BPM 2017

[Nakatomi]

To be fair to the World Bar they seemed to have a good selection of real ales too (just not included in the ADJ tab). But it was rammed in there. And I doubt the prices would have been palatable!

Regardless of prices the service was pretty poor in there. I dunno what it is about bar staff south of where I live but they never seem to want to rush no matter how busy a place is. Wayne, eurofizz or not, I wasn't the only person thought there was summit the matter with the stuff on the ADJ tab. Costs for a pint were mostly around a fiver which considering you're in captive a crowd isn't too extortionate.

[Imagine]

Costs for a pint were mostly around a fiver which considering you're in captive a crowd isn't too extortionate.

You'll give Peter another heart attack if you keep talking like that!

To be fair, with the exception of the silly prices in Reflex (and the even sillier DJ), we were paying around £3 - £3.50 a pint last night (and over the number of pints we sank between us.....every little helps ).

The DJ in Reflex? Firstly it's incredibly rare for me to see another DJ working (probably the case with a lot of us)....and you know how it is....you look at the setup, judge the mixing.....we're never off duty . I'm always up for a little education though

We couldn't fathom him out. We walked in to the Cha Cha Slide (kill me now!), but there was no logic to what he was playing and when - we honestly couldn't second guess the next track because it was all a bit random (although there was a definite vein of cheesiness going on)....and absolutely NO mixing skills whatsoever - literally let one track end then hit play on the next. The best bit.....the place was rammed with young things in their early 20's who were lapping it up!

There was also a DJ booth in Lloyds, well you have to look don't you. Seeing the number of Chauvet Intimidator 300 barrels on the ceiling I was expecting something better than a dusty relic of a Citronic desk!

Tap & Spile.....two par cans and I don't know what the speakers were - but my ears were bleeding when I left. How in the name of all that's Holy he managed to go from the likes of Wheatus into Luther Vandross and get away with it I'll never know

[yourdj]

To be fair to the World Bar they seemed to have a good selection of real ales too (just not included in the ADJ tab). But it was rammed in there. And I doubt the prices would have been palatable!

I had two double pint glasses of Timothy Taylor in the world bar (really great ale), bloody great band playing too!!!
Total price £0.00 did not know it was paid for by ADJ, thought it was on Marc Walshes tab.

I had a meal in the Skyline bar - booth seating, Sirloin steak and 4 long island ice teas. Lovely!! I thought it was pretty cheap for what you got, steak was only about £18 and really nice!! I wished i had gone to Iguana Latin bar after as i had lunch there today - 2-4-1 on cocktails and the guys pretty good!

People are so caught up on prices, it's one night a year in a premium location so worth having a nice time and paying for it. I am sure it wont break the bank paying for a £5 pint even for the 'you cannot get dat arand ere brigade'. Not sure I would be so happy paying that in a naff dump like Reflex though. Stayed in the hotel next door and did a bit of shopping today, so I will certainly do that again, the room was fabulous and it only cost me £95.

Dod not see much as i was Unexpectedly the unofficial photographer for next Promobile Magazine as Eddie has to get it to press by Wednesday. Show I thought was pretty good although i only really took photos and walked about, not really engaging with any kit hands on. The lights and sound part does not interest me as much, I prefer Plaza type events as its much more hi tech. One thing I did see was the white Evox, great move for RCF that, If I went for a new sound rig that would be the first choice.

I spent most the time in the education rooms as I was photographing a few of my friends, Gary Evans seminar I thought was very good. I will make an effort next year and try and catch the music production ones at the front. I will take off the Saturday and stay 2 nights in the Crown Plaza. I had 4 drinks tickets, used one and then had to go to one of the stands. Got back and the flippin bar had shut! Jazzy Jeff was great as usual although he did not play boom shake the room LOL. I heard a lot of old hiphop tracks I used to love (i.e. dilated peoples).

Rather rushed photos here: https://yourdj.smugmug.com/BPM-2017/

[Imagine]

VERY nice photo that

BTW - BPM is officially dead (and to be honest....it NEEDS to change). The range of gear this year went from the sublime (urgh....some of those "all in one party systems" on the Gemini stand, to the ridiculous (some of those speaker stacks would have required a fork-lift to shift in the audio demo area!).

Some of the gear in there is waaaaay beyond the scope of the average mobile DJ. I actually asked the Kvant guy how much that laser system was that was scanning over the top of the stands...and nearly passed out! (it was a LOT of zeros on the end of the price tag and isn't aimed at the mobile market by any stretch of the imagination !)

As pretty (but scaled back) as Le Maitre's stand was...how many of us can really get away with anything like those effects in a marquee without burning it to the ground? (I lost eyebrow hairs with some of those flame effects and I'm sure somebody near me soiled themselves with one of the bangs).....I'll say no more

So, it's the Genting Arena as usual next October chaps (and Angela!) for something called GIG. Next year however, I'm ignoring any suggestions of a hotel with the word "budget" in it's name purely and simply because I WANT A KETTLE IN MY ROOM! I'd also like a toilet I don't have to reverse into (I'm not kidding). A Corby trouser press would be a nice touch too

What would I like to see at the reborn event?

• Sound and lighting aimed at the mobile market, possibly on "example" rigs (i.e. this is how it would look and sound in the real world and this is how to achieve it....it might just open the eyes of some in our industry ).
• A MUCH better PA experience. What were those domes in the corridor about? Last year was bad....but this year trumped it! Let's have a proper room with none of the "making all things equal" rubbish.....let the PA suppliers show us what their kit does when properly setup and show us how to do it!
• More learning (I missed all of those because I was doing/watching other stuff at the same time)...I'd like to see several tents repeating the same content so tent 1 did "how to go full time" at two hourly intervals all weekend, tent 2 did "how to market" at two hourly intervals.....you get the drift. I don't know what it was like inside those tents, but they seem to have put them into the noisiest part of the building as well!
• Bring back the coffee lounge in the middle....there was NOWHERE quiet to have a chat or network properly
• More retailers offering show deals. I really DIDN'T like having only DJKit there selling stuff. I've now got to go and pay Terralec full price for some more gig bags

Just my own personal thoughts....

[rth_discos]

VERY nice photo that

BTW - BPM is officially dead (and to be honest....it NEEDS to change). The range of gear this year went from the sublime (urgh....some of those "all in one party systems" on the Gemini stand, to the ridiculous (some of those speaker stacks would have required a fork-lift to shift in the audio demo area!).

Hurrah. Whilst it is of course nice to see some of the pro kit, it's just never going to be a mobile disco option.

And I found in many cases, that on some stands, the dealers were (naturally) more interested in talking to customers who were interested in the higher end, pro kit, than anything mobile DJ related.

It took me a number of visits to, and a lot of waiting around on the FBT stand to finally get to hear the CS1000, as they had their big line array system at the back going more than the smaller stuff.

Next year however, I'm ignoring any suggestions of a hotel with the word "budget" in it's name purely and simply because I WANT A KETTLE IN MY ROOM! I'd also like a toilet I don't have to reverse into (I'm not kidding). A Corby trouser press would be a nice touch too

I chose the Crowne Plaza on the NEC site. It was £103 a night, but came with the advantage of an on site car park that was only £10 for the night (from 11am on the Sat to 5pm on the Sun!). It came with kettle, trouser press, nice desk and chair, very comfy bed and a nice bathroom. It was certainly worth the money.

Included in the £103 was a three course meal in their rather nice restaurant, and breakfast.

I chose it because I realised that after paying around £50 for a budget hotel, by the time I'd added food and parking on top, I'd be paying the same, so might as well go for a nice room. And it was only a short walk away from the Genting Arena and the World Bar.

[*]Bring back the coffee lounge in the middle....there was NOWHERE quiet to have a chat or network properly

I was chatting with Pete Hawkins (NADJ Chairman) and they're looking to make more of the Pro Mobile learning zone next year, including a coffee area and networking area outside. I do wonder how many people didn't even find that section... I came in the very top entrance (where the inflatable tent learning zones were) and it took me a while to even find the "next room" of displays - and then had to ask some people where the DJ learning zone was! It was pretty well hidden away, and I hadn't been given a map on arrival.

[yourdj]

Some of the gear in there is waaaaay beyond the scope of the average mobile DJ.

I WANT A KETTLE IN MY ROOM! I'd also like a toilet I don't have to reverse into (I'm not kidding). A Corby trouser press would be a nice touch too

Yep trouser press & you get a fridge/safe too! The shower and bath were phenomenal (new building), seriously i have stayed all over the place and that was the most powerful and fast to heat up systems I have ever seen. Sounds silly, but I love making the most of my room. I missed breakfast, I usually don't get up in time. might order it to the room in future.

I think their focus on mobile dj market went years back when they moved the date, they are more interested in bedroom DJs to fill up the space, serious pro audio guys, who spend the money and the club/producer guys, who make it look cool. My guess is they put the mobile part at the back to keep all the mobile DJ slobs from 'de-cooling' the show. Mobile DJ's are few and far between (opposed to the bedroom, club, producer and pro market) and the market is largely full of operators with a very low spend potential (or people that already have all the kit they need), compared to a pro audio person or kit hire operator.

Hurrah. Whilst it is of course nice to see some of the pro kit, it's just never going to be a mobile disco option. And I found in many cases, that on some stands, the dealers were (naturally) more interested in talking to customers who were interested in the higher end, pro kit, than anything mobile DJ related.

they're looking to make more of the Pro Mobile learning zone next year, including a coffee area and networking area outside. I do wonder how many people didn't even find that section...

The show organisers need to impress the stall holders, so maximising the market potential and getting prospective high paying clients through the door is key to garantee the success of the show. I personally prefer to look at the more midrange stuff, like on the Next stand and see trends that will filter through in a few years, so I can potentially get there before it happens (with a little help from my friends on Alibaba ). those lasers were very powerful for the size, I was having a good look at them whilst taking the photos from up high, as it was near me.

I think that hotel was one of the best rooms i have been for some time (for a corporate hotel that is). I did not know you can park in that car park, its right next to the show, why I walked flippin miles last year I don't know!! I had the space right next to the hotel too. The bar area was not the best IMO, could be a bit more snazzy. I wanted 5 mins while the one bar person was busy and went next door in the end. All I wanted was a coffee.

Having something other than a room is a good idea, they have tried the coffee networking thing before. jazzing it up a bit and making it a bit more cool would be a good option. I like the idea of a mobile DJ cocktail lounge, but that will never happen LOL.

[yourdj]

VERY nice photo that

Sorry missed that. Thanks. It was all rather rushed as Eddie only asked me at midday Monday. I had a small SD card too so shot in jpg (rather than RAW), which is not ideal for magazine quality images, but they came out reasonable with just a bit of clarity adjustments.

i like this one the best, captures the events mystique I think? i will spend more time in that area next year.

[Excalibur]

Taking a gig in Hull on the afternoon of BPM Sunday wasn't an ideal start, but money is money.
So, 5.30pm, and we're off in the Hull to Brum endurance race. 150 miles in 150 minutes, and by the time I arrive at the 5* hotel we'd chosen, ( yeah, right. )I'm already cream crackered. Meet up with The Posse of Wayne, Dave and Mattysounds, Shaun and Andy. Dave was by now not a happy bunny, as none of the rooms had a life support system! ( Aka a Kettle )

We set off on the Annual MDD Ramblers Tour of Brum, and actually find our destination. A nice relaxing curry in a plush restaurant is eschewed in favour of some Turkish blokes setting fire to some ( allegedly ) meat based products in a less than salubrious cafe. To be fair, it tasted bloody good, my chicken was perfect, and with drinks, mine was the most expensive meal at £6.

We then visited the pub with the earliest closing time in Birmingham, and the weakest beer. Dave and Matty headed for the hotel early, and four of us gave Reflex a swerve, as there was nobody in, and tried Lloyds, where we got some lovely 5% ale. Ahaun and Andy soon left, and despite what he alleges, Wayne insisted on dragging me round the late night establishments on Broad Street. Reflex was actually a joke, and the Tap and Spile was playing the right songs, but not necessarily in the right order, as Eric would say. Bed at 2.30am was not a good precursor to Monday.

Monday: Back across Brum to the Spoons for brekkie ( without cider ) and off to BPM in our little convoy. I was not in tip top form, and didn't see many faces I recognised, until we met Matthew ( Mattydj50) from Donny, and Benny with his entourage.
The QSC room was a revelation, and I could easily have been persuaded with a couple of grand for a rig, if I'd found that sum in my back pocket.
The LD stand was informative, and further fuelled my desire to acquire another stick rig, whether 11 or 28. We looked at some stands made out of scaffolding poles and perspex, and I was aghast to find that:
1) They seemed to cost a grand!
2) They didn't have a black cloth on them.

Since I was shattered after a hard weekend, and a late night, I headed off home, and missed the chaos on the A42 by a whisker, which Dave and Matty hadn't. After congratulating myself on this move, I then got snarled up in Ashby De La Zouch, and probably lost more time that way, as the world and his wife were trying the same thing! Got hoime safely and promptly fell asleep.

Thoughts:
Hotels. If you intend to visit Brum, find one there. If you don't, stay on site at BPM. Simples. Our cunning plan was based on info from other folk last year, and would have been excellent if we had followed the script. In all honesty, for our purposes, the Travelodge on Broad Street was ideal, and could easily be next year's base.

The show. Victim of its own success. Too many diverse types of stand in one place, and the learning seminar being in the noisiest bit didn't seem logical. Splitting it up will be the only logical move, and will be a great move. It seemed less crowded than other years, don't know if that's what others thought.

The weekend. Apart from the Beergate incident in Reflex ( which is now second to Trainergate ) we found food and entertainment of a very acceptable quality and cost everywhere in Brum, no problem. It's blindingly obvious to me now that arriving early Sunday morning ( or even better, Saturday night ) is the key to a successful visit. I had too much to fit into a short time, and it wore me out.

See you all at GIG next year then folks. The King is dead! Long live the King.

[Nakatomi]

Ah but the mobile dj learning hub was at the back of the arena this time - a very smart move indeed. Very useful. Very informative. I'm now really tempted to take myself along to the ProMobile conference.. But it's looking like an either or scenario for me. 'fancy' conference or fun away days... The former is more necessary...

[yourdj]

'fancy' conference or fun away days... The former is more necessary...

Its about 3-4 all day workshops in one, combined with the fact that a lot of the key figures in the industry are there, so you can also chat and get to know them as they all have a wealth of knowledge and are willing to share it for free (largely without egos)! Not many industries are like that.

For me though, its a couple of days away from the kids with some of my best friends and a lot of fun.
There are also some amazing ideas that you will pick up, but often its the same stuff repeated from other workshops/conversations.