Free Gig.

[Babybob]

Hi all, I did a free gig for a special school that is quite close to me (around 10 miles) last night and had a great night.

All the staff, parents and school members looked as though they had a great night and I had some good feedback.

There were some minor problems I encountered though which were difficult to deal with as the kids (this is the term used by the staff and parents even though some of the attendees are young adults) were causing some issues which I would not have tolerated during the course of a normal evening.

One of the boys there liked to hear the reverberation of the speakers so he was pretty much hugging the speaker (big Class D) which was on a tripod and I was afraid he was going to pull it over, his father and mother at various points of the evening came up to explain that he was ok and it would not fall but they were at the back of the room and did not see that he was moving it about quite a lot, I was more concerned that he might get hurt than the damage he may have caused to the cab.

Another young girl wanted to dance right in front of my deckstand and she kept bumping into it, I tried to tell her quietly but she was having none of it, one of the staff did come and move her away abit and she was fine after that, obviously she is used to the staff telling her things and they do listen to them but I was completely ignored.

The best of all though were two young lads (around 20 yr old) who wanted to sing along to an Elvis track, one was severely disabled and the other suffered from Downs Syndrome, they were lovely lads and thoroughly enjoyed their party but once they had the mic they didn't want to let go, we all made a big fuss after their first song with a massive round of applause but this only served to feed their desire to sing, but as you can imagine not all of the crowd were happy to listen to them again so I told them they could sing later on. Needless to say they were back and forth every 5 minutes waiting to sing.

As previously mentioned if this was your normal run of the mill gig you would have told the people involved straight away without any problem in most cases, but you have to treat matters like this differently.

Anyway apart from all that I was given a card and a gift in appreciation of my services and I must admit then when I opened the card and saw that it was signed by all of the staff and kids it brought a tear to my eye, the gig was worth far more to me than money in this case.

:)

[NKR]

You deserve a big round of applause from us fellow DJ's for doing such a big hearted job. Massive respect to you from the Neil & Kev Roadshow. Big hearted souls like yourself remind me that the UK isn't stuffed just yet.

:thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:

[Creature]

gotta agree 100% with NKR - well done m8 - sometimtes its just nice to give something back.

[Booche]

Well done on doing a well deserved job mate :) i think in hindsite i too wouldnt have charged as alot of people take that sort of situation to an advantage and do what ever they can.

Again well done mate :) :) :)

Cheers Dave :)

[Paul The Party Dj]

Well done!
I used to do a similar gig regularly many years ago and your post brought back some great memories - thanks for posting it.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Yep, well done Babybob.

I too have DJ'd a similar gig years ago and found it to be a very emotional occasion.

[mike8863]

Well done that man, you are a credit to our industry, but more importantly you're a credit to yourself, you should feel very proud.:grouphug:

[DJ Meadz]

yeah some gigs are just priceless arnt they ? nice to help people out here and there and make somebody elses night ! :D

[DazzyD]

Well done, Rob. It's good to be nice sometimes!

The reason I started DJing was because I got a great buzz from making people happy and enjoy themselves. And I've always found that special kids (although I pretty much hate that term) always appreciate the music and the chance to dance and party and they always let you know. I agree that some can be a bit tricky to handle but when you look at the bigger picture these parties are always spot on.

Did you get any kids on the dancefloor in their motorised wheelchairs? It's one of the rare sights that really warm your heart.

[Babybob]

Thanks for all the comments everyone....


Well done, Rob. It's good to be nice sometimes!

The reason I started DJing was because I got a great buzz from making people happy and enjoy themselves. And I've always found that special kids (although I pretty much hate that term) always appreciate the music and the chance to dance and party and they always let you know. I agree that some can be a bit tricky to handle but when you look at the bigger picture these parties are always spot on.

Did you get any kids on the dancefloor in their motorised wheelchairs? It's one of the rare sights that really warm your heart.

I know what you mean about the terminology as it took me quite a while to write the thread without using any inferences which may have offended some people, it's difficult sometimes (as we all know) to put things down in writing without it sounding wrong sometimes.

The majority of the kids got up to dance with the help of staff and parents and they sang their hearts out when they knew the songs, they have no inhibitions vocally and it was great to see them enjoying themselves.

:)

[WWDJ]

Good on yer for doing it for free!

In terms of the age group, I do a few of these 13th Birthday type things. The kids can be very lively. I don't have any hesitation at all in telling them to move away from the deckstand and/or the speakers if I think they/I/my equipment is at risk. Obviously this is done politely, but firmly and on the microphone if necessary. I will also stop the music if I think things are getting out of hand.

I do want them to have a good time, and actually I really enjoy them. I play lots of dance and rnb, use strobing and smoke where premitted, to create a clubby atmosphere, but you have to keep an eye on their behaviour especially in your vicinity. I often pre-mix sections together so I can keep my eye on what is going on and spend less time selecting the music.

Again well done!

[paull]

I think giving is a personal thing and this post shows that money is not the only rewards in life.

[rob1963]

I think giving is a personal thing and this post shows that money is not the only rewards in life.

True...but it's the only thing that pays the bills & puts food on the table.

[Jonny Boy]

'Nuff respect, fella. :beer1:

My eldest song (Elijah - 6) is in a Special Needs school. When we take him to the the in-school disco nights my wife and I find it very stirring to see him having such a good time with his peers, completely accepted. When we're there we kind of feel like a "typical" family... you've obviously made of a lot of people (not just the kids) happy.

At Elijah's school one of the teachers tries to run the music via windows media player on his laptop through the school PA. There are lots of gaps in the music therefore, which the kids find very frustrating. So the mixed "flow" of music (2nd nature to we DJs) would have made the world of difference. Even on Automix this would make the party 100 times better!

Now I have the laptop up and running, it's feasible for me to start doing the school discos too. (It would have been a nightmare with CDs!)

Now you've done this once, and found it so rewarding, you might have ideas how to simplify/make it safer next time. Good on ya.

[DazzyD]

Thanks for all the comments everyone....



I know what you mean about the terminology as it took me quite a while to write the thread without using any inferences which may have offended some people, it's difficult sometimes (as we all know) to put things down in writing without it sounding wrong sometimes.

The majority of the kids got up to dance with the help of staff and parents and they sang their hearts out when they knew the songs, they have no inhibitions vocally and it was great to see them enjoying themselves.

:)

I was a Regional Equal Opportunities rep for several years dealing with disabilities and such as part of the JD. What I found most is that people who are disability don't take offence to being called disabled because, as one guy with no hands told me, "because I am disabled!".


True...but it's the only thing that pays the bills & puts food on the table.

You'll be visited by three ghosts, the first will visit you at one o'clock!

If you don't change your ways, Scrooge, you'll be doomed forever!!! :D :D

[STEVE HANLEY]

I'm doing a kids xmas party this weekend for nowt. I have actually lost paid bookings because of it. My fee is going to the childrens ward at the R.V.I in Newcastle. If it goes as well as yours it will be worth it:) well done mate