Another good night on the cards I reckon!

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Hi all,

Been out nice and early today to set up for tonights wedding. It was booked last October by a guy that regularly attends my monthly Indie/Alternative nights. When I went to see him and his bride to be in October, he was actually late turning up to our meeting so I was sat there chatting to the bride for around 20 minutes on her own until he turned up. She actually said to me that I had made his day by agreeing to DJ at their wedding as he thought that he wouldn't be able to get me and I was the only one that he wanted to have do the disco.....I was chuffed.

Set up today (really nice venue outside Basingstoke, lovely grounds for photos etc) and when I was soundchecking I played a few songs. He came in all dressed up as The Verve - Lucky Man was playing and said..."Oh yes!! I can't wait for later!!".....

The playlist is great, lots of really good tunes and a full hour of Indie stuff. Their first dances are Fleetwood Mac - Songbird and Jackie Wilson - Your love (keeps on lifting me).... I am really looking forward to this. The only problem I had was that a bulb went in one of the Dynarocks so I had to replace that but other than that it went perfectly.

As always, full report tomorrow or later tonight.

Have a good one tonight folks.

[theoloyla]

Hope it turns out well for you.
I too am looking forward to a good wedding. The bride is really excited about it. She and her fiance have seen me at several other functions and really like to have a good party. Its at one of my regular venues which we like playing at. The sun is shining. They have given me the first 4 songs in order: 1. From This Moment - Shania Twain
2. Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
3. Dont Stop Me Now - Queen
4. Love Shack - B52's
Then whatever I like but to include Music Man - Black Lace, Shake A Tail Feather - Ray Charles, Sweet Home Alabama - Lynryrd Skynrd and The Power Of Love - Huey Lewis & The News.

[Shaun]

Have a good one Gary. You too Theo.

:)

[DazzyD]

Sounds like a good night coming up for all involved at the two functions.

I'm doing an engagement party at a local venue (11pm finish so should be an early night!). Only trouble is I can't get in to set up til 6pm. Not really trouble cos there's 3 of us to set up (will take about 45mins) but it's also upstairs. I haven't worked there before but my brother and dad did a gig there for me a few weeks ago which went well. It's in the middle of nowhere behind some shops so I'm not expecting an sound limiters (Hooray!) although it is a local council venue so they are pretty strict on the rules.

Anyway, looking forward to it!

[OllieJames]

Have a good one!

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Well....here we go with another report from last night and I'll start by saying that it was an absolute pleasure.

Started off at 7.30pm with some nice chilled background tunes as the room was about 1/4 full as lots of people were outside enjoying the sun and the hog roast. Played Green Day - Time of my life, The Verve - Lucky Man, Paul Weller - You do something to me, Razorlight - America, Madness - It must be love, U2 - One etc...I always try to do this whenever possible just to make it a bit different from the usual 'lovey dovey' type tunes and it always seems to work. In that I mean that people are at their tables tapping, singing along and nodding in appreciation etc..

It was evident that people were up for it from the word go because as soon as the people outside heard the music playing, the room began to get packed out. There was no stage so I was on the same level as them and there were people bouncing allover the place right in front of me and I was concerned about my equipment on a number of occasions. Played a mix of up to date chart and chart stuff from a few years back - Shakira - Hips don't lie, Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back etc etc...

Around 9pm we did the first dances and the room was packed. Due to the big up's that I had received in advance from the groom, I really wanted to make sure everything went to plan perfectly and seeing as I haven't totally ripped everything onto the Denon as yet, I took the CD players aswell. This was lucky in one way as there were a couple of requests later on in the night that weren't on the Denon that I played but in the same respect, unlucky because they skipped when the floor started bouncing due to 180 people jumping up and down but they all laughed about it.

After the last first dance (Jackie Wilson) I went into Motown and then Disco etc and at around 10pm they had a huge fireworks display outside on the grounds...everyone went outside so I stopped the music for 10 minutes and joined them outside and had a drink and a fag. As soon as they had finished I played something I haven't played for ages and it absolutely packed the place out. That tune was Run DMC - It's like that....it was mad! I followed it with House of Pain - Jump Around, Salt n Pepa - Push it and then announced that "It is now Indie time!!"... Loads of people at the wedding were regulars at my Indie night so a massive cheer went up and I did a great set starting off with Reef and then followed it with Fratellis, Strokes, Jet, Kaiser Chiefs, Killers, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, The Enemy and finally Pulp.

The rest of the night was filled with 80's classics - Rick Astley, Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston, Wham, Madonna, Michael Jackson (Thriller) etc and then the usual Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, Lynrd Skynrd before going into Madness, The Jam, Blondie, The Specials, Bad Manners, The Selecter and The Beat, The Undertones, Sex pistols and Buzz****s. I looked at my watch and it was now 11.50pm. I announced that I had a couple more tunes and it was then that the best moment of the night came.

There were still at least 100 people inside the venue partying (the guests with kids had left by now). I chose 'Chasing Cars' by Snow Patrol as my second to last track and the dancefloor turned into a huge circle with the bride and groom in the middle. Everyone was singing the words and I had a shiver up my spine watching them all. When the guitars came in towards the end, everyone started bouncing and the atmosphere was amazing. There were tears of joy from people and I must admit, a big lump like me had a lump in my throat watching them all..when the track finished, everyone clapped and cheered me and I announced "We're not finished yet folks, thanks very much for being up for it this evening and making my job both easy and a pleasure...all the very best to you" and then I played 'Don't stop me now'. Once again it went mad and everyone that was left was on the dancefloor.

It was almost a shame to finish the night. The usual chants of 'We want more!' blared out but that was it. I was packed down and home by 1.00am and absolutely knackered. It's amazing just how much it takes out of you when you are on the ball all night isn't it. If the upcoming weddings are up to this standard then it's going to be a good wedding season.

[Charlie Brown]

Wow sounds like you had a great night! Some great music there as well, glad you had a good night :D

[theoloyla]

Well done Gary. Mine was also as good as I expected. Didnt play anything particularly unexpected - lots of the usual requests but boy were they up for it. Brilliant night with bride and groom and young and old all coming and thanking me for a superb evening. Wish you could bottle it when it is like that. I am at the same venue next Saturday for another wedding but this time I am playing blind. I am booked by the hotel and despite all approaches I have had no input whatsoever from the b & g. Dont even have a first dance etc. It is not the first time this has happened (in fact years ago it was quite normal); so I shall just play it by ear, have a word with them when I arrive and busk it.

[Excalibur]

Well done Gary. Mine was also as good as I expected. Didnt play anything particularly unexpected - lots of the usual requests but boy were they up for it. Brilliant night with bride and groom and young and old all coming and thanking me for a superb evening. Wish you could bottle it when it is like that. I am at the same venue next Saturday for another wedding but this time I am playing blind. I am booked by the hotel and despite all approaches I have had no input whatsoever from the b & g. Dont even have a first dance etc. It is not the first time this has happened (in fact years ago it was quite normal); so I shall just play it by ear, have a word with them when I arrive and busk it.

May I echo Theo's congratulations Gary. I know that though I would have some ( many? ) of the songs you mentioned and played, I couldn't summon the expertise or enthusiasm to string them together in the successful way you obviously do.

Theo, now I would really have fancied your gig, sounds like a great one. As for your wedding with minimal ( no) advance contact, as I've said many times before, I work in a couple of places where the venue suggests me as the Disco of choice, and the only information I get is when to turn up! So it's not confined to yesteryear.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Thanks to both of you for the comments.