Mistakes (the honesty thread)

[Shaun]

Ok, following on from Charlie's recent thread. I thought I'd post this topic and see if any other members will be honest enough to tell us about times they have made a mistake. It might be with a booking procedure, a missed gig, or something completely different?





I'll start, this happened some time back. This might get a little confusing, I'm still confused by it all to this day..

It's kind of similar to Charlie's experience, in the sense that I obviously didn't have rock solid booking procedures at the time, I thought I did but it soon became apparent that it wasn't the case.....





Somehow my wall-planner stated that I was booked for a date, and that documentation had been sent and the gig was almost finalised, I was just awaiting the return of the booking forms. The way my details (or lack of) for the gig read was that a payment had been taken and paperwork sent out to them. Now, the only thing was I couldn't find any record. All my email records are easy to backtrack and check but I couldn't find a thing in relation for the date in question. There was however a missing window of emails when I had 2 major HDD malfunctions and lost a lot of data. So it's possible that what I was looking for was contained in the lost data.

I then thought perhaps they contacted me by phone. At the time I handled keeping a record of phone records a little differently to how I do it now. It could have been that I just mislead the phone enquiry form.

Anyway,

I double check back through all contracts and other paperwork trying to find the documentation on my PC for the date in question. I couldn't find a thing. Checked back all payments received through cheque/paypal & BACS, couldn't find a thing relating to that date. I then start thinking have I personally met with the client and received a deposit payment in cash, and then mislead the paperwork? All sorts running through my head. But the details (on the wallplanner) stated paperwork sent but not returned so I couldn't have met in person. All I knew is that the date was marked off, and the check-box ticked that stated "payment taken - forms sent".

Now...with the lack of any other documentation or trail that would lead me to the client could mean another thing - a simple clerical error on my part. At the time my planner was made up of several check-boxes that I could tick to state what action I had taken and what stage of the booking or enquiry was at. Right next to the check-box I had ticked was another check-box that stated "Enquiry - quote provided". This whole mess in all likelihood was just me being an idiot and ticking the wrong box!! :eek: .

I had no way of knowing if I'd just done something as simple as ticking a wrong box, or if all the fail-safes I had at the time had completely screwed up and it was a major malfunction by myself (lost payment details, lost emails lost phone contact forms). It was highly unlikely that so many things had screwed up, and the most likely thing was I'd been a prat and ticked the wrong box. I honestly spent days and days going through everything several times. In the end I couldn't be sure so I didn't take on another booking for that date (despite having several enquiries for it). I had no contact details for the client (if there was one) so I prepared myself for the gig. Loaded the van, dry-cleaned the suit...even paid the roadie to be on stand by. And I sat all day by the phone awaiting a call from a bride asking where was I? I might have been late for her event if she called, but I would have been there whatever it took!


Well, no call came. I then spent a day or two worrying that I might be one of those "no-show" DJs we all rant about. I waited and waited for a call over the next few days from an irate bride blaming me for ruining her wedding. No call ever came., which leads me to believe that I just ticked the wrong :Censored: box as I presumed!!. Everything pointed to that but I just couldn't have been 100% sure. I still believe I did everything in my power to ensure I was prepared to do the gig if the call came.

That whole episode left a bitter taste in my mouth and forced me to re-think the way I respond to enquiries and implement bookings. I won't make the same clerical error mistake twice. And it makes me shudder to think what could have been. I know there are many DJs out there (none on this forum hopefully) that would have just shrugged it off and taken a booking for the date, but I just couldn't on good conscience even contemplate that if there was even a 1% chance that there could be a client expecting me to show.




So, what's the point of this thread? Well a few of us came down hard on Charlie about his mistake. We are all human though, and all prone to mistakes.l I truly believe it's how you handle yourself when in the middle of those mistakes that determine your morals and your business ethics.







So......anyone else care to share their mistake stories?

[DJ Paulie]

I was asked by another DJ to cover a corporate gig. He said the price was €300 and I would pay him 10%. I agreed and turned up at the gig only to find I hadn't put my mouse in. I also didn't have a stylus to use with my 00DJ. (I used a mouse as I found it easier than my fingers, more precise) I managed to find a biro and used that while the mrs went to a friend's place just down the road and borrowed a mouse.

When the client came to pay me, she said 'Brian said we could pay by card' to which I relplied 'I can't do that, cash or cheque please' She wasn't very happy but went off and managed to get cashback from reception or somewhere. She asked what the price was and I was so flustered about my gear and what they must think of me & Brian, I said €350. She paid this without question and asked for a receipt. I said I would have to email one as I didn't bring any. (thought was all sorted by brian)

Well when I called Brian and told him they paid me €350 he said the price was only €300, but not to worry as they never contacted him, they never contacted me for a receipt either ! It was a very expensive gig, free bar, 5 course meal, and towards the end the manager told me to tell them to go into the residents bar to use up the rest of the bar tab as they had only used half of it ! This was for about 30 people. The reason i was worried about the gear was I was set up next to one of those hanging partitions, the dancefloor was in front of it and everythime they got a bit rowdy they would bang into it and knock the table of delft set up for coffee !

[Excalibur]

Are you watching Charlie? One of the side effects of age is that you've had plenty of opportunities to make mistakes. The clever bit is learning from them. ;)

OK, here's a few. Now I've never had a booking system which was highly regimented, and many venues would ring up, and it went in the diary. Some friends were granted similar status. A lad who used to work for me, told me he had got me a wedding booking, on a certain date for a work coolleague of his. No worries. Then he returned home down South, so the customer panicked, having lost contact with him, and booked another disco. I of course turned up, as I had promised to do, and we had two discos. I was not booked directly, so I ended up leaving. :(

A local Golf Club worked on a similar basis, and I turned up for a booking there to find I wasn't expected. They had no records of a booking, enquiry, or anything on that date. I had it written in my diary. Still don't know what happened.:confused:

Now probably the best one. Beware making assumptions. I took a booking for a Cricket Club who I'd done a string of bookings for. I took another one, and wasn't really listening to the details, so thought it funny when they asked if I knew the way. :confused: I turned up as arranged, and was surprised to see another disco there. I maintained that I was booked by the Club, so the other one decided they'd have a night off, and left. A little further investigation revealed that I had been booked by a Committee member, but not for a Club function. It was in fact a private function, about two miles down the road, at a WMC I'd never played at! :eek: :eek: Oops. :o :o

There you go, that should hold you for now, if I remember a few more, I'll post 'em.

[JAMdisco]

Luckily for me, I've not had any Disco / DJ related problems but when I was a solo vocalist & guitarist (to backing tracks), I used a couple of agents who would call me and tell me where and when, followed by a confirmation letter.

On one occasion I was booked last minute at a WMC in Hull (so no official paperwork) so off I went! Now this is where the confusion lies, I had played at this particular venue before and there was also a venue 100m or so on the same road with a very similar name.

I got to the venue, set up and was just doing a sound check when a guy walked in with a guitar :eek:
I was in discussion with the guy when my phone rang.... yep it was my agent asking where I was :eek: :eek: :eek:

You guessed it, wrong venue, anyway I did the quickest pack down ever (mostly just chucked in the back of the car) and went to the correct venue which luckily as I said, was about 100m away.
Got set up fairly quick as most of the gear was only partially disassembled. I had a bit of a sweat-on but all was good in the end.



On another venture i had a booking at another venue in Hull (or so I thought). Got to the street address only to find a kind of run-down industrial estate. I rang the agent who then said "why are you in Hull, it's in Bridlington" a good 40-50 minutes from Hull. Oops.
Anyway, I had no sat nav so just headed in the rough direction of Bridlington and luckily stumbled upon the correct venue (almost by mistake). I was only about 20 mins late as I always set off nice and early (still do to this day) and the manager was a very nice and understanding guy and he had a good laugh at my expense.

So a couple of major blunders that I swore at the time, I would NEVER make again.

As has been said, mistakes can and will happen (we're only human) but the big thing is to LEARN from them and not make the same one again.

[Javlingames]

I did a wedding where i had a list of 'do not plays', one of which spandau ballet true was on it. I had a lapse of concentration and for the very last song i played true. I didnt hear anything on the night but my agent got a letter of complaint. I said i was awfully sorry, true is a song i always played at the end and i just went onto auto pilot as its a song i always play etc. Never heard anymore bit in their initial letter they wanted a few quid knocking off.

[rossken]

Almost exactly a year ago I was doing a primary school's Valentines Disco. As I was packing up the organiser said:

"And we'll be in touch about the summer disco - it will probably be the first Friday in July"

I have done quite a few discos at this primary school and always get a phone call to book me.

I'm sure you can see where this is going, but it was a nice sunny Friday in July and I was outside having a barbecue with my family when the phone rang. It was the organiser of the primary's disco wondering where I was!

I apologised, explained there was no booking as far as I was aware, but not to worry as I will just stick the gear in the car and be there in 20 minutes. She told me not to bother as they had already sent all the children home.

It turned out that the organiser had completely messed up. Not only did she not book the disco, she also forgot to go and buy the juice and crisps! :muppet:

They booked me for their Halloween disco last October so they must have understood that I wasn't totally to blame.

[deltic]

couple of quick ones for you

sent a guy to do a kids party,two villages with the same name about 30 miles apart,yep he went to the wrong one,however give the guy his due he contacted the customer explained he was in the wrong place, and that there probably wasn't enough time to get there for the party,but offered to do her a free party to make amends.
ironically the correct venue was only a couple of miles from his house.



i dropped a real clanger,fortunately it broke the ice and was a good night.

went to do a wedding for a girl my wife works with,my mrs sent me with a bottle in one of those sort of bottle carriers and a card,so i just put the card in with the bottle and handed it over when i got there.

got all set up ready for the first dance realised i knew the brides name but not the groom, so i went over to the bar and innocently asked the best man the grooms name without hesitation he said "james",great back over to the disco to start the first dance

ladies and gentleman please welcome emma and james for their first dance, the whole room was silent and everybody just looking at me,"who's james?"
apart from the best man who couldn't contain his laughter and was bent double.
yes the groom was called philip.

won't make that mistake again always written down and double checked now.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Calling 2 guys getting married, the bride and groom...

Turning up a whole year early for a wedding....

[sonicdj]

I hadnt long had my CDJ200's and was busy dusting them while waiting for the Bride & Groom to do their first dance. The song was already cued.

Unbeknown to me I had accidentally knocked the lever on the deck and put it in reverse mode. Yep the first few seconds of their first dance played backwards :daft:

Luckily the B&G saw the funny side and so did the other guests. Well it was my sons wedding....and he still thinks I did it on purpose. :o

[Excalibur]

Calling 2 guys getting married, the bride and groom...

Turning up a whole year early for a wedding....

You always have to go one better, don't you? Classic mate, absolutely classic. Cracked me up. :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I have lots of others that I can't post on here for legal reasons :sj:

[Corabar Steve]

I have lots of others that I can't post on here for legal reasons :sj:
Or that the fourm censor would allow :sj:

[hammy]

Turning up a whole year early for a wedding....

Now that would have been a classic to have been a fly on the wall.

[soundtracker]

I turned up for a client meeting a fortnight ago, when they didn't show at 11.00am, I twigged that I was an hour early, when they didn't show at 12.00am I phoned home , my son took great delight in telling me that I was also a week early! DOH!

[Corabar Entertainment]

Quite a few moons ago (before everything was computerised and everything was still on paper) we had friends staying with us for a week or two, so, although at home, we were in holiday mode.

We were getting ready to go out for the night mid-week (it was my birthday), and purely by chance, I glanced at the calendar....

... and realised that we had a gig booked in that night that we'd completely forgotten about! (Booked yonks before, and we'd had no contact with them in the preceding weeks/months).

After a very quick change of clothes, and the kit being thrown in the van as quickly as possible, a very grumpy Steve headed off to do the gig, while the rest of us went off out for the night.

That was soooooooo close to being a disaster!

[soundtracker]

Quite a few moons ago (before everything was computerised and everything was still on paper) we had friends staying with us for a week or two, so, although at home, we were in holiday mode.

We were getting ready to go out for the night mid-week (it was my birthday), and purely by chance, I glanced at the calendar....

... and realised that we had a gig booked in that night that we'd completely forgotten about! (Booked yonks before, and we'd had no contact with them in the preceding weeks/months).

After a very quick change of clothes, and the kit being thrown in the van as quickly as possible, a very grumpy Steve headed off to do the gig, while the rest of us went off out for the night.

That was soooooooo close to being a disaster!

I got a bit closer than that! Back in the 70's when there were three of us (and I wasn't involved in bookings!) I had a frantic hammering on my front door at 7.30pm on a Saturday night, and opened it to my mate looking ashen faced, and telling me to get a shift on as we had a gig he had forgotten to put in the diary. We shot off to load the van and made it to the venue within 20 minutes, as we arrived three burly guys were carrying the juke box (which was huge) into the village hall, borrowed from a nearby pub! They gave us a bit of verbal, and we got in as quick as possible, and got set up. The Hall was full, and the whole time we were setting up, they all seemed to be glaring at us! The night was a total disaster, hardly any one danced all night, and we didn't get many requests even. At the end of the night the woman that had organised it came wandering over to have a chat, and immediately booked us for the same date for the following year! We were amazed that we had got away with it, that was 1977, and touch wood, it hasn't happened again since!

[DeckstarDeluxe]

The only mistakes I can recall are announcing the happy couple as Mr & Mrs Baker however Mr & Mrs Barker weren't impressed... (actually they joked about it thankfully)

Last year I was 20 minutes late for a client meeting however thankfully again they were ok about it. I did throw in free uplighting and never felt so bad about something in my life. They did vote for me for the Wedding awards that took place earlier this year so it ended ok but not an experience I'm going to repeat.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Oh, I got a first song wrong once too...

Right artist, wrong song.

Don't ask me how.

Luckily, they had a sense of humour and they were fine.

I however, wanted to be swallowed up by a big hole in the ground.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

About 3 or 4 years ago I had 3 Weddings in a row over Christmas. They were on 27th, 28th and 29th if I remember correctly.
At one of them (I can't remember which one), I said "Good Evening Ladies & Gents. Welcome to......" and said the name of the venue that I was at the night before! Everyone laughed which was good.

A couple of months back I had 2 gigs over the weekend that were having Photo Projection as an extra. Both were 40th birthdays and both for ladies. I labelled both folders on the Laptop with the names of the ladies and when it came to the night I got the wrong name for the wrong date so the Slideshow was playing and the lady came over and laughed and said "I don't know who those people are. They look very nice and all that but would it be ok to put my photos up?" - I nearly died of embarassment.

Last one (sorry), I drove to the wrong venue once for a booking. Not a big deal really but it was the fact that I arrived there just in time to get access as there had been a traffic accident and there was a huge tail-back. I walked into the venue relieved and went to reception to let them know I was there. They were confused because they said that they didn't have a function on. I thought the worst and thought I'd been mucked about so went back to the van to check the booking form and sure enough, I was in the wrong place. I had to endure the traffic again, arrived at the venue and they were still sat down eating so no'one knew any different. That was lucky!!

With reference to bookings etc, I don't tend to have any problems in that respect as I double, triple & quadruple check everything. I update my diary, outlook calender and also the calender on my I-phone too so there's no way I can forget something.

[funkymook]

My favourite was putting on track 17 disc 1 of a 2cd compilation - but of course it was track 17 of cd2 - not usually a disaster, but this was a song while the B&G left the reception under an arch of guests - so Rufus Thomas 'Walking The Dog' wan't really appropriate!

New (2nd hand) Satnav - input and saved the venue postcode the night before (it was somewhere on the coast). In the morning option came up for last destination entered, clicked OK and off I went.

Now my sense of direction is rubbish at the best of times but when I saw the signs to Alton Towers even I knew I wasn't heading towards the seaside!

It hadn't saved the night before and was taking the last journey the previous owner had done. To make it worse I only had the venue name on me, no address or postcode, and couldn't get a signal on my phone to call directory enquiries. So kept driving back the way I came - stopping whenever I could hoping to get a signal, eventually did, got the details entered it in and was on my way. Luckily even with my three hour detour I still had plenty of time to set-up (unfortunately I was also supposed to be there for the service as it was friends of mine - don't think they noticed though!).

Got the first dance wrong once - instead of Pulp's 'Something Changed' I put on 'Do You Remember The First Time?' (it was in my First Dance folder so must have had a mental block while I did it and got the wrong song stuck in my mind). Made a million times worse by not having 'Do You...' on the system I was using as my main play-out and I hadn't plugged in my back-up, so took me a few (very long) minutes to sort it - I still shudder about that one.

[Shaun]

Re: Darrens one year early. You win Darren!!! The best I ever managed was arriving and setting up a day early. :d

[DazzyD]

Mistakes? Me? Nah, I'm practically perfect in every way!! :angel:


Yeah, right!!

Apart from the personal ones (fruit machine addict, bordering on the verge of alcoholism, best stop at that!), I once turned up to a gig without any power cables in my gig cables bag! :eek: Luckily, there were spares in the van but the van was on it's way to a second gig when I realised. A quick phone call and he had to turn around and come back!!

As folk may have noticed, I'm very proud of my current booking system - designed and developed by me so it does everything I need it to do. However, when I first started using it, I imported the booking data over from the previous system I was using. I got to my first gig, which was a balance paid in cash on the night gig, and gave the client the invoice. An argument then ensued about the price with the client saying it was higher than quoted. I said but the invoice was our normal price and the price was correct. After a while, the client (a young lady and it was her 30th birthday party) decided to pay the full amount so her party could go ahead. This put me on the back foot all night and it wasn't my best performance I have to admit. However, when I got home, I checked the booking system and realised the new database hadn't imported a discount that I'd given on this booking as this lady had gotten me a decent corporate contract a year earlier. I was gutted. I was booked to do another party for her company (a big utility company!) a couple of weeks later so I saw her there, apologised for my mistake and refunded her the difference plus a bit more as a token of apology. She actually refused the extra saying she was happy to pay the price I had quoted originally but I still felt bad. Now I actually use Sage for my accounts, which intergrates with my bookings database, so I can easily check quotes against final balance so, hopefully, this situation will never happen again.

I must say, though, that I've never turned up to do a gig a year early before. Darren is definitely in the lead in the "mistake stakes!!" :D

[thex-faders]

Took a booking over the phone whilst on a lunch break at the day job last year. Naturally I didnt write anything down and completely forogt about the event to get an email about 5 days before asking if everything was still ok for the saturday.

Required rushed train ticket booking to get back from uni and some friends to help out with transport, but all good the in the end and client non the wiser!

Tom

[flatliners]

well i wedding 2.5years ago i was about to play the first dance it was from a cd of theirs they only just gave me it and said we will do the dance now.
loaded cd pn drive wouldn't play so had to rush to van to get a cd player an worked fine.

[Shaun]

At a wedding last year I introduced the bride and groom onto the dance-floor for their first dance, and hit play. Only to realise that I hadn't queued up their first dance. A little bit of quick thinking and quick chat inviting people with cameras to congrgate around the dance-floor, and I loaded the song up whilst chatting. Nobody was any the wiser.

Not content with that one occasion I did the exact same thing a few weeks later....in the same venue. Again I got away with it by employing the same technique :o

[Excalibur]

Again I got away with it by employing the same technique :o

And people wonder why some of us keep a loaded microphone within reach at all times. Safety net, safety net. ;)

[Shaun]

And another one from me...

This story is from 1990. I'd just bought my first rig after working for someone else for 2 years and it was my second outing out with the gear. The booking was a high school party and during the sound check before the start of the gig the amp decides to die. Blind panic set in as I didn't have backup equipment back then. Luckily I knew a guy that had a suitable amp so I gave him a call and thankfully he was home. It took him 30 minutes to arrive, and the party was 20 minutes late starting but we got the show going in the end. I was so down on myself for the late start that I didn't charge any fee for that night. That was my wake up call. I spent every spare penny I earned to ensure I had ample back up from that point on. Hard lesson learned

It all worked out in the end. I still do all the gigs for the same School.

[paul1404]

Since Ive been using the Virtual Dj software - Not cueing up a song and playing the remix instead of the original - done it a few times - Great when your doing a 70/80s night and some trance mix of Whitney kicks in

[DeckstarDeluxe]

As folk may have noticed, I have to admit. However, when I got home, I checked the booking system and realised the new database hadn't imported a discount that I'd given on this booking as this lady had gotten me a decent corporate contract a year earlier. I was gutted. I was booked to do another party for her company (a big utility company!) a couple of weeks later so I saw her there, apologised for my mistake and refunded her the difference plus a bit more as a token of apology. She actually refused the extra saying she was happy to pay the price I had quoted originally but I still felt bad. Now I actually use Sage for my accounts, which intergrates with my bookings database, so I can easily check quotes against final balance so, hopefully, this situation will never happen again.


I don't mean to bang on the drum about this but this wouldn't of happened with the balance being paid in advance....

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Since Ive been using the Virtual Dj software - Not cueing up a song and playing the remix instead of the original - done it a few times - Great when your doing a 70/80s night and some trance mix of Whitney kicks in

Doesn't it say remix or whatever on there?

[Excalibur]

Along the same lines as Shaun, from the days when a couple of us worked together, we each had a set of records, but almost all the kit was mine. Both of us were out that night, but my mate was late arriving for his gig, and set up very hurriedly. The amps we were using had no fans, and cooled by letting heat out of the vents in the top.
Unless you stacked a CD player on them, of course! Half an hour from the end of the gig, it gave up the unequal struggle, and died.

My case didn't cost me quite as much as Shaun, since when I bought the amp from Tandy ( sort of an American Maplins, if you weren't around then. Radio Shack was the same company. ) they sold me an insurance policy on it. I had two identical amps, and it was the older one which had died. It had been "modified" by having jack sockets fitted, since the only outputs were binding posts.

Off it went for repair, and after a while, the menders pronounced it beyond economical repair. Under the terms of the policy, I qualified for a replacement, so five minutes later, I was carrying a brand new one out of the shop, under my arm. :D :D

[Shaun]

I bought the amp from Tandy ( sort of an American Maplins, if you weren't around then.

Ahhh, Tandy! I remember it well. I remember buying a shockingly camp gold microphone from there once. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but in hindsight it wouldn't have looked out of place being used by Liberace! :eek:

[DazzyD]

I don't mean to bang on the drum about this but this wouldn't of happened with the balance being paid in advance....

Long time ago, Neil. Very different way of working to what I do now.

BTW, Neil, you need to edit your quoted posts a bit better. The position of the smiley in your quote of what I posted is not where it should have been and I certainly wouldn't have posted a grinning smiley at that point! In fact, that smiley was added on to a different subject altogether (that being Darren's "early" set up!).

[DeckstarDeluxe]

Long time ago, Neil. Very different way of working to what I do now.

BTW, Neil, you need to edit your quoted posts a bit better. The position of the smiley in your quote of what I posted is not where it should have been and I certainly wouldn't have posted a grinning smiley at that point! In fact, that smiley was added on to a different subject altogether (that being Darren's "early" set up!).

Sorry that wasn't my intention, edited now :)

[axeman]

I had a very nice wedding party a few years ago, in the marquee of a local manor house, and James's Blunts - "Your'e beautiful" chosen as a first dance when it was first being played on the radio, (around the early summer of 2005) and decided to buy his album on cd rather than the single.

Unknown to me at the time, the album version has a rather strong and very innapropriate swear word right where you don't want one!!

I could have died as the granny of the bride and all the beautifully attired children spun on their heels to stare at me with mouths agape and fingers wagging . ..i still have nightmares

[katman]

Mistake #1 was when I was 17 and my dad used to transport me and the gear to gigs then pick me up afterwards. Set up in a village hall about 5 miles from home and as I was about to do a soundcheck I suddenly realised that I didnt have a mic.

The year was 1977 so mobile phones were still the best part of two decades away from everyone having one and I had to run half a mile down the road to the phone box to get my dad to bring the mic to me.

Mistake #2 was in 1987. I was booked for a Christmas party for British Gas at a posh hotel about 15 miles from home. Arrived nice and early to set up and suddenly I realised I had made a fundamental error. I had been sorting through my record boxes during the afternoon and as I opened the back of the van there they WEREN'T.... they were still sitting in the house !!!!

Set the gear up in record time and leapt in the van for a dash back home to get the records. When I was about a mile from home I saw the coach carrying the guests heading out of town. Got home grabbed the record crates and set off back to the hotel. I overtook the coach about a mile from the venue and they were none the wiser about my mistake. Turned out to be a fantastic evening :)

[Excalibur]

Unknown to me at the time, the album version has a rather strong and very innapropriate swear word right where you don't want one!!

Shades of Beautiful South, "Don't marry her". ;) If I remember correctly, I think a store similarly broadcast it over their house PA . :eek:

[katman]

Shades of Beautiful South, "Don't marry her". ;) If I remember correctly, I think a store similarly broadcast it over their house PA . :eek:

I seem to remember that it also got an accidental airing on Radio 2 as well !!!

[DazzyD]

In that vein, I once played a version of the Macarena at a kids party without realising. The track was a spoof called ":Censored: the Macarena" and seemed to find it's way from my personal music collection in to the disco library. Needless to say, I don't have it now!! :eek:

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Best Ive managed was a NYE a couple of years ago...

Had a custom made track called "Midnight Mix" on the laptop...typical stuff, Big ben Chime, dongs and then into Auld Lang Syne.

Gig was going great, regular NYE in a top end hotel...the majority of the clients were early 50s onwards.

Cue'd up "Midnight Mix" and pressed play at the present cue point.... Got the Big Bem chimes and wondered what the "other" noise was...realised my mistake just before the breakdown to Faithless's Insomnia (the Midnight mix) kicked in...nifty bit of mic work and got the right track in and the dongs in the rightb place and we were only about 5 seconds late.

The year before the hotel had been flooded and i'd ended up doing a club gig...and guess which track I had brought the new year in with :o


In that vein, I once played a version of the Macarena at a kids party without realising. The track was a spoof called ":Censored: the Macarena" and seemed to find it's way from my personal music collection in to the disco library. Needless to say, I don't have it now!! :eek:
Old happy hardcore track by any chance by MC Rage... :)

[Corabar Entertainment]

I once turned up to a gig without any power cables in my gig cables bag! :eek: Luckily, there were spares in the van but the van was on it's way to a second gig when I realised. A quick phone call and he had to turn around and come back!!
That one reminded me of another incident.

One of our DJs and I went off one afternoon to do a kids party. Steve had left earlier to do an early set up for his gig.

We got to the venue (actually a very nice, extremely large private house), and brought all the kit in.

Went to start setting up, and quickly realised that all the knobs that hold the ultimax stand together were sat on my coffee table at home!!!! :eek: (Long story that I won't bore you with as to why they were there.)

There wasn't enough time to go back for them, and there wasn't any other surface / table we could improvise with.

Thankfully, Steve had finished setting his kit up by this time, and was now almost back at base, so instead of getting a nice rest for the afternoon in readiness for a long gig in that night, he had to bolt out the door immediately and deliver the missing knobs to us, before going straight back to the gig he'd set up earlier.

We got the kit set up in record time, and only started a few minutes late (got some background music playing in time for start time, but were still faffing with the other bits). As compensation, we carried on past the allotted finish time, and they were incredibly relaxed about the whole thing thankfully.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

..they keep coming for me. Eevry time I read someone else's post, it reminds me of something else stupid I've done..

(Take into consideration, full time for 20+ years rather than the odd booking)

NYE, was in the loo when the clock struck 12...(this was 20 odd years ago)

[Shaun]

..they keep coming for me. Eevry time I read someone else's post, it reminds me of something else stupid I've done..

(Take into consideration, full time for 20+ years rather than the odd booking)



I'm glad you said that. 20+ years for me too...so more situations will probably come back to me.


Here's another....

Way back in the days when party games were a staple of nearly all my gigs, I was doing such a game and it involved quite a bit or running from point A to point B. I kept prompting the runners to go faster FASTER, and they did. Right up until I coaxed a middle age lady to run too fast for her own good (and alcohol state)....she tripped, went flying through the air and shattered her leg/hip (can't remember what she broke). Whatever she broke it was bad enough that they had to call an ambulance. Off she went to casualty and the party continued. Was a great night in the end..lol.

All this was back in the days before I had PLI. Thankfully I heard no more about it. I really did feel so bad for her.

[jc light and sound]

I have lots of others that I can't post on here for legal reasons :sj:

I like to early to Darren.:)

[Corabar Entertainment]

I like to early to Darren.:):confused: :confused: :confused: Eh?

[hammy]

:confused: :confused: :confused: Eh?

That was my thoughts.

[jc light and sound]

Calling 2 guys getting married, the bride and groom...

Turning up a whole year early for a wedding....

Sorry haveing a bad day,

Should have quoted above,

And i was saying i like to arrive at the venue early to.

Any way moments gone now i will have a lie down.:)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Sorry haveing a bad day,

Should have quoted above,

And i was saying i like to arrive at the venue early to.

Any way moments gone now i will have a lie down.:)

..or even "I like to arrive early at the venue too" ;)

[Corabar Entertainment]

:lol:

Enjoy that lie down Jon.... I think you need it! :p

[STEVE HANLEY]

Had Michael Jacksons Just can't stop loving you cued up in deck 2 for first dance. I faded deck 1 out which was playing Andy Williams Just too good to be true or something of that ilk

Told the guests to gather around the dancefloor with their cameras as I announced the B&G to the floor. Told them to give them around applause etc. Pressed play and away we go.....Er well sort of. I wanted someone to shoot me there and then. As Andy Williams started playing again. Pressed the wrong deck. I just made a joke that next time they should hire a dj that knows what he's doing:o :o They were brilliant about it, but it could of been much worse.

I once said to a room full of guests. "Welcome to Emmas 30th birthday party". Only to realise Emma was the name of the lady whose engagement party it was that I'd done the night before. Oopsie:D :D :o

[funkymook]

Many years ago I was using a table covered in a cloth in the back room of a pub - decided to move the table along a bit, pulled it - one of the two tables that were pushed together moved and all my gear disappeared down the gap in the middle!

[weekender45]

I played the same tune
Dee Lite - Groove is in the heart at 21.44
and then again 3 tunes later at 22.02!

Not a major disaster but not very professional either.:daft:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Oh yeah, I did that too.

At an Xmas party, talking to Tony Brown and played the same track twice in a row and didn't even notice!

[JAMdisco]

Oh yeah, I did that too.

At an Xmas party, talking to Tony Brown and played the same track twice in a row and didn't even notice!

But more to the point, did the punters? :p :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

But more to the point, did the punters? :p :D

No, I looked up and they carried on dancing!

It was Tony's fault, chuntering away in my ear...:D

[DeckstarDeluxe]

Bloody hell how could I forget!!!

The great civil partnership with the drag queen abusing me and me forgetting my laptop charger! Thankfully Darren came up trumps for me on that one..

[soundtracker]

Whilst I was setting up at a gig I had a phonecall from DJ that was working for me to say that he was confused because the post code he had put into his sat nav had led him to a housing estate - He was in fact sat outside my house, coz he'd put the wrong post code in!








Hadn't you Neil! LOL!

[DeckstarDeluxe]

Whilst I was setting up at a gig I had a phonecall from DJ that was working for me to say that he was confused because the post code he had put into his sat nav had led him to a housing estate - He was in fact sat outside my house, coz he'd put the wrong post code in!








Hadn't you Neil! LOL!

Because you hadn't set up the venue settings on DJEP........

[soundtracker]

Because you hadn't set up the venue settings on DJEP........

LOL, and you hadn't checked! But at least you still made it on time!:D