Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[Nakatomi]

Well, a first for me last night covering a gig for a friend - I was to be supporting a Jersey Boys tribute act. A very friendly bunch of lads whose fee must've been some level higher than my own - they carried up the back stairs a KV2 active rig (EX12 & 18" bins). It sounded very nice indeed though they needed to lose a touch of the bass I felt.. but at over £3000 EACH for the tops I think I'll pass ta.

It's a bit of a silly gig for me & my ilk this one - about 250 people crammed into a room - I'd say any DJ would really need bins to do it properly but when the only access you're allowed is up a 2 storey metal staircase outside from the carpark & you're not paid enough to employ a roadie.. Hmmm.

The subject of radio mic frequencies came up. It emerged ours were on very similar frequencies but a quick test showed no problems. BUT - the singer cum sound guy said - sometimes we run into interference problems. Ah no problem I said - I only ever switch my mic transmitter on when I want to speak... No, he interjected. The problems are caused by another radio mic receiver STEALING THE SIGNAL Honestly, I've never heard such tosh in all my life - and if their racked & ready Sennheiser system (which sounded very nice BTW) was so twitchy as to be upset by the local oscillator of a nearby receiver they were gonna be in for lots of fun.

Space was made so they could accommodate their backdrop (we can't work without that - it'll look crap - said the man who left their lighting stand with a mains extension lead dangling a good distance from the tbar, looking very unsightly)

I played background music, skilfully avoiding anything they might be singing later (they told me only Franki Valli stuff, but I second guessed they'd be doing more - and I proved to be right - the lying gets!) .. and then they started their set. The guy playing the part of Franki had strange sounding mic issues which to my ears sounded like cross channel interference (intermodulation) & played havoc with their feedback eliminator.. he approached me & I showed him all my radio mic set was turned off including the receiver.. so it wasn't me guv'nor! Things didn't improve on his channel any (well duh, not if his frequency is too close to his other mics) so he hurriedly unravelled an XLR cable & went wired for the remainder of the set.

They were pretty good - and this coming from something of a harsh critic of 'turns'. Their playout consisted of a macbook running ProTools & DMXis (to control the 2 LEDJ par cans they brought with them).

Their set finished around 1040pm & off I went playing to an ever diminishing crowd. By the time half past midnight arrived there were 10 people left - most left after the 'band' & the final four made their way out at 1250am. Quick pack down & out in just under half an hour - not bad considering the stairs etc!

What there was of it for me was a good crowd, with requests ranging from Northern Soul to recentish stuff (slightly surprising considering the older demographic).

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Well, a first for me last night covering a gig for a friend - I was to be supporting a Jersey Boys tribute act. A very friendly bunch of lads whose fee must've been some level higher than my own - they carried up the back stairs a KV2 active rig (EX12 & 18" bins). It sounded very nice indeed though they needed to lose a touch of the bass I felt.. but at over £3000 EACH for the tops I think I'll pass ta.

It's a bit of a silly gig for me & my ilk this one - about 250 people crammed into a room - I'd say any DJ would really need bins to do it properly but when the only access you're allowed is up a 2 storey metal staircase outside from the carpark & you're not paid enough to employ a roadie.. Hmmm.

The subject of radio mic frequencies came up. It emerged ours were on very similar frequencies but a quick test showed no problems. BUT - the singer cum sound guy said - sometimes we run into interference problems. Ah no problem I said - I only ever switch my mic transmitter on when I want to speak... No, he interjected. The problems are caused by another radio mic receiver STEALING THE SIGNAL Honestly, I've never heard such tosh in all my life - and if their racked & ready Sennheiser system (which sounded very nice BTW) was so twitchy as to be upset by the local oscillator of a nearby receiver they were gonna be in for lots of fun.

Space was made so they could accommodate their backdrop (we can't work without that - it'll look crap - said the man who left their lighting stand with a mains extension lead dangling a good distance from the tbar, looking very unsightly)

I played background music, skilfully avoiding anything they might be singing later (they told me only Franki Valli stuff, but I second guessed they'd be doing more - and I proved to be right - the lying gets!) .. and then they started their set. The guy playing the part of Franki had strange sounding mic issues which to my ears sounded like cross channel interference (intermodulation) & played havoc with their feedback eliminator.. he approached me & I showed him all my radio mic set was turned off including the receiver.. so it wasn't me guv'nor! Things didn't improve on his channel any (well duh, not if his frequency is too close to his other mics) so he hurriedly unravelled an XLR cable & went wired for the remainder of the set.

They were pretty good - and this coming from something of a harsh critic of 'turns'. Their playout consisted of a macbook running ProTools & DMXis (to control the 2 LEDJ par cans they brought with them).

Their set finished around 1040pm & off I went playing to an ever diminishing crowd. By the time half past midnight arrived there were 10 people left - most left after the 'band' & the final four made their way out at 1250am. Quick pack down & out in just under half an hour - not bad considering the stairs etc!

What there was of it for me was a good crowd, with requests ranging from Northern Soul to recentish stuff (slightly surprising considering the older demographic).

I did the wedding of a member of a Franki Valli & the 4 Seasons tribute on Monday night and the boys did a set. They were fab and one of them used to sing in a local band I shared many a bill with (including one riotous evening in Dundee when it was £1 a pint of Stella!!!) back when we were at school / college. Good times.

[Imagine]

And neither did the conga or the Hokey Cokey

I'd been looking forward to this one immensely, and it was actually supposed to happen this time last year but got delayed.
A lovely couple just a little older than me who wanted thing different. From my side of things this meant the Retro setup and a playlist that wouldn't get a look in at 99.99999% of weddings, but it's the music they grew up with and that's what they wanted.

I am the music man actually went down a storm, as did Superman and the Birdie Dance.....oh the memories of staying in Caistor for my summer holidays and learning the actions to those....happy days indeed.

The plan was thus. Arrive and be ready to roll for background music at 6pm until the first dance at 7:30pm. No problemo.
Having spoken to the bride and groom last weekend, I was to use their list as guidance and play things by ear....keeping things in the same ilk. When I arrived, they'd changed their minds and wanted me to stick rigidly to the playlist. Not a problem - I've done parties for some of this family in the past and what was on the list shouldn't be too difficult to get things going.

And it wasn't, until the buffet. It was decided the disco would be a party of two halves.....dancing up to the buffet at 9pm, then background music whilst the guests ate, then back to business at about 9:30ish when they'd finished eating.

As I started things back up, I started getting very angry guests DEMANDING chart music (and one of them was a big fella). I shouldn't have done it but I pointed him in the direction of the groom (most of the guests were already aware that I was working to a playlist anyway as they'd been told by the bride and groom). I don't know why the anger - was he paying my fee?

10 mins later, the groom has given in and allowed me to play some modern stuff.....which as expected completely bombed (but hey, the teenagers could look at their phones whilst listening to Drake mumble on about whatever his tracks are about)

Unfortunately, the change in genre was also a cue for a lot of the day guests to disappear. They'd been with the happy couple since 10am and in the venue itself since midday....they must have had enough at that point.

Back to the playlist after about 20 mins of the demanded chart music, but it's too late to save things. Guests start saying their farewells and the remainder start to clear things away whilst I continue playing (I hate it when that happens). Come midnight, we're left with a handful of immediate family and I'm the only major thing which needs to be cleared away (and the Retro show can be in the van and rolling within 20 mins ).

It should have been so much better, and I felt for the bride and groom on this one. The music should have worked (it wasn't all cheese by the way), but for the selfish attitude of some of the entitled guests.

Hey ho - I've been due one like this for a while.

Next week, just the one (and I'm glad of that because I'm absolutely shattered at the moment doing back-to-back parties). It's a retirement party in the next village (so 5 mins from home) and should be a good mix of some of the older stuff knowing the guests that'll be at that one (my next door neighbour being one of them)......hoorah!

[rth_discos]

So that's 2 back to back All Day Weddings complete.

Whilst it's just about do-able, I'm not letting this happen again - it's the third time this year I've had 2 back to back all day weddings, and it's too much over a short period of time, with not enough gap between events.

So two events to report on.

The first one wasn't strictly a wedding - it was a vow renewal. But in every essence a wedding, even with the local registrars from the council turning up to do the renewal, rather than a celebrant. The couple had got married 14 years ago on the cheap, and the bride wanted to do the wedding properly this time. So we had a proper white dress, bridesmaids, best men and a full 80 people (about the max the venue can accommodate at).

Outside ceremony, so I make use of my wireless lapel mic. Registrar says she has a loud voice - I convince her that with the ceremony being outside, and the nearest guests a good few metres away from the structure the renewal is held in, that even if she is loud, it'll still be difficult to hear. The microphone makes it much easier for everyone to hear.

As we get in to the photos, I assist, getting everyone in place and calling the relevant people over for the group shots. The photographers soon tell me that they want to take me round with them to all their weddings!

Everything goes well, and as we get in to the evening, the bride has asked guests for the song they danced to as their first dance. I was interested to see how this went, but it worked really well. First dance was about 8:15, and the other 'first dances' worked really well interspersed with other music in the period between 8:30 and 9:30pm.

Buffet was at 9, and from 10pm, guests started to leave. Everything was pretty much wrapped up soon after 11:30pm - whilst it wasn't a huge night of dancing, everything had gone exactly to plan, and the emotion was all in the right place at the right time. The bride got her wedding that she had always dreamed of!


And today was wedding number two.

This was a couple who booked me some time back - about 18 months ago. They really bought in to what I did, and took a lot of guidance from me on their day. One that I was very excited about, and wanted to make perfect for them. They were a lovely couple - quite young - but really lovely people. I was worried that despite planning everything, that something wouldn't go quite right (as always seems to be the case when you have high expectations for an event). Fortunately, that wasn't the case - everything went really well, and whilst the guests were a struggle in the evening to get anything out of them, they did as requested during the day. But I was very worried. After the ceremony, once outside, I got everything together for the confetti throw. But there were many who were happy to try and stand this one out. Not a very forthcoming crowd! With a bit of coaxing we got there, and then got the group photo sorted. And then these photographers also said they wanted me to go to future weddings with them too, as I was so helpful!!

Everything went well with the wedding breakfast - and I was even treated to my own place at the wedding breakfast, which was night. I was on the table with the photographer and videographer, and also one of the bridesmaids who I'd met with the bride at one of the planning meetings. In the end, it was a nice, comfortable table, and nothing felt odd being a supplier sat on one of the tables! If anything, it was nice to see how the Pearls of Wisdom worked in reality on the table.

Originally I was booked to DJ the evening too, but then a band was added in to the schedule a few months back. Not a problem. But with first dance at 8pm, and then a two hour band set, I'd only have 1.5 hours to fill between the band and the end of the evening. As it was, the band struggled. Fairly lengthy gaps between songs, and they had to stop for a couple of songs because the vocalist was getting electric shocks off his mic everything his lips touched it!!! They never really got the dancefloor full, but it was a tough crowd. When I picked up the baton at 10pm, I had a few more dancers, but was never going to turn in to a 'big' night. We concluded, as planned, at 11:30pm - and even then there was a number of people who insisted on sitting out the final song.

I then followed this with 30 mins of gentle background music (which I prefer over a cold end and silence, and always avoids the 'one more song' requests).

Bride and Groom were over the moon with how the day went, and I delivered everything I said I would, so all in all, a successful couple of days!

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I'll leave it up to you chaps to decide if I'm wearing trunks as I bask in my hot tub after 2 very good gigs back to back.

Last noghts was in Dundee. An extensive and very eclectic list of songs from b and g who I'd not been able to tie down for a call never mind a meet.

Not a huge tonne of dancing (small older crowd) but the comments from the couole and guests were great. I think the simple act of trying and showing you're invested in them having a great night goes a long way on gigs like this which to an observer having a sly look into the ballroom woukd assune the night was a bust.


Tonight's couldn't have been any different. Large crowd in a big burgh hall with a 1am finish.

It was a very rare NaD gig which usually fill me with the fear but this one didn't - I knew in my bones this couole woukd be great to deal with and they were.

The guests were off their heads in the nicest possible way. Army boys on his side but they were on great form and did more dancing than the girls.

Massive range of music covered but lots of 90s cheese for the bride and her pals but the lads got stuck in tio.

Started 7.30 sharp and finished at 1 and the place was still bouncing.

Great night to sit back and reflect on with my wine.

[Excalibur]

I suppose typing in this place the night after a gig must be the equivalent of " DJ's Anonymous" ! I had a wedding picked up at short notice. Couple wouldn't meet beforehand, but I did visit the venue, which influenced my choice of kit.

Big pub function room, well more of a WMC, really, I suspect it's a bit of both. Absolutely bloody sweltering! Booked 5 till 11, and I expected very little dancing. Well, I was wrong, eventually. Groom has changed into jeans, after the ceremony, so I fitted right in, with my shorts and flip flops!

I started off with background, my crowd seemed generally younger, with a few older ones, so background music was adjusted accordingly. Buffet was due 6.30, and can we have the first dance about 5.45? But of course. First dance ( and speeches!!!??? ) coincided with hot buffet exactly. Ah well.

Once the bride hit the dancefloor, all four foot something of her, we never stopped. She'd be a fabulous advert for Duracell. We had a mix of all kinds of stuff, early doors, it was the full cheese fest, and the 80's was well received in particular. To be fair, they danced to everything really, and when I was nearing the end ( literally. I was wiped out with the heat, should have had a bit more liquid, probably ) I'd expected to wind it down. I'd had a request for Children of the Night earlier, and had it requested again. Why not? We'd got away with Killing In The Name, and Ace Of Spades, so what's the harm?

Well, none, in fact quite the opposite! Packed floor, hands in the air. Cue dials round to eleven, and Insomnia, Born Slippy, Sandstorm, Pretty Green Eyes, and another night finishing at 140 BPM!


I can hear the more perceptive among you asking what I did to qualify for DJ's Anonymous? Well I'll tell you, I have no shame.

I played a track twice, as it packed the floor, and was requested again.

What was it, I hear you ask?


Baby Shark!!

[ppentertainments]

When experience and knowledge prevail

Not wanting to be a bragging post but last night wasn’t one to be taken lightly. Village Hall (unusual for me) with a 6pm start. Roll on 7.20pm and I at last have access.

Long story short, bride was in a flap as it finished at 11 and they did have strict requirements music wise, with certain genres broken down into ‘sets’. Tables etc had to be moved before I could even get in.

30 second chat and 10 minutes later we were all ready to go for the first dance. The groom nipped out for a smoke and was amazed when he returned and we were all ready to go.

Music wise – they wanted ‘sets’ of Motown, Gothic, 80s Electro, Indie, Rock and the last hour finishing with ‘the usual wedding stuff’. Not only that they weren’t keen on providing actual songs for the different sets.

Anyway, the dancefloor filled for the first dance and at a guess at least half of the guests were dancing all night long – those that weren’t didn’t like the particular genre being played.

I mentioned experience – well, a 10 minute setup was the first challenge, equipment used came up trumps here, even though a lot gets slated. Music choice – they knew their music and it had to be spot on. I was fine with this, however other genres I would have turned the booking down, how many would just take the booking hoping it would be ok on the night ?

So different to the usual music played (with exception of the last hour) and so many people came up and said they had not heard some songs in years, the gothic set proving particularly popular - think I will keep that playlist as even impressed myself lol

[Imagine]

Hardly anybody danced (I kid you not), and yet it was a brilliant night!

How so?

Tonight was a retirement party for a chap I know from a previous job (I didn't realise until he turned up to the party who he was....long story but he was a tenant in the same building as I used to work in)

I knew from the off that the guests were of a more "mature" disposition (one of them was my very own next-door-neighbour), and I was expecting a night of anything from 50's to 70's, although just for once....there was no playlist .

I also knew that a lot of these people don't see each other for years at a time.

Fairly minimal rig set up at a nice leisurely pace and the guests start to arrive....on Zimmer frames, dual walking sticks and in wheelchairs.....you can see where this is going can't you.

It was NEVER going to be a night of packed dance floors and hands held aloft to Mr Brightside (although believe it or not that WAS played ). Thankfully I've been doing this job long enough these days to know that not every party is going to look like a mosh-pit in front of the booth and that people don't have to dance to enjoy the evening.

So, whilst they're arriving and settling in, I stick on a Motown mix at background levels and start going round and saying hello (I really must do that more often). The general consensus on music preferences was as expected (apart from a couple that were heavily into punk and that wasn't going to happen.....I'd have rattled too many hips out of their joints!).

The buffet went on for what seemed ages, with the guests content just to sit there and talk, the client was happy, the bar were already taking bets on whether we'd reach midnight (we nearly got there).

Eventually, the lights go down and it's my time to shine, but not in the way you'd expect. I soon realised that this wasn't going to be one of the nights we all live for and kept the volumes down at a reasonable 90db....the guests wanted to talk and catch up whilst listening to the music. Yes, I dipped in and out of all sorts of genres (I even played a couple of modern ones for a couple of the youngsters there). All of the classic floor fillers made an appearance, and some that I haven't played in ages (well....when you're not stressing about keeping a floor full...you get more time to look through the tracks and pick out something a bit different don't you).

It wasn't a night of mixing (more crossfading), it wasn't a night of beams flashing across the room picked out by generous amounts of haze (the Intimidators were hardly used), and it wasn't a night of a million requests (I had just two of those).

BUT - it was a night of compliments, handshakes and the giving out of a lot of business cards (including to the venue and to someone that's on the committee of the local British Legion).

Apparently my selection of music was spot on. Just for once, I even got multiple comments about the lighting as well (provided by an Equinox GigaBar, 2 Intimidator 305 barrels and 8 Freedom sticks).

Looking around, there WERE people jiggling around in their seats, there WERE feet tapping on the floor and fingers tapping on the tables.

The call of Horlicks and cocoa started at around 10:30, and we were soon down to around half a dozen guests who started busying themselves with clearing up the venue. 11:30 - I'm fading out on Sweet Caroline and starting to clear up half an hour earlier than expected.

But do you know what....I enjoyed that one....A LOT!

The highlight of the evening? My neighbour's elderly mother being spun around in her wheelchair (she can hardly walk these days) to Human by the Killers. The smile on her face said it all.

And I'll be back!

They're already talking about making this an annual family party starting from next year and I'm likely to be the headline on the bill!

it's a strange job at times being a DJ

[fullcontact68]

Had a strange one this weekend.

It was a wedding disco for a young couple who got married in Las Vegas a couple of weeks before. (120 guests turned up approx, nice hotel, large room)

Had zero information prior to the event. Turns out they wanted to keep it informal, no first dance, no speeches, just a mix of music for the different ages.

Wanted me to start off with low level background music until after the buffet, then crack on with the classics.

So, buffet came and went (Just the usual kids running around before the buffet, chasing lights etc)

Then onto the main event, music up, disco lights on, house lights off, haze running, still just kids running around.

Zero requests too. Then a mother came up asking for "koukou move" for her young daughter (which I don't have, or have ever heard of), so she then asked if I had "baby shark", again I don't. She said these are kids disco type tracks. So off she trotted....

She came back a short time later, asking if I had the "pizza hut song", which I do, and played as requested. This had a few of the kids following along to the moves, together with the one mother. Since the floor was void of any activity other than the kids, I decided to play chi chi wah, which again got a couple more kids up, and another mother. So, since I had to kids engaged, I took the risk of playing Superman. This is where it gets interesting, the floor suddenly packed out with adults dancing to superman! Never expected that. So onto a full-on cheese fest, which worked a treat, kept the punters on the floor.

Never had a disco before (that I can remember) where only cheese got the floor to move.

Client was happy at the end of the night too

[Retrodisco]

Baby Shark is the new big thing.

It's in the charts too.

Adults and kids are doing it, getting requested at weddings a lot.