Djing is easy

[yourdj]

Found this elsewhere and thought it was amusing.
I actually think it is an easy job and do not hate any of it.
Beats cleaning gutters for a living. :) We are very lucky.

People often say to me DJing is an easy job, after all, you just turn up, play your tunes, have a couple of drinks and go home. As the Meerkat would say – Simples!

My response to that is quite simple… here is what a mobile DJ faces for a wedding:

Pre-Event
Advertising then getting the bookings, confirming all details and play lists, getting confirmation from the venues for access rights and times available.
Meeting clients (left out from original)

Morning
Check dates for tonight; ensure you have correct contact details for party and venue, then check that all requests/play lists are complete and the collection that you will be taking tonight. Double check that your first dance selection plays including a second copy of it as back up. Check for any extra items that have been added for the event.

Lunchtime
Load up the transport with all the equipment required, check to make sure you have enough spares in case something breaks down. Get to the venue to rig up to find that the space you were told you can have is no taken up by Uncle Bob who has set up his video camera on the stage for the afternoon meal. Negotiate with staff at venue to get gear loaded up and put in. This takes time and when you have a number of locations to rig up increases the stress as you know you have to get everything in before the evening.

Find that the plug sockets are further away than you thought, the lights are too tall for the room, the speakers are too near the table where they’ve put all the old people, etc.

Leave everything there ready to go in the hope that no one decides to interfere with the equipment while you are out of the building. Sticky pieces of wedding cake on the CD players are normally a good giveaway.

Evening
Return to the function with all your CDs ready for the evening, all suited and booted looking good and ready to rock the party for a solid 4 hours then go home, easy isn’t it? Except during the course of the night you have to face:

Dealing with kids whose parents think you are a children’s entertainer and that it’s ok to stick their heads in the speakers.
Drunken guests who demand that you put Megadeath/Iron Maiden on straight after the first dance.
Getting paid for the evening before the groom/best man is too drunk to remember that they owe you money.
Distant relatives wanting to sing on the mic because back home they are professional singers (in reality they normally destroy ‘Simply The Best’ at the local karaoke night and the regulars there are glad they’ve got rid of her for the night).
The Groom and Bridesmaid going missing just before the first dance and reappearing together (and I’ve had this happen more than once).
Going to the toilet and coming back to find someone looking through your records.
Oh, and the little task of thinking every 3 minutes or so what record to play next to keep the dance floor busy all night.

Then after the event’s done and the B&G have thanked you (occasionally), you’ve got paid, survived another night and everyone has gone, there is still the rig to dismantle and load back up into your transport, get home, put into storage. It’s normally about an hour and half after the gig has finished by the time you get home, then back into bed to do it all again the next day on 5 hours sleep! Not forgetting that most of us have families that would like to see us once in a while at weekends.

So yes we do have it easy and just turn up and go – don’t we???????

[CRAZY K]

Found this elsewhere and thought it was amusing.
I actually think it is an easy job and do not hate any of it.
Beats cleaning gutters for a living. :) We are very lucky.

People often say to me DJing is an easy job, after all, you just turn up, play your tunes, have a couple of drinks and go home. As the Meerkat would say – Simples!

My response to that is quite simple… here is what a mobile DJ faces for a wedding:

Pre-Event
Advertising then getting the bookings, confirming all details and play lists, getting confirmation from the venues for access rights and times available.
Meeting clients (left out from original)

Morning
Check dates for tonight; ensure you have correct contact details for party and venue, then check that all requests/play lists are complete and the collection that you will be taking tonight. Double check that your first dance selection plays including a second copy of it as back up. Check for any extra items that have been added for the event.

Lunchtime
Load up the transport with all the equipment required, check to make sure you have enough spares in case something breaks down. Get to the venue to rig up to find that the space you were told you can have is no taken up by Uncle Bob who has set up his video camera on the stage for the afternoon meal. Negotiate with staff at venue to get gear loaded up and put in. This takes time and when you have a number of locations to rig up increases the stress as you know you have to get everything in before the evening.

Find that the plug sockets are further away than you thought, the lights are too tall for the room, the speakers are too near the table where they’ve put all the old people, etc.

Leave everything there ready to go in the hope that no one decides to interfere with the equipment while you are out of the building. Sticky pieces of wedding cake on the CD players are normally a good giveaway.

Evening
Return to the function with all your CDs ready for the evening, all suited and booted looking good and ready to rock the party for a solid 4 hours then go home, easy isn’t it? Except during the course of the night you have to face:

Dealing with kids whose parents think you are a children’s entertainer and that it’s ok to stick their heads in the speakers.
Drunken guests who demand that you put Megadeath/Iron Maiden on straight after the first dance.
Getting paid for the evening before the groom/best man is too drunk to remember that they owe you money.
Distant relatives wanting to sing on the mic because back home they are professional singers (in reality they normally destroy ‘Simply The Best’ at the local karaoke night and the regulars there are glad they’ve got rid of her for the night).
The Groom and Bridesmaid going missing just before the first dance and reappearing together (and I’ve had this happen more than once).
Going to the toilet and coming back to find someone looking through your records.
Oh, and the little task of thinking every 3 minutes or so what record to play next to keep the dance floor busy all night.

Then after the event’s done and the B&G have thanked you (occasionally), you’ve got paid, survived another night and everyone has gone, there is still the rig to dismantle and load back up into your transport, get home, put into storage. It’s normally about an hour and half after the gig has finished by the time you get home, then back into bed to do it all again the next day on 5 hours sleep! Not forgetting that most of us have families that would like to see us once in a while at weekends.

So yes we do have it easy and just turn up and go – don’t we???????

A point well made maybe a bit understated--for Weddings some of us do 5/6 hours Entertaining on the job including dancing demos with the guests-- plus set up and take down with a 100 mile journey each way and work overall a 13/14hour day getting home at 3.30am.

Did I mention a break--nope;)

Thats excluding preparation ---a point well made though.:beer1:

[paulg]

Compared to many things in life, it is easy and the better you get at it, the easier it becomes.

[Ecstatic Events]

The profession is still alot more than pressing a few buttons. Of which TOO many people think that's all our job entails. Mobile DJ'ing is alot more demanding than people realise. Hence the fee's :)

[CRAZY K]

Compared to many things in life, it is easy and the better you get at it, the easier it becomes.

Really--like lugging heavy equipment around at 1 or 2am in the morning down stairs:confused:

[yourdj]

The profession is still alot more than pressing a few buttons. Of which TOO many people think that's all our job entails. Mobile DJ'ing is alot more demanding than people realise. Hence the fee's :)

Any normal person should know that. If they do not then they wont book me which suits me fine :p

[paulg]

Really--like lugging heavy equipment around at 1 or 2am in the morning down stairs:confused:

I never, ever do venues with stairs! It makes the job so easy not to.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

Djing itself is easy. Though if you word like "I go week in week out to parties where I dont know anyone and I get them all dancing" it sounds more challenging.

Its getting the bookings themselves, marketing and sales bit thats the hard part.

[yourdj]

Its getting the bookings themselves, marketing and sales bit thats the hard part.

:agree: now im through the layer cake the Djing bit is a pleasure and a challenge.
The marketing is the difficult part. Luckily I do not have to sell my self on the phone however. I hate that.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Djing itself is easy.

I disagree. If it was easy, why have we got so many idiots who have no idea what they are doing?

[DeckstarDeluxe]

Sorry I should maybe rephrase that.

I find it "easy" at 95% of gigs. I will say however for the past 3 years I've spent most of my free time researching music, equipment etc..

[ppentertainments]

I disagree. If it was easy, why have we got so many idiots who have no idea what they are doing?
Personally I think the main, not the only, reason a lot find DJ'ing hard is because they make it hard for themselves.

I think the 'work smarter, not harder' saying is sadly missing for a lot of DJ's.

[yourdj]

Personally I think the main, not the only, reason a lot find DJ'ing hard is because they make it hard for themselves.

I think the 'work smarter, not harder' saying is sadly missing for a lot of DJ's.

It may be easy to buy a laptop some lights and a couple of active speakers.
The hard part come when you have to have every track & genre and read the crowd.

Lots of DJ's fail on their interpersonal skills and inability to interact with thier clients & their guests

"excuse me do you have upside down - my wife loves it!"
"nah mate, what's that then"

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Lots of DJ's fail on their interpersonal skills and inability to interact with thier clients & their guests


This is one thing that I totally agree with.

[paulg]

Personally I think the main, not the only, reason a lot find DJ'ing hard is because they make it hard for themselves.

I think the 'work smarter, not harder' saying is sadly missing for a lot of DJ's.

Brilliant - hit the nail on the head.

It's also one of the few jobs that you do better the more you relax.

[CRAZY K]

Brilliant - hit the nail on the head.

It's also one of the few jobs that you do better the more you relax.

Like lugging all the equipment into the vehicle at 2am with or without stairs;)

Yeah right:daft:

Its not just playing music unless your a Club DJ.

[paulg]

Like lugging all the equipment into the vehicle at 2am with or without stairs;)

Yeah right:daft:

Its not just playing music unless your a Club DJ.

Where on earth do you go to be working 'til 2am? That's way past a sensible bedtime. Do many more on here work such unsocial hours? Daft :daft: I may well be, but the latest finish I've had in the last 12 months is 5 past midnight - Normal finishes 'round here (for me at least) are about 11.30pm.

Whatever the time, don't you find there's a sense of satisfaction or serenity to be had having finished, done a good job, got a beer waiting in the fridge, steady drive home with the radio on (nice 'me time' with whispering bob harris on 2), lay in that morning etc. etc. This must sound weirder, but I actually enjoy packing and unpacking the van! Take a tip - never go 'lugging' anything. The word makes it sound difficult and unpleasant. Take a bit more time, have a chat with the wobbly punters whilst passing. A steady carry out or even better, a gentle wheel along, that's the ticket.

[DazzyD]

At the moment, I'm right in the groove and everything is going well so I am finding it easy. I seem to have the Midas touch right now but it was a completely different story 18 months ago when nothing seemed to be going right.


I never, ever do venues with stairs! It makes the job so easy not to.

I'm happy for you that you have so much work coming in that you can pick and choose the work that you take on. Unfortunately, this would be the fantasy as opposed to reality for most working mobile DJs!

[ppentertainments]

I'm happy for you that you have so much work coming in that you can pick and choose the work that you take on. Unfortunately, this would be the fantasy as opposed to reality for most working mobile DJs!
Not here.

I am lucky now that I also refuse upstairs gigs unless a lift is available (health reasons also helps enforce this). I also choose not to work Sundays with the exception of nice weddings.

[STEVE HANLEY]

I like to think one of my biggest strengths is the ability to read the floor, but there are times when even I get it spectacularly wrong.

Usual guaranteed floorfillers clearing the place. Women a lot older than me coming up and asking me to play Ndubs, Taio Cruz and Dizzy Rascal??????? What the hell's that all about??????:daft:

[Dynamic Entertainment]

I like to think one of my biggest strengths is the ability to read the floor, but there are times when even I get it spectacularly wrong.

Usual guaranteed floorfillers clearing the place. Women a lot older than me coming up and asking me to play Ndubs, Taio Cruz and Dizzy Rascal??????? What the hell's that all about??????:daft:

Yeah, i once had the son of a 60th birthday woman come up and insist on me playing Darude's Sandstorm for the birthday girl.......went down a storm :D

[CRAZY K]

Where on earth do you go to be working 'til 2am? That's way past a sensible bedtime. Do many more on here work such unsocial hours? Daft :daft: I may well be, but the latest finish I've had in the last 12 months is 5 past midnight - Normal finishes 'round here (for me at least) are about 11.30pm.

Whatever the time, don't you find there's a sense of satisfaction or serenity to be had having finished, done a good job, got a beer waiting in the fridge, steady drive home with the radio on (nice 'me time' with whispering bob harris on 2), lay in that morning etc. etc. This must sound weirder, but I actually enjoy packing and unpacking the van! Take a tip - never go 'lugging' anything. The word makes it sound difficult and unpleasant. Take a bit more time, have a chat with the wobbly punters whilst passing. A steady carry out or even better, a gentle wheel along, that's the ticket.

Unsocial hours---thats what this job is all about:confused:

Perhaps someone else can comment.

I completely give up and wont bother posting further on this--

[yourdj]

This is one thing that I totally agree with.

Great! it only took three years :p


Darude's Sandstorm for the birthday girl.......went down a storm :D

Don't you mean went down like a sandstorm :D

[spin mobile disco]

Maybe what is needed is a distinction.
Its easy to be a DJ walk into a club with pre installed sound system and make lots of people dance beacuse they all pay to be there and are intent on having a good time.

Its not easy to be a mobile Dj becuse and add all excuses from first post and then add that the guests at a wedding are not normaly actually wanting to be there for you. They are there for the bride and groom, because of friends family etc. Then add in the wide age range, half the guests not talking to the other half. And then gettign said people to get up first in front of the afformentioned hated people and dance.

As for timings I agree with K its pretty rare I finih before 1am and then by time it has cleared and packed down its around 2am to lug it all to the car / van etc.

I still love this job and I know my job, but easy? see above and then answer.

[CRAZY K]

Maybe what is needed is a distinction.
Its easy to be a DJ walk into a club with pre installed sound system and make lots of people dance beacuse they all pay to be there and are intent on having a good time.

Its not easy to be a mobile Dj becuse and add all excuses from first post and then add that the guests at a wedding are not normaly actually wanting to be there for you. They are there for the bride and groom, because of friends family etc. Then add in the wide age range, half the guests not talking to the other half. And then gettign said people to get up first in front of the afformentioned hated people and dance.

As for timings I agree with K its pretty rare I finih before 1am and then by time it has cleared and packed down its around 2am to lug it all to the car / van etc.

I still love this job and I know my job, but easy? see above and then answer.

Aha, someone living on Planet Mobile Entertainer.;)

Im at Birmingham Botanical Gardens tomorrow night--bet that will be a real easy one:eek: :eek: :eek:

Told my wife not to bother waiting up for me!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Great! it only took three years :p



Don't you mean went down like a sandstorm :D

:taxi:

[SPDJ]

Maybe what is needed is a distinction.
Its easy to be a DJ walk into a club with pre installed sound system and make lots of people dance beacuse they all pay to be there and are intent on having a good time.

Its not easy to be a mobile Dj becuse and add all excuses from first post and then add that the guests at a wedding are not normaly actually wanting to be there for you. They are there for the bride and groom, because of friends family etc. Then add in the wide age range, half the guests not talking to the other half. And then gettign said people to get up first in front of the afformentioned hated people and dance.



I agree :beer1:

[yourdj]

I agree :beer1:

Bugger off :p I am trying to forget about this thread.

No you dont your just trying to boost your google rating ;)

Only joking :D

[SPDJ]

Bugger off :p I am trying to forget about this thread.

No you dont your just trying to boost your google rating ;)

Only joking :D

quiet Toby or else I shall tell everybody about that thing you did . . .:cool:

The way I see it, even the worst parts of DJing have been better than some of the the best parts of insurance underwriting and selling, which is what I did for seven years before all of this.

I think its fare to say that all of us got into this with more of a sense of fun and enjoyment than a means to make money, at least in the beginning. The same can't be said about most 9-5 office jobs no matter how much we can moan and groan about the afore mentioned stressful parts of mobile DJing and running a disco.

[SPDJ]

Whatever the time, don't you find there's a sense of satisfaction or serenity to be had having finished, done a good job, got a beer waiting in the fridge, steady drive home with the radio on (nice 'me time' with whispering bob harris on 2), lay in that morning etc. etc. This must sound weirder, but I actually enjoy packing and unpacking the van! Take a tip - never go 'lugging' anything. The word makes it sound difficult and unpleasant. Take a bit more time, have a chat with the wobbly punters whilst passing. A steady carry out or even better, a gentle wheel along, that's the ticket.

You almost make it sound romantic!! :)

[thex-faders]

I agree with the comment that DJ'ing becomes easier the smarter you are with it. As myself and Tom started when we were 15 with a twin CD deck (of which only one deck worked) and a minidisk player (on which our most up-to-date minidisk was a 5ive album :p ) We have gone through such a transition to get to where we are now.

We both spent alot of time researching music and organising our collections to ensure we had more than enough songs to last through any type of event. When we swtiched to digital after about a year and a half on CD's (we did get the deck fixed by the way!) we found that although it did make our life's easier in terms of searching for songs and having some lists of commonly played songs, it also presented a few more problems that we didnt expect. Namely the fact all your MP3 files have to be excellent quality, all the songs you have on CD need to be copied onto the laptop, the annoying buzzing sound that we eventually worked out to be a ground loop problem and many guests assuming just becuase we have a laptop, we can go on to their friends 'Myspace' page and play a song by a *insert explitive here* band they think are the next beatles :confused:

It annoys me when people say what we do is easy, and my answer always is: "If you think its that easy, by all means DO IT YOURSELF :Censored:" becuase I bet 90-100% of them wouldnt even be able to work out the equipment we use, let alone afford it, set it up and more importantly have the music knowledge we as DJ's have.

Rant over!

[sheffbag]

Many thanks guys, its my blog which is part of a series of blogs I write for mastermix. The easiest one to write to be honest, iI see the comments and might do a follow up one soon to it

You can find the original at http://blog.mastermixdigital.com/djing/djing-its-an-easy-life/ along with other ramblings of mine. Come and have a look or if you have any topics or suggestions then most welcomed

[Corabar Entertainment]

Hi there.

have a read here: http://www.forum.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=11711 and then pop on over and start your own thread in the 'Newbies' section to introduce yourself to the rest of the membership

:approve:

[paulg]

Amusing quote on the blog page:

"Mastermix have gone back to the 80's"

I never knew they'd left

[NKR]

It annoys me when people say what we do is easy, and my answer always is: "If you think its that easy, by all means DO IT YOURSELF :Censored:" becuase I bet 90-100% of them wouldnt even be able to work out the equipment we use, let alone afford it, set it up and more importantly have the music knowledge we as DJ's have.

Rant over!

Come on it's not rocket science to be honest now is it. It requires a certain flair, but its not that hard to learn your way round some gear.

Then again I DJ so it is going to fairly simple to me :D .