Brutal set up ahead

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Got a 30th tonight. 7:30 start. I was planning on getting there for about half 5 so I have plenty of time to set up since I'm running a bit of uplighting and have never been to the place so dunno what the load in is like.

I asked her about access times last week but didn't get a response. I just got a text from the girl saying the place doesn't open until 6:30

So I've got an hour to load in, set up, run the uplighting, stash the cases and get suited and booted!!! I'm trying to work out what I could possibly set up in the car park so I can get off to a flyer but there's nothing really.

She said she doesn't mind if I don't start bang on half 7 but I don't want any guests coming in wondering why I'm in a pair of jeans and tinkering about with things when the party's supposed to have started.

Supposed it would have been worse if I'd have had to sit in an empty car park for an hour and then find out I only had an hour to do everything!!!

[WWDJ]

It's the old Time, Quality and Cost triangle.

Assuming there is just you, the cost remains the same, so it's Time vs Quality.

Great setup, but you are wearing jeans. Suited and booted, not so great setup.

Which would they prefer?

Both is not an option, unless you've got a Superman suit stashed away :)

[Corabar Entertainment]

1. Get sound side done first
2. Lights
3. Tidy
4. Stick background play list on
5. Stash cases
6. Get changed

That way, guests arrive and there's music playing. They won't notice your absence during a bit of background while you're stashing cases and getting changed.

It 'steals' an extra 10-15 minutes for you.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I actually got to load in at quarter past 6. Some old boy was in stocking the bar and said he'd been there a while :rolleyes:

The real issue I ended up with was that I was on a tiny weird shaped corner stage. I've slept in bigger beds and I ended up wasting a decent amount of time trying to think about how and what to set up since it was so small I couldn't even get the 2 speaker stands set up on it never mind a T bar too.

It's lucky my table is only 4ft. If it was 6ft I literally wouldn't have had space to get round it to get off the stage as the was a wall to my right side and a window to the left.

I ended up with quite a cool little set up.

I had one speaker on a stand pretty much sitting right behind my left ear. 4ft table with Mega Bar in front of me (the mega bar looks AMAZING uplighting the table scrim when it's in sound active mode btw) the power amp under the speaker stand and the other speaker sat on the floor off to my right basically on the edge of the dancefloor. Would be been nice if I'd took a sub to use that on the floor instead but hey ho.

Since the T bar was out of the question I got a bit creative with the lighting. I set up my Dekker on its side on the floor speaker so it hit the dancefloor and the ceiling. I had the Revo 4 sitting on my table hitting the far wall and ceiling. To do this I had to put my mixer sideways :muppet:

I was a bit cheeky and gaffa taped a couple of par 36s to the wall behind me just set to chase at a medium speed. I usually have a velco backdrop on my t bar I uplight but this was all I could manage and tbh it looked great. I'm thinking about doing it more often.

The girl whos party it was turned up at 7:15 and I'd just finished sound checking and was on my way to get changed so it all ended up cool in the end.

For such a thrown together setup it looked great and having the 3 ADJ fixtures all in sound active mode looked brilliant from the floor as well as behind the booth.

Turned out to be an awesome gig. Great crowd, didn't even have to chase up the money, I got plenty of compliments and card requests so hopefully I'll get more work out of it.

I have a bunch of pics and video but somehow I've just managed to jam the SD card in my laptop so I'll get some posted of the setup once I get it out.

[yourdj]

I would have suggested to set up in smart trousers and shirt (jeans are restrictive and look crap in good venues) and as angela says get the sound then uplighting done as it involves getting round the tables etc. That way it will not look bad if people arrive early as you can finish everything off looking respectable.
If you have to then get changed then you can. :)

Glad it went well.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I take my suit and shirt in a suit bag.

I've never tried it but I can't imagine anything worse than hauling gear in a shirt and dress trousers.

Apart from getting all sweaty in the stuff I have to wear during the gig, I wear a suit all week in work so I try to keep the amount of time I wear one at the weekend to a minimum. :D

[ukpartydj]

I've never tried it but I can't imagine anything worse than hauling gear in a shirt and dress trousers.


I personally just wear my smart clothes when setting up but I am a lover of shirts and smart wear so have around 3 suits.
team that up with a good dose of right guard and I've never had a problem.

You could always just get a suit t-shirt whilst setting up ... if you don't stand still for too long nobody will notice!

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I would have suggested to set up in smart trousers and shirt (jeans are restrictive and look crap in good venues)

Why on earth would you set up in your best gear? Jeans are not restrictive - they are completely opposite! I set up in black jeans and no-one would know any different.

[yourdj]

Why on earth would you set up in your best gear? Jeans are not restrictive - they are completely opposite! I set up in black jeans and no-one would know any different.

Fair enough with black jeans - I was imagining blue denim. I agree with that. :)


Since when has a trousers and shirt been best gear? I sit around the house in that. loose cotton type Trousers are a bit more plyable than jeans and do not have problems when they get wet - especially in the summer months or during a downpour.

Set up and when done you then get changed into what ever you want. Thats my opinion anyway. :)

I was at my venue a few years ago and some bloke turned up in the other room. he was wearing a tracksuit and hauled his gear through reception and then set up in front of a seated black tie meal. He looked very scruffy. He then changed in a penguin suit, which did not make sense to me.

A loose fitting set of trousers, shoes and shirt looks better and is more comfortable IMO.
I set up in that and DJ in the same clothes, but I understand some people get sweaty etc. which i have never had a problem with. :)

[soundmaster mobile disco]

Jim i would have contacted the venue before hand,introduced yourself,then asked about access times.I have found that if you speak to the venue about access times you will get more acurate information,also tell them how much set up time you require,most venues are understanding and will let you in a little earlier.Also if you are not sure about your set up area\space ect then you can ask the questions,atleast you will have some idea then of what it going to be like rather than turn up blind.

Glad to hear that your gig went well

[Excalibur]

,most venues are understanding and will let you in a little earlier.

You say most, I say some. I know a few which will tell the customer it's a 7pm start, but they don't even open till 7pm, under any circumstances!! I've had more than my fair share of those. Grrrr.