Local quiz night quizmaster job!

[JAMdisco]

I've just been given the opportunity of hosting a quiz at a local pub, it's a small venue so no need of a mic just walk round with my best 'loud' voice on lol.

It's for next Thursday (3rd November) and I've got the task of compiling the quiz too - between 40 and 50 questions in all.

I'm here to ask any of you who do quizzes - where do you get your questions (and answers obviously lol) - are there any good websites that have quiz questions (preferably free but I don't mind paying a little for good ones).

I'm only getting £50 for approx 2 hours work and with no rig to set up should work out quite well. If it's a success after a couple of weeks, my fee will increase to £75 so an extra guaranteed £300 per month before taxes.

As I've also got disco's on 28th Oct, 4th, 11th, 12th,18th & 26th Nov going to be a busy month - almost as busy as December :eek:

May have to quit my day job if this carries on lol (yeah, yeah I know....)

[Excalibur]

I've just been given the opportunity of hosting a quiz at a local pub, it's a small venue so no need of a mic just walk round with my best 'loud' voice on lol.


No music round then? :confused: :( Personally, if you didn't take a dinky PA in, I'd worry that someone might think " Gissa job. I can do that ".
Your reply will be that you're not humping 1.5Kw of Class D's and associated amps in for a two hour gig.

Miy response would be that I understand your logic absolutely, and that is why you should have the aforementioned Dinky PA for such events. ;)

[Spirits High]

I'm here to ask any of you who do quizzes - where do you get your questions (and answers obviously lol) - are there any good websites that have quiz questions (preferably free but I don't mind paying a little for good ones).


I don't do quiz's that often mainly as cover for when the local Quiz mistress is away but when I do I use this site http://www.quizsupplies.co.uk

There's some free quiz's on there but also some that will cost you a whole £1!!

I use these as a base and include relevant questions and add some of my own.

[funkymook]

No music round then? :confused: :( Personally, if you didn't take a dinky PA in, I'd worry that someone might think " Gissa job. I can do that ".
Your reply will be that you're not humping 1.5Kw of Class D's and associated amps in for a two hour gig.

Miy response would be that I understand your logic absolutely, and that is why you should have the aforementioned Dinky PA for such events. ;)

Got to agree - if your seen doing it without any equipment it's not a massive leap of logic for them to think they could do that themselves for nowt!

It's perceived value for money, if you turn up with equipment they can see where their money is going - they're getting something they can't provide themselves.

And good point about the music round - makes it much more interesting (and a good way of getting a plug in for your DJ'ing).

Add a film round with dialogue clips and it becomes a really interesting quiz.

(obviously have to obtain the clips legally - I'm sure other quizzers can point you in the right direction).

[JAMdisco]

No music round then? :confused: :( Personally, if you didn't take a dinky PA in, I'd worry that someone might think " Gissa job. I can do that ".


Got to agree - if your seen doing it without any equipment it's not a massive leap of logic for them to think they could do that themselves for nowt!

OK, firstly when I said it's a small venue, I meant minisclule - think in terms of a large front room in a house.

Secondly - the landlady currently does it in the 'walk-round' style but absolutely hates doing it - hence her asking me, and to date she has had no-one offering to do it for her yet.

I agree a music or clips round would be an advantage and I may end up seeing if I can put some small speakers in and use my radio mic. Thing is, it's not a 'music venue' as such and thus has no in house speaker system. But maybe something to look at for the future.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I would definitely take a small P.A. even if it's one small active speaker and a mic. You want to be heard amongst everyone else chatting and being amplified is much better and easier on your throat.

Little things can make the difference, even to a small pub quiz, like providing your own pens and printed answer sheets. So a picture round every week and if possible music and TV themes. All those things help keep people's interest and will set you apart from someone walking round barking out questions.

There are plenty of free sites for questions, but be a little aware that lots of them have got wrong information on them, which could cause hassle. Do a little research, keep to questions you know a little about if possible and most importantly, make it interesting and fun.

[Excalibur]

. So a picture round every week and if possible music and TV themes..
Ooh yes, I forgot the picture round. You can give these out at the beginning, and let them study them till the end.


There are plenty of free sites for questions, but be a little aware that lots of them have got wrong information on them, which could cause hassle. Do a little research, keep to questions you know a little about if possible and most importantly, make it interesting and fun .

Sounds so easy, doesn't it? The trickiest part is often tailoring the questions to the skills and specialities of your audience. Good luck with it mate, and I'll have a word with you soon.

I may also have a little ride out on Thursday night. I like quizzes, me. ;) :D :D

[JAMdisco]

Ooh yes, I forgot the picture round. You can give these out at the beginning, and let them study them till the end.


Sounds so easy, doesn't it? The trickiest part is often tailoring the questions to the skills and specialities of your audience. Good luck with it mate, and I'll have a word with you soon.



I've done few quiz nights for a Hull DJ in Hessle at The Village Hotel and have been pretty good - I did picture rounds for this but they were all pre-done for me (as were the questions) so I just turned up with my speakers and read out the questions.

I tried to make it fun and light-hearted and got good feedback. I also used to play a bit of music at the end for 30 mins or so a nice enjoyable night out.


I may also have a little ride out on Thursday night. I like quizzes, me. ;) :D :D

So long as you're not seen to be chatting with me - wouldn't want to be accused of cheating lol

[DazzyD]

I would definitely take a small P.A. even if it's one small active speaker and a mic. You want to be heard amongst everyone else chatting and being amplified is much better and easier on your throat.

Little things can make the difference, even to a small pub quiz, like providing your own pens and printed answer sheets. So a picture round every week and if possible music and TV themes. All those things help keep people's interest and will set you apart from someone walking round barking out questions.

There are plenty of free sites for questions, but be a little aware that lots of them have got wrong information on them, which could cause hassle. Do a little research, keep to questions you know a little about if possible and most importantly, make it interesting and fun.

Also, some of the sites I've come across are intended for non-uk customers with quizzes native to USA, Canada and Australia.

[JAMdisco]

...but when I do I use this site http://www.quizsupplies.co.uk

There's some free quiz's on there but also some that will cost you a whole £1!!

I use these as a base and include relevant questions and add some of my own.

Thanks for the tip Paul, I may give them a try. Anyone know of any others I could check out as well?

[Silver]

There are literally hundreds of sites, just google pub quiz questions. Here are a few though ...

http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/questionsbycategory.html

http://www.quizzyheights.co.uk/

http://www.quizgeezer.co.uk/

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/stockportquiz/usedquestions.htm

http://freepubquizquestions.blogspot.com/

http://www.paulsquiz.com/free_quiz_questions/general_knowledge/

[JAMdisco]

Thanks for the list, they've been a great help to my quiz questions...
They currently have 40 questions but I'm going to do a picture round for the first ten. The PA has not been ok'd yet by the landlady but going to see her tonight (quiz is tomorrow) so will ask her about it.

If she agrees (and there is enough room) I will just take two 12" tops and an amp. I'll use my SD card reader for the music.

If she disagrees here are my 30 questions as Peter said he can't make it tomorrow lol (I can provide answers later)...


1 Who announced a trial separation from her husband Fat Boy Slim in January 2003?
2 What is the Decalogue more usually called?
3 How many years did Robinson Crusoe spend shipwrecked on his island?
4 Which singer was born Nathaniel Adams?
5 In which month was Julius Caesar killed?
6 Venice Stands on what river?
7 What famous building did John Nash rebuild in 1825?
8 What was the first ever chocolate bar produced by the Mars Company?
9 What does HP stand for on a sauce bottle?
10 In what year was the first colour transmission broadcast on British TV?
11 Which South American country has a name that means, “Land of Silver”?
12 What is the longest river in South Africa?
13 How were Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snork better known collectively on TV?
14 What is the name of Liverpool's main railway station?
15 What connects answers 12, 13 & 14?
16 In the video for which song did Freddie Mercury wear a black leather mini skirt?
17 Who was the first of The Beatles to become a granddad?
18 What Animal was the symbol of freedom in ancient Rome?
19 What tree native to Britain is sometimes called the Judas Tree?
20 In which Bond film did Rowan Atkinson appear?
21 What is the name of the Python in The Jungle Book?
22 What was left in Pandora's box after she released misery and evil?
23 Which blockbuster marked the final screen appearance of Oliver Reed?
24 How many lines are there in a sonnet?
25 How many years of marriage are celebrated for a platinum anniversary?

All the following are clues for London Underground stations.

26 Bad news for Napoleon
27 Weapon Store
28 Irate Monarch
29 A Bear
30 Elementary My Dear Watson

TIEBREAKER IF NEEDED (NEAREST TEAM WINS)
How many episodes of Hi De Hi were made?

[Silver]

They are hard! Personally I wouldn't use 'spot the year' questions unless for a tiebreak.

I hope your quizzers are seasoned.

[JAMdisco]

They are hard! Personally I wouldn't use 'spot the year' questions unless for a tiebreak.

I hope your quizzers are seasoned.

Well that's my second lot of questions, the first lot I was told was too easy from my work colleagues. They are very muched seasoned quizzers and take it quite seriously apparently. I may put out a questionnaire at the end asking for feedback, i.e. was it too hard, easy or just right, would they like music & film clip rounds etc...

I will present this list to the landlady tonight and see what she thinks - she showed me 4 of her last quizzes and I thought they were quite hard too...

I may change the spot the year question to a multiple choice to make it a bit easier.

[Silver]

Well that's my second lot of questions, the first lot I was told was too easy from my work colleagues. They are very muched seasoned quizzers and take it quite seriously apparently. I may put out a questionnaire at the end asking for feedback, i.e. was it too hard, easy or just right, would they like music & film clip rounds etc...

I will present this list to the landlady tonight and see what she thinks - she showed me 4 of her last quizzes and I thought they were quite hard too...

I may change the spot the year question to a multiple choice to make it a bit easier.

If they are are regular quizzers then the questions me be okay.

Why not put in a couple of current affair ones. I'm using this week:

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its maiden commercial flight recently, name either of the airports it flew between.

Sadly Jimmy Saville passed away on Saturday, by what word of endearment did he call his mum?

[JAMdisco]

Well I met the landlady tonight and she seemed to welcome the use of speakers and music so all good there (at least I can now offer something she can't do so good for me).

She seemed happy with the questions I set (above) apart from one or two that she remembers asking in the past. She uses quizknight but they come in at around £5 per quiz so will probably not use them...

Looking forward to it now, will let you know how it went tomorrow :)

[JAMdisco]

Well I've made a few changes to my questions and added a couple of song and movie clip questions so looking forward to it now. She said she needs an invoice but said "I don't mind what name and address you use" :eek: Don't worry people, I'll be using my business details - not worth the hassle of getting caught.

Oh, I also found out last night that they do a 'Play Your Cards Right" at the end so that should be fun too :)

[DAVESOUNDS SERVICES]

hope you enjoy Your quizzes as much as i do!
I do Pub Quizzes 3 times a week on
Sunday Tuesday and Thursday and really enjoy them.
i allways use a good quality 100 watt mixer amp plugged
into a pair of 10 inch loudspeakers and wouldnt dream of
simply shouting my way through a quiz.
Its much more profesional to have the music to play in between
the questions and makes it all much slicker than simply having a guy
come in and do it.
AS an aside ive taken countless well paid gigs off my pub quiz
customers too. All my quizzes are tailored to the venue / customers abilities
and id never dream of wasting money buying a quiz in.
cheers and good luck

[DazzyD]

Well I've made a few changes to my questions and added a couple of song and movie clip questions so looking forward to it now. She said she needs an invoice but said "I don't mind what name and address you use" :eek: Don't worry people, I'll be using my business details - not worth the hassle of getting caught.

Oh, I also found out last night that they do a 'Play Your Cards Right" at the end so that should be fun too :)

We do the PYCR games and have done for years. Just be prepared for the shouts of "Cheating &@#$" when a pair comes up or an ace follows a king! :eek:

And it's great fun getting volunteers to shuffle the giant cards at the start!! :D

[DAVESOUNDS SERVICES]

Tonights Quiz
Done with a 30 Year old Mixer Amplifier and My Back Up Laptop
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/DAVESOUNDS/DSC08084.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/DAVESOUNDS/DSC08087.jpg
All gear lives at pub as its a twice a week job
Just bring Flask and Laptop with me
Sorry no pics of people dancing!!!!????

Cheers

[JAMdisco]

Well, done the quiz last night and all was good, I was a little worried that the questions maybe have been a little hard but there was some pretty clever people in (mostly regulars). The winning team got 22 out of 30 which I thought was a good score.

Also, one other team got all 30/30 in the picture round which this week was famous brands.
The PYCR game was fun too, there were 3 teams that had a chance to play (winner of picture quiz, winner of general knowledge quiz and then a random team - number pulled out by a non-participating person). No one won though and the prize goes up by £5 every week - next week the prize is £65.

All in all a fun enjoyable night and now looking forward to next Thursday :)

[DAVESOUNDS SERVICES]

Glad it went well!
I think some DJs look down on
the prospect of doing a pub quiz.
Personally i like them as they are
steady payers and allways lead to
other bookings,
After all its just another part of DJing isnt it?
Care to share some pics next week?

Dave

[JAMdisco]

Glad it went well!
I think some DJs look down on
the prospect of doing a pub quiz.
Personally i like them as they are
steady payers and allways lead to
other bookings,
After all its just another part of DJing isnt it?
Care to share some pics next week?

Dave

I'll see if I can fit my camera into the venue lol - like I said it's very small :)
I'll start plugging my DJ business too next week (I left my business cards at home by mistake last night - Doh!)
I like the fact that Thursdays are normally quiet for me so it's nice to be out earning a few bucks rather than sat on my backside all night :)

[welby]

I don't do quiz's that often mainly as cover for when the local Quiz mistress is away but when I do I use this site http://www.quizsupplies.co.uk

There's some free quiz's on there but also some that will cost you a whole £1!!

I use these as a base and include relevant questions and add some of my own.

I use these as well and they are brilliant in my opinion - I start with a facerace round, then follow that with a 20 question mega-question round interspersed with a 5 music question round of my choosing and then the final round I use the Tabletop set.

It works for me and costs me a fiver a pop..

I even rebrand the questions sheets for advertising.

Just perfect.

[cdkdisco]

I only started doing quiz nights earlier this year.
All new to me but I enjoyed them.
A few queries
I was getting £50.00 for 2 hour quiz at the venue. Would that be maximum for a quiz or could I get more.
I am going to meet with a new venue who are looking to put on quizzes,karaoke etc on a regular basis. I might even get to install some equipment at this venue.
I did last venue quiz from 9 til 11. Is this normal or should it start bit earlier?
My quiz consisted of 3 quiz parts and a final music round using the Mastermix bits and pieces collection.
I will certainly add a picture round which seems to go down well according to the guys on here and also have the large cards for PYCR.
I also liked the idea of getting some local eateries ,Pizza,Subway etc to put up some freebies.
Anything else you can suggest before I go to see the manager of the venue would be helpful or should that be enough to start off with?
cheers

[matt the cat]

I did a pub quiz every thurs till recently and found the set questions on the internet were far too hard for my punters, the average age was about 25 so even asking an easy question on the 80s would be greeted with I WASNT BORN THEN!! i found a few quiz books and basically made my own quiz with questions that were whacky eg..which is the fastest...a greyhound? a hare? or a horse? (answer is hare!) or modern day questions, i highly recomend the Rob DJ Monday Night Pub Quiz (from Chris Moyles Fame) as the questions are more fun than other quiz books.
I found the problem with doing a quiz these days is the amount of cheating that goes on, i did a music round and used to look around and see baffled faces yet most teams got them all right no doubt thanks to the Iphones ability to correctly name a song from just a few seconds of play!!!!
Good luck though as there fairly easy nights and a good way to spend a normally quiet night for a DJ

[cdkdisco]

I agree with you about questions. I was amazed how little a lot of customers actually new about anything. Older customers complained about recent event/music questions and the young ones likewise. I tried to make up my own questions and keep it upbeat.
As for the cheating with the music, the Mastermix cd`s give so little time to actually capture the song with various apps that it didn`t make a difference.
Also one of the dj`s on here advised not to let it bother us too much. By having play offs for various parts of the quiz, it will usually show that cheating doesn`t benefit them.
Out this week to try and get some quiz work as I did find them extremely enjoyable.