Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Ooft quite the start to a marriage.

I like a drink as much as the next Scotsman but it genuinely disgusts me what it can do to people.

Touch wood I've never had anything like that happen but my brother had a bride and groom wreck the honeymoon suite at the Hilton. I know weddings are dear to begin with so not sure how sensible causing nearly £5k worth of damage after it is.

[Imagine]

Back on the wedding circuit again this week.

After speaking to them a couple of weeks ago - I was looking forward to this one. One of my favourite barns, a toastmaster to do the intros, and music from the mid 90s to the mid noughties...what's not to like?

Wasn't the busiest of weddings unfortunately. 70 day guests and no extras for the evening. The B&G had apparently insisted that everyone ate vegetarian for the wedding breakfast and by the time I got started, people were already trickling away.

To be fair, the floor rarely "emptied". In fact there were only a couple of tracks where I had a completely empty floor and at that point (the 30 or so still in the venue were next door in the bar), I made an elderly relation's day by putting some old-time rock 'n' roll for him (he actually gave me his walking stick to look after whilst he danced with his sisters....they were all in their 80s and enjoyed every moment of it).

Soon enough, the main contingent got bored with the bar and came back to my dance floor with demands of Indie. Not my specialist genre by a long chalk....but I managed to keep them happy (wasn't hard with the amount of alcohol inside them). 11:30, the bride and groom depart and leave me with a hardcore of a dozen, mainly male guests. The order came in from the venue to close down (which didn't go down well)....but they were now at the point where booze was being thrown all over the dance floor and they could barely stand, let alone dance!

So, home half an hour earlier than expected with a nice refreshing beer. Don't feel like it was my best gig by a long way (I hate it when that happens). There was certainly nothing wrong with it....it just felt a little lacking in magic somewhere along the line.

Hey ho....2 weeks to the next wedding

[Excalibur]

Excess intake of alcohol at a wedding, eh Wayne? Who'da thunk it?
Well evidently, my racecourse bride for the end of the month. Midweek, early afternoon, with the bar closed. Shouldn't have too many chants of " one more" at that one.

So you didn't end up in your specialist subject with your gig Wayne. Reckon I did. Sabbath, Purple, Alice Cooper, AC/DC, Bon Jovi, G'n'R, Meatloaf, Bryan Adams and a spot of Nickelback. Well inside my comfort Zone.

Ah, but as the title suggests, it didn't bode well initially. It's a local Football Club, with the Fire Escape Of Doom Access. You've got to love those steel jobbies in winter, eh? That wasn't my problem, though. I got set up very early, with a handful of bonus uplighters and beautifully tidied and velcroed cables on the rig. Until it became apparent that either not all of the cables on the rig were carrying 240v, or all my lights on the overhead were kaput! By this time, guests were trickling in, and I was ripping cables down left right and centre. To cut a long story short, I suspect an extension cable to be the culprit, and this afternoon will see a lot of cable testing.

The function was a surprise 50th/60th, and we had more than one false starts for the arrival of the guests of honour, who eventually arrived with over an hour of the four hour function time gone. I'd kept it low key with classic Soul and Motown getting lots of approval, but after the buffet, we went into a full blown Rockfest, with the inflatable guitars getting a lot of use.

Home before 1am with a cup of Ronald's magic brew in my hand, and next week is even more local, with even less kit, as it's a surprise 30th for my nephew in my local social club. One Maui 11, two Hadrons, and a pool table deckstand.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Interesting one last night:

First time I've ever have a bride tap out early due to the libations

Crowd of 20 in a room you could easily get 150 in - but they were still goign hell for leather when I finished at 12:30

Groom sat in the lobby bar most of the night but was very happy with it all

Oh and for the first time in years I had to threaten someone (a female, naturally) with removal if she didn't behave herself.


Wonder what the feedback will be like

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

So I was up at the Queen Mother's (God rest her soul) gaff last night

Managed to break a toe yesterday morning (banging it off of my rock n roller ironically enough) and hobbled about work all day but the show must go on.

Incredible venue and the crowd were up for it from the get go. Lovely feedback already.

Night off so I'm about to pop out into the hot tub with a bottle (maybe 2 ) of prosecco.

Doing my 2nd and last non-wedding gig of the year tomorrow at the home of the famous Glasgow Rangers 10 year olds party helping a pal out who usually does the family's events. Pretty much nothing but 3 hours of GBX stuff they want. I'll catch the 2nd half of the legends game and be home (and in the hot tub with another bottle of fizz) by 10

Have a great weekend lads.

[Nakatomi]

So I was up at the Queen Mother's (God rest her soul) gaff last night

Managed to break a toe yesterday morning (banging it off of my rock n roller ironically enough) and hobbled about work all day but the show must go on.

Ouch!

nothing but 3 hours of GBX stuff they want. I'll catch the 2nd half of the legends game and be home (and in the hot tub with another bottle of fizz) by 10

Have a great weekend lads.

GBX? Not a term I can say I'm familiar with. I'm assuming it's because I'm not far North enough

[Imagine]

Pretty much nothing but 3 hours of GBX stuff they want.

Justin - it's bangin' clubland bass meets EDM (those waaaay further North than you love it).
Actually - some of it's not too bad....wouldn't want to do an entire night of it though.

Mine tonight was a stormer - I've got a big cheesy grin plastered across my chops whilst I indulge in a little light libation
The venue - a hotel in the next village 5 miles away. Considering I've known the owner there personally for about 20 years, I'm surprised I don't go there too often. Oh yes - I'm too expensive

Anyway - tonight's shenanigans saw a lovely bride and groom keeping it simple. 20-odd for the wedding brekky, with another 40 for the evening (I didn't know these numbers until I arrived, and likewise hadn't actually met the happy couple beforehand which is becoming the norm these days). On a gathering so small....I normally worry because from bitter experience they're hard work.

I had however been sent a brief playlist of around 20 items of cheerfully choonful cheese (and we're talking Right Said Fred here)

It's possibly one of the best weddings I've worked at recently and I want more of those!

Twas the first time out using the new Profile Panels which worried me - they're not the widest beam in the book and I'm used to having a brace of 4 par cans. With the light-shaping film I'd managed to finally acquire during the week (because although ADJ make such a thing....they don't supply it to the UK for some unknown reason), the beams are slightly broader and the LEDs are nicely muted behind the frosting. It actually looked quite good.

So to the party. No particular timeline, no cake cutting (they'd done a dummy run with the Togger during the afternoon and left it for the kitchen to cut up), no Togger for the evening, just a few favourite friends and family....and it was AWESOME.

Yes, there was a lot of cheese. What I wasn't expecting was an hour or so of 80s and 90s club classics (and the guests dancing to those were a LOT older than me!).

Because of the size of the rig.....I was packed up, unpacked into the lockup 10 miles away and home within the hour (in fact that rig can be setup in 20 minutes....result!).

Even better - possibly two further secured bookings from tonight - one for a 70th birthday and one for a wedding next year.

Night off tomorrow night (it's still VERY slow here), followed by a school disco during the week.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

GBX = pretty much what yer man said plus old school dance (think Ian Van Dahl, Fragma, Scooter) and happy hardcore and remixes of modern chart (life is a highway and still into you being two prime examples) - it's a rich tapestry

Named after a local radio DJ who hosts the George Bowie Experience (hence GBX) of a Saturday after the football.

Wouldn't fancy a full 5 hour set of it myself but a 3 hour kids party will be a skoosh.

[Nakatomi]

GBX = pretty much what yer man said plus old school dance (think Ian Van Dahl, Fragma, Scooter) and happy hardcore and remixes of modern chart (life is a highway and still into you being two prime examples) - it's a rich tapestry

Named after a local radio DJ who hosts the George Bowie Experience (hence GBX) of a Saturday after the football.

Wouldn't fancy a full 5 hour set of it myself but a 3 hour kids party will be a skoosh.

I found a few GBX mixes claiming to be anthems & found the tunes to be surprisingly palatable. Nothing over 140bpm it seemed. Mind you these days fo me even Makina doesn't offend my sensibilities.

I think I'd rather do a night of that than Just Another Wedding Disvo

[Imagine]

I think I'd rather do a night of that than Just Another Wedding Disvo

When one wedding is an Indie night, and the next is full on cheese followed by 80s/90s club classics....what's "Just another wedding disco"?