What gigs would you NOT do ??

[ppentertainments]

Have had an enquiry for a 'rap session' for an engagement party. Strange I know. :confused:

Anyway I have turned down the booking because I would not feel comfortable doing a rap session (from 7 till 1 as well), and also do not think a rap session would work for an engagement party.

As well as this I also avoid anyone who asks for r'n'b all night like the plague. I know there are plenty of r'n'b' dj's out there but again I would struggle to do r'n'b all night.

Are there any gigs you would turn down due to genre, or knowing it would not work etc ??

[martink]

Could probably handle the rap one, would have a good chat with the client first though. Enjoy playing R&B all night

The ones I'd avoid are techno, trance or any kind of banging house. Don't like the music and not knowledgable enough. Could handle an evening of classic or soulful house though:cool:

[Shaun]

I don't do kids parties. I'd also be inclined to turn down any theme nights for specific genres I'm not too familiar with. (e.g. heavy metal, rap, northern soul nights etc). I could handle those types of music in small doses, but lack the knowledge to provide a full night around those themes.

[martink]

Forgot kids parties:p

[wensleydale]

did they want you to rap?

"word. here me now, you is engaged, i'm only doing this, cos I is getting paid."

that type of thing?

[martink]

Loads of 30 somethings turning up with bits of lino:p

[dmckaraoke]

Loads of 30 somethings turning up with bits of lino:p

What you canna beat abit of break dance...

Well im 30something i iv still got the moves.......

[PropellerHeadCase]

I can do full nights of all the obvious stuff 70s pop, 80s pop, disco, classic rock, 80s/90s metal can also do jazz/swing, chill-out, deep/funky/Latin house, classic funk and raregroove most anything else I wouldn't do. Actually I could do a full night of Hip-Hop and/or R'n'B though I would generally like to play those and mix in other stuff for a bit of variation. Have done 21sts with nothing but Hip-Hop and R'n'B all night, no problem.

[rob1963]

I don't do kids stuff, 18ths, 21sts or anything in central London (unless it's a special favour for a family member or close friend)...but anything else is pretty much fine.

I haven't yet turned down a gig due to them wanting one particular style of music all night...although I'm not saying I wouldn't.

This Saturday I have a wedding that I'm not particularly looking forward to, as they want a fair bit of R&B, which isn't really my bag...but my clients always get what they ask & pay for!

:)

[Tom]

I not to sure on this one. I have never turned down a gig yet but i know i will never do any kind ilegal rave. That is a no no.

I dont want this to come put the wrong way but these type of people like there music so loud. There is no way i would put my gear at risk of damage ect ect.

[Harrison's Discos]

Have had an enquiry for a 'rap session' for an engagement party. Strange I know. :confused:

Anyway I have turned down the booking because I would not feel comfortable doing a rap session (from 7 till 1 as well), and also do not think a rap session would work for an engagement party.

As well as this I also avoid anyone who asks for r'n'b all night like the plague. I know there are plenty of r'n'b' dj's out there but again I would struggle to do r'n'b all night.

Are there any gigs you would turn down due to genre, or knowing it would not work etc ??

Just thinking about this is terms of equipment.
Make sure they know their place.. for example dont expect any of them to want to make you turn your sound up any higher than you would want on the microphone. That could or could not happen. Other than that i would think its fine.

[Sam]

I tend to stear away from kiddies parties ... I don't have much experience with them and find they don't bring in great money.. (unless your very good like mr. mayhem i expect!)

I do some 18ths.. mainly If I know the area.. but try and stay away from them in preference for older birthdays / other events / weddings.

Stear away from events in a certain town nearby for a certain age group (chav city!!!)..

Depends really what the event is, what they want and also how much they are paying =)


** I Love doing weddings - can't get enough of them. Especially when they are all drunk before we even start!!

[Vectis]

I tend to stear away from kiddies parties ... I don't have much experience with them and find they don't bring in great money..

Depends how you market it. I use a small rig but cram in a couple of extra lights and a video projector and get about two-thirds of my normal fee for just a two hour set playing, essentially, the last two or three NOW! albums and a few party tunes. Home by 10 o'clock with virtually nil planning or follow-up. Sounds good to me!

[DJmissbehaving]

Not sure about gigs i wouldn't do. Probably 18ths or 21st but one i would love to do is a wedding with a live band, or one in a massive big fancy house or a function or theme night in a marquee.....
I used to work in a posh hotel in Troon and they had a barmitsfa party in a marquee. It was amazing. At the time i was only working in it as a waitress but the atmosphere was immense.....

[Excalibur]

I don't do kids stuff, 18ths, 21sts or anything in central London (unless it's a special favour for a family member or close friend)...but anything else is pretty much fine.

I haven't yet turned down a gig due to them wanting one particular style of music all night...although I'm not saying I wouldn't.

This Saturday I have a wedding that I'm not particularly looking forward to, as they want a fair bit of R&B, which isn't really my bag...but my clients always get what they ask & pay for!

:)

If you didn't have so many restrictions, you could make £130k per year! :eek:


Have done 21sts with nothing but Hip-Hop and R'n'B all night, no problem.
:bowdown: :bowdown:

[Mayhem 1]

Hiya Folks,

It would be easier if I said what I would do :D

Children's Parties (4yrs - 12yrs) - Nurseries - Primary schools - School Fetes -Corporate Family Fundays.

I do the odd wedding and adult event like 40th/50th etc here and there but only after a very long chat with the Booker who would have seen my show before (they would get games etc and it does go down very well)

Everything else I would leave to the rest of the experts on here :beer1: :beer1:


Forgot kids parties:p

Hiya Martink, I have been invited to a friends party in Sunbury on Sunday 6th April, they have got entertainment booked already but they have requested me to do a guest spot, if you are about pop along, it would be great to have a chat.

[Prefab Sprouter]

Has nobody dj'ed a pikey wedding then?? LOL.

I tend to stay away from Kids parties too. Dont do as much 21sts anymore but have done teen discos so banging house is not a problem for me even though I dont particularly like it. I'm more old skool meself!

[PropellerHeadCase]

:bowdown: :bowdown:

You're not worthy, you're not worthy ;)

[rob1963]

If you didn't have so many restrictions, you could make £130k per year! :eek:

If I didn't have so many restrictions, I'd have grey hair!

Not a brilliant trade off, if you ask me...just for the sake of another £10k a year!

:rolleyes:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Everything else I would leave to the rest of the experts on here :beer1: :beer1:





And vica versa. I wouldn't do kids parties because I just wouldn't have the patience. I reckon I could keep them entertained without a problem, but it's just not my thing.

It is most definately a specialist job, which is why I'd leave it to someone like Mr Mayhem, who doesn't just turn up and play a few records.

I got tired just watching him work...:eek: ;)

[Mayhem 1]

And vica versa. I wouldn't do kids parties because I just wouldn't have the patience. I reckon I could keep them entertained without a problem, but it's just not my thing.

It is most definately a specialist job, which is why I'd leave it to someone like Mr Mayhem, who doesn't just turn up and play a few records.

I got tired just watching him work...:eek: ;)

Thanks for that Daz Mate,

I did give you the chance to join in though lol lol

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Thanks for that Daz Mate,

I did give you the chance to join in though lol lol

I seem to remember that I ended up being a judge for something?

[UltraBeat Entertainment]

I've just recieved a playlist for the gig i'm doing this friday. All they want from the whole night is R'n'B, Rap and Club music. Nothing else:eek: :eek: :eek:

The playlist is:
50 Cent
Chris Brown
Sean Kingston
Timberland
Akon
Mims

[ppentertainments]

Suprised at how many turn down kids parties. I enjoy doing them, have been told am successful, however I find around this area people expect them for nothing. You do have to put a lot of effort and patience in.

When I do a kids party I find it A LOT HARDER than a normal disco yet anything over £60 for 2 hours and you get the 'I will get back to you' answer. I used to do them cheap when I first began to fill the diary but now charge more realistic prices. Don't know if this applies everywhere or just in this area.

[Excalibur]

I've just recieved a playlist for the gig i'm doing this friday. All they want from the whole night is R'n'B, Rap and Club music. Nothing else:eek: :eek: :eek:

The playlist is:
50 Cent
Chris Brown
Sean Kingston
Timberland
Akon
Mims

That's on my banned gig list!!


Suprised at how many turn down kids parties. I enjoy doing them, have been told am successful, however I find around this area people expect them for nothing. You do have to put a lot of effort and patience in.

When I do a kids party I find it A LOT HARDER than a normal disco yet anything over £60 for 2 hours and you get the 'I will get back to you' answer. I used to do them cheap when I first began to fill the diary but now charge more realistic prices. Don't know if this applies everywhere or just in this area.

I used to do something similar. I don't find the price to be too much of an issue nowadays.

[Vectis]

Yep - folks think it's just for the kids and it's only a couple of hours so your overheads must therefore be half or less than a 4 or 5 hour disco.

It's all in the marketing and I've had a lot less "how much???!!!" issues since I rethought my 'kids disco' page (www.vectisvibe.com/pages/kids.php) and now generally get somewhere in the £150-200 range which is on a par for this area with typical family parties - 40ths and such like.

OK so I use quite a bit of kit, BUT I'm at home in front of the telly with a beer in my hand by 10... and you'll be surprised how many adult parties and recommendations come from those kids gigs - LOADS - especially if you get the adults involved. My favourite way of doing this is to play an oldie during the action dances set - like suddenly switch from cha cha slide to wig wam bam or YMCA or something - and tell the kids to go get their mums & dads to show 'em the moves! :D

[Harrison's Discos]

I've just recieved a playlist for the gig i'm doing this friday. All they want from the whole night is R'n'B, Rap and Club music. Nothing else:eek: :eek: :eek:

The playlist is:
50 Cent
Chris Brown
Sean Kingston
Timberland
Akon
Mims

Some music from these artists is good and some not so good.
Personally i like R&B so if you can sort out the good songs by those artists from the crap ones then you should be alright.

[djsteve10]

Evening guys,

Don't do christenings myself as they are long days and i cannot see how a baby would appreciate a cristening.

Also don't do a night where the music has to be of a certain genre that i am unfamiliar with.

[Harrison's Discos]

Don't do christenings myself as they are long days and i cannot see how a baby would appreciate a cristening.


I would of thought Christenings wouldn't be that hard to do.
Obviously depending on the people or (crowd) play some uplifting music as a Christening is a joyful occasion :)

[Danno13]

I've only ever done one christening and they just wanted background music for most of the day whilst they ate.

Did about 30mins of games/fun dances for the kids at the end and that was it. Easiest £200 I've ever earned!

They're usually on Sundays too, so a nice earnings boost.

Gigs I don't do..

Very rarley do pubs, find them too boring and have yet to do one where its been busy and had any dancing, I'm sure some pub gigs are more fun though...

And like most, won't do any gigs that are too specialist... unless its a genre I know really well.

[djsteve10]

Very long boring days sometimes tho...
But on the other hand with a christening you dont need hardly any gear.

[Harrison's Discos]

Very long boring days sometimes tho...
But on the other hand with a christening you dont need hardly any gear.

But what about the booze and food? Surely you must get to have a nibble? :D

I bet you don't need that much gear as probably wouldn't have the music loud.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Evening guys,

Don't do christenings myself as they are long days and i cannot see how a baby would appreciate a cristening.



Ooh you are naive Steve!

A christening is for everyone else to celebrate too....:rolleyes:

[Excalibur]

Ooh you are naive Steve!

A christening is for everyone else to celebrate too....:rolleyes:

And some of them certainly celebrate it in a big way! :beer1: :beer1:
Sunday work, early finish, I'd take as many as I could. ;)

[axeman]

i had a call yesterday asking for a quote for a wedding from 12 noon to 11.30 pm i gave a rather high quote, simply because i didnt fancy it, it might be my age lol, it just seems to long a day for me.

[Penfold42]

i had a call yesterday asking for a quote for a wedding from 12 noon to 11.30 pm i gave a rather high quote, simply because i didnt fancy it, it might be my age lol, it just seems to long a day for me.

No...that is a long day.....I would have done the same thing.....:)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

i had a call yesterday asking for a quote for a wedding from 12 noon to 11.30 pm i gave a rather high quote, simply because i didnt fancy it,

I've done that before and almost gone into 4 figures and they booked...:eek:

[Excalibur]

i had a call yesterday asking for a quote for a wedding from 12 noon to 11.30 pm i gave a rather high quote, simply because i didnt fancy it, it might be my age lol, it just seems to long a day for me.


No...that is a long day.....I would have done the same thing.....:)

Are you all earning too much money? :confused: Do you think you'd be playing music for twelve hours? :confused: Simply load your price by a sensible and reasonable amount, and enjoy it.

[Penfold42]

I've done that before and almost gone into 4 figures and they booked...:eek:

:eek: :eek:

How did you cope with that length of time on your 'plates of meat'.....??

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Do you think you'd be playing music for twelve hours?

Apart from the speeches, I'd say so.

[ppentertainments]

11 and a half hour is certainly long. I once done one for 11 hours from 1 till 12. Originally it was booked from 7 till 12. The best man who was organising phoned me a couple of days before to 'tell' me the change in timings then had the cheek to complain when I told him it would cost extra.

Brilliant gig though but found I ended up entertaining the kids most of the day and not really going into disco mode until about 7 anyway.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

:eek: :eek:

How did you cope with that length of time on your 'plates of meat'.....??

You don't need to stand and watch people all the time - there are opportunities to sit and eat etc!

[Excalibur]

I've done that before and almost gone into 4 figures and they booked...:eek:

£99.50 ? :confused: ;) :D :D

[Penfold42]

Are you all earning too much money? :confused: Do you think you'd be playing music for twelve hours? :confused: Simply load your price by a sensible and reasonable amount, and enjoy it.
I'm not saying i wouldn't do it....it just seems a long time.....

You don't need to stand and watch people all the time - there are opportunities to sit and eat etc!
Fair comment....! :)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

£99.50 ? :confused: ;) :D :D

No, £99.99 :p

[Excalibur]

Apart from the speeches, I'd say so.

And I'd have thought that was Full Meal ( 2 Hrs? ) Speeches ( 30min-1Hr )
Loads of background at various times ( playing yes, but not full work ) so perhaps only a good five hours, same as an 8 till 1 gig. :confused:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

And I'd have thought that was Full Meal ( 2 Hrs? ) Speeches ( 30min-1Hr )
Loads of background at various times ( playing yes, but not full work ) so perhaps only a good five hours, same as an 8 till 1 gig. :confused:

And? :confused:

You still need to be around for most of that time.

[Excalibur]

And? :confused:

You still need to be around for most of that time.

Not disputed, Darren. However, unless you have a better place to be, why not go somewhere and be given money? :confused: ;) :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Not disputed, Darren. However, unless you have a better place to be, why not go somewhere and be given money? :confused: ;) :D

Oh, I see what you're getting at now!

Personally, I'd rather pay someone £10 an hour to go and change the music, turn it down or off and hand the mics out for speeches.

I can sit at home and earn instead. :thumbsup:

[Excalibur]

Oh, I see what you're getting at now!

Personally, I'd rather pay someone £10 an hour to go and change the music, turn it down or off and hand the mics out for speeches.

I can sit at home and earn instead. :thumbsup:

For £10 an hour I'll do all that, and MAKE the speeches!;) :D :D :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

For £10 an hour I'll do all that, and MAKE the speeches!;) :D :D :D

I'll consider you booked then. ;)

[Penfold42]

For £10 an hour I'll do all that, and MAKE the speeches!;) :D :D :D

Cheap skate......ooops...wrong thread....:p :rolleyes: :D :D

[axeman]

i asked the guy on the phone, if the day had been planned out yet, and if their was a meal, speeches or any other form of entertainment, to break the day up, and he said , "we're having a buffet" ...

it seemed to me to be badly organised, or not organised at all, and potentially a nightmare gig, also i could picture in my mind having to work really hard to keep the day/night becoming dull, now 11 and a half hrs is a long time to work really hard.

[Excalibur]

i asked the guy on the phone, if the day had been planned out yet, and if their was a meal, speeches or any other form of entertainment, to break the day up, and he said , "we're having a buffet" ...

it seemed to me to be badly organised, or not organised at all, and potentially a nightmare gig, also i could picture in my mind having to work really hard to keep the day/night becoming dull, now 11 and a half hrs is a long time to work really hard.

Seriously, a buffet sounds like a warning, if it's the Wedding Breakfast. That would indeed let you in for a long hard day. Surely no-one would have a buffet for that , would they? :confused:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Seriously, a buffet sounds like a warning, if it's the Wedding Breakfast. That would indeed let you in for a long hard day. Surely no-one would have a buffet for that , would they? :confused:

It could be a hot fork buffet.

[Excalibur]

It could be a hot fork buffet.

Fair enough, but unless formally seated it could require more than simple background music.

[Vectis]

My pikey alert sensor would be going "whoop whoop" by that stage... :rolleyes:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Fair enough, but unless formally seated it could require more than simple background music.

What do you mean by 'formally seated'?

[Excalibur]

What do you mean by 'formally seated'?

Tables and chairs for everyone, possibly some form of service/supervision, a dedicated time for this part of the function, as opposed to just the DJ announcing that " The buffet is open " and people randomly grabbing a sausage roll and chicken leg.

Edit: A sit down meal would be a better way of putting it.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Tables and chairs for everyone, possibly some form of service/supervision, a dedicated time for this part of the function, as opposed to just the DJ announcing that " The buffet is open " and people randomly grabbing a sausage roll and chicken leg.

Edit: A sit down meal would be a better way of putting it.

Right. A hot fork buffet would be just that then.:)

[Excalibur]

Right. A hot fork buffet would be just that then.:)

The language barrier strikes again! :bang: :D :D

What it must be to live a cultured lifestyle, like what you do Darren.

[rob1963]

My longest (and most tiring) gig was about 10 hours, but what made it even worse was that halfway through, it changed venues, so it involved TWO set ups & packdowns!

If I remember correctly, they had an early wedding & had a hall booked from something like 4pm until 8pm and I supplied the disco. Then at 8pm, the party moved to their house a few miles away, so I had to pack down all the gear, drive to their house & set it all up again for the next 5 hour session!

Seriously hard work, but I got my brother to come along & help with the pack down & carrying the gear...which saved a lot of time.

It was a long time ago, but I think I got about £250, which was somewhere between double and two and a half times my normal rate at the time...so I was very happy!

:)

[Vectis]

Blimey! Good job teardrop handles hadn't been invented then otherwise you'd've been snookered!

Sorry, wrong thread!

[rob1963]

Blimey! Good job teardrop handles hadn't been invented then otherwise you'd've been snookered!

Sorry, wrong thread!

:Laugh: :Laugh: :Laugh:

[Corabar Steve]

We don't turn gigs down. I just give the ones I don't want to the others :sj: