Looking after yourselves at gigs

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I don't touch a drop when I am driving and I don't accept alcohol from a customer if they offer me a drink.
The only time I will have a drink or two is if I am DJing at my local and I have the following day off. I can leave the minimal amount of equipment there where it is locked away safe and secure and get it the following day.
Sometimes at my one of my hotel residencies I may have one after the function with the staff and that's out the back away from the guests. I'll walk home and pack up the following day as it's only 5 minutes away, this is if they don't have another function on. If they do then I know in advance so I wouldn't have a drink if that's the case.

[DJIanScott]

I get absolutely battered at each and every gig. Never completed a wedding sober. 95% of my jobs I can't remember what happened at the end. Often wake up behind the decks at 8am the next day, headphones still in situ and Abba on loop. It's ok though, my £80 wages covers my bar bill most of the time.*







*some/all of the above may be fabricated

[Imagine]

It's ok though, my £80 wages covers my bar bill most of the time.*

Don't joke about the £80 wages. Until recently I thought that was something people just laughed about.

However, the past few weeks I've been doing a bit of looking around on bridal forums etc. just to establish my pricing for next year and there's DJ's on a LOT of them quiet happily advertising that they do weddings for £125 (including all day). They even have the cheek to have a go at the dearer priced DJ's for overcharging!

[Benny Smyth]

I have to have a few pints before the end of a gig, because I'm very self conscious about my driving.

In all seriousness, I actually don't drink that much anyway so not having booze at a gig is a non-issue for me.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

To me it also highlights the drinking while at work issue

I know that this has been done to death many times and various arguments have been put forward but,in my opinion, to remain in a clear state of mind, not just to deal with issues raised in this post, drinking whilst at work is simply a no-no.

I wouldn't dream of having a drink at the day job (no, I'm not a bus driver, airline pilot or a policeman).

Thousands do every day when they go to the pub for lunch though, like it or not.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Lot's of people go into work coked out of their eyeballs and nick from the place, not exactly something that is proper or professional...

[mattydj50]

Thousands do every day when they go to the pub for lunch though, like it or not.

There are an awful lot of companies these days that have banned lunchtime drinking.

[Pe7e]

There are an awful lot of companies these days that have banned lunchtime drinking.

And an awful lot of the bosses of those companies continue to have their 'business lunches' with copious amounts of alcohol flowing.

[BeerFunk]

It is a difficult one to call isn't it? We should have a no violence policy, as in any workplace, but I think it's a bit different when the workplace is filled with people who have had a drink. I'm not saying for a minute that we should tolerate violence, but then are you going to down tools at the first hint of it?

Anyone who has worked with the public before, in any environment, will know that there are some nasty people out there. I'm afraid to say that if you're a nurse, or a store assistant, you will encounter abuse from time to time - and it's just something you need to deal with. Obviously that's only up to a point, there is a line to be crossed. Same goes for us, it's just a matter of deciding where that line is, I suppose.

[Larry B Entertainment]

Had a bad gig at the Post Office club in Lincoln. This lad was giving me hassle and threats most of the night for not playing requests inappropriate to the evening. He wasnt interested in what I said to him as he clearly only wanted to hear what he wanted to hear. He was a real shady character and about 2 ft shorter than me with all mouth but not a lot to back it up with. I could have easily taken him out but wasnt going to come down to his level. Ignoring him was only fuelling him up more. To cut a long story short, in the end I killed the music, told the client about it and they had him removed and I never saw him again.

In a venue with door staff, this problem would have quickly been retified but not so easy at private functions. I would never resort to violence, there are much better and cleaver and in many cases more pleasing ways to overcome people like him.