It shouldn't happen to a DJ.....

[Shaun]

I'm sure we all have horror stories relating to our gigs, whether it's fights breaking out, threats, gear getting stolen or damaged, or something else.

Off the top of my head......

* I've been knocked unconscious by a flying chair from an idiot that didn't like that I hadn't played his request.

* I've had to call the police and fire brigade at a youth event after the kids ripped a gas oven away from the gas pipe

* I've had thugs hanging onto the side of the van tying to tip it over (whislt I was in it) outside a gig.

* During my first year of DJing, The other DJ with me (the DJ business owner) proceeded to get legless, chat up a bridesmaid and get into a fight with her boyfriend...on the dancefloor.

* I once played a wedding gig for 8 people. (Bride, Groom, Best Man, Maid of honour, parents of bride & Groom). I never did find out why they didn't invite anyone else.

* Way back in the day when party games were the norm, a lady guest was running across the floor (as per my instruction), faster I urged her to run.... and she slipped and broke her arm in several places. I hadn't even heard of PLI back then.




Ok, over to you! Any interesting stories?

[sleah]

I doubt anyone can top that lot Shaun:eek::eek:

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Calling Strip the Willow and one woman hit the wall and knocked herself out....

[tony hollis]

how about,shot by a stray bullet in a bar

[Cowlinn]

how about,shot by a stray bullet in a bar

OK OK you win!! :eek:

The best I can do is having drunk girls wanting to sing on my Mic, claiming "Everyone" wants her too.

[yourdj]

I'm sure we all have horror stories relating to our gigs, whether it's fights breaking out, threats, gear getting stolen or damaged, or something else.

Off the top of my head......

* I've been knocked unconscious by a flying chair from an idiot that didn't like that I hadn't played his request.

* I've had to call the police and fire brigade at a youth event after the kids ripped a gas oven away from the gas pipe

* I've had thugs hanging onto the side of the van tying to tip it over (whislt I was in it) outside a gig.

* During my first year of DJing, The other DJ with me (the DJ business owner) proceeded to get legless, chat up a bridesmaid and get into a fight with her boyfriend...on the dancefloor.

* I once played a wedding gig for 8 people. (Bride, Groom, Best Man, Maid of honour, parents of bride & Groom). I never did find out why they didn't invite anyone else.

* Way back in the day when party games were the norm, a lady guest was running across the floor (as per my instruction), faster I urged her to run.... and she slipped and broke her arm in several places. I hadn't even heard of PLI back then.




Ok, over to you! Any interesting stories?

And i was just about to book a holiday in Scotland.

Nothing too bad. i am nice most the time but am very good at putting my foot down. Never had to resort to violence other than some of my club promotions when the dozy doormen have not spotted anything.

[leelive]

Wow! Those are crazy things to happen. I can't top that.

* DJing at a wedding someone on drugs attempted to punch me for cutting short a record that only he was dancing too. He then proceeded to pull light-fittings of the walls! The venue security took care of him.

* Singing in a restaurant 6 years ago a hoard of gypsies invaded the place. They threw the buffet-style food everywhere. The younger kids were trying to mess with my gear. Told them they would be electrocuted. One of them said he had already been and showed me his badly scarred hands.

* All of the family and friends of the bride could not make a wedding because of the Swine 'flu. That was a tricky one to DJ at.

Lee

[Excalibur]

Ex "Superstar" DJ's. :mad: More later.

[soundmaster mobile disco]

I was once pushed against a wall,held by the neck all because i would not play his request.

Some people are just so inpredictable once they have a drink and mix other substances.

[Andy Goodtimes]

Quite a few things over the years but 4 that really stick out...

About 4 years ago being held up by gun point after a job in Coventry, just me, the roadie and the Steward left in the club after a really busy ladies night with the UK Dreamboys and 3 robbers with shot guns held us up and made off with the night's takings.

Moderator EDIT: Non family friendly content removed (Rule 19).

Last summer in Liverpool an old chap trying to keep up with the youngsters making a fool of himself on the dance floor fell and broke his leg, it was obviously broken badly and sticking out at a very awkward looking angle and the Bride's having a go at me saying move the old Breach of rule 16 removed so we can dance, its spoiling my Wedding.

Moderator EDIT: Non family friendly content removed (Rule 19).

[TONYTIGER]

Was djing at a hen night in drag and the last male stripper produced a 12 foot python there was a mass exodus of about 200 screaming females heading for the nearest exit ,any way one very large woman fell over in the stampede and passed out and was going a shade of blue,being a first aider i hitched up my skirt and had to sit astride her(she was very large)to give her the kiss of life at that moment the local plod arrived with the ambulance crew you can imagine what they must have thought this man dressed up as a woman sat astride a 25 stone lady snogging her face off,not a good image for a local councillor.

[Corabar Steve]

I realise that there are likely to be a lot of off the wall stories in this thread, but please remember the forum rules (What do you mean you haven't read them??? It's a condition of joining / posting) & keep your posts within them

[Mark Wild]

One night as I was working, a Morrocan bloke at the bar was refusing to pay his bill (for no reason, he was just drunk and high sticking his fingers up to the world). That night my dad and 2 barmaids were working, the guy was getting a little bit frisky, so my dad had to get me off stage mid song (it was a cabaret bar in Tenerife) and ask me to swiftly eject the guy from the bar.

So I put my mic down, put on some music,(everyone in the bar can see what's going on) explain to the guy in my pidgeon Spanish to forget the bill, leave and don't bother coming back (he was a local to that resort, a waiter in a restaurant) So I calmly frog march him out, get back on stage and finish the night. Alls well that ends well?

Well to be honest, as I stood at the entrance/exit to the bar to make sure he'd gone properly, he gave me a look I'll never forget which stank of (forgive me Arnold) "I'll be back"

So, I'm finished work now, it's 1 a.m and I'm having a drink with the punters/holidaymakers and all of a sudden I see the Morrocan lad walking at a fast pace into the bar towards me. I lifted my left arm to his chest to stop him and as I did that he reached into his back pocket, pulled out a 12inch kitchen knife and stabbed me under the armpit on my left side. He then turned around threw the knife in one of the wooden picnic benches we had on the terrace and ran ! My first words to my dad were "I think he stabbed me" Holding my left side with my right hand as I was losing a lot of blood. I was rushed to hospital where I spent a week convalescing.

The knife, incidentally, went in 12cm and apparently I'm a very lucky boy :)

It shouldn't happen to the DJ !!! :beer1:

[Charlie Brown]

Wow!

Their are some brilliant stories.

I have had a lot of drama at gigs but nothing has actually happened to me.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I'm sure we all have horror stories relating to our gigs, whether it's fights breaking out, threats, gear getting stolen or damaged, or something else.

Off the top of my head......

* I've been knocked unconscious by a flying chair from an idiot that didn't like that I hadn't played his request.

* I've had to call the police and fire brigade at a youth event after the kids ripped a gas oven away from the gas pipe

* I've had thugs hanging onto the side of the van tying to tip it over (whislt I was in it) outside a gig.

* During my first year of DJing, The other DJ with me (the DJ business owner) proceeded to get legless, chat up a bridesmaid and get into a fight with her boyfriend...on the dancefloor.

* I once played a wedding gig for 8 people. (Bride, Groom, Best Man, Maid of honour, parents of bride & Groom). I never did find out why they didn't invite anyone else.

* Way back in the day when party games were the norm, a lady guest was running across the floor (as per my instruction), faster I urged her to run.... and she slipped and broke her arm in several places. I hadn't even heard of PLI back then.




Ok, over to you! Any interesting stories?

Someone gave me a hard stare once at a booking. :D

I don't think I'll be moving to Scotland any time soon!:p

[Shaun]

Some great (and very scary) stories so far. :eek:



Someone gave me a hard stare once at a booking. :D

I don't think I'll be moving to Scotland any time soon!:p

:rofl:

Yin & Yang. I've got many stories that balance things up. Unfortunately none that are suitable for the forum. :o

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Some great (and very scary) stories so far. :eek:




:rofl:

Yin & Yang. I've got many stories that balance things up. Unfortunately none that are suitable for the forum. :o

BPM then...;)

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I've been very lucky in 4 years of doing this I've hardly had a strong word said to me.

Worse I can think of is the drag queen gig (Supporters section).

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I've been very lucky in 4 years of doing this I've hardly had a strong word said to me.

Worse I can think of is the drag queen gig (Supporters section).

I gave you a harsh telling off for not shaving once. :D

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I gave you a harsh telling off for not shaving once. :D

Indeed you did. Does anyone else carry a back up razor to gigs now? :daft:

[Alchemy]

I stubbed my toe on a light stand once :daft:

[Mark Wild]

I stubbed my toe on a light stand once :daft:

Ladies and gentleman, Alchemy is here all week ! :D

[Excalibur]

Hmmmmm, I'm going to have to give the last few remaining grey cells a battering. I can't remember anything to rival shootings, stabbings, and armed robberies! :eek: :eek: :( :(

What a sheltered life I've lead. :o :o :o

[Nightowl Discotheques]

let see
* chased out of melville castle by the bridal bus coz the 7" jumped coz the fat bridesmade kept jumping up and down in front of turntables

* told not to come to mussleburgh on a dark night for not playing born to be alive for the 15th time that evening ( woodside hotel)

* had a replicea gun pulled on me in Pipers for not playing soft cell tainted love for the 34th time that evening

spat at for playing joe 90 at a northern soul gig ( Clouds Edinburgh)when i was a casino classics plugger ( it was that weeks newbie)

had a engagement party for 400 where just the girl and her mother turned up
Pipers again

Saw the biggest bar brawl ever in the Police club Edinburgh.....

got a kicking from a 60 year old woman who started a fight in the berry suite singles club.....

Welcome to Scotland !

[Andy Goodtimes]

Sorry Steve for the earlier post, I thought it was ok but can appreciate your point. Unfortunately it goes without saying that events such as these will often involve some adult content...hope no one was offended.

Talking of Policemen, December just gone I had to stop the music and say "you are a Police officer and should know better" Can't say exactly what he was doing but some of it involved smuggling in a bottle of Vodka, pulling down a light fitting and intimidating a female member of staff. It had gone so far that turning the rest of the punters against him was the only way I could see of making him tow the line, luckily for me it worked as both him and his mates were very agressive and very drunk.

My B&G last night had said no Motown and one woman got very abusive towards me over it, she stood in the middle of the dance floor shouting and swareing at me and sticking her finger up.

[Excalibur]

My B&G last night had said no Motown and one woman got very abusive towards me over it, she stood in the middle of the dance floor shouting and swareing at me and sticking her finger up.

Well that's a smart move! :eek: :eek: Ban the most universally popular Genre ( Sorry Steve :( ) of music I know. :daft:

[secretDISCO]

Done a gig in Paisley in the mid eighties, earlier in the night 2 troublemakers we're ejected from the club. when the club closed in the early hours and the doors we're closed the troublemakers came back.
I was lifting my record boxes up to the front foyer of the club when a double barrelled shotgun come through the letterbox peppering my poor old record boxes and missing me by inches.

Came out of a well known nightclub in the centre of Glasgow carrying 2 record boxes to the car when all hell broke loose between 2 rival glasgow gangs ALL using blades.
I just stood and froze until it had ended. 1 person died and 15 seriously injured and ME standing in the middle of it protecting my favourite 12's

Once came out to find all our cars badly damaged where some nutter went along them with a SLEDGEHAMMER lowering my Saab roof by 6's.
I had to drive home with no windscreen and windows with my head to the one side because of the lowered roof.

And finally

Done an opening night in Stirling, which like most nightclubs in the 80's, was
a rushed job with the plumbers and carpet fitters still working right up till opening doors.
The lighting gantry fell into the centre of the dance floor near the end, but the best of all was someone nicked the tiles off the toilet walls as they hadnt dried due to them only being on the wall for an hour before opening.
Lucky white heather anyone??

[mark@pegasus]

best I can offer is a a wedding about 15 years ago groom and chief bridesmaid enjoying each others company abit too much in the middle of the dance floor!

[Andy Goodtimes]

Lets try my worse one again without breaking any rules...lol.

Bride and Best Man enjoying each other's company a lot too much on the bowling green round the back of the venue and the Bride's father catching them and dying on the spot, then the fighting started between the various families and we were still there with the police at 9am.

[mark@pegasus]

OK Andy that beats mine.

[Javlingames]

Haha classic stories.

Ive been headbutted because some bloke thought id nicked his coat. He had placed it ontop of my record box so i moved it, 25 mins later he comes round the back of the decks and drops one on me.

Threatened by a skinhead that if i didnt stop the bride and grooms first dance and play ska he would kick my head in. I didnt stop the record but he gave me grief all night, in the end he was ejected by a very large built member of the audience. I was only 18 and about 10 stone at the time!

Witnessed a huge bottle fight in a club, polish v's kosovans. Not a pretty sight. 40 people fighting and 4 doorman. There was broken bottles and blood everywhere!!!

Loads more bits and bobs ive witnessed/been subject to. On the whole out of 18 years djin its not been too bad.

Most of the grief i got was when i was younger, dont seem to get that much now. Famous last words, il probably get my head kicked in this weekend lol.

[chrispeacock]

i did post mine on here yesterday but its gone now.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Advocating violence is not something we really like to encourage on here

[chrispeacock]

fair enough but we were attacked by the doormen

[DJ Tony McQue]

I managed to knock my lighting controller onto the master power switch of my 4 bar at a civil partnership on Friday, this killed the music dead during the first dance and made my laptop freeze. Everyone was just staring at me whilst I got my backup going and shouted that I just needed 2 minutes. Total nightmare, I still feel sick thinking about it. Thankfully they agreed to do the first dance routine again at the end and got a huge round of applause.

A few months back, I had the Bride at a wedding request that one of her guests sing on my mic to which I relunctly agreed. He wanted to sing along to Another Level - Freak Me which I cued up and introduced. What happened next was perhaps the most uncomfortable thing I have ever seen. The guy singing simulated sex with the microphone and shouted random words through the mic. This was followed by what I can only describe as a fish out of water dance on the floor and finished off with random pointing at the other guests. The Bride was in hysterics laughing but everyone else just looked shocked and quite upset. I also got asked for mainly Goth music that night, no amount of conversations with the Bride prior to that gig could have prepared me for it.

[pdarnett]

I had a guy die on the dancefloor, first song of the evening. He was going for it big style then just keeled over at his company do. The ceo made us carry on once the medics had carted him out, but no one really wanted to be there after that.

Month later had a guy die at a murder mystery night and everyone thought it was part of the evening until the paramedics arrived.

Got called DJ Death for a while after that.

[Dynamic Entertainment]

I managed to knock my lighting controller onto the master power switch of my 4 bar at a civil partnership on Friday, this killed the music dead during the first dance and made my laptop freeze. Everyone was just staring at me whilst I got my backup going and shouted that I just needed 2 minutes. Total nightmare, I still feel sick thinking about it. Thankfully they agreed to do the first dance routine again at the end and got a huge round of applause.

A few months back, I had the Bride at a wedding request that one of her guests sing on my mic to which I relunctly agreed. He wanted to sing along to Another Level - Freak Me which I cued up and introduced. What happened next was perhaps the most uncomfortable thing I have ever seen. The guy singing simulated sex with the microphone and shouted random words through the mic. This was followed by what I can only describe as a fish out of water dance on the floor and finished off with random pointing at the other guests. The Bride was in hysterics laughing but everyone else just looked shocked and quite upset. I also got asked for mainly Goth music that night, no amount of conversations with the Bride prior to that gig could have prepared me for it.

Proper "goth" or the usual preconceptions?

[Danno13]

I had a guy die on the dancefloor, first song of the evening. He was going for it big style then just keeled over at his company do. The ceo made us carry on once the medics had carted him out, but no one really wanted to be there after that.

Month later had a guy die at a murder mystery night and everyone thought it was part of the evening until the paramedics arrived.

Got called DJ Death for a while after that.

Had a similar experience at probably only my 6-7th ever gig. I was in 6th form (17), DJing for a normal social night at a private club in Worcester. Halfway through the night a girl my age collapsed and was taken away by an ambulance. Assuming it was just a case of over-indulgance, the night carried on as normal after that.

Unfortunatley, when arriving at college the next day the whole common room was deadly silent and unfortunatley she hadn't made it. Nothing to do with the night itself, but an underlying heart condition that could have struck anytme. Although, it definitley took the fun out of the job for quite a while :(

[DJ Tony McQue]

Proper "goth" or the usual preconceptions?

Proper goth I think - Nine Inch Nails, Sisters of Mercy, Fields Of The Nephilim, The Mission etc. I had some of it but was really quite hacked off with her considering her brief to me was good party music from the 60s, 70s and 80s and she 'completely trusted me with the music' so I was to just choose. Biggest tune of the night was The Cure - Friday I'm in Love. When I say biggest tune, the Bride liked it. The rest of her guests wanted proper cheese but she kept coming up to give me a row if she heard a tune she didn't like.

Horrid gig, just horrid..

[sleah]

Thinking back to my early days - late 80's I think.

I had a wedding (one of my first) where the Bride spent the entire night in the buffet room crying because I wouldn't play anything they could dance to, the only 'request' was Abba, so short of putting Dancing Queen on continuous loop (it was the only track she liked) I was doomed.

I have no idea to this day if anyone else enjoyed the night or what they thought as I had lost the will to live after the first 10mins, and didn't really care what happened.

She was right up there at the top of the 'Bridezilla' list:eek:

I do remember her relatives saying something about her being like that and it wasn't my fault.

[leelive]

I managed to knock my lighting controller onto the master power switch of my 4 bar at a civil partnership on Friday, this killed the music dead during the first dance and made my laptop freeze. Everyone was just staring at me whilst I got my backup going and shouted that I just needed 2 minutes. Total nightmare, I still feel sick thinking about it. Thankfully they agreed to do the first dance routine again at the end and got a huge round of applause.


This reminds me I had a scary moment in 2008.

The Point hotel had had a power-failure earlier in the day and they still didn’t have power to the ground floor! Luckily I was on the top floor so could go ahead.

But around 9pm, just as I was finishing my singing performance, I heard my UPS Battery alarm go off. The power had failed and it had kicked in. It must have been isolated to the mains as the house lights were unaffected. I went back to my laptop to line up some music but strangely my laptop had frozen! At first I didn’t know if it was the laptop or Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and I had to pull the plug on both items. Thankfully I had a mini-disk on standby and quickly brought that into the mix so that the music kept going. But behind the scenes I was panicking. Luckily the buffet was called so with the background music playing I had 30mins to fix it. The laptop refused to restart. I unplugged all devices and tried again. Luckily it did start, but when I connected the HDD it froze again. It turned out that even though I have surge protection the power-failure had sent an electrical spike in the HDD and killed it. Thankfully, I had my back-up drive in my bag.

Lee

[Danieleastwood.com]

Christmas eve 2002 at a Jumping Jacks Bar, in a renowned holiday resort on the east coast...

We had a resort full of gypsie families and the majority of them (regardless of age) managed to cram into the bar filling it to capacity along with all the off duty staff and regular families. I witnessed a young girl with pushchair come into the venue, infront of the Booth and proceed to attack a member of the large group of young adult males stood at the bar. (they were one of the gypsie family groups) On seeing this happen, one of the younger lads came wading in from the dancefloor and started on the bloke and from then on it escalated into the biggest bar fight I have ever witnessed.

Me and the sound guy decided to take refuge in the cupboards under the sound desk while glasses, bottles and chairs where hitting the walls of the booth. The staff and uninvolved guests were ushered down the fire escape corridoor leaving me, the techy and 8 overwhelmed resort security to fend for ourselves until the riot police arrived.

Anyone who knows a jumping jaks will appreciate the old heavy wooden furniture and pianos not to mention the old farming tools hangin off the walls. none of it made it through the fight! I have never been so scared in all my life.

Reports said there was over 400 men fighting in the bar in a fight that lasted 20 minutes.

I still rember fondly, sharing a ciggarette in a cupboard with a tall lanky bloke from manchester listening to the riot going on around us.

Thankfully something I will never have to witness again. hopefully. lol

[Shaun]

It's been a while since I posted this. We have newer members so thought it might be good to resurrect this thread....

It's been all quiet (trouble-wise) on my gigs....


Oh, except a few years ago there was this one wedding that was stopped by the venue and police called half an hour after the first dance. An almighty fight broke out, tables, chairs and anything else that came to hand was thrown. and if that wasn't enough to end the night a guest was stabbed in the face with a butter knife (of all things?!).

Aapart from that...it's been plain sailing. :d

Anyone have any stories to add?

[Benny Smyth]

I once pinched my finger in one of my tripods. Had a bruise for...like...a week. :p

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I don't remember this thread but if I had seen it when it was originally posted then I would have definitely added this particular story.
It was about 15 years ago and I was working for a friend's entertainment company. I didn't have any gear as such but did have my Pioneer CDJ's that I'd invested in.

It was a Wednesday night and I was tasked with covering a Karaoke night in Yates's in Camberley (about 17 miles up the road from our base).
All was going well on the night and it was really enjoyable until I noticed a group of about 30 blokes come in out the corner of my eye. A few of them went to the bar and the rest of them headed straight for the stage area where we were doing the Karaoke. I had the feeling straight away that all was not well for some reason. The atmosphere just dropped.

There was a girl singing at the time and all of these guys were stood at the front of the stage chanting "1 Para, 1 Para".... I wasn't that naive and soon realised that they were from the nearby army camp. What I didn't realise though was that there were NO DOORMEN on duty that night!
As the girl was singing and I was stood at the back of the stage area, one of the guys (the smallest and most gobbiest) started beckoning me over to him. I walked over and knelt down to speak to him so that I wasn't in the way of the singer. He shouted at me "We're on next"....I told him there was a queue of people but if he told me what he wanted to sing I would get them on as soon as I could. He wouldn't have any of it and started swearing and threatening me as the rest of his group kept chanting.

I could see people leaving the venue and I guessed that they knew what could potentially happen. I was a bit concerned to say the least. Anyway, just as the girl was finishing her song this guy jumped up on stage and grabbed the microphone from her. He started shouting "1 Para" over the microphone and I quickly pressed the mute button. He looked at me and told me to turn it back on but I told him no so he chucked it to the floor. I didn't know what to do. This all happened within 2 or 3 minutes.
He started jumping up and down on the stage and getting aggressive and shouted something at me (I still don't know what it was but I guess it was a threat). He had the attention of everyone in the venue. I got the music going again and decided not to get any singers up until he was off the stage. The other 15 or so guys that had been at the bar joined them at the front of the stage and the chanting got louder. They all had 2 bottles of Smirnoff Ice each and the small gobby guy jumped back on stage with another 2 guys and shook their bottles up, spraying their mates, me and all of the equipment. I looked over at the bar where I could see the manager shaking his head. I did the same and I wished I could have just clicked my fingers and disappeared instantly.

It didn't stop there either. In fact, it got worse....a whole lot worse!

The small guy kept shouting at me and was really intimidating. He kept threatening me and I remember him saying "It's all going to kick off soon son".
I tried to speak to him. I wanted to see what he wanted to sing so I could get it over and done with and hopefully they'd all disappear but he wouldn't have it. When I went over to speak to him he pushed me away and told me not to touch him. I knew he was waiting for any excuse to land one on me and I was proper worried now.
I looked down at the front of the stage and saw the large group of guys jumping up and down and being very rowdy and then out of the blue one of them jumped up on stage and grabbed the portable TV that was the Karaoke monitor. It was still plugged in as he lifted it off its stand and above his head. I went to stop him but he gave me an evil look as if it to say "Don't even try it". I stood back and watched in horror as he literally launched it through the air. It landed on a table where 3 girls were sitting. It knocked their drinks over and was sparking everywhere. It even knocked one of the girls off her stool and she was covered in glass and drinks but the guys just laughed.

That still wasn't the end of it unfortunately as what happened next was really bad. All of the guys decided to jump on the stage and start chanting "1 Para, 1 Para". People started to leave the venue big time and I thought it would be just me on my own at one point..........and then.......if things couldn't of gotten any worse..... through the doors came a bigger group of guys and they were chanting too...."2 Para, 2 Para".
It was then that I realised that this wasn't going to end well at all. If things weren't bad enough already. I actually made the decision to get off the stage. I headed straight for the bar where the manager was. He told me to stay where I was as he'd called the Military Police and we watched in horror as the 2 groups of guys headed straight for eachother.

It was like a scene from a western. Everyone got out of their way. The group of guys that had just entered the venue didn't bother going to the bar and headed straight for the other group. There was nothing anyone could do apart from watch and wait for the Military Police to turn up. It seemed like ages but they were actually there pretty quick in the end but that was after all hell broke loose. I was worried about the equipment and as the fighting started I kept thinking of what I would say to my mate about the TV that was smashed. Bottles and glasses were flying everywhere as were ashtrays and I remember seeing a really pretty girl get hit directly in the face by a chunky glass ashtray that had been thrown. Her face was a mess and it was nasty. The 2 groups of guys were kicking the proverbial out of eachother and chanting all the time as they were doing it.

When a mass of Military Police entered the venue the fighting stopped almost instantly. It was unbelievable. These hard men suddenly turned into obedient guys and were rounded up and ushered out of the building. A couple of ambulances turned up to see to those that had been caught in the crossfire as such and the staff started clearing up the glass. Tables were knocked over during the scrap so there was lots of glass everywhere. I went back on to the stage to check the equipment. Apart from the TV which was smashed to bits and a couple of mics that were dented, the rest of it, including my CDJ's were fine....just a bit wet where they'd been splashed with drink that had been sprayed about.

I never went back to that place again. I chatted with the manager afterwards and said that I would never go back unless there were doorstaff present. My mate went back the following week and apparently there were 3 doorstaff from then on but it was too late. The Karaoke nights at that venue died a death within weeks because of what had happened. My mate expected the venue to pay for the damaged equipment too but they wouldn't have any of it.
That was probably the most scariest situation I had ever been in with reference to this business.

There was another time when I turned up at a venue just a few miles down the road from there. Again I was working for my mate and it was a birthday Disco for a landlord who looked after one of those dodgy estate pubs. I walked through the door, introduced myself to the landlord and he directed me to where I was supposed to set up.
He told me he'd have to move the pool table to make space but there was a bunch of guys playing pool at the time. I waited for a while and then waited some more and then went over to see the landlord again as time was passing quickly and I needed to set up. The guys playing pool wouldn't have it and told me in no uncertain terms to go and do one. They ended up arguing with the landlord. It seemed to be one of the pubs where he didn't have any control over them. Luckily I hadn't got any equipment out of the van as yet. I had about 10 minutes before I was due to start but there was no way it was going to happen. The landlord called me over and I went out the back with him. He apologised and paid in cash in full and told me to go home. I remember driving down the motorway relieved.

My mate was doing a wedding that night so I headed straight for the venue he was at. I should of just gone home and made the most of an early night but I ended up explaining to him what had happened and then DJing at the wedding he was doing which was really good.
That was towards the end of my days working for him. I'd had enough of rubbish or dangerous bookings and it wasn't enjoyable and I wasn't getting paid enough in my opinion but it did teach me a tough lesson. That's stayed with me actually because I steer clear of certain areas now. I am not tarnishing everyone with the same brush but why take the risk?

[ukpartydj]

From the sound of some of these stories I've had it alright! Not that these compare but :

I did am equipment hire for college kids 5 mins down a rough bumpy Road to a small barn surrounded with old farming equipment I didn't want to leave it until the morning so I told them I would collect after there party finished at 2am... Me and my girlfriend go there and there is nobody there at all, no power as they'd taken the generator so pitch black... I had to move a trailer and wade through beer cabs and rubbish but all my equipment was left in good order... Just really bloody scary!

I did a wedding in marquee in middle of field where they paid for an extra hour in cash on the night, then the guests left slowly all saying goodbye until nobody was left, I went to wonder around and make sure everybody had gone before ending 30mins early and the power goes out. The last person to leave turned the generator off without warning me! Packing away in the dark is great fun and a little scary!

I did a Christmas party where the police kept everybody in the hotel for neatly an hour after the party because of some alleged rape where it seemed the girl wasn't sure who it was!? Or that's what I was told.

[funktions]

I can relate to the para story mate..
a long time ago did a para party, no one told me it was the paras though, ended up in a mass fight when another lot of paras turned up uninvited. luckily it spilled out into the street and nothing got damaged. did see one get a severe pasting though with a size 10 direct to the lower region, he was sooo drunk he just took it and carried on fighting.

used to work for an amusement company and there was a place in aldershot called 5's wine bar. was the para rgt hang out, the jukebox ate a £1 coin, squaddie wasn't happy, manager was called to deal with it, 3 of them held him against the wall took the keys went into the cellar and pulled the hideaway jukebox out smashed it to pieces and ripped all the wall boxes off along with smashing them up for the cash inside.

did a passing out parade party at sandhurst , it went well except for the food poisoning the following 3 days for me and the roadie, apparently cooking chicken in the dark in the middle of a field wasn't such a good idea for the catering company.
thinking of camberly, did one for the ghurkas, the drink was flowing, it was getting very very rowdy to the point of almost out of control, went and spoke to the captain who was my contact, 2 ghurka mp's arrived and stood next to the speaker stack , not one of them approached within 2 foot of the front again.

wedding once in a posh hotel on the way to reading, all was going well about an hour into it, turned round to my roadie to sort out some more music turned back round and the place was empty. 10 minutes later they all spilled back in blood everywhere, brides dress was splattered in it all laughing and carried on drinking. turned out the best man decided to announce his undying love of the new bride. mass scrap outside ensued then back to being the best of friends. bride stated was the best night she has had for a long time...

looks like I have had it easy compared to some.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Here's another one from me as you've just reminded me of something.....
A few years ago (again whilst working for my mate), I was booked for a 21st birthday party for a farmer's son.
On that particular night I had someone with me as he was learning the trade from me with reference to being a part of the team. It was lucky he was there as I needed him that night as you'll see...

We get to the farm and are directed to where we need to set up. The place looked amazing. It was a really nice and hot evening and we'd be setting up on hay bales. There were lots of fairy lights all around the place and it looked really cool.
Anyway, to cut a long story very short....The night was going better than expected (I had my doubts beforehand) with around 150 people in attendance all getting into the party mood. There was a huge bouncy castle to the left of us in another field and a few other things going on. The guys Dad (the farmer) had a massive BBQ going too and he looked proud as anything standing there cooking for everyone. We could smell it from where we were and it smelt lovely.
At one point in the evening the farmer came over to us with burgers. He said "Here you go guys, get these down you". He had a massive smile on his face and stood there waiting for us to taste the burgers. "I bet that'll be the best burger you've ever tasted" he said. We both bit in to them and gave him the thumbs up. It tasted absolutely gorgeous but as soon as he said "That's a squirrel burger!" my head told my stomach that it wasn't right. My mate was still scoffing his down and although I thought it tasted lovely I suddenly felt very sick.

Almost instantly I felt like I was going to bring it all up again. I was polite as possible and asked if I could use the loo which was in the house about 100ft away. I legged it to the house and to my horror there was someone already in there. I waited for what felt like ages as I tried to keep it all down and as soon as the door open and a guy and a girl appeared, I apologised and rushed past them. As soon as I got inside I emptied out the squirrel burger and felt rough for the rest of the night.
The farmer never knew about it. My mate finished my one and when the farmer came back with more later on I told him I was stuffed from the last one.

Another reason why I don't eat when I am working.

[ckpr2]

A couple of lads started fighting.
One hit the other really hard and he shot across the dance floor and knocked my sub flying.
Despite falling on the input connector it didn't break it and it carried on playing.