Strangest Location/Venue You've Ever DJ'd?

[thex-faders]

Just wanted to share some stories from everyone on here of the strangest location that you have DJ'd at before.

I'll kick it off...

Myself and Tom once DJ'd a wedding at London Zoo! We had to load our equipment onto the coach with the guests and as they had a guided tour of the zoo we sweated and carried our equipment through the Zoo and set up in a conservatory type building near the Australian animals...we then did about 3 hours of background music and about 45 minutes of proper party music as we had to stop the music at 10.30 becuase the animals were going to bed! :p

But all the guests had a good night...its just we went through all the effort and ended up doing only 45 minutes! :confused:

Anyway, it will be interesting to hear your stories :)

[funkymook]

Not a particularly strange venue, but I was booked to do a Country and Western night in a Chinese Restaurant once (just on the whim of the owner) - no one danced all night apart from a group of drunken rugger players who came in seconds before last food orders and proceeded to line dance/fall over everywhere!

[DAVESOUNDS SERVICES]

Strangest Venue?
A HUGE British Telecom Phone Exchange in the middle of a big city!
The location was the Skylon restuarant on floor12
it was ok to load / Impossible to park / AND i managed to smuggle a female roadie in!.....The reason being the 24hour Directory Enquiry operators were being made redundant and the entire place closed ....Boy itwas emotional night! to see the old wooden cord switchboards all off and silent!
Some of the people had worked together on nights for 20 plus years!
It paid well though!..its good to talk eh?
Cheers

[TONYTIGER]

Two weird ones for me.

Many light years ago i had a contract with Pickwick Records which were only sold in Woolworths so ended with full rig in the isles of Regent Street Woolworths playing there latest tunes and telling the shoppers why they should buy them.

Second one was asked if i could provide a disco for some Fishermen in Weymouth took the job and was told be down at the docks at 6pm so when i got there they put all my gear in a big net then craned it on to a trawler ended up about a quarter of a mile offshore with a load of pontoons lashed together as a dance floor i was below decks trying not to be sick and trying to keep the needle on the records up top a load of other boats had arrived a formed a floating village looked great with all my lights in the rigging,but im no sailor so hats of to the radio pirate boys.

[Sapphire Disco]

I did a Christmas disco for a youth club this year in an old church , felt a bit strange with a 10ft crucifix on the stage directly behind me, the thing that got me and I couldn't believe it 100+ kids 11 to 14 years old absolutely nuts fighting all over the place jumping on tables, coming up on stage about 20 at a time crowding me, it was a bit unnerving but by the end of the night they had had a good time and I quite enjoyed it.

[JTRS]

I did a booking on a private barge canal earlier this year.

It wasn't the narrow boat type you see on canals but one that used to carry cargo that had been refitted out.

That's my most unusual one to date

JTRS

[Charlie Brown]

Not really exciting, but Nottingham caves.

I've done a few christenings at a Polish club too. They have been interesting.

Although it was a normal venue, Tony's 'leg slappers' were fantastic.

[ppentertainments]

Disco in the Metro Centre. Might not seem weird but was on the balcony of a restaurant and could be heard half way round this particular area of the centre. This area has loads of eateries and by the end of the night they were all joining in. Lights glying everywhere and the noise travelled so far it was unbelievable. Had a phone call before Christmas from one owner asking if same would be happening again (was only last January).

Race night in a Treehouse - not really a normal treehouse, but nevertheless quite unique.

Couple in peoples conservatories - not so strange.

Office blocks - not too strange really, but suprising the amount of times firms hold a function without warning the offices above and below.

[[email protected]]

I did a karaoke in the middle of cannock wood, nearby to the scout camp. It was a team building event.

Where the client had the idea after the drumming workshop that they wanted to have a singalong around the campfire. It worked better than expected, even though the wind was in the wrong direction and I was in the smoke for the whole night.

Loading up at the end was interesting, pitch black & uneven ground, and a bit chilly too!

[woody2]

bongos Miami;)

[Silver Bullet]

Living in a country area, I quite often do gigs in farm buildings, barns/silage sheds/cowsheds. I once did one job for the young farmers club, stood on a 40ft trailer and over the wall behind me were a herd of cows, not at all bothered about the noise.
I have also worked for the MoD in an army camp just down the road. Normally in either the officers or sergeants mess, occasionally in the canteen, and once on a helicopter landing pad.
but
The strangest place I have ever DJ'ed is probably in a fire station, and halfway through the gig there was a call out, so that was different :)

[Excalibur]

I've done a few in a Church, one in a Clarks Shoe Shop, a number of events in supermarkets, one in a lorry garage, loads in cattle sheds and piggeries, and years ago, a couple where you had to stand on a table, hoist the gear onto a balcony, and clamber up a ladder to rig up!! ( We were really hot on Elf and Safety in those days. ;) :D :D :D )

[Ecstatic Events]

Someones Living room for a 40th Birthday Party (80's theme)

They even went for uplighting too, with 6-8 cans around the room.

Very intimate :jumping:

[Corabar Steve]

A Multi-story carpark in a block of flats in Camden (alongside the canal) with extension leads running out of the winndows of a flat above & down the outside wall for power.

& not me personally, but one of our chaps did one in Wycombe Caves (once the meeting place of the original Hellfire Club)

[Mark Wild]

A Co-op on the Isle of Bute, lol.

[Excalibur]

The strangest place I have ever DJ'ed is probably in a fire station, and halfway through the gig there was a call out, so that was different :)

I'd forgotten that. I had a regular charity one of those, run by the friemen, until Elf and safety put the mockers on it.

[Corabar Entertainment]

I'd forgotten that. I had a regular charity one of those, run by the friemen, until Elf and safety put the mockers on it.
The local fish & chip shop?

:taxi: :coat:

[Excalibur]

The local fish & chip shop?

:taxi: :coat:

Guilty as charged. :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

[Javlingames]

I did a disco on the eurostar train for a corporate client once, pretty unique, ive got some pics somewhere. Also clearwell caves in gloucester. 2 hours just to get the gear in!! Great gig though.

[Corabar Steve]

Does my garden count?

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Does my garden count?

No, 'cos it's not yours. :sj:

[Corabar Steve]

I do more in it than anyone else (possession is nine tenths of the law)

It's mine I tell ya! MINE!!!! :sj:

[soundtracker]

Also clearwell caves in gloucester. 2 hours just to get the gear in!! Great gig though.

and three weeks to clean the mud off! I've noticed that most people who work there aren't local...once bitten etc!

[Javlingames]

and three weeks to clean the mud off! I've noticed that most people who work there aren't local...once bitten etc!

Yeah youre not wrong, that clay was on there for years!!

[chrispeacock]

i done a disco in the millenium stadium for the welsh deaf rugby team





and i got asked to turn the music down haha

[DiscosMobile]

Nothing too strange,
The small thin canal boats I do quite a bit
Office parties in the training room or on a vacant floor
Farmers barns
Did a swingers club in Blackpool once.. (never again not a pretty sight). Thought it was just a private hotel when I took the booking.. How wrong was I..

[thex-faders]

i done a disco in the millenium stadium for the welsh deaf rugby team





and i got asked to turn the music down haha

We had a guy at one of the proms we did last year who was deaf. Had a girl come up and ask for - Lady Gaga - Poker Face. She said he could hear the bassline and really likes it to that particular song.
Tom

[chrispeacock]

i also done a disco in a workshop last xmas. it was the companies 20th anniversary an they changed their quite large workshop into a black and white chequered dancefloor, the whole room had star clothes floor to ceiling. 50mtrs long, 25mtrs wide and 15mtrs high. they had a carvery with waiter service. me doing disco plus a cracking band and also an acoustic guitarist for background music when the meals where being served.

actually it was the same guy who booked me as the deaf party.

[djtrev]

I once did an Hawaian night at a nudist camp.
It was really wierd dj'ing in just a dickie bow and black socks and shoes.

















Its true about the nudist gig but I lied about the dress code.

[Javlingames]

I did a gig on the moon once, there was no atmosphere.:D

[stormproductions]

Ha, I think TONYTIGER in post #4 is the best - offshore pontoons! Followed by Silver Bullet in #11 in an operational fire station.

Not strictly DJing (but still using same kit) the strangest location that I can remember was for the MoD in an indoor firing range with the main lights turned off, playing 'war' sound effects with speakers right behind the firing positions, and using lights to simulate firing effects, explosions and searchlights etc. Had to wear ear defenders rather than headphones! And had to declare afterwards that I had no live ammunition on me.

Used to work for ski companies taking people to the Alps on a chartered train across France. You can kind of imagine around 500 Brits starting their skiing holidays on a 13 hour train journey, with copious amounts of alcohol bought on the ferry and a bar/disco carriage in the middle of the train. 'DJing' only amounted to changing the cassette every so often and the sound was truly dreadful, but you could feel the whole carriage floor bouncing as the train rattled through the night.

More normally, I had one last year where there was a marquee (dining) attached onto the rear of the conservatory (dancing) and I was set up in the kids playroom adjoining the conservatory, surrounded by toys. Couldn't resist handing the plastic musical instruments around to the punters... and had a fluffy dinosaur sat on the console.

[soundtracker]

Living in a country area, I quite often do gigs in farm buildings, barns/silage sheds/cowsheds. I once did one job for the young farmers club, stood on a 40ft trailer and over the wall behind me were a herd of cows, not at all bothered about the noise.
I have also worked for the MoD in an army camp just down the road. Normally in either the officers or sergeants mess, occasionally in the canteen, and once on a helicopter landing pad.
but
The strangest place I have ever DJ'ed is probably in a fire station, and halfway through the gig there was a call out, so that was different :)

We used to do New Years Eve in our local fire station for years, usually had at least one shout, but the kit was all outside ready to go anyway, just meant all the men disappeared!!

My strangest, probably a Dental Surgery Reception Area - the smell was horrendous!

[Chris1984]

The strangest place i have ever dj'd is a tie between the car park of the Bahrain F1 circuit or in a DHL sorting hub airside in the USA - the plant was mothballed and they were bringing it back to life and we did a conference followed by a party - was a spare of the minute gig and all we had were i-pods but we pulled it off!

[Mark Wild]

The strangest place I've DJ'd was on the moon, wish I'd never bothered, there was no atmosphere at all.


:coat:

[Excalibur]

Post#30


I did a gig on the moon once, there was no atmosphere.:D


Post #34.

The strangest place I've DJ'd was on the moon, wish I'd never bothered, there was no atmosphere at all.


:coat:

I wouldn't bother with the coat Mark, I'd be heading to Specsavers. ;) :p

[Mark Wild]

Post#30




Post #34.


I wouldn't bother with the coat Mark, I'd be heading to Specsavers. ;) :p

:o Been a long weekend.

[simonp]

The strangest place I've DJ'd was on the moon, wish I'd never bothered, there was no atmosphere at all.


:coat:

:Tumble:

[Corabar Steve]

I wouldn't mind, but they're only 4 posts apart!

[Mark Wild]

I wouldn't mind, but they're only 4 posts apart!

You'll get over it mate. I have.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I've done a couple of weird ones over the years and funnily enough, I have another weird one coming up in June.

I DJ'd at a branch of Carpet Right once! That was a long day but quite funny as I was walking around the shop with a radio mic asking people for requests whilst they were browsing.

Also DJ'd in barn on a farm once for a 21st Birthday. It was really cool until the organiser bought over a burger from the BBQ and said "Taste that, it will be the best and juiciest burger you've ever had!". It looked lovely, I took a bite and it was gorgeous and then he told me it was a squirrel burger and something told my stomach it shouldn't be there and I immediately puked it back up.

I have a booking in June for a couple that have just bought a farm out of town who were at a party I did 2 weeks ago. They want me to DJ in their hay barn too so it should be good.

[soundtracker]

I love the fact that you townies think that farms and barns are unusual places! Welcome to my world!

[MikeW]

The strangest place I've DJ'd was on the moon, wish I'd never bothered, there was no atmosphere at all.


:coat:

I am sure people have been banned for less than that :D

[Kernow]

You'll get over it mate. I have.

Well at least you've reduced the gravity of the situation :p ;) :D

[Chris1984]

I love the fact that you townies think that farms and barns are unusual places! Welcome to my world!

cant beat a good farm party - no restrictions, in the middle of no where - hours of fun - love them!

[Kernow]

cant beat a good farm party - no restrictions, in the middle of no where - hours of fun - love them!
I love military bases & airfields..... they're 24 hour operational and anyone coming to complain gets shot dead by the guard on the gate :D

[soundtracker]

cant beat a good farm party - no restrictions, in the middle of no where - hours of fun - love them!

I find with Country Houses around here, the more isolated they are, the more restrictions they have! Go figure!:confused:

[Excalibur]

I love the fact that you townies think that farms and barns are unusual places! Welcome to my world!
Amen, Brother. Funnily enough, I'm not getting as many as I used to, though I have a charity one I don't really want soon. ;) :( History with the organiser, he's a :muppet:

cant beat a good farm party - no restrictions, in the middle of no where - hours of fun - love them!
Oh yuss. Last man standing, and all that. :D :D

I find with Country Houses around here, the more isolated they are, the more restrictions they have! Go figure!:confused:
That'll teach you to target the posh gigs!:p :D All this playing by the rules, takes all the fun out of it. :D :D :D :D

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I love the fact that you townies think that farms and barns are unusual places! Welcome to my world!

Same here though most of mine have electricity :)

[funksoulbrother]

I've done several gigs at London's Regents Park Zoo, they hire out a few function rooms/restuarants as locations for weddings/parties.

Piccadilly Tube station main ticket area for Capital Radio's "Help a London Child" fundraising back in the late 80's with hip-hop DJ Tim Westwood

Also worked in a very large church cyrpt, again back in the 80's.

An open tennis court in someone's back garden, near Chorleywood in Hertfordshire, at 11.30pm got a call from the local Royal Masonic Girls School, asking could we turn the volume down, as all the girls who were boarding were up dancing!!

Also played in an open haybarn for a joint 21st Birthday party, we had to make up a small makeshift stage out of pallets with plyboard over them, to get a reasonably flat surface for the deckstand, but it was an absolutely brilliant night, until someone mentioned to me that we might hear some scurrying about the hay as there was RATS in there. I immediately tucked my trousers in my socks, just in case!!!!!

Good times.....:D

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I think that's the first time I have ever been called a 'Townie'!!
I suppose it's because I am not a country bumpkin eh!?

Totally forgot but I've also DJ'd at Marwell Zoo too. It was actually Marwell House but it's in the grounds and it was for some good friends. We had a V.I.P. tour (part of their wedding package) and had photos taken with the monkeys and giraffes.

[Corabar Steve]

I've done several gigs at London's Regents Park Zoo, Me too

Piccadilly Tube station main ticket area for Capital Radio's "Help a London Child" fundraising back in the late 80's with hip-hop DJ Tim WestwoodWhen was that then? I worked there in the late 80s.

[funksoulbrother]

Steve, it must have been about 1985/6 as far as I can remember, not a bad day, I remember trying to get the gear in was a nightmare, having to try to park the van and trolley the rig down. B:Censored: y massive bass bins, amps and console with Matamp mixer and 3 1200's. I was lucky though as, I had to get away early, before we broke the rig down, to get to another evening gig with bags of Capital Radio freebies and a whole load of WEA promo records, courtesy of Fred Dove the WEA A & R man. :D :D :D :D :D

[Ajaysdisco]

I think mine aren’t that strange compared to some of yours but some of the ones that stick out are a fire place and a very small round beach hut.

[Corabar Steve]

Steve, it must have been about 1985/6 as far as I can remember, not a bad day, I remember trying to get the gear in was a nightmare, having to try to park the van and trolley the rig down. B:Censored: y massive bass bins, amps and console with Matamp mixer and 3 1200's. I was lucky though as, I had to get away early, before we broke the rig down, to get to another evening gig with bags of Capital Radio freebies and a whole load of WEA promo records, courtesy of Fred Dove the WEA A & R man. :D :D :D :D :D
Must've been a complete pain. How did you get the gear from street level to the concourse?

[funksoulbrother]

Sack barrow to the stairs then all carried down by hand, then set up between two of the stairs with portable barriers between the equipment and the public. If I remember rightly, it was a 3Kw rig, well over the top of what was needed, but Mr. Westwood had insisted on it to Capital.

We had also supplied another rig the same day near Notting Hill/Ladbroke Grove, for their Reggae DJ, at the time. Can't remember his name, but one of the nicest guys you would ever meet, wish I'd stayed there, as there was less ego/attitude!

[sleah]

Totally forgot but I've also DJ'd at Marwell Zoo too.
snip
We had a V.I.P. tour (part of their wedding package) and had photos taken with the monkeys and giraffes.

Oh there's some fun to be had tagging those pictures on Facebook:p:p

:D:D:D:D

[Corabar Steve]

Sack barrow to the stairs then all carried down by hand, then set up between two of the stairs with portable barriers between the equipment and the public. If I remember rightly, it was a 3Kw rig, well over the top of what was needed, but Mr. Westwood had insisted on it to Capital.

We had also supplied another rig the same day near Notting Hill/Ladbroke Grove, for their Reggae DJ, at the time. Can't remember his name, but one of the nicest guys you would ever meet, wish I'd stayed there, as there was less ego/attitude!
Nobody told you to use the lift in the Trocadero then

[funksoulbrother]

:doh:

:beer1: 25 years on, now I'm told that there was a lift, a lot of the London Underground staff weren't exactly friendly towards us. They were probably p:Censored: g themselves laughing at us struggling with all the gear.

I knew there was a good reason why I didn't like using the Underground!!!!!!

[DJ Teknovibe]

Well it's not really a strange place, but my kitchen was a kind of unusal place for gig I suppose, alebit a mini gig lol. I used to have 8K of Peavey and JBL in there, my next door neighbour used to bang doors, be aggressive and constantly scream and stuff before I even ever had my sound system on. So in the end I njust thought "ok, if she wants to make noise, I can too" and so I hooked my sound system up and we had full blown parties in there. I'm talking fog machine, 8,000 watts of sound system full blast, dmx scanners, the works, and all my mates used to come round for a party, lights off, scanners and fog machine on, sound system on full, it was great.

I even had people come round who I didn't even know, and one time we had 15-20 people in my kitchen dancing, we went from about 8pm-4am every saturday night. So...I guess in a way you could call it the strangest venue I ever did parties at.

[kieran Griff]

Sounds a little immature if I'm honest.... although I've done a fair few of them myself in my younger days :p