No wonder we are given bad press..

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I was doing a photo booth on Saturday and the DJ turned up, set up and then didn't have any sound...Why? Because his laptop wasn't booting properly. Did he have a spare? No. Did he have CDs? No. Did he have a tablet/phone? No.

This went on for about an hour, so I went to speak to him and asked if he'd rung anyone to which he replied, he'd rung a mate but he wasn't in...He then rang his 'agent' who said there was nothing he could do and would have to try and get the laptop working. By this time it was 9pm, so I offered to download the first dance and lend him my iPad while I got someone to drive another laptop to him. This was nothing to do with us by the way, but I didn't want to see the bride disappointed. Soon after, he got the laptop booted and started the evening off.

Did I get any kind of thanks? No, of course not..

[funkymook]

Did I get any kind of thanks? No, of course not..

Hopefully he was too ashamed to speak to you!

[Excalibur]

I'd like to say I find that sort of behaviour hard to believe, but if I'm honest, it's probably typical of far too many DJs nowadays.

Disgusting. :mad:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

It wasn't just the DJ, it was his 'agent' and his attitude.

[velocityroadshow]

Wonder how much he charged ;)

[Reel Feeva]

I remember a few years ago, the ceilidh band I am in was asked to do a wedding in Glasgow and we quoted to do the disco afterwards, and were charging £100 extra, and I would DJ that part, after all I was getting paid for turning up and drumming anyway. The bride said the hotel could supply a DJ for £50, so for me, that was the man to get.

However on the night the "DJ" turned up with hair like Young Einstein, wearing old Adidas tracky bottoms and a ripped blue wolly jumper to do the set up. His PA was old Carlsbro speakers and an old H&H amp. The lights were just some coloured bulbs in cabinets and used a table from the hotel with no cover, so quite clearly no investment had been made in his equipment for years. No starcloth, no DJ stand, nothing, but his PA, mixer, some CDs and his lights. Anyway after set up he went away without a sound check, and we started the ceilidh part, which was a hoot. We agreed that after an hour of ceilidh dancing he would come on and do some disco up to the buffet, and sure enough, about 58 minutes after we started he appeared, with the same attire and announced something over the mic, which was not audible, and proceeded to play Runrig, Loch Lomond, which in Scotland, is an end of evening song.

We left him with a full dancefloor, which immediately emptied, and the sound was so poor, that you couldnt make out the lyrics. Anyway, we came back on after the buffet and agreed timescales with him, and yet again, he failed to turn up with adequate time to load music and see how the crowd were enjoying themselves, and again proceeded to empty the dancefloor.

I genuinely felt sorry for the bride that night, but for me, if that is the sort of DJ the hotel were recommending, then I certainly wouldnt want an event there, I have never seen such poor standards for a long time. For the sake of £50 more, she could have had a decent light show, good sound, and someone who was well dressed and certainly would have waited until the end of the evening before playing Runrig, as in myself.

I have plenty more horror stories from over the years, but for me this was the worst I have ever seen.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

A couple who's civil partnership I did last year sent me an e-mail over the weekend.

They've started a room dressing biz on the back of their wedding and took a photo of the DJs set up from Saturday night - honestly probably the worst example of this I've ever seen.

A PAINTED facade (which manages to spell karaoke wrong :muppet:

Speakers on the ground aka not even bothered to buy / bring poles

Couple of cheap lights sitting on top of said speakers (hey if hey ain't bringing speaker poles, is a T bar likely?

It looks like something from Pheonix Nights.

Now on a personal note, if someone wants to have that for their wedding and pay appropriately then that's no concern to me, neither are the sids of this world however a room full of people will have turned up and seen that on Saturday night and ultimately their opinion of mobile jocks will be tarred by the sight of it.

And before someone chimes in saying "gear does not the DJ maketh" I fully subscribe to that but is a guy who won't invest or can't be bothered putting his speakers on stands likely to have a top quality professional attitude?

[yourdj]

I genuinely felt sorry for the bride that night

I wouldn't - its their fault for booking a £50 DJ - everyone knows that cheap = crap.
I assume the hotel did not add on an extra £200??

If they had stretched to a measly £100 and got you then they would not have any problems.
Whats the "going rate" in Scotland for the allotted time period he had.

What was this DJ charging Darren, its amazing how many DJ's don't have back up, especially a second sound system!

[Excalibur]

I wouldn't - its their fault for booking a £50 DJ - everyone knows that cheap = crap.
!

Toby, I suspect that on many occasions I fall into the category " Cheap. ". Let's just say that I believe your logic is flawed, and leave it at that. :zip:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I wouldn't - its their fault for booking a £50 DJ - everyone knows that cheap = crap.
I assume the hotel did not add on an extra £200??

If they had stretched to a measly £100 and got you then they would not have any problems.
Whats the "going rate" in Scotland for the allotted time period he had.

What was this DJ charging Darren, its amazing how many DJ's don't have back up, especially a second sound system!

I've no idea how much he was or if it was recommended or booked through the venue.

He wasn't using any kind of stand - a clothed table with a CD Mix type unit and a laptop with no sound card, just a line out.

Cheap isn't always crap Toby, but you do have to question why some people are so cheap.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I've no idea how much he was or if it was recommended or booked through the venue.

He wasn't using any kind of stand - a clothed table with a CD Mix type unit and a laptop with no sound card, just a line out.

Cheap isn't always crap Toby, but you do have to question why some people are so cheap.

True cheap isn't always crap but when you get past a certain price point, it almost always is.

I know I know, we're a service not a product :rolleyes: but - I can get a tin of beans for a quid, I can get a tin of beans for 50p and I can get a tin of beans for 10p - realistically, the 50p beans are probably going to be OK tasting, maybe even subjectively preferably to the £1 tin but is the 10p tin of beans going to be up to much?

[Excalibur]

I've no idea how much he was or if it was recommended or booked through the venue.
Indeed. One or two of us might speculate about the likely scenario, though. :whistle:



Cheap isn't always crap Toby, but you do have to question why some people are so cheap.


He wasn't using any kind of stand - a clothed table with a CD Mix type unit and a laptop with no sound card, just a line out.

Well if he were using the setup you describe there, I wouldn't want to be paying £500 for the privelege of using him.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I'm guessing he might of been embarrassed at the situation and hacked off with his agent for the lack of help. Hopefully it'll scare him into getting a backup to carry with him.........;)

Well done for offering to help.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I wouldn't - its their fault for booking a £50 DJ - everyone knows that cheap = crap.
I assume the hotel did not add on an extra £200??

If they had stretched to a measly £100 and got you then they would not have any problems.
Whats the "going rate" in Scotland for the allotted time period he had.

What was this DJ charging Darren, its amazing how many DJ's don't have back up, especially a second sound system!


Toby, I think the first line of your post is a bit harsh. Whilst I agree in a way that it is mostly the case that you get what you pay for and IF this particular DJ was getting paid along the same lines then even that was far too much, I have to say that I have 2 friends that DJ in their spare time either for free or petrol costs and they are excellent. They specialise in what they do both music genre wise and also equipment wise. That may not make any sense or mean anything to you but check out Mookbox on Google and you'll see what I mean. At the end of the day, NOT everyone that goes out for peanuts is devoid of talent.
Some of your comments make me cringe sometimes mate....sorry.

I find it amazing that someone would put all of their confidence in a single laptop and just go along to DJ at someone's special day with no backup.
It was really good of Darren to try and help out and I know I would have done the same even if it was nothing to do with me but that's the way some of us are built isn't it. I couldn't stand there and watch a Bride & Groom have their day potentially ruined (whether they have booked the 'cheap' option or not, it doesn't matter).
I think the whole thing stinks and the DJ and his 'Agent' should receive a severe kick up the 'arris!

[funkymook]

check out Mookbox on Google and you'll see what I mean.

I want!!

[Sapphire Disco]

I just don't understand how someone calling themselves a DJ could go out with one iffy laptop it's totally irresponsible , losing playout scares the life out of me particularly at a wedding it's such an important day.
I always take 2 or 3 laptops and another form of playout system that I can seamlessly kick in should I need to change a laptop which has only happened to me once because of a faulty power supply.

[Excalibur]

- realistically, the 50p beans are probably going to be OK tasting, maybe even subjectively preferably to the £1 tin but is the 10p tin of beans going to be up to much?
Don't know, but dependent on many circumstances, they might well be the best value, even though they're lower quality. If they're fit for purpose.....................................
( And it sounds to me as if the one Darren is describing certainly wasn't fit for purpose. )


I'm guessing he might of been embarrassed at the situation .
I'm guessing he mightn't. Otherwise he would have some form of backup. If he's prepared to turn up at a gig with unreliable kit and no backup, that says to me that he doesn't care.


I think the whole thing stinks and the DJ and his 'Agent' should receive a severe kick up the 'arris!
At the very least. I suspect that there might be others deserving similar treatment.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Reminds me of a wedding we worked at a few weeks ago. We were supplying a LOT of services for this couple in three different areas of a very nice hotel, which meant that we were there all day and evening. However, the one thing we weren't supplying was the DJ, as the couple had a package with the hotel that included both a band and a DJ through a very well-known agency.

When they were setting up during the room turn around, it became very obvious that the DJ had a major problem with his sound. It turned out that it was a problem with an XLR... and he didn't have a spare!!!!!

Thankfully, Steve had one in the van and loaned it to him for the evening.

Mind you, although he looked like he had a DJ set up with an equinox booth, etc, it quickly became evident that he was, in fact, the band's sound man. He was behind the booth throughout the band's sets, but disappeared along with the rest of the band during the DJ sets - having set off a play list at far too high a volume and which jumped around from genre to genre like nobody's business... totally useless and disjointed (and an empty floor - actually, make that ROOM due to the volume - was the result)

[Corabar Steve]

Out of interest Darren, was he any good once he got going?

Not that it has any relevance to the topic, just curious.

[Shaun]

Did I get any kind of thanks? No, of course not..

Makes you wonder why you bother, eh? :( I'd have been seriously peeved in your situation.

[ppentertainments]

Makes you wonder why you bother, eh? :( I'd have been seriously peeved in your situation.

I wonder the same thing and, although cold hearted, I wonder if we should bother!

[Excalibur]

I wonder the same thing and, although cold hearted, I wonder if we should bother!

Good question. On the one hand, I reckon most of us would take the view that providing music for the audience is of paramount importance.
The counter view could be that bailing them out won't make them want to help themselves. Tricky. :confused:

[DJ Jules]

I work fairly regularly at a club nearby and the main DJ called me at 23:15 one Friday night as she couldn't use her laptop. Story goes that she broke the screen in the laptop a few months back and had been using it fine by connecting it to an external monitor - until she connected it and it refused to switch to the monitor (and she couldn't see what was on the screen to diagnose why). Again - no backup.

I ended up driving down to the club, taking the hard drive out of her laptop & putting it into a USB enclosure and loaning her one of my spare laptops to get her through two weeks of gigs while I fixed the screen in her laptop. I did get thanks, but I am really hoping she learned a lesson from that...

Julian

[funkymook]

I wonder the same thing and, although cold hearted, I wonder if we should bother!


Good question. On the one hand, I reckon most of us would take the view that providing music for the audience is of paramount importance.
The counter view could be that bailing them out won't make them want to help themselves. Tricky. :confused:

My view is it's not about us or them - it's about the client and their guests. If I was in a position to help I couldn't just stand by and watch someone's wedding reception turn into a disaster. I bet nearly everyone has neat little phrases on their website's about how much they care about their clients special day, how they go above and beyond, offer a unique service etc.....sometimes you have to live up to them, not for the thanks or the recognition, but just because it's what any decent person would do. Perfectly natural to be peeved off afterwards if there's no thanks though, but I'd rather be thinking about that than feeling bad about doing nothing when I could have.

[yourdj]

True cheap isn't always crap but when you get past a certain price point, it almost always is.

:agree:

Darrens situation is different, i was referring to the other story in this thread. I would have certainly helped a DJ with play out issues if I was a guest or supplier as I always have my iPad on me, I assume you got thanks from the client which would be far more important as you effectively saved the day. ;)

As for the £50 DJ story - most people will get a feel for the local market and determine quotes based on that. I am booking a band for my 2nd wedding (one in the UK) at the moment and am getting quotes from several vendors. I will almost certainly go for my first enquiry, which undoubtably will be the most extensive as I know the guy is VERY good; not got the others in yet as I only asked yesterday, but if one comes back at half the price i would be tempted but I would also question it and not take the risk unless i could see them live or have some decent Youtube clips etc.

Having said that you can get some cracking DJ's for a cheap price, but its always a gamble unless you have seen them in action. Of course members on here don't charge as much as others which is fine (which is normal in any market), but surely none of us charge £50 unless its just for fun to cover costs at a house party or something. DJ's doing weddings in 3rd world countries probably charge more than that (hows that for cringe making comment - I don't beat about the bush) ;)

I feel sorry for the poor guests tbh who have taken time getting ready and have travelled to the venue for a good party only to be let down by a bad venue or rubbish suppliers, which is the B&G (or person booking/recommending) the service providers fault - assuming they paid £50 and not paid an over inflated commission to the agent.

The majority of my clients book meetings with me and they all relay stories of crappy DJ's and empty dance floors, and they don't want that, so on the basis of their experiences they book me/you guys. Peter Kay gets mentioned a lot, which was a great help to the DJ industry. :)

[funkymook]

DJ's doing weddings in 3rd world countries probably charge more than that (hows that for cringe making comment - I don't beat about the bush) ;)



No, you tend to pull it up by the roots, beat yourself over the head with it and then bury yourself in the hole you've just made....

[yourdj]

No, you tend to pull it up by the roots, beat yourself over the head with it and then bury yourself in the hole you've just made....

:p Been doing that since day one on here, but there is a fine line.
That is actually true as I came across a few in St Lucia (classed as a 3rd world country) and yes they were charging more than £50!


Out of interest Darren, was he any good once he got going?

Not that it has any relevance to the topic, just curious.

Same here. :) Bet the DJ will buy an iPad or at least a phone now.
I had a laptop problem years ago and it scared the life out of me.

played the whole night off iTunes.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Out of interest Darren, was he any good once he got going?

Not that it has any relevance to the topic, just curious.

Very average. No real use of the mic and very 'stiff' when he did use it. He jumped around a little too much with his genres for my liking and sound quality wasn't all that great on some tracks. He played Live it up by Mental as Anything and it sounded awful. Really bad...

He had people dancing all night though, which is what counts for the wedding party I suppose.

[yourdj]

He had people dancing all night though, which is what counts for the wedding party I suppose.

I suppose thats the main thing - I bet you are the Simon Cowell of the DJ industry with your experience.
Assuming he was not very expensive then he probably did a good job, despite not bringing back up.

The other £50 chap with the jeans and tatty tshirt is another story. :)

[Shaun]

The other £50 chap with the jeans and tatty tshirt is another story. :)

I'd rather him (if he had system in place to ensure I wouldn't be let down in the event of equipment failure) over someone more expensive and better dressed. :beer1: