Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[Imagine]

OK - my first wedding of the new decade, and indeed my last wedding until July (it's a strange old year and now matter how much I keep plugging away....it's bloody tough going).

So, to the gig. It started as a plethora of mini disasters!

Bride didn't want to meet up (not unusual these days) but asked for a phone call instead, which didn't happen (she never responded about the best time to chat). Hey ho....thankfully the DJEP planning forms were put to good use and I sort of knew what was wanted.

Got to the venue (a plush stately home) in plenty of time, parked right outside the door (happy days) and started chatting to the man with the Nikon. Unbelievably even HE hadn't physically met the happy couple until just before the wedding ceremony either

The owner of this particular venue always makes me chuckle. He'll always strut up after you've set up (he's a member of the gentry don't ya know ), introduce himself, ask for a risk assessment (it's already in the file my friend, along with the PAT and PLI....as always), and mention that it's a wedding, not a rave, and also that the three pictures hanging behind where you've set up are worth more than your £10million PLI will cover.

The couple themselves were really nice and a pleasure to work with on the night, but just too busy to go through meeting their suppliers.

I must say, the drive to the venue was an absolute joy. I'm LOVING the new van....a LOT. It handles just like a car, and despite only having half the size engine of its predecessor and 18" less length, it's managing to do everything I ask of it so far. In fact next week....it's being sign-written (nice big advert in the local area which should hopefully become engrained into people's brain cells).

Anyway...I digress....

First problem - one of my half-coupler clamps on a WashFX2 is missing it's wing nut (it was there when I checked everything as I loaded it into the van). Oops....I forgot to pick up any spare clamps and can't find said missing wing-nut (surely it should have fallen off in the flight case....shouldn't it?). Erm....OK - cable ties and gaffer tape it is then! (and before people start going on about safety...it was in such a position that the only person it'd hit should it have come loose would have been yours truly).

Load up VDJ....where's the rest of the playlist? I've been given and actually constructed a playlist of around 7 1/2 hours in iTunes (I use iTunes Match to sync playlists which VDJ then reads and it's always worked a treat...until today ). Only 15 out of around 133 tracks are showing...eeek! Again, thank DJEP for the hardcopy which I print out before each and every gig. Luckily I had the time to reconstruct and carry on.

Because of the lack of meeting, things seemed a little....well, disorganised. I was to announce the cake cutting, but not entirely sure when or where the cake was. I was also supposed to do a shortened version of the first dance which the groom overrode when he came to introduce himself. Instead, they'd arrange for the bridesmaids to join them at a certain point during proceedings (mic work, you'll probably have guessed already was to be kept to a minimum ).

As for the rest of the night....actually not too bad if I'm honest, although a bit of a struggle at times. The guests had chosen the majority of the playlist in their RSVP's which tends to work really well, and tonight was no exception (everything from Abba to ZZ Top). Except....a LOT of gin and Prosecco was flowing in massive quantities. Dancing was difficult at times, as was asking for requests and physically standing up. I'm sure I would have failed a breath test on the way home on the fumes I inhaled alone!

The 'togger unusually, was one of those that stays AFTER the first dance, and had arranged to depart at 10pm. Could I arrange to do a set of Summer of 69 followed by Livin on a Prayer 10 mins before he goes to guarantee some decent shots? Erm.....YUP (and boy....did he get some shots of hands in the air....especially when I followed shortly afterwards with Tubthumpin (a nice little secret weapon of mine which tends to work a treat...thank me later Mr Tog ).

The groom and the best man had a bit of a barney over whether I should play some Indie Rock (well..Killing in the Name by Rage). BM thought it would be a disaster, groom was adamant I should play it. He who pays the piper and all that...the BM lost - BADLY. It went down an absolute storm, even with the older guests. The last hour was of similar fodder (not my speciality but hey ho.....I blagged it ) and survived. Unsurprisingly the standards by Blur, Oasis and Reef also worked a treat

Last song of the night after all that (as requested by the bride and groom with just 10 minutes to go)? Yup, the first outing of the year for Mr Diamond and some girl called Caroline (circle of love, thank you and good night). Shouts for "one more" and monetary offerings were sadly ignored (it's a really strict last song at 11:55pm in this venue and I've been stung in there before).

Logs of hugs, kisses, fist bumps later (and a good smothering of anti-bacterial gel because there's some sort of virus doing the rounds) and I'm in the van and on the way home in just 20 minutes after the last song (this particular venue like to help you to get the kit to the van, in a nice way. They actually have a member of staff on hand for exactly this purpose!).

There's going to be some major hangovers in the morning, and all in all, it was a brilliant first wedding of the season. Just a shame I've got to wait so long until the next one (or have I? They seem to be booking very last minute this year for some reason ).

Until then, it's a run of kiddies parties and several adult birthdays.

[Imagine]

Am I the only one working these days?

Back to kids parties for me this weekend. I'm absolutely SHATTERED Lord take me now.....it's time

[Excalibur]

Am I the only one working these days?

Yes. Thus I'm understandably Grumpy. " Do you feel lucky, punk"?

[DJ Jules]

I'd hazard a guess that some of us are too busy working to be posting...

...but I'll join in anyway Saturday night I had a 70th birthday party in the humorously named village of Goatacre for a lovely lady who I met at her sons wedding last October. Lovely varied playlist, instructions to play "something newer" for the younger crowd early on and a big chunk of line dances for her friends to play in a group at some point during the night.



As a bonus, lining for the hall (I have a feeling the hall own the lining as it was made to measure) that blocked the smoke detectors, very polite guests and, as a bonus, a fish and chip van outside serving the food

Julian

[Nakatomi]

Some of us learned that if you don't have anything nice to say, say nowt about a gig

Other than that, let me have a bit of a moan about theme nights being terrible lately. Said somebody about to turn 70.. "I really fancy a night out... Oh I know that big hotel on the coast road are doing a naughties theme night let's go to that & badger the DJ to play anything but music from 2000 to 2009!". Actually not just SOMEBODY. It was more like 90% of the requesters, the bleeders! Think of the money Justin, think of the money...

[Excalibur]

Some of us learned that if you don't have anything nice to say, say nowt about a gig

Other than that, let me have a bit of a moan about theme nights being terrible lately. Said somebody about to turn 70.. "I really fancy a night out... Oh I know that big hotel on the coast road are doing a naughties theme night let's go to that & badger the DJ to play anything but music from 2000 to 2009!". Actually not just SOMEBODY. It was more like 90% of the requesters, the bleeders! Think of the money Justin, think of the money...

Not content with deriding those of us not gigging, now you blighters are getting Ageist. Blimey, there's living dangerously, and there's having a death wish!


Justin, theme nights. It's a concept far too complicated for some guests.

[Imagine]

I'd hazard a guess that some of us are too busy working to be posting...
Julian

OH I've been busy Julian - until now, and I'm now dead until the end of March (this year so far is crippling and Covid-19 isn't going to help matters)

Some of us learned that if you don't have anything nice to say, say nowt about a gig

Other than that, let me have a bit of a moan about theme nights being terrible lately.

LOL - I remember that one

Themed nights are sadly lacking at the moment for me. I do 80s nights with the Retro show. It's been out for it's one and only road trip this year already....what in the name of all that's holy has changed?

Not content with deriding those of us not gigging, now you blighters are getting Ageist.

Nope - not me (you OLD git!)

Let's be honest (and I talk to a LOT of DJs in my local area), things are blimmin' tough at the moment unless you're going out at DJ Best Price rates or have a residency (neither of which apply to me). Weddings are in short supply in my area (I don't know why but I'm certainly not the only one experiencing this phenomenon). I have local wedding venues offering August dates at half price at the moment!

The threat of Covid-19 is killing things around here as well. Touch wood, I've not had any cancellations as a result, but it's only a matter of time.

So, I've resorted to kids parties

Yes, they're hard work (they absolutely kill me), and to the uninitiated they're scary! BUT...the money's there if you look hard enough and are prepared to wear a headset mic and lead the Cha Cha Slide and the Hokey Cokey.

Is it what I want to be doing? Hell no! However, finances dictate otherwise and sadly...a gig's the weekly shopping bill in the supermarket at the moment.

[Nakatomi]

Not content with deriding those of us not gigging, now you blighters are getting Ageist. Blimey, there's living dangerously, and there's having a death wish!


Justin, theme nights. It's a concept far too complicated for some guests.

Lol no not ageist at all! I honestly don't know what goes through their heads.. the younger groups are the same. I've got a 70s themed night coming up next month there & I suspect the millenniums will all be baying for that erstwhile 70s banger 'Mr Brightside', in their flares & brightly coloured wigs

The one on Friday just gone was fun though, to give it its dues. We had two hen parties in, with a total crowd of almost 150.. I counted 6 blokes including myself so guess who became the go-to for most of the bride-to-be activity cards? I wasn't gonna be giving up my underpants for anyone though.. that fell to someone else . The cards I saw, someone had crossed out 'a man' & written 'THE DJ'. I went above & beyond the call of duty that night I tells ya!

[Excalibur]

As some of you may know, it's been a trying few days for me. After a day job I didn't really want, my van destroyed its entire transmission system on the way home, limping into my yard somehow. I was loaned a little white " Postman Pat ", which allowed me to keep earning money, which was an absolute godsend. I'd been contemplating the worst case scenario, of getting a large disco into it for Saturday ( as Friday was a smallish rig ), but fortunately, I got the Transit back Thursday morning. Better still, it goes better than when I bought it! The downside will be the repair bill, but hey ho.

So, Friday: Local Rugby Club, upstairs, no lift. 40th Birthday, with only a handful of songs listed, and the information that she likes 90's dance classics, and popular Indie bands. Loads of guests turn up, I follow the spirit of my instructions, to a poor response, and after an early buffet ( which also got a poor response ) I get the word from the birthday girl " I think it's time for some 90s tracks". I didn't, and the tumbleweed on the floor made me think I was right. I'm getting zero response at all, except for one lovely couple who want some Rock and Roll. Hmmmm, how best to get from a 90s dance set into Rock and Roll? Well, somehow, I managed it.

So, I'm slowly dying here, envisaging a poor reaction from the client, who was really up for this one. Nowhere on my playlist ( which is no more than a guide ) does it say AC/DC, so I don't expect that to help a lot. Except, it fills the floor. This then lets me in to the Indie stuff, Killers, Brightside, all the usual ones.

Then it fades again, until a guest asks for Wannabe, C'est La Vie, and N Trance- Set You Free. Floor filled again, and I get into some 90s dance which works this time.

Then the slow fade, until a guest asks for " 80s cheese". That's a code for " Rock Anthems"- Sweet Child, Livin' on a Prayer, and Summer of '69. Floor's packed again, and we're approaching the last half hour. " Superman" goes down a storm. ( No, I didn't throw it in randomly, birthday girl wants it).

So, we get to the end, and everybody has had a great night, we finish in a big circle with Daydream Believer, and singing our hearts out to Sweet Caroline. Fabulous.

Except, we only made it because of half a dozen requests. Reading the dancefloor? Don't make me laugh. What I was playing ought to have worked well enough, and the requests should have cleared the room, never mind the floor.

Management though I was great, for leaving in 45 minutes ( those stairs are not conducive to leaving safely and rapidly. You can have one or the other), as opposed to the two and a half hours one DJ took at Christmas!

Over to Forest Pines tonight for a bigger gig, where hopefully the guests will have read the script.

[Excalibur]

After a gig where I never felt I had a handle on the event, I got a real confidence booster. Back at Forest Pines for Matthew Western, and while he takes the wedding that had died on its feet before he arrived, I got the prize from the top shelf. Over a hundred and twenty women, and a handful of fellas, sit down meal, many staying in the hotel. Thanks Matthew.

It looked as if it might be a slow starter, and in truth it was, until the wine kicked in, they realised that I would play requests, and they started making ( mainly) fabulous requests for quality music. We seemed to kick off with Smooth Soul/Tamla and some of my end of night classics. Requests for Bob Marley, UB40, Latino, and other good stuff helped a lot, and once the floor filled, it never really emptied. We stretched the musical boundaries a bit ( and the boundaries of taste, too. Oops got an airing).

The only problem was, that it was never going to reach 1am, and after midnight, guests melted away quickly. I switched off around 12.45 with four guests left, and in truth it should have been 2.30
Matthew came in at 12.20, having been deserted by all his crowd at 11pm, with nary an acknowledgement. All in all, almost the perfect night for me. I've got a local one Saturday, and knowing what little " treats" some of my guests have got lined up for the birthday girl, it should be " lively".