Tonights function.....

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Hi all,

I'll try my hardest to compact this as much as I can...

Tonight was a wedding for a very nice couple I went to see in October. They booked me on the strength of seeing me at someone elses wedding last August. They got married 3 weeks ago in Cuba and tonight was their official reception held in a large hall in town. I was originally booked from 7.30pm - Midnight but about a week ago I was told by the venue jobsworth that the music had to finish at 11pm on the dot. I started at 6.30pm to give them their moneys worth.

Set up at midday, as it was a large hall I used the bass bins and 7 lighting effects (2 x Dynarocks, 1 x MarveLED, 1 x Wildspin, 2 x LittLED and 1 x Wildtech Fascination) and it looked and sounded really good even though there was a really high ceiling. Soundchecked everything and all was well.

Went back at 6.00pm and was greeted by the groom who looked quite peeved off. He said that his family were being idiots to eachother and I simply said "Don't worry mate, just enjoy the night if you can...". Started off with some background music as requested but it was still really light and people started to go outside. Not only that but some of them didn't even come back in!!! I reckon at a guess, there were probably 50 people in all and at times there were only about 20 people in the venue. I put it down to people wanting to smoke etc but it wasn't the case......the groom kept coming over to apologise and he explained that they were simply ignorant. The couple and one of their friends were busy setting up the hall when I was there and apparently they didn't finish until late. They paid for the bar and food yet their guests couldn't even pretend to enjoy themselves.

There were loads of kids there sliding allover the place but that wasn't a problem. One of them named George asked if I would play 'Singin' in the Rain' by Mint Royale so I did and no lie, he did the routine that the kid on Britain's got Talent did last week...he got a round of applause from those left in the venue.

A few more things before I finish...The venue isn't really in a residential area but about 90 minutes into the night, I was approached by the venue jobsworth who politely told me to turn the volume down....I did....10 minutes later he came back, this time with some woman that apparently lived over the road and had complained, he asked me to turn the bass down.....I did. "Lower!" he said....Then the groom came over, apologised to me again, looked at both of them and called them something that rhymes with cats. I ended up turning off the bass amp and packing it away after that.

There was also a moment right near the end when the chief bridesmaid (who had been fine earlier on but the demon drink had obviously got to her) was very very rude.... The one time most people were up on the dancefloor (dancing to 'One step beyond') and she taps me on the shoulder hard (I have my headphones on cueing up the next track)..."Oi" she says..."I need you to turn that off and give me the mic as they are leaving now" (it was 10.50pm)..."Ok no problem" I said and turned around before she grabbed me and shouted "Now!"...I handed her the mic and she started tapping it and asking if it was on..."There's no need to be rude!" I said to her and eventually turned the music down. She didn't say please or thank you and was a real pain in the proverbial.

So, I was packed down and home indoors with a pint of Orange Juice by 11.45pm tonight. I was going to post something like this the other day but now I am convinced that there are a majority of people out there that are so ignorant and don't know how to sit back and enjoy themselves or take into account that they have been invited to their friends special day and at least try to. I saw a couple of people sat at tables tonight with faces of thunder and they had their arms folded as if it was torture being there....it's disgusting.
...and the worst thing of all is that it's people like that,that will say they had a crap time because the DJ was rubbish.....it does my head in guys!

[soundmaster mobile disco]

Im pretty sure that we all have come across difficult people when out djing.Its all down to how we handle the situation,sounds like you did a good job under difficult circumstances.

I hate it when hall owners\venue managers ask us to turn the volume down even when we know that its not to high.(Its not there party it shold be the person who booked the party that tells us to turn the sound down).

At the end of the day we could have done 20 previous ecxellent gigs but we are only as good as our last disco

[DazzyD]

I've had problems with venue staff spoiling the atmosphere for the guests by being jobworths. In fact, I considered a name and shame page on my website that would give comments about such venues to prospective customers but my legal advisor told me I'd be opening myself up to liable action if the venues took offense to it. If they did then it would be up to me to prove my comments are justified but I decided I just don't need this sort of hassle.

[OllieJames]

I saw a couple of people sat at tables tonight with faces of thunder and they had their arms folded as if it was torture being there....it's disgusting.


Totally agree with you! I did a 50th back in March, and the majority of people were just sat there with their arms folded...


...and the worst thing of all is that it's people like that,that will say they had a crap time because the DJ was rubbish.....it does my head in guys!

Once again, i agree with you, that really :Censored: me off!

[discomobiledj]

This is what I'm concerned about when I have my wedding. People just being a pain in the backside etc. I'll just kick them out....after they have given their present of course!

[DazzyD]

This is what I'm concerned about when I have my wedding. People just being a pain in the backside etc. I'll just kick them out....after they have given their present of course!

"Hello"... "Thank you!"... "Goodbye!".

Sounds good to me! :D

[Dragonfly]

ive had a few especially in summer when its hot people just go outside and you never see them again ..... that said the two worst ive had were a week apart .....in december 2 years ago for reasons that were not my fault

1. b and g wanted salsa all night
2. one toilet for all guests in a castle with no form of heating whatsoever

one i was at home with a pint at 10.30pm (gig was 25 miles away and it takes me an hour to take down)

the other the bride and groom called it at 9.45pm and that was after i dragged it out kicking and screaming.

truth is you get them...... and i agree i think it is very bad manners to not go and at least look like you are enjoying yourself for the sake of your friends.

and yes someone somewhere will get a call next week for their services because they went to a wedding last week and that dj was crap. lets just hope they are like me and probably you and say something like ..

maybe he was playing from a play list or maybe they were just miserable people who didnt want to dance or need an instruction manual to be able to have a good time ....

you can lead a horse to water , but you cannot make it drink.

[summer sounds]

I did a 50th on Saturday night 200 guests of which 2 /3rds never came into the venue but prefered to stay outside smoking and stuffing their faces with the 'pig roast' or up stairs in the bar doing what I wanted to be doing! [dont you just hate split venues]...I worked my nuts off getting the dance floor full with at least the people who were in the main room....it was a frustrating night to say the least and to top it all I get soaked loading the van up ....I lay in bed at 3.00 am thinking why oh why do I do this? :(

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I've thought the same thing on many occasion but then I think the following:
I have the week days to myself and when it's sunny like it is now, it makes it all the better thinking of all the people stuck in offices working like I used to and wishing that they were outdoors. I think about the fact that I am my own boss and earn more over the weekend than I used to do working all week. I earn more than some people do working all week too.

But it's not just the money, I don't want it to sound like that even though it may do. For every function that may not go that well, there will be 10 that are fantastic (in my experience) and that's what keeps me enthusiastic. Add to that....even though we may not enjoy the night at all and think that some of the people there are a waste of space, it's a surprise when you get a phonecall the following day (like I did yesterday) saying that they really enjoyed themselves.

The guy kept apologising again on the phone and said that it must be a hard job that we do...I said to him that Yes, some of them are but at the end of the day, if the people that booked me and the majority of the guests enjoy themselves then I have done my job properly. You can't please everyone all of the time.

[Javlingames]

This is why i gave up mobiles, people just dont seem to want to enjoy themselves anymore. I used to carry a very large rig, spend 2 hours setting it up to have them sit there all night looking bored..........

got fed up with it in the end, i used to hate saturdays, knowing i had to go to work to play to people that just didnt care

[PB Entertainments]

See my earlier thread (http://www.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=12353&highlight=crowds) about crowds these days, and see the comments from other 'older' DJs who remember when people knew how to enjoy themselves - times definately have changed!

The wedding I was doing Saturday past was similar in a way. I was in the conservatory of a (quite) posh hotel in the area, a conservatory which was in direct sunlight all day so as you can imagine it was BAKING hot as I was setting up which didn't help, but the guests were sitting in two different rooms in the hotel, in the bar and also on terracing just outside the bar which was a good walk away from the conservatory.

That's not to say it was a bad evening, far from it, but it was a quiet one. There were only about 40 guests (mostly family I think and quite a few older relatives) and I knew from experience of the place that I was going to be more or less background music.

I did have a few dancers for most of the evening (especially for the Scottish music) but split venues, people preferring to stay outside (granted it was a fabulous evening and even I popping out into the garden from time to time :) ) and the price of drinks nowadays all add up to mean people 'seem' to be enjoying themselves less. Perhaps they're just enjoying themselves 'differently'?

:confused:

[Sam]

people just dont seem to want to enjoy themselves anymore.

I just can't agree with that.
I do many discos where everyone has a stonker of a good time and only very few where everyone "sits around".. and this is often because it is a family get together and they just want to catch up.

What does eveyone else think?
I personally would say that if I couldn't give people a good time.. I would just give up and loose my enthusiasm :confused:

[theoloyla]

It isnt really very different today to what it was in terms of people dancing or having a good time. What is different today is the smoking ban which encourages some people to go outside (and then stay there if the weather is good) and the lack of respect and rudeness which has become more prevalent these days. Hope your next gig is better.

[DazzyD]

I do think that people today are (let's put it a nice way!) a lot more conservative about having fun.

When I was a kid going to all the family & friends parties people seemed more inclined to let their hair down and have a good time. Bear in mind that a year from my childhood was taken up with the Miners Strike, and growing up in a mining town, people were going through hard times. My dad was a miner, like my grandad before him, like our next door neighbour and many others from the area. The Christmas of 1984 was going to a bleak one but the whole community rallied together to help the families get through. I remember receiving a second-hand TCR racing game (much better than that slotted Scalextric cos these cars could change lanes at any time!) and also the fantastic Christmas party that was put on for local miners and their families. Everybody did their best to hide the tears (though some where unsuccessful!) and the stress and did their best to have a ****ed good time. This was 24 years ago and it still sticks in my mind as if it were yesterday.

I just feel that this spirit is sadly lacking in society today. People just don't appreciate what they've got anymore.

Edit: Sorry, censorship system, I should have said "Darn good time"!

[rob1963]

I do think that people today are (let's put it a nice way!) a lot more conservative about having fun.

I'm not sure about that, I just think they have a DIFFERENT idea of fun.

Let's be honest, many people's idea of a great night out these days is to drink the recommended monthly alcohol limit in one night, and wake up seriously ill & not remembering a thing about it.

It's a funny old world.

:confused:

[JAMdisco]

Luckily I have had very few 'dissaster' gigs. Last weekend I did a wedding reception in a nice venue called Lazaats. Although the B & G got married in Cuba (seems popular these days) about 2 weeks previous they still wanted a 'reception' back home for the families.

Although the venue staff said to keep the bass down til around 10:30 due to people eating in the restaurant (I did explain this to the B&G and they completely understood) it was a good night.

At the end of the night the Groom gave me an extra £10 and asked everyone over the mic to give me a round of appluase :o

These type of gigs make every bad one worth-while and always look forward to the next one hoping it will be as good (sometimes is, sometimes isn't but that's just the way it goes...)

[DazzyD]

I'm not sure about that, I just think they have a DIFFERENT idea of fun.

Let's be honest, many people's idea of a great night out these days is to drink the recommended monthly alcohol limit in one night, and wake up seriously ill & not remembering a thing about it.

It's a funny old world.

:confused:

I can go along with that.

I just find more people are sitting in the room like it's a chore than there were when I was a kid at parties. Maybe I was having such a good time myself that I didn't notice the miserable so-and-so's in those days.

I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about me. My gigs are usually very good - the bad ones are few and far between (thankfully) but I find that bad gigs where no-one is dancing tend to be the result of clients who insist that I stick to their playlists as opposed to letting me read and play to the crowd.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I think that there are a number of reasons why people may look like they are not enjoying themselves and for once I am going to be positive in my own ability and say that it is definitely NOT because of anything that I may be doing. Yes, each crowd is different from week to week and what may work one week may not work another week....Come on, I played 'Dancing Queen' in the middle of a set once with the dancefloor busy at a christmas party and 99% of the people walked off the dancefloor!

I think that the following can all come into it:

Some people are up early and out all day when it's a wedding. Some of them aren't used to drinking in the day either and by early evening, some of them are half cut and ready for bed.

Some people aren't used to loud music and flashing lights. It's a totally wierd environment to them. Some of them work all week and may go down the pub at the weekend for a drink and that's it. Some may never have experienced a 'Disco' before (sounds totally silly but possibly true?)...those are the people that ask for stuff like 'YMCA' because they may not have actually heard it for years.

Now, the function that this thread is based on wasn't an all dayer because they got married a few weeks before as I mentioned earlier. This function started early but late afternoon. I think the people at this function were just ignorant towards the bride and groom. Apparently the two families weren't the best of mates and if you would have been there you would have seen the type of crowd that I had to work with. I did my best and got the majority up but some of them just didn't want to know. I felt bad for the bride and groom.

[ppentertainments]

You don't need to have people up dancing to have a good night. Some of my best feedbacks have came from gigs where everyone steered clear of the dance floor yet enjoyed the music, sang along etc. I for one hate dancing so know where they are coming from.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

...and that's something I have always said because I am a people watcher. My eyes are everywhere when I DJ making sure that people are having a good time or trying to. I do this because I have never been a dancer myself and I have been to functions myself where I have had a great time and I haven't ventured near the dreaded dancefloor. I look out for people drumming on tables and wiggling in their seats, which plenty do.

It's really hard trying to explain this particular function and some of the people at it without being too harsh if you know what I mean.

[ppentertainments]

Know what you mean and agree entirely.

[theoloyla]

And so do I.