered towards mainstream chart. Dance floor empty. Put on the usual family floor pleasers like B.E.P.

Got a request for Ain't nobody Chaka Khan and the floor filled, I mean it was packed! Followed this with Girls Aloud as it was a "family anthem" the dance floor died! Honestly the people were up and down more times than a pogo stick, but I guest you can't win them all. And one of the friends came up at the end said that I was awesome which was nice.....

Set / track list here for those interested!!!

http://toastmasterinsurrey.co.uk/Amy%2021st.html

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Doesn't seem to be much continuity with your tracks? You seem to be jumping about all over the place at times!

Not the way I work, but then we're all different.

[ukpartydj]

Set / track list here for those interested!!!

http://toastmasterinsurrey.co.uk/Amy%2021st.html

Are you using traktor?
would like to know how you get tracklists from traktor if you are!

[Retrodisco]

Doesn't seem to be much continuity with your tracks? You seem to be jumping about all over the place at times!

Not the way I work, but then we're all different.

I was thinking the very same thing, that's all over the shop, but then if we were all the same, etc...

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Saturday I was at a local venue providing stage lighting for a night of live music. The event was called Punk & Disorderly and it was great.
Had an old skool kind of feel to it with lots of 'oldies' there.

Sunday I was at one of my residencies for a wedding fayre and it was a busy one. 5 confirmed bookings on the day and lots of enquiries.
Simple set up with the Equinox screens and uplighting.

Now a day of getting back to everyone.

[Excalibur]

Bit of a strange one on Saturday. Wedding in a Glof Club about an hour from me. Set off in good time in a howling gale. Arrived about an hour and a quarter before my start time, and was initially dismayed to see them all sat down. Fortunately, the room had a divider, and I was next door, so got the trolley into operation, and started bringing the kit in. In conversations with the bride earlier she'd expressed admiration for the "really bright lights " on the website. I decided to go the whole hog, and treat her and the guests to the Powerbar and two EFX500s. As things turned out, I was heavily overgunned in every department. The area with the dancefloor ( and bar ) was pretty tiny, and the DSB took up a lot of space, even with the little Epics beside it. If I'd known then what I know now, it would have been the mini Giraffe, two moonflowers, two Tripars, and the QTX. I'll explain.

I was booked from six thirty till eleven, and the groom handed me the balance of the fee as soon as I had set up. I got the music going around six fifteen, and I later learned that the guest list was comprised of fifty adults and thirty two ( noisy, boisterous ) young children. Thus, I kicked straight off with Gangnam style and more in that vein, and it was apparent that as expected many folk were heading home with the kiddiwinks shortly after the reception ended. They had had another family wedding the previous week, and it looked as if they didn't want another late night so soon. At seven thirty, I had less than twenty five adults, at eight I had barely half that, and at half eight, I was told I might as well pack up!! Bride and groom were very happy with my performance, and congratulated me more than once.

So, I packed up, raided the buffet, ( nearly took a doggy bag, cos there was an enormous amount left ) headed home, and was sat on the sofa with a coffee by ten thirty.

[Excalibur]

Had a hectic weekend in prospect, with a primary school disco on Thursday, ten year old birthday party/family party on Friday, with Karaoke, and an eleven year old one on Saturday.

That was before the storms Wednesday night. Thursday morning saw calls for fence repairs and tree clearing coming in. Coped with those no problem, and set off on my intended job. Then got a "Fire Engine* " call from a livestock farm, saying that some of his pigs now qualified as outdoor pigs, cos their shed had no roof any more! Cue some frantic repairs before heading home to load up with the mini kit for the school. Homemade mini booth, two actives, powerbar, VMS and laptop. Got into the house to discover our third power cut in two days, so quich wash and brush up, grabbed a bite in the village, and arrived at school in good time. No surprises there, finished at 7.30, set off to visit a wedding customer nearby. Had coffee and a chat there, collected deposit, and headed home. I was unsure whether we had power, and contemplated grabbibg a pizza, a pint or both on the way home. Did neither, and power was in fact still off! Grrr.

Friday was fractionally less hectic initially, but I was still pushed for time as I picked up John ( Twinspin ) to help me with the Karaoke requested for this one. The lad's an absolute star, played an absolute blinder. I can't thank him enough. There was a tea dance taking place in the venue, and we only got access shortly before our start time. Bit of a swine, as we now had the full DSB and karaoke kit. Room was laready dresed for the function, and we got thrown a lifeline by the arrival of "Puzzling Paul ", kiddies entertainer. Great bloke. We got fully rigged during his set, played some music while he did his balloon modelling finale for everyone, and then we had party games for all ages, birthday cake,and buffet. John started doing video disco, and it went down so well that we didn't get any karaoke requests. Customers and guests didn't have English as a first language, and a lot of confused conversations took place. Graet night though, due in no small part to John, thanks mate.

Saturday started with another urgent day job, which fortunately went astonishingly well. Was loaded up by dinner, ready for a ride off to York for the eleven year old one. Back to the mini rig again, with two lasers added. Good access, good night, and lots of impressed parents at the end, so hopefully may pick up a few from there.

Back home, and today has been officially declared a rest day. I'm too old for this game.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Did a mates engagement party last night. Had a good time but I must have been closing in on my record for daft guests.

1 Going to play Happy?
Me:I played it earlier on
1: Awww but I wasn't here play it again
Me: Well no one danced to it the first time so I'm not playing it again
1: But it's me and my mum's song (eh?)
Me: I'm sure plenty of folk have plenty of songs in here.
1: But it's me and my mums song!!!

2: Going to play Best Song Ever for my friends daughter?
Me: Sure no probs
(comes back an hour later)
2: Can you play Little Mix for her?
Me: Sure
2: By the way you played the wrong 1D song earlier.
Me: No I didn't, I played the Best Song Ever
2: Yeah but I asked for Story of My Life
Me: Nope - you asked for Best song ever and I cued it up as soon as you asked for it - it was definitely that one
2: No I asked for Story of My Life
Me: I wouldn't have played that and would have told you so....
2: Ohhhh, are you sure I asked for Best Song Ever?
Me: Yes.



I got a big number of the usual "can you play X" with 10 minutes to go.

No, I've been here all night. More to the point I've made numerous announcements to get requests in before the end of the night or else I won't be able to play them and no, sending your pal up to ask for the exact same song a minute after I've told you I don't have the time to is not going to work.

1st wedding of the year today in a marquee in Perthsire. It's pretty nice down here (touch wood) so hopefully it won't be too bad up there.