The Christmas Parties Thread

[sxboy]

Excellent, well done that man!

[Ryu]

Well, that's my pre xmas work complete, and after "The Worst Load Out Ever" I am quite pleased about that.

Had a real mixed bag this Christmas, playing at venues across London, Reading, Watford, Newbury and Oxford. There's been a lot of Driving, I've been super reliant on Sat Nav, but, I reckon I must have taken in pretty much all the major tourist attractions in London bar Downing St and Buckingham Palace! I've had a great time, and, in covering work for a few different Multi Ops, I've done a bit of useful networking too. Have some Iphone pics to share below. I don't think I've used the same set up twice all Christmas, due to taking on work at a variety of venues.

1st Up was my night covering a Walk in for Corabar Entertainments. Great Crowd, nice location too


Next two nights, in Watford and Oxford, didn't get any photo's, so after that...Reading for an Egyptian Themed corporate. Really good themeing, I tried to compliment the overall theme by lighting the booth orange and red. Busy Dancefloor all night too.



Saturday's was a 40th at Hotel in Newbury, with a weird set up area. Didn't like being so far from my gear and my booth was up on a ledge, with the speakers at a lower level on the dancefloor, though the speakers sounded good that night, for some reason. Crowd thinned really quickly, despite playing music from about 5 different decades, trying to keep them all happy....the most successful bit was the last half hour, where I played about 5 Oasis tracks, Place your hands by Reed and Whole Lot of Rosie by ACDC. The Birthday boy loved that and got some nice feedback for it.


Finally, last nights gig was on the prestigious HQS Wellington, dry docked near Embankment. The Venue is pretty cool, but a nightmare for Load in and Load out. 20 mins out front to unload, then 6 different staircases between the car and the set up point, 2 decks below. Managed to get unloaded nice and quick....before realising I was outside a loading bay....and got a nice £65 parking fine for my troubles. a Big school boy error and I was furious....ah well. Got the gear in and set (minimal kit required, thank goodness, and set on the Rooms own Podium, which was about Head High for folks on the Dancefloor.
Headed off up Fleet Stree and beyond and did a little Christmas shopping before heading back for background music. Got them toe tapping, and when it was time to really kick off, it was a stampede to the dancefloor which remained stacked for most of the night...playing firstly a wedge of new/recent stuff like Minaj, Murs, Azealia Banks, Rihanna, then onto 80's funk like Chaka Khan and Cameo, before a propper soully set at the end with Wilson Pickett, James Brown and Arthur Conley. Got some lovely comments from the guests who headed off happy.
Then I looked outside to get ready for load out. And remember that you get low tide. The Boat, which on the load in had a horizontal Gangway onto the boat, now had a 30ft climb to get back up to Street Level...I looked quite a bit like Lee Evans after a 3 hour Stand Up show by the time I was done, puffing and sweating like an ashmatic warthog. I've tried to get a bit fitter this year, and I reckon I shed a good half stone on last night alone.
Anyways, some photo's again, including the Boat's hull and where its docked, the Set up and the Crowd having a boogie.




now time for a few parties where I get to be the drunken guest and a very merry Christmas with my family.

Thank you to MDD Forum for all your help and advice in 2012. I've tried to offer a bit of my own where I can and will continue to do so.

Particular thanks to Neil (Deckstar Deluxe), Dave (WWDJ) and Angela and Steve (Corabar) for the opportunity to work with/for you and your Customers and for any referrals you've sent my way, I hope I've represented your businesses well and that, for what it is worth, I'll gladly offer and share work that I can, wherever possible.

Merry Christmas

[Corabar Steve]

[Shaun]

Final Christmas party of the year this evening (High School). Then just two more weddings to go before the end of the year, and that's me done. Yaaay!

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Ryu, I enjoyed reading that..thanks!
I know exactly what you mean about the loading in and out on those Thames cruises. Nightmare isn't the word really.
I've had the past two nights off luckily because I have had the dodgy stomach thing. It actually started during the last hour of my gig on Sunday and I was getting very nervous at to whether I would make it through that final furlong but I managed it and was then up all night which wasn't nice.

So, a very quick run down from me on last week's parties and then I'll go into hiding again
Back on it tomorrow night with another Christmas party and then 2 gigs on Friday with one in the afternoon for the school I do every year and a wedding in the evening. Still nothing on Saturday but it seems to be the common thing according to other DJ's I have speaking to. Probably too near to Christmas?

Anyway:
Monday was a Christmas party for 55 people who were all members of a local singing club. It was bizarre but very good actually. We bonded easily and I was inundated with requests from the off which resulted in a busy dance floor all night. Just after they finished their meals (when I'd normally kick in with something to fill the floor), I played a bunch of requests that they had made because they actually sung them in their performances. Stuff like Alicia Keys, Leona Lewis and Neil Diamond was played and they all sang at their tables. It may sound cheesy but it was actually very good.

Tuesday was another party. 120 people and mixed companies. Lots of mainly older people in attendance and the requests were great because there were some that I would normally never play (I actually never think of playing them when I should do really). Again, busy dance floor from after the meal to the last song.

Wednesday was a Wedding. Bride & Groom were lovely and their guests were very friendly too. Lots of children in attendance too and all asking for you know what (PSY). This was possibly the cheesiest gig I have EVER done. The Bride & Groom loved their cheese and there were lots of requests for it. This resulted in a really good night.

Thursday I was working for my old manager at another venue. 150 guests in a big room with a James Bond theme. There were also Casino tables there too. I used my subs with the JBL's and was asked for lots of Chart and Dance stuff. It sounded great through my system. There were 2 other Discos on in the same hotel too and they finished at Midnight whilst I went on until 01.00am. They joined me behind the decks and we had a laugh, did some networking and they commented on how good the sound was which was nice. Lots of dancing all night to mainly Chart & Dance which the organiser had requested. It was funny because once she had left at around 11.00pm, lots of cheesiness and 80s was requested so I went through until the end with that.

Friday I was back in the usual place for another party of mixed companies. I recognised lots of people there and they recognised me too as they were guests from the previous years. It was probably the easiest night so far. No requests at all and everyone just danced to anything that I played.
One problem though was my mixer which I have mentioned before. It started to increase the volume on it's own. Once I turned it down it would go down in volume (obviously) so I'd have to turn it up again and then it would do it again every now and then. I decided during one song to change over to a different channel and that was fine. It was very strange and I kept my eye on it all evening.

Saturday saw me in my usual room and my other DJ in the other one. Both of us had a great night.
I decided to put in a different mixer just for peace of mind and I put my old Numark in the flightcase instead. It has never let me down and it didn't this time either. Everything went very well. I got a cheer from one table when I walked in to the room as the guests were having their desserts. It was a bunch of people that I knew so I went over and chatted for a while. It was good because it instantly put me at ease. There were lots of 20 somethings at this party and I expected them all to get up as soon as I started but it wasn't the case which was strange. It didn't take long for them to get into it and it was probably only 2 songs but because all of the parties had busy dance floors instantly, it was surprise. As I also mentioned, it was during the final hour that I started to feel quite ill and I started to panic a bit. I was in the middle of 'Love Shack' and thought I'd have to make a dash for the loos. I cue'd up the next track and grabbed a member of staff and asked her to stay nearby. I nipped outside for a minute to get some fresh air and made it back to the decks feeling slightly better. I got through it but was bad when I got home.

I'll spare you the gory details.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Last night (20th December) was the best Christmas party of the lot and one of the best parties I think I have ever done.
I have to say that this year has been busy but I have not had any problems whatsoever with guests at all. Sometimes you'll get someone that will say something like "Can you play something for the oldies?" but I haven't even had that. I actually had one large group last night that asked me if I was back next year as they were going to book again. That was nice.
It was a mix of 4 different companies and a mix of different ages again. I originally thought it would be one of those where I'd be playing to the 2 separate ages groups but it wasn't the case. Everyone danced to everything. The large group were people in their 60's and all dressed in suits and dickie bows and they loved it. One guy in particular who looked the oldest of the lot and a cross between Father Christmas and Uncle Albert from Only Fools & Horses kept coming up requesting tracks. He really surprised me actually as I thought (wrongly) that he'd ask for something old but first he asked for David Guetta & Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over, which packed the dance floor and then Kings of Leon - Sex On Fire which had the same effect.

I had a massive round of applause at the end which was a tad embarassing. I'm not sure why I get embarassed but I do. I finished dead on time with Mariah Carey and the lights went up and they asked for one more so I played REM - It's The End Of The World and they went absolutely mad for it. I would have easily done an extra hour for free for this lot because it was such a good night and I very rarely say that. It was a pleasure.

Got my annual Christmas party gig at the school at 1.30pm this afternoon which is always a good one and then a wedding this evening with a predominantly 80's theme to it and then off until Christmas Eve. Hope everyone is having a great time and steers clear of the bug.
All the best
G

[Daryll]

Got my one and only x-mas part on Saturday night , then NYE and then a few months off to concentrate on other things

Daryll

[dj foureyes]

I had a good un last night. It was for 80 teachers from a school in Twickenham. I did their Christmas party last year and boisterous was the word. Last year involved smashed glasses, vomiting, drunken falling over and the punters were just as bad!
My introduction at the start of the evening was, " good evening all, after last year I think of you all as my family...........my alcoholic, dysfunctional, delinquent family" which got a big laugh. It really felt that they are a close family and everyone was up for a good time. I tried to finish 10 minutes early because I knew I would get the " just one more" and I was right. I finished on All I Want For Christmas and they were happy with that.

[alphawave]

Finished off the year by doing a very easy gig last Saturday playing 12 till 2.30pm....How weird it feels to finish in day light and home at a decent hour!!
Played to a group of 8 year olds roller disco style,so dance/pop music solid then done...So all round a nice way to end the year....Next gig is NYE.....

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I had a good un last night. It was for 80 teachers from a school in Twickenham. I did their Christmas party last year and boisterous was the word. Last year involved smashed glasses, vomiting, drunken falling over and the punters were just as bad!
My introduction at the start of the evening was, " good evening all, after last year I think of you all as my family...........my alcoholic, dysfunctional, delinquent family" which got a big laugh. It really felt that they are a close family and everyone was up for a good time. I tried to finish 10 minutes early because I knew I would get the " just one more" and I was right. I finished on All I Want For Christmas and they were happy with that.

I'm a teacher and that sounds about right

Some of the nights out I've had with folk from work have been worse than my most filthy student days.