Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I just wrote a big rant about that last gig of 2018 but you know what - I'm over it - first bit of 'constructive criticism' I've ever received and it's bothering me more because it was due to stuff I couldn't control and was actually down to the venue / organiser. If I muck up I'll gladly put my hands up but that got my goat.

Anyways, onwards and upwards.

First wedding of the year last night and as you can imagine for an older crowd on a Thursday on the 3rd of January it was a slow burner - lots of people burnt out from Hogmanay and the first, lots either already back or going back to work and minimal guidance from the b&g but once the early leavers had gone we had a grand old time.

Got some really nice compliments from the father of the bride as I was breaking down and already got my feedback from the b&g this morning so even though it won't go down as a classic, it's certainly perked me up.

Got a nice little rest now until February. A year ago Id have been panicking that I wasn't as busy but y know what, I've changed my outlook and after really burning it at both ends last year, I'm glad my calendar is nowhere near as busy.

[mattydj50]

Tonight, I have a belated Christmas party for a company making farm equipment. The Chairman walked off after his speech to "Combine Harvester", which also happened to be our wedding walk out tune.

We also have two "singing policemen" - hello, hello, hello - who arrived and promptly said "was it all right to use my equipment". No thanks. I'm sure these people get paid well and to just walk in and be able to plug their ipad into my system, use my radio mics (as it happens I do have two available) and have me twiddle the knobs, is a bit cheeky don't you think?

So they brought their kit in and set it up. In front of mine. Soon got moved, thank you.

Speeches, presentations and meal overran as usual and they have just started their 45 minute slot. Me, I've still got my feet up looking round for a replacement for my dead Zafira that failed its MOT this week. Trouble is, the half a tank full of diesel and the new tyre I had to have put on last week (puncture, see) are worth more than the rest of the car put together!!!

[Nakatomi]

A bit slack this month, so I took on a couple of gigs for a mate & well.. the venue has an awful loadin & the pay is frankly taking the BUT.. gigs here are always tremendous fun.

So last night was an 80s night - normally on with some kind of tribute act or other but not this time.. Just lil ole me serving a room of about 200 people. I had Scotty yelling at me about the PA virtually all of the dancing time but it emerged unscathed apparently.

Here's how it went down... about 80% request led - that's to say I played ALL the 80s requests. Sadly it seems some people go to decade & genre nights bent on moulding it to fit their own tastes.. Got any Northern Soul mate? What? From the EIGHTIES? A bit of a stretch I'd say A recording of the dancing part of the set can be listened to here. Mostly mixed. VDJ was being a pain in the .. loaded it up Saturday morning & found it had updated despite being set NOT to & had bumped my favourite settings all to hell - so the levels at the start of tracks were all over the place. Yes, loops to use for talking over & using looped backbeats to bring new songs in.... I LOVE digital DJing. Do you really need to mix? Nope, but to create & maintain the kind of energy I had last night, YES you do IMHO.

[Excalibur]

Shocking. A fiasco. Shameful. I'm livid.

Won't be working here again.

[mattydj50]

Shocking. A fiasco. Shameful. I'm livid.

Won't be working here again.

That good eh?

[Benny Smyth]

Shocking. A fiasco. Shameful. I'm livid.

Won't be working here again.

You ok hun?

[Imagine]

Shocking. A fiasco. Shameful. I'm livid.

Won't be working here again.

Calm down dear...

Take a deep breath and explain all - it works for me

[Excalibur]

Between some venues and clients, I really wonder why we bother to spend money on kit, and expend our best efforts to provide a memorable experience for them.
Perhaps Sid has actually got it right? Rock up with fifty quid's worth of kit, blag a venue table, and connect to venue Wifi.


Why the maudlin self pity? Well draw up a comfy chair, get yourself some coffee and toast, and read on. 21st Party in a " Sports and Social Club". I've highlighted the relevant part. As is my wont, I arrived ( very ) early, to find that a footy match had just finished, perfect timing. Not surprisingly, the venue was still packed with players and supporters having a drink. Or two. Or three.

No problem, I'm a Professional, I can work round this. When I'm granted access, where do I set up? Smack in front of the big screen they're showing a local footy match on. And when will you stop showing this match, Mr venue staff? About five minutes before you're due to start. Dear Lord, give me strength.

Well, like I said, I'm a Professional, so rather than start an hour late, I bring the kit on stage at half time, and annoy footy fans by starting to set up. Rather than being in the most sensible place, I set up off centre ( ie in a corner ) and managed to get 90% of the kit set up, despite the ceiling being only an inch or two ( four or five centimetres for you young 'uns ) higher than the Micron booth where I was placed, and blocked a short distance from that by an RSJ a foot lower.

Customer was surprisingly laid back about everything, and took it all in her stride. At this point, the venue appears to be full of footy fans, and half a dozen invited guests. It's a long narrow venue, and where are the guests? As far away as it's possible to be, at a table specially reserved for them. Never mind, I'll turn the Mauis up a bit. Once we've got into the excellent playlist, and the house lights down, we'll soon have them flocking onto the dance floor, won't we?

I just know you're already ahead of me. Firstly, the bar is proudly sporting strip lights giving enough illumination for the whole venue on its own, never mind the help it's getting from ceiling lights everywhere. To give them their due, they turned off the lights on my stage. All six of them. Ah well, we'll just have to fill the dancefloor without atmospheric lighting.

Ah yes, the dancefloor, I'm glad I mentioned that. It would be inaccurate to say we didn't actually have a dancefloor, because there was in fact a six foot square space halfway down the venue, smack opposite the entrance doors, without tables and chairs. When I got the dancing, they were dancing in the aisles, and on my somewhat bijou stage between the speakers and my booth. The booth received a whack at one point, and shifted six inches nearer the wall.

To cap it all? Oh come on, you're struggling to think of how it could get worse, aren't you? Well, once again, I'm questioning my payment terms. At the outset, customer immediately says of her own volition, when told of the deposit, " Great. I'll pay deposit now, and cash balance on the night". Halfway through, when I'm up to my ears in requests and other distractions " Will it be OK if I transfer the money on Monday morning"? Truly, I despair.

[rth_discos]

So last night was the first time I've gone out on a 'last minute emergency'.

I'd like to say I'd been enjoying a relaxing day, but it was the day I'd put aside to finishing off the tax return, which I was pleased to complete.

Had been relaxing that evening in front of the TV. Saw a post on Facebook just after 10pm looking for a DJ in the area I'm in, so messaged them. Wasn't sure how many other DJs locally would see it, and it was clearly an event you needed to be very close to.

An hour later I was in a nightclub doing the 'cheese' room. First time I've done a nightclub in quite a few year.

Apart from it looking more like it was frequented by the local youth club, I'm amazed at how the dress code standard has dropped. When I was younger, even jeans were banned - and certainly trainers, as they started to relax the no jeans rule. Now it seems sports wear is accepted!

An easy night - bang out the cheese - lots of S Club 7, Spice Girls, etc.

Because it was quieter than expected (Jan), they didn't open the room I was in until midnight - very strange starting the gig at that time.

Nice to do something different and help out a DJ in need (his car had broken down).

[Excalibur]

Apart from it looking more like it was frequented by the local youth club, I'm amazed at how the dress code standard has dropped. When I was younger, even jeans were banned - and certainly trainers, as they started to relax the no jeans rule. Now it seems sports wear is accepted!

Oh no!! Just when we'd got Darren calmed down*. Incoming.






* Trainergate BPM 2015