celebration of life

[Javlingames]

Hi
Im doing a gig at the end of the month for a man who's wife recently passed and he is having a party to 'celebrate' her life. He is sending me a playlist in, i havnt spoken to him yet as the booking is via a hotel i do some work for. Any one got any tips/advice?

Thanks

[DazzyD]

You need to speak to him to find out what songs meant something to her/them throughout her life.

Just make sure you don't play anything insensitive (eg the Who's My Generation, Queen's Who Wants To Live Forever, or Robbie's Old Before I die).

Other than that, just go with the flow and I can see it turning in to a really good gig for you.

I know many people will think that this is a bizarre booking but I actually provision set aside in my will for a party. I also want my coffin taken to the house before my funeral and a round of drinks poured out on top of the coffin lid so everyone can have a last drink on me! (Yes, before anyone asks, this really is true and not a sick joke - although it's a really bad pun!).

[JTRS]

I haven't DJ'd one but I have been to one, if it's anything like the one I was at it's a very upbeat happy type party. The one I went to was a few weeks after the funeral and the host had asked everyone to be in a party mood and remember the good times/things.

It did start out a bit sombre, probably because hardly anyone there had been to this type of party before, but the DJ played very bouncy upbeat tracks and announced a few and stated why they were salient.

The host made a small speech thanking everyone for coming and insisted that we all get on the dance floor, which most of us did, that was the point I think that the party evolved into what the host wanted, I'd have to give some serious credit to the DJ though for having a bank of popular dance tunes that kept people feeling good.

Hope that helps, because I don't think it's going to be a walk in the park type event.

Good luck with it

JTRS

[Javlingames]

Thanks guys, i will make sure i speak to the chap first. I can see where he's going with it where he wants people to enjoy themselves. I think i will make a list of 'what not to play' on my laptop.

[StarZSoundS]

I'd have to give some serious credit to the DJ though for having a bank of popular dance tunes that kept people feeling good.

JTRS


Do you know its so nice to hear a Forum Member giving a DJ (who is probably not of this Forum) some credit.:) :) :) :)

[JTRS]

Thanks guys, i will make sure i speak to the chap first. I can see where he's going with it where he wants people to enjoy themselves. I think i will make a list of 'what not to play' on my laptop.


I'd be tempted to ask the host what he doesn't want to hear played, as opposed to second guessing just based on lyrics etc. It could well be that a particular song with lyrics that you might think are inappropriate actually has a special meaning to him.

JTRS

[Excalibur]

You need to speak to him to find out what songs meant something to her/them throughout her life.

Just make sure you don't play anything insensitive (eg the Who's My Generation, Queen's Who Wants To Live Forever, or Robbie's Old Before I die).

Other than that, just go with the flow and I can see it turning in to a really good gig for you.

I know many people will think that this is a bizarre booking but I actually provision set aside in my will for a party. I also want my coffin taken to the house before my funeral and a round of drinks poured out on top of the coffin lid so everyone can have a last drink on me! (Yes, before anyone asks, this really is true and not a sick joke - although it's a really bad pun!).

I've done one of these, for a young man. A combination of diabetes and epilepsy was the reason. For those reasons, he had never had proper jobs, but had worked very hard to raise money for good causes.

His celebration reflected this, and though particularly due to his age, the event started in sombre fashion, by the end it was like any normal gig, and all concerned felt we had sent him off in an appropriate fashion.

Re mine own passing, I just hope some of you lot are still working at that point, cos there could be a gig in it for someone. :D :D :D

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I had one who had worked in media and was clearly a popular guy with a good sense of humour. Her daughter gave me a playlist with songs such as deeper underground and living in a box I kid you not. I'd of never played these unless they said to me about it and its the only gig I have done.

[Jonathan Ford]

I'm not having a funeral. It's in my will that I be stuffed and mounted (I mean taxidermy, you sicko's...) on the sofa as a constant reminder to my wife of her vows.

[robbiedj]

It will probably be along the same lines as an Irish wake. The whole point is to celebrate the person, how they were, what they liked.

I had one where we had to play "Dad's favourite song" 3 times. It was Paddy McGinty's Goat but that was what they wanted and the family sang along.

Give me an Irish wake any time. No morbid thoughts, just joy of knowing the person.

[womble]

We did a disco last night for a lady whose Mother had passed in March and she'd had a memorial service in the afternoon followed by a 70's disco. It was a slow start as a lot of people didn't arrive til very late, but we kept everything upbeat all night, and the dancefloor was packed. We finished on a 7 minute live version of no woman no cry, as requested by the client, and it everyone held hands on the dancefloor and sang along, it was brilliant.