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Thread: What are your favourite type of gigs?

  1. #11
    Resident Antagonist Benny Smyth's Avatar
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    And to buck the trend, weddings are my favourite events to perform for.

    I honestly don't feel this pressure that's been mentioned.

  2. #12
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DJ Jules View Post
    Are these still weddings through your residency, or your own weddings?

    Julian
    Err, that would be Bigamy, Jules.

    Quote Originally Posted by Benny Smyth View Post
    And to buck the trend, weddings are my favourite events to perform for.

    I honestly don't feel this pressure that's been mentioned.
    Then you're obviously not applying yourself to the task properly. You can't be giving it your all if you approach it without an attack of the Collywobbles!


    Before anyone has a fit about me insulting poor Benny thus, That's not necessarily my opinion. It's one that's been posted on here before, and if memory serves, Gary ( Shakermaker ) always gets nervous before a gig, despite his years in the game. Obviously Benny is a master of some sort of relaxation technique, and I'm somewhere in the middle.
    Excalibur. Older than the average DJ.

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  3. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by DJ Jules View Post
    Are these still weddings through your residency, or your own weddings?

    Julian
    Both. Infact if anything the private bookings end up heavily playlisted (aka the number on the list is very close to or exceeds the amount it's possible to play at the gig) more often than the other with no warning it's going to happen. Occupational hazard these days I suppose, but I'd rather it happened less. Though what tends to be the case is a guest goes into the request system & monopolises it. It's a lovely idea to have a guest request feature but it really isn't working for me. The premise (and selling point) is great in theory. Rather than put requests on your RSVPs, give guests a link - then the customer doesn't have to collate the returned requests. A lovely idea but... Meh.

    I've already implemented code changes in MDJM (like DJEP) to allow placing a numerical limit on requests per event, but limiting guests to a sane maximum is definitely needed too. Anecdotally I've seen a b&g request a very reasonable number & one guest doubles or trebles that in one gulp. That just isn't cricket. Experience shows that the very best responses come from spontaneous requests anyway so I'm questioning the whole system.
    Last edited by Nakatomi; 25-07-2018 at 09:26 AM.

  4. #14
    Imagine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nakatomi View Post
    Both. Infact if anything the private bookings end up heavily playlisted (aka the number on the list is very close to or exceeds the amount it's possible to play at the gig)

    Eeeee.....only the amount it's possible to play at the gig, eh?

    This one's for the middle of August. To be fair, I'll just pick and choose what's working from the list (the client is aware) and it should be a good night

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  5. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    Eeeee.....only the amount it's possible to play at the gig, eh?

    This one's for the middle of August. To be fair, I'll just pick and choose what's working from the list (the client is aware) and it should be a good night

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    Two hundred & how many?! For petes sakes that many tracks would take 3 hours to strike into a playlist to work from in vdj - assuming you've got them all. Talk about admin overhead! I'm completely paperless (usually literally.. Damn kids!) but I'm beginning to think printing lists out would save me a lot of aggro.

    Next you're going to tell me the system you use knows your music database & simply exports a file you import into your playout.....right?

  6. #16
    Imagine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nakatomi View Post

    Next you're going to tell me the system you use knows your music database & simply exports a file you import into your playout.....right?
    Yup

  7. #17
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    Well unsurprisingly weddings are my favourite, mainly because they are a lot more complicated and have more variables. I like a challenge and get very bored on the more straight forward ones where people have very little vested interest in you. i can also charge more for that, which always puts a smile on my face, but making what should be the best day of someones life that much more special is my main buzz. I just love finishing a night and looking at the big smiles on everyones faces.

    For enjoyability I think the big house parties come in next. They are usually quite well planned and managed and you are the main attraction, so again the responsibility and mutual respect is there. The big budget £15k + ones, but also smaller house parties, depends on the guests really. Something like this:

    www.vimeo.com/176385140

    And third is my Christmas residency as its fun. Not too difficult and gets me into the zone with more current music & other random tracks that I don't usually play at weddings. I enjoy building the set list and over a week or two really getting into it, so for NYE its totally spot on! There are a lot of nice people who i have DJ'd too for 9 years now also so I have got to know a few groups well, which is nice, so the appreciation thing also comes into play again.

    My least favourite events are onbisoule ones with rude people that just live on a different planet, don't respect themselves let alone anyone else, or deluded staff or clients that don't value, respect of listen to your advice and it all goes wrong and then they blame you. Could be a £50k wedding or a party in a social club, the people make it work.

    And lastly - kids discos - 18th's, no thanks. 21st and upwards.
    Your DJ - Mobile DJ The New Forest, Southampton & Hampshire. Toby
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  8. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    Yup
    I've been pondering jumping ship. I think this just sold it to me.

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nakatomi View Post
    Next you're going to tell me the system you use knows your music database & simply exports a file you import into your playout.....right?
    Also yup. It also shows the customer the length of their event, the length each song and the total of the selected songs in minutes/seconds. This seems to go a long way to reigning people in.

    Julian
    http://www.bristoldiscohire.co.uk - Quality Disco and Equipment hire for Bristol & Bath
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  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by yourdj View Post
    My least favourite events are onbisoule ones with rude people that just live on a different planet, don't respect themselves let alone anyone else, or deluded staff or clients that don't value, respect of listen to your advice and it all goes wrong and then they blame you. Could be a £50k wedding or a party in a social club, the people make it work.
    That's spot on. A few years ago, my venue had a brainstorm and promoted "A Grand Wedding", which got you a wedding for a grand, where you got basically a room, some grub, a few pretty bits and a disco for £999. All of us supliers were asked if we would "revise" our prices (downwards of course) to reduce the costs. The venue's argument was that it would increase business as these were weddings that we probably would not have got otherwise.

    Well, I refused and was told to bring a smaller kit. I still refused as I said that to do so would make some people think that it was my normal set up and might make me look cheap. So I still refused. Eventually, I persuaded the venue to go for a midnight finish rather than 1am, which would save them an hours worth of staff costs, leccy and some ancilliary costs. I did then knock a tenner off, because it was, as they said, work that would not be there otherwise.

    Well, some of the plankton that these weddings attracted were below humanity, that became quickly tanked up on falling down sweary water. That was odd, because the bar take on these events (where they expected to bringh in the revenue) was often much lower than forecast. I decided to hatch a plan, so I asked the staff to watch out for drinks that were sourced not from the bar. On many occasions, I saw guests disappear into the toilets with glasses that were around ¼ full and come back with them topped up. No prizes for what they HADN'T filled them with. So the manager crept round the back and nailed the toilet window shut. Then, a number of guests were seen with bottle gift bags, but seemingly did not want to give them to the happy couple. I wonder why! Finally, we noticed that a car in the car park was very popular. A bar was operating from the boot!

    At the end of the night, a sweep round the rooms and outside revealed evidence that, if the booze had been bought over the bar, £454 in lost revenue was had. That's not including anything sold from the car bar, or anything else where the empties had been disposed of. The actual bar take on the night was less than £600, so not a lot was made on that night.

    Shortly after, that promotion was discontinued, though I have heard that a "cheaper, streamlined" wedding package is being mooted again. I'm glad I left then!

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