'Hiding' behind the booth?

[Nakatomi]

I've been thinking about how I can up my game and become a better DJ and presenter quite a lot lately. Last weekend I realised something. At my most regular venue, when I stand in my DJ pulpit (I didn't choose the location) I can only be seen by about a third of the room because I'm stuck behind a stone pillar. I have a radio mic, and have started to use it again because it simply sounds a lot better than my ancient Beyer M300 but maybe I should be making pivotal announcements of the night from a more focal point in the room.

Another venue I play I can't be seen at all. I'm a disembodied voice I wouldn't be surprised people suspect I'm pre-recorded, at least initially. I'm sure I've caught a few people's surprise when they looked right up to the balcony & caught a glimpse of me. (maybe that's just the horror when they see my face, I dunno..)

I have the tech.. I can remotely control my playout with a phone or tablet.. and I have a radio mic. Is leaving the comfort of the booth to do the big announcements/pieces a good idea?

Your thoughts on this will be welcomed :)

[Excalibur]

Is leaving the comfort of the booth to do the big announcements/pieces a good idea?

Your thoughts on this will be welcomed :)

Dare I say the word I'm thinking of? :whistle: You know, the way Ladies ride horses? :)

[Nakatomi]

Dare I say the word I'm thinking of? :whistle: You know, the way Ladies ride horses? :)

Standing in front of, but still operating the console? Heh I wish I were slim enough to fit between the stone pillar & the wooden pulpit. As for the venue with the balcony.. I wouldn't trust the railing to hold my weight ;)

I'm just putting this question out there because early on last weekend I went out around the room to test my mic out & the asst manager gave me a 'oh, you're not gonna be one of THEM are you?'. Meaning a room wanderer, like being stuck in the booth is where I should stay. I don't think it is. Way back whenever, I always used to wish I could control playback myself - I used to do this all the time if I had a roadie with me.

Being separated from guests isn't always a good thing IMHO. Especially when the DJ console looks like a blimmin pulpit... :lol:

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I'm just putting this question out there because early on last weekend I went out around the room to test my mic out & the asst manager gave me a 'oh, you're not gonna be one of THEM are you?'. Meaning a room wanderer, like being stuck in the booth is where I should stay. I don't think it is. Way back whenever, I always used to wish I could control playback myself - I used to do this all the time if I had a roadie with me.:lol:


I'd side with the assistant manager. Depends how you sell your services but if like 99% you're "just a wedding DJ" then stay behind the booth dude.

[Nakatomi]

I'd side with the assistant manager. Depends how you sell your services but if like 99% you're "just a wedding DJ" then stay behind the booth dude.

Heh I don't 'sell my services' to them. Yet. But I am 'just' a wedding DJ. Noted, taken on board :)

[ukpartydj]

I've done the old radio mic away from the booth on occasion. Example being; there is a hotel where the dancefloor is in a seperate room to the dining room so I had to go into the dining room and introduce myself at the start!

I've actually got a round of applause after my speech once haha! Must admit I was quite nervous but I knew it had to be done!

If I didn't I'd just be a voice from the other room and people my feel awkward about coming into the other room.

I just use the voice ducking on mc6000 and leave a playlist running... No need for remote control

[DJ Jules]

Is leaving the comfort of the booth to do the big announcements/pieces a good idea?

Some people are making a living out of telling DJ's how to leave the booth... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_obms_Xx1E8

Room layout plays a massive part in making this decision. If you're clearly visible and already stood at a natural focal point in the room when you make announcements, then you probably don't need to move. If you want people to listen to you and you can't be seen enough to be able to engage with the audience (and for key introductions I would think that'd be required :D) then it would make sense to go wandering. Either that, or find a different way of making sure that people know where you are and can engage with you.

Julian

[ukpartydj]

Some people are making a living out of telling DJ's how to leave the booth... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_obms_Xx1E8

Room layout plays a massive part in making this decision. If you're clearly visible and already stood at a natural focal point in the room when you make announcements, then you probably don't need to move. If you want people to listen to you and you can't be seen enough to be able to engage with the audience (and for key introductions I would think that'd be required :D) then it would make sense to go wandering. Either that, or find a different way of making sure that people know where you are and can engage with you.

Julian

Is that Toby I spy in the video?

Another trick I occasionally use is going around each table and having a little chat about music they like, haven't done this for a while though, only really did it at Christmas parties and corporate stuff.

[rth_discos]

Personally I find it a bit American.

If you're going to do that, I think you should sell yourself as that type of DJ - therefore attracting clients who are after that sort of performance.

Is the DJ the main attraction at most events? I find it quite annoying if the DJ is trying to "perform" too much - it can get in the way of the music, and can make people nervous that they are going to get "picked on".

So it's find to do if that's how you're selling yourself.

[Nakatomi]

Personally I find it a bit American.

If you're going to do that, I think you should sell yourself as that type of DJ - therefore attracting clients who are after that sort of performance.

Is the DJ the main attraction at most events? I find it quite annoying if the DJ is trying to "perform" too much - it can get in the way of the music, and can make people nervous that they are going to get "picked on".

So it's find to do if that's how you're selling yourself.

I'm just looking to do my job better, that's all. If I can't be seen I'm just a disembodied voice. People generally pay attention & take suggestions on board but I think the setup doesn't lend itself to engagement. The nights I work are generally successful, but would being more engaged with other people make it easier?

Example:
17178

In this place I think I've actually caught people downstairs saying "WHO SAID THAT?!", then have a more observant person point out to them there IS a human being behind the voice playing music to them. I don't like it when it's just me up there & them down there.

I've occasionally made trips around the room to introduce myself, notepad & pen in hand to make notes about music tastes etc. People have generally been fairly nondescript about it. Oh whatever.. you're the DJ after all etc. I'm not looking for adulation I just want more engagement. I don't just want to be working for them, I want to work with them. This is for 2 main reasons: 1. I think it'll produce a better end result and 2. It'll make life easier for everybody.

Sometimes things just 'click' and everything works just fine. Other times, things need a helping hand & I can't help but feel being better engaged with the other people in the room would help an awful lot.

[rth_discos]

Out of interest, what is the gig you're doing there? Is it a residency? What are the punters turning up to expect? What are the punters going there for. That's quite important to understand, so that your delivery is within the lines of the expectations of the punters.

[Nakatomi]

Out of interest, what is the gig you're doing there? Is it a residency? What are the punters turning up to expect? What are the punters going there for. That's quite important to understand, so that your delivery is within the lines of the expectations of the punters.

Mostly weddings, and it's a residency. I can't say for sure but it's probably fair to say that guests are turning up expecting a party to celebrate the occasion, and to dance to music they like. In the case of this venue, I feel almost totally disconnected from the guests. I engage with them 'ok' - I mean people cheer on the B&G's first dances etc, but everything feels like wading through treacle because of my location in the room, or rather outside the room.

[rth_discos]

Mostly weddings, and it's a residency. I can't say for sure but it's probably fair to say that guests are turning up expecting a party to celebrate the occasion, and to dance to music they like. In the case of this venue, I feel almost totally disconnected from the guests. I engage with them 'ok' - I mean people cheer on the B&G's first dances etc, but everything feels like wading through treacle because of my location in the room, or rather outside the room.

I'm with you - so whilst it's a residency, you're getting new guests each time, so not like a residency with regular punters.

So I can see how it's a tough one. I can certainly see a benefit to being on the dancefloor to introduce the first dance - but then how do you control the music remotely, when introducing their first song.

Have you thought about setting up lighting that projects on to you in your "booth" and making your position a "spotlight". If you raise yourself up so that you are higher up above the balcony then you would become more of a focal point.

[Nakatomi]

I'm with you - so whilst it's a residency, you're getting new guests each time, so not like a residency with regular punters.

So I can see how it's a tough one. I can certainly see a benefit to being on the dancefloor to introduce the first dance - but then how do you control the music remotely, when introducing their first song.

Have you thought about setting up lighting that projects on to you in your "booth" and making your position a "spotlight". If you raise yourself up so that you are higher up above the balcony then you would become more of a focal point.

Controlling the music remotely is something I've toyed with the idea of before. I can hook up an app called TouchOSC into my DJ software using a wifi to MIDI bridge (after having set up a 'secret' wifi point of my own, for my sole use). It's certainly doable. Would it be reliable enough? I'll have to do a fair bit of testing to make sure.

Good idea about elevating myself a bit though, I'll give that a bash on saturday when I'm there next.

I'm not even sure if being invisible is the problem. My delivery gets most people on board but I wonder if that's enough. I'm sure I won't be the first person to have observed the guests who are attending just because it's a free meal & show little interest in any of the night's proceedings. One of the first wedding receptions I played at that venue, more than half of the guests had left after the free lunch, before any of the speeches even! :O The bride was (understandably) in bits by the time the evening came along.

[DJ Jules]

Personally I find it a bit American.

If you're going to do that, I think you should sell yourself as that type of DJ - therefore attracting clients who are after that sort of performance.

Is the DJ the main attraction at most events? I find it quite annoying if the DJ is trying to "perform" too much - it can get in the way of the music, and can make people nervous that they are going to get "picked on".

I think you're missing the point in that video. The idea isn't for the DJ to be the focus or to perform, it's for the DJ to get peoples focus, and then to direct it to where they want. It's actually about controlling the crowd for the benefit of the B&G.

Julian

[Nakatomi]

I think you're missing the point in that video. The idea isn't for the DJ to be the focus or to perform, it's for the DJ to get peoples focus, and then to direct it to where they want. It's actually about controlling the crowd for the benefit of the B&G.

Julian

:agree: when you've made a 'connection' with the crowd it's much easier to be in control and understood.

Say you're in a room with 3 doors, and only one of those doors leads directly to the room where the buffet is laid out. You announce the buffet's open, but where is it? "The door to my right" ? "The door opposite the bar?". Where do they go? Stepping out for a minute & pointing it out would make being understood first time a no brainer. The same would obviously apply for a B&G's grand entrance too. Simples.

[rth_discos]

I think you're missing the point in that video. The idea isn't for the DJ to be the focus or to perform, it's for the DJ to get peoples focus, and then to direct it to where they want. It's actually about controlling the crowd for the benefit of the B&G.

Julian

I would argue that the video doesn't make that point very well.

When I watched it, it immediately reminded me of a video I saw of an American DJ stood in the middle of the dancefloor doing a 5 minute piece, culminating in everyone being forced to get on the dancefloor to do an action song. He thought it was amazing, but I doubt all of the guests actually wanted to get involved.

Sadly, I can't find that video now!

[Nakatomi]

I would argue that the video doesn't make that point very well.

When I watched it, it immediately reminded me of a video I saw of an American DJ stood in the middle of the dancefloor doing a 5 minute piece, culminating in everyone being forced to get on the dancefloor to do an action song. He thought it was amazing, but I doubt all of the guests actually wanted to get involved.

Sadly, I can't find that video now!

Some will even argue that an 'icebreaker' like that is called for at times. Okay maybe a 5 minute intro is a bit too much like grandstanding but there've been gigs in my distant past where I think getting people geed up a bit has helped. The Ceilidhs I've witnessed and attended have usually needed something like this & it seemed to work well. I mean, at one I went to, I was quite reticent but allowed myself to be cajoled & ended up having a blast. There's a fine line between cajoling & going around rounding people up & 'forcing' them though