Who are we playing music for? Do we take requests?

[Nakatomi]

I've just found out that a karaoke night I did in January at a really average sports club has landed me a lovely wedding this weekend. Seems the bride had a " friend of a friend" who was unavailable, so asked family for advice. " You need the Lad/Old Git we saw doing karaoke last week at the sports club. Lots of fun, witty repartee, total superstar".
A cold wet night in January doing Karaoke has led to a plum wedding in August at a nice price. Every gig is a shop window.


Blimey Chris, there's thinking outside the box, and then there's sheer genius! Giving the customers what they want. That's a big step into the unknown for a service industry!

Mod note: For anyone who thinks I'm having a pop at Chris, that aligns closely with my standard operating procedure. Not exactly, but very closely, I take requests, I play requests. It's not really rocket science, is it?

What's that expression? Hoisted by my own petard? That was me & my laid back approach at a wedding last night. The client was happy to give me an outline of "oh you know, just some 70s,80s,90s etc" & I thought hey I don't mind I can wing it with the best of em, right? Oh dear lord. As soon as the guests twigged I was taking requests in came all & sundry with all sorts I barely even had let alone would consider playing, usually along the lines of "something by Garth Brooks you can dance to". Uhhh ok. It turned out to be a somewhat interesting night, if not fun for me. The happy couple were nowhere to be seen for the last hour or so & by the last requests were crossed off I don't think I've ever been more glad of reaching the finish line.

[Excalibur]

What's that expression? Hoisted by my own petard? That was me & my laid back approach at a wedding last night. The client was happy to give me an outline of "oh you know, just some 70s,80s,90s etc" & I thought hey I don't mind I can wing it with the best of em, right? Oh dear lord. As soon as the guests twigged I was taking requests in came all & sundry with all sorts I barely even had let alone would consider playing, usually along the lines of "something by Garth Brooks you can dance to". Uhhh ok. It turned out to be a somewhat interesting night, if not fun for me. The happy couple were nowhere to be seen for the last hour or so & by the last requests were crossed off I don't think I've ever been more glad of reaching the finish line.

Curiously enough, I've just searched him on Tidal, and it's woeful. Calling Baton Rouge was received rapturously at a recent wedding, but by another artist strangely. Ain't Going Down Till The Sun Comes Up is lively, and you can cheat a bit by playing his version of Billy Joel's You May Be Right.

Taking requests can be a two edged sword, especially at the death, when well lubricated guests twig that you have no chance of dancefloor action, and an internet connection.

[DJ Jules]

On the subject of requests...

My pet hate at the moment is weddings where the couple give me the guests' pre-requests without any consideration for their own tastes (despite BIG instructions on my website that they should focus on what they want and me re-iterating that I want quality, not quantity in all my pre-event comms). I had a wedding a couple of weeks ago where there were several occasions where I was playing through the "must play" section of the list, only for the bride to come up and ask me to change the music because "it's rubbish". I still blame the bridal forums for this trend as they push it as "ask your guests for their favourite song on the invites so they'll get excited when it's played on the night". The reality is that very few people remember what they put on the RSVP 4 months ago, and lots of them are rubbish or are just cliche wedding songs.

My other pet hate is where guests request songs in the last 10-15mins of the night and then get their hair off because I couldn't play it. But that's not exactly a new problem.

Julian

[ppentertainments]

On the subject of requests...

My other pet hate is where guests request songs in the last 10-15mins of the night and then get their hair off because I couldn't play it. But that's not exactly a new problem.

Julian

Always the Auntie that they didn't really want to invite who wants motown too

[ppentertainments]

Blimey Chris, there's thinking outside the box, and then there's sheer genius! Giving the customers what they want. That's a big step into the unknown for a service industry!

Mod note: For anyone who thinks I'm having a pop at Chris, that aligns closely with my standard operating procedure. Not exactly, but very closely, I take requests, I play requests. It's not really rocket science, is it?

I even go so far as if people ask if I can play it next (ask not demand) I play it next, and get great feedback for doing so.

People ask for it 'next' for the same reason when enquiring they always ask 'how much'

[Imagine]

I even go so far as if people ask if I can play it next (ask not demand) I play it next, and get great feedback for doing so.

People ask for it 'next' for the same reason when enquiring they always ask 'how much'

Blimey - have a woken up in a dream or something?
You mean I'm not the only one to work this way?

The world's going mad

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I even go so far as if people ask if I can play it next (ask not demand) I play it next, and get great feedback for doing so.

'

I've had a few that just stand there waiting for me to load up and play their request next...... some people huh.

[Zog]

I've had a few that just stand there waiting for me to load up and play their request next...... some people huh.

A mobile D.J. is only a mobile Juke Box after all.

Come the day when the partygoers will not want a personal human D.J., only an automatic computerised music machine that they can operate themselves. There will be a big screen on the wall showing a picture of the requester and details of their request[s]. A.I. WILL take over.

To cancel a bad request, the machine will allow that by using a delete button. but at a cost.

Zog.

[Nakatomi]

On the subject of requests...

.... I still blame the bridal forums for this trend as they push it as "ask your guests for their favourite song on the invites so they'll get excited when it's played on the night". The reality is that very few people remember what they put on the RSVP 4 months ago, and lots of them are rubbish or are just cliche wedding songs.

I now try to tell all my customers that while this night seem a good idea it's a lot less work for everyone if they just let guests know they can request tunes at the event. I pondered making a socials post saying "do you just LOVE spreadsheets? Then by all means ask for music requests in your wedding invitations"

As for people who ask for NEXT or a sequence I use my judgement. If they're being a git there's no chance. Next indeed! What am I? Spotify,?? I still try to play everything I can but it's not necessarily happening on their schedule. Generally if it's the customer It goes on next or ASAP. If it's random guest 37 & they're leaving in 5 minutes..... nope.

[Benny Smyth]

"Can you play it next?"

"You know the last wedding that you went to where you were on the dance floor enjoying yourself, but then the DJ plays something that can only be described as a random left turn, resulting in you all standing still, looking at each other confused and uttering the words 'What the F'?

That's what you're asking me to do right now."

As for guest requests on RSVPs, I'm on a bit of a mini crusade to bury that concept all the way to hell.