Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[Nakatomi]

Depends heavily on the controller and if the audio from the Mic is routed through VDJ as a separate input. On the Denon's, it's not, so the setting to control this behavior is in the controller.

Julian

Yup via the POST button on mc6000s. Not sure how to go about it on their other models though. Read the manual time

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Funnily enough - I'm the same now.
I've had MANY full time jobs from retail manger, to working in personal finance and for the past 20 years, a software developer.

Do you know what - doing what I do full time now as a wedding DJ knocks all of those into the park!

Yes, it's bloody tough at times. Yes, it's expensive and hard work to be self employed, and no, I don't earn what I used to earn.
BUT....I wouldn't change things for the world. For the first time in forever (kids' DJ's will get that one!), I'm actually happy and relaxed at doing what I do. I work 1, maybe 2 nights a week. I still feed the family, I still pay the bills.

The upside is that I'm nothing like as stressed as I used to be. I get to go out for a lunchtime walk with the better half. I get to decorate the house and do all of those jobs that I couldn't do in full time work.

What's not to like?

After leaving school, I went on a YTS scheme and did a painting & decorating course. I wasn't really interested to be totally honest with you, but it gave me some money in my pocket (I was 16, nearly 17). For a few years I was in the window fabrication trade, again....not interested in the slightest, but it was more money in my pocket.
My aspiration was to get into the music business, no matter what it was.
I joined a band, recorded a couple of singles and an album, got signed up and toured around the UK and Europe supporting decent acts at venues and festivals and I loved every minute of it because I had a passion for it. Being on stage in front of 30,000+ at a festival in Belgium is something I'll never forget. The problem was that I wasn't really earning any money out of it at the time and then came a difficult decision to stop. I left the band once we'd finished a full UK tour supporting The Levellers.

I then got into DJing and being a lot younger, I could handle both a full time job AND the DJ work. Then the DJ work became full time so I ended up working for a friend who ran his own DJ / Entertainment business. I learnt a lot from working for him for 5 years (and a LOT of that was how NOT to do things....For example: Not taking too much work on because the ££££ signs were addictive. Letting customers down with mediocre / poor standard DJ's who he hadn't vetted or seen perform before....the list goes on).

When I stopped working for him, I decided that I'd had enough of working for other people and I wanted to be my own boss. I wanted to become self employed and in February 2004 I registered myself self employed and set out to do what I loved full time. I'd say I STILL had that passion for DJing up until about a year ago. I've NEVER been bothered about what anybody else is doing. I've NEVER been bothered about so called competition or who has better kit than me, is better than me.....etc etc... All I do (or did), was get on with it and give those customers that booked me, the entertainment and value for money that they deserved.

What I am saying is that I have been my own boss on the full time DJ thing for 15 years. Nothing has stressed me out about it, nothing in particular has made me fall out of love with it..... I can't explain what it is, but I simply don't want to do it anymore.

Saying that though (and this isn't meant to come across as egotistic, because I am not like that), It IS a trade and it IS something that I know I could fall back into should I not want to continue doing what I am doing now, because I know I am pretty good at it. In truth, it is probably the only time I actually feel 100% confident in what I am doing.

Even though I haven't been DJing for a while, I still have a look on here almost daily. Since I moved house 3 years ago now, I have noticed how much things have changed and moved on.
Thinking about it now, one of the things that could be responsible for my lack of interest these days is just the way life is. One of the last gigs I did before I moved was at my residency and it was a wedding. I remember standing behind the decks, looking to my side and seeing a table of ten (18 - 25 year olds), all staring into their phone screens. NONE of them were talking to each other either! On the dance floor there were people (mainly women) dancing with their phones in their hands and then stopping to text etc...

Yes, you could adapt the attitude that "I'm getting paid for this, and there's a lot harder jobs out there", but does it make it enjoyable work when the majority (in this case) don't look the slightest bit interested? Do I want to go out in the freezing cold at this time of the year and stand there for 4 - 5 hours bored as hell. Ok, it's not always like that, we all know that, but it DOES happen because that's just life. I am STILL my own boss. I get in the van and know what I am doing, where I have to be and that's that. The only thing that is potentially stressful is the traffic and I don't let that get to me at all. It is then that I adapt the attitude that I am getting paid for driving and I could be doing something much harder. I don't have to put up with the attitudes of some people who think it's the end of the world when they don't get to hear the track they've requested for whatever reason.

....and Yes, I remember when I first started and went self employed as a DJ and it all started picking up, far quicker than I had expected. It was exciting and I loved the positive feedback from the customers because it was all down to ME and nobody else. 15 years later and I think I can look back and say that I did my bit. Would things be different if I hadn't moved away?
Probably yes. I would still be going out week in, week out. The break from it and change of scenery has obviously changed my outlook on the whole thing.

[Excalibur]

Gary, as long as you're happy doing what you're doing, then carry on. Obviously absence hasn't made the heart grow fonder in your case. Hope all goes well for you.

Mine last night was a join a party in an hotel near Wetherby, on behalf of another DJ/ Multi op. Access couldn't have been easier, park outside the fire doors, and effectively straight into the setup area. Nice staff, small intimate room, beautifully decorated. Last years functions had been less than magnificent, and new management were determined to pull out all the stops. Not sure I'd have gone with the horrible trumpets each guest had, nor the confetti cannons the size of artillery pieces on each table, but hey they don't tell me what music to play, I won't tell them how to run their hotel.

Standard event, one table came in well lubricated, and carried on drinking heavily. Very heavily. With only forty guests, that cut my dancefloor down a bit, and it never really caught light. I couldn't find any cast iron style of music to fill the floor, seemingly AOR and Christmas tunes worked best, but it wasn't easy. A 1am finish was too late for many, and after midnight, I was down effectively to one table of seven or eight. They proclaimed they were in it till the bitter end, and strangely, this turned out to be a good thing, as we went off in requestfest mode, until I closed with standard singalongs, Fairytale and White Christmas. They gave me lots of applause and compliments, and it gave a nice feel to the end.

Curate's egg really, but venue were happy, so that's good. Nice run home along the motorway, although I suspect that the gantry signs warning me of lowered speed limits and queuing traffic at 2.30am could probably have safely been turned off.

Birthday party tonight, almost a carbon copy of last Saturday, same venue, same times, let's hope for a great one.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I'm kind of in the same boat just now.

Scunnered with the amount of tax I need to pay so I'm upping my rates big time, I'll get pumped even more but work a lot less for it. Or that's the idea but tbh I don't feel that bothered if it works out or not which is probably a good indicator that I'm done with it.

It may pass and I love the performing part of it but I'm kind of done with everything else around the business and feel like if I let next the next year and a bit run its course (conveniently my bookings just now run up to just before the end of tax year 2021) and pull the shutters I won't be particularly sad.

[Excalibur]

Well with all this talk of retirement, I'd better say I plan to retire!

However, as we all know, the best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley. ( Think I bent rule 23 there, but I should get away with it, due to the ethnicity of high command ).

I retired aged about 25, and was inveigled back in a few years later as temporary cover by a colleague, and the fact that we now used little shiny things, instead of huge black discs. That was nice. I ended up gaining a residency in that incarnation, and had to form Excalibur to service that.

I then swore to retire at 50, and that didn't happen either. Earlier this year, the thought occurred that NYE 2019 would be a good time to call it a day, and bang on cue, the big July wedding I had booked was postponed to 2020. One of my regular customers turned to me at a gig and said " Whatever you do, don't retire"! Ah well.

Anyway, back to the story, Good Gig, bad gig.

Saturday saw me make an error early on, which I shouldn't have made. Same venue as week before, and same caterer, who said they'd see me at the same time. They turned up early ( as did I ) and left the door on the latch. I only found this out when the bar staff turned up and told me. I got set up in time, and was paid at the start. Female 40th birthday same as week before too, so very comfy. This one was a slow burner, and the buffet made it worse. The venue staff turned the bar lights off, so I turned off the buffet ones, and picked up the tempo. I thought we were going to go for 90s dance, as early requests went that way, then we swerved of into many avenues, including 70s Disco classics, a bit of Indie, Recent chart and all manner of varied stuff.

Curiously, guest numbers increased around 11pm, because the birthday girl's work colleagues had arrived after their works party. This led to more requests, and with the blessing of the venue staff, I gave them another half hour. Birthday girl's Mum ( paymaster) was very happy, so a good job done, and a happy DJ. Mr Jackson didn't turn up this week, as he too was on overtime, and fighting off groupies. I couldn't believe the change in the weather as I came out to load the van, howling gales and torrential rain. Tail end of a storm, apparently, as I found out when driving home through deep water and fallen trees! Made it safely, next week sees me at Forest Pines for a triple header. Bring it on.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Well whaddaya know, as with my last gig, as soon as I got up and running on Saturday I had a ball.

Really nice (if rather large) selection of tunes from B&G and it was a slow starter (more of a birthday vibe than a wedding imo) but we got there in the end. 1am finish and still had a really nice crowd at the death and not your usual absolutely wrecked and not wanting to go home mob.

We're looking to be mortgage free in about 3 years time (go horrible but tax free time working in Saudi Arabia!) so I might just see it out until then

[mattydj50]

Made it safely, next week sees me at Forest Pines for a triple header. Bring it on.

And most welcome you will be. I have a quadruple header there (with a one day break), as I seek to bail them out of another hole (though this one is not self inflicted).

[Excalibur]

And most welcome you will be.

Indeed. So far, my advance requirements for the first of them ( Danish wind energy company ) are Muppets Christmas songs, five microphones, and a Spice Girls Karaoke track. Nice easy night then.

[djdj]

Saturday saw me make an error early on, which I shouldn't have made. Same venue as week before, and same caterer, who said they'd see me at the same time. They turned up early ( as did I ) and left the door on the latch. I only found this out when the bar staff turned up and told me.

Serves you right for gloating about being able to get in early last week

Mr Jackson didn't turn up this week, as he too was on overtime, and fighting off groupies.

Apparently the Lady in question had left a note with the manager apologising for her behaviour

Thanks for your continuing assistance, my recent purchase means neither of us are retiring anytime soon

[Imagine]

Another night, another Christmas party - I'm getting bored of Mariah now

Unfortunately, the majority of my parties (four of them during the week), have been school discos which whilst a lot of fun, mean that I can't even publicise that I've actually been there due to various policies (only one of them will let me post anything to social media, and that's only to say I've been there - no photos etc).

I look really quiet on blogs and social media at the moment . But, I'd rather do 100 of these parties and be appreciated, than a load of adult/corporate Christmas parties where everyone's bladdered, thinks they're a DJ and....well, you've all seen the moans on FB about a lady with a certain type of hairdo that works with spreadsheets

Tonight, a little different....the local swimming club Christmas Gala and awards evening - and I like this one.....a LOT!

And my God I needed it!

Little back story of my day - Liz and I both got missed call notifications from our daughter at lunchtime, to be followed by an urgent call which did eventually get through....our 21 year old son is in the back of an ambulance having been squashed by a car whilst cycling to work. Yup, it's been a fraught day. He's OK now (broken nose, stitches across his forehead and one hell of a lot of bruising.....it could have been a lot worse and at the moment, it looks like it's the driver of the car at fault. We're waiting for the local constabulary to finish their investigations so can't say too much about things at the moment).

The sooner 2019 is done and dusted, the happier I'm going to be after everything that's happened this year! (it's really not been the ideal start to being full time self employed if I'm honest and I've almost thrown in the towel and given up at times ).

Needless to say, going out and partying tonight was the last thing on my mind and I wasn't really in the mood for it. But, I'm not the type to let a client down where possible so loaded the van knowing the boy was OK, and off I toddled...a whole 3 miles down to the next village

As is becoming a bit too common at the moment in these parts, I had a 30 minute window to load in (and load out again!). I have a rig which includes a brace of the dreadful GigBar Mk1's which I can get up and running in 22 minutes (15 with a straight run from the van to the setup area), so getting in wasn't too bad (although means I end up a sweating mess). Knowing the size of this particular hall, the WashFX2's were also deployed on a single pole behind me. The effect was quite nice if I'm honest.

Something in use for the first time tonight - Donner battery dongles. Those who've kept up with me will know I got a set of the much cheaper Lixida ones several years ago....and they kept failing on me. So, I invested in the real deal and they worked an absolute treat. Only complaint I have on them is that they turn on a little too easily (as in, they knock together in their storage box and boom....they're flashing). I'll work out a solution to that little problem in due course (I have a couple of ideas). Other than that though....soooooooo much time saved in setting up that it was unreal!

Anyway, back to the gig in question....how's this party different?

Let's just say it scrapes the absolute bottom of the cheese barrel (and then digs just a little bit deeper) with absolutely no shame - and it's a hell of a lot of fun.

I spend all year avoiding the Stinking Bishop (or at least that of the Black Lace, The Tweets, Fast Food Rockers, Village People and much worse variety). But, every now and then, it's nice just to let the little hair I have left down and enjoy the evening, including some good old fashioned cajoling on the microphone (it was permanently turned on!).

Yes, I played the Conga, The Music Man, Superman, Agadoo, The Hokey Cokey, Oops Upside Your Head (urgghhh!), and not for the first time this year either.

I've done this particular party for a couple of years now so knew exactly what to expect. After the presentations, food and raffle, I tried (as always) to steer into some of the more tolerable modern music (Can't Stop The Feeling, Uptown Funk, Old Town Road) only to get more requests than I can possibly play in the allotted time, for every action dance known to man, and more besides.....and they lap it up with aplomb! (adults and kids alike).

Can I play some Christmas music? Of course I can.....including a few blasts from the snow machine (makes a change from blasting it to Idina Menzel ).

All in all, a brilliant night. Even better, the village hall has been let down recently by the DJ they normally recommend...."can we have some business cards please?" (who am I to refuse). Anything that comes from it will be more along the lines of kids parties and lower budget weddings but hey....money's money when this is how you feed yourself and as it's only 3 miles from door to door.....

Tomorrow - a party for a 6 year old girl (I do those on autopilot), followed on Tuesday by a corporate party in a Cambridge college (complete nightmare of a load in being as it's subterranean underneath the college chapel, but think Cavern Club and you're not too wide of the mark and no, Janet from accounts will NOT be in attendance!), and my final gig of the year on Friday for the village Christmas/Winterfest carol concert (battery PA and mics at the ready for that one as there's no supply of charged ions available where this one takes place).

Yes, we're nearly there