mattydinx
23-07-2011, 10:33 AM
Had a very disappointing gig last night.
It's been a while since i've done a kids disco so maybe i'm out of touch. Having liaised with the client at the booking stage I was simply told "just play modern charty stuff" for the music selection (no specific songs requested) and that they wouldn't want games as they're 'too old'.
First issue was with the setup - I request an hour prior to the start of the event to allow for a proper setup and ensure everything is as it should be. The party started at 7pm yet they wouldn't open the venue until 6:30pm - As suspected it was pushing it and I got things underway at 7:05pm.
After introductions and chart music while all the guests arrived frequent call-outs on the mic for requests drew a blank response. The kids clearly weren't there to dance and while the girls sat on one side of the room, the boys found entertainment by kicking inflatable beach balls in the faces of their friends....
Sensing they were getting restless I proposed doing the buffet early to keep them occupied while I tried to fathom ways to get these kids on the dancefloor.
Being told that games weren't required I hadn't done any preparation or research on what games to play - it must be a good 5+ years since I've done a kids disco and I couldnt for the life of me think of what to do.
There was an inflatable limbo set in the room, so made good of what was available and started a limbo trying to spur the kids on with a bit of boys v girls rivalry. By the end most of the kids had disappeared outside (probably to have a tab i'd guess!) so to lure them all back in I did a boys v girls limbo competition to see who could get the longest line, telling them to collect their friends from outside. With a full dancefloor I hit the cheese which worked for all of 10 minutes before they all got bored and sat down again.
Out of ideas I reverted back to the chart stuff and continued asking for requests. A trickle came in until one girl asked for "Shakira - Waka Waka" - It turned out to be some unheard of holy grail of dancefloor fillers with all of the kids storming onto the dancefloor doing a choreographed african dance.
In complete shock (and with an hour yet to fill) I carried on with the requests, yet the dancefloor gradually emptied and lost them all by 9:30pm (I was literally in a room of parents and no kids as they'd all disappeared outside)
Ended just before 10pm and I was en-route home by 10:30pm
Anyone else had troublesome young-teen gigs lately? Or do I just put it down as 'one of those gigs'?
It's been a while since i've done a kids disco so maybe i'm out of touch. Having liaised with the client at the booking stage I was simply told "just play modern charty stuff" for the music selection (no specific songs requested) and that they wouldn't want games as they're 'too old'.
First issue was with the setup - I request an hour prior to the start of the event to allow for a proper setup and ensure everything is as it should be. The party started at 7pm yet they wouldn't open the venue until 6:30pm - As suspected it was pushing it and I got things underway at 7:05pm.
After introductions and chart music while all the guests arrived frequent call-outs on the mic for requests drew a blank response. The kids clearly weren't there to dance and while the girls sat on one side of the room, the boys found entertainment by kicking inflatable beach balls in the faces of their friends....
Sensing they were getting restless I proposed doing the buffet early to keep them occupied while I tried to fathom ways to get these kids on the dancefloor.
Being told that games weren't required I hadn't done any preparation or research on what games to play - it must be a good 5+ years since I've done a kids disco and I couldnt for the life of me think of what to do.
There was an inflatable limbo set in the room, so made good of what was available and started a limbo trying to spur the kids on with a bit of boys v girls rivalry. By the end most of the kids had disappeared outside (probably to have a tab i'd guess!) so to lure them all back in I did a boys v girls limbo competition to see who could get the longest line, telling them to collect their friends from outside. With a full dancefloor I hit the cheese which worked for all of 10 minutes before they all got bored and sat down again.
Out of ideas I reverted back to the chart stuff and continued asking for requests. A trickle came in until one girl asked for "Shakira - Waka Waka" - It turned out to be some unheard of holy grail of dancefloor fillers with all of the kids storming onto the dancefloor doing a choreographed african dance.
In complete shock (and with an hour yet to fill) I carried on with the requests, yet the dancefloor gradually emptied and lost them all by 9:30pm (I was literally in a room of parents and no kids as they'd all disappeared outside)
Ended just before 10pm and I was en-route home by 10:30pm
Anyone else had troublesome young-teen gigs lately? Or do I just put it down as 'one of those gigs'?