DJ INDIE
07-09-2008, 11:22 PM
this thread may cover a few others that are around at the moment, please feel free to move it if necessary, thanks...and i may have rambled on a bit...
I did a late(ish) cancellation on saturday - was supposed to be my weekend off, but i was more than happy to work.
firstly arrived at the venue and started to set up in the corner as shown by the duty manager.
with 15mins to the party start the manager and staff came in stressed out and arguing with each other and just started to put 2 huge circular tables (seats for about 12) right next to where Id set up. (and i mean right next to - about 2 inches from the speakers). I explained that no one was going to sit there due to the speaker noise etc (it was a large room, and so needed some volume to fill it)....and the fact they had completely blocked me in the corner, so i couldnt get in and no one could get to me for requests etc.
in the end they decided to use just the one extra table, but it was way too close especially as there was lots of other space in the room.
anywho, the night went well. and i was told by the client that last orders would be 12 oclock.
later on in the night, knowing how some venues work - this was a very large plush city centre hotel - i asked the bar staff what time they wanted the last song playing. they didnt know. ... neither did they know what time last orders were.. which made me worry a bit!
around 11.15 i hadnt seen anyone in charge all night so i went and found the manager and asked what time he would like the music 'off'. 'I dont know' came the reply....i asked him '12? 12.15? 12.30? - 'I dont know - you should have asked this at the beginning of the night....ask the bar staff!!' - i told him I had. I also told him his staff also didnt know what time last orders were, or what time they were working til!! - 'play til whenever then!' came the sharp reply.
so i went and confirmed with the person who had booked me and we decided that 12.30 was a fair time to stop as last orders were at 12.
I called last orders at just before 12, explaining that we had around 30 minutes left etc, so people started to get there last drinks in.
12.10 the duty manager walks past me (first time hed bothered to be in the room all night!) and goes outside for a smoke. never to be seen again.
12.20 the hotel manager walks past and asks me to call last orders. I replied pleasantly that I had around 20 minutes ago. 'well call it louder then the bar is still open and it shouldnt be!' (the 4 bar staff were stood there but no one was queing or even trying to get a drink) ......annoyed i had to reply 'well tell them to close it then!!'
anywho, undeterred id built the night up well and managed to have most of the room on the dancefloor for the last song 'new york new york' - arms round each other you know the score... at 12.25 ....... then half way through the song bearing in mind id tried to find out what time they wanted the music off etc and had spoke to both managers - and this was the last song.... the manager turned all the rooms lights on full mid song almost ruining the effect and wheeled in in the bottle collection bin and started deliberately clattering all the empty bottles about whilst the song was still playing....i couldnt believe it..
the music finished 2 minutes later at 12.30 on the dot. there was no need for his actions at all. (especially as a wedding upstairs went on for another 10 minutes!)
I was annoyed for the client (although she wasnt bothered) but such poor management, could have easily ruined a very expensive party...)
It was yet again a night were somehow the DJ was supposed to run everything......;)
I did a late(ish) cancellation on saturday - was supposed to be my weekend off, but i was more than happy to work.
firstly arrived at the venue and started to set up in the corner as shown by the duty manager.
with 15mins to the party start the manager and staff came in stressed out and arguing with each other and just started to put 2 huge circular tables (seats for about 12) right next to where Id set up. (and i mean right next to - about 2 inches from the speakers). I explained that no one was going to sit there due to the speaker noise etc (it was a large room, and so needed some volume to fill it)....and the fact they had completely blocked me in the corner, so i couldnt get in and no one could get to me for requests etc.
in the end they decided to use just the one extra table, but it was way too close especially as there was lots of other space in the room.
anywho, the night went well. and i was told by the client that last orders would be 12 oclock.
later on in the night, knowing how some venues work - this was a very large plush city centre hotel - i asked the bar staff what time they wanted the last song playing. they didnt know. ... neither did they know what time last orders were.. which made me worry a bit!
around 11.15 i hadnt seen anyone in charge all night so i went and found the manager and asked what time he would like the music 'off'. 'I dont know' came the reply....i asked him '12? 12.15? 12.30? - 'I dont know - you should have asked this at the beginning of the night....ask the bar staff!!' - i told him I had. I also told him his staff also didnt know what time last orders were, or what time they were working til!! - 'play til whenever then!' came the sharp reply.
so i went and confirmed with the person who had booked me and we decided that 12.30 was a fair time to stop as last orders were at 12.
I called last orders at just before 12, explaining that we had around 30 minutes left etc, so people started to get there last drinks in.
12.10 the duty manager walks past me (first time hed bothered to be in the room all night!) and goes outside for a smoke. never to be seen again.
12.20 the hotel manager walks past and asks me to call last orders. I replied pleasantly that I had around 20 minutes ago. 'well call it louder then the bar is still open and it shouldnt be!' (the 4 bar staff were stood there but no one was queing or even trying to get a drink) ......annoyed i had to reply 'well tell them to close it then!!'
anywho, undeterred id built the night up well and managed to have most of the room on the dancefloor for the last song 'new york new york' - arms round each other you know the score... at 12.25 ....... then half way through the song bearing in mind id tried to find out what time they wanted the music off etc and had spoke to both managers - and this was the last song.... the manager turned all the rooms lights on full mid song almost ruining the effect and wheeled in in the bottle collection bin and started deliberately clattering all the empty bottles about whilst the song was still playing....i couldnt believe it..
the music finished 2 minutes later at 12.30 on the dot. there was no need for his actions at all. (especially as a wedding upstairs went on for another 10 minutes!)
I was annoyed for the client (although she wasnt bothered) but such poor management, could have easily ruined a very expensive party...)
It was yet again a night were somehow the DJ was supposed to run everything......;)