.......................and rest!

[Shaun]

I know most DJs really look forward to the influx of work that this time of year brings. I just can't bear it though, rude people and drunk idiots (more than normal). I made the decision years ago that I wouldn't take on any new Christmas party clients, and just honour the regular customers that booked every year. I've now got it down to just the one regular clients party this year, and one charity one. So apart from those 2, and a 40th this Saturday, that's me. DONE! Rest and recreation until my next gig on the 6th of February.

Stay safe on the roads over the next few weeks folks, it can get crazy.







......................and rest!

[ukpartydj]

I must say I'm much happier this year with my bookings:

4 weddings, 4 Christmas parties, 1 kids, 1 NYE
I expect I'll still get a couple more christmas parties last min but compared to last year which was 12 christmas parties and a wedding... It gets a bit boring.

[Excalibur]

I know most DJs really look forward to the influx of work that this time of year brings. I just can't bear it though, rude people and drunk idiots (more than normal). I made the decision years ago that I wouldn't take on any new Christmas party clients, and just honour the regular customers that booked every year. I've now got it down to just the one regular clients party this year, and one charity one. So apart from those 2, and a 40th this Saturday, that's me. DONE! Rest and recreation until my next gig on the 6th of February.

Stay safe on the roads over the next few weeks folks, it can get crazy.







......................and rest!

Interesting policy, Shaun. Not overly fiscally prudent, I feel, but interesting nonetheless. This year, I'm pursuing a policy which could be construed as diametrically opposed. Due to a combination of covering for other DJs, and that site young Vectis runs, I have a significant number of functions booked in, comprising birthdays, school Xmas parties ( hopefully not too many beligerent drunks at those :luck: ) and adult Xmas parties.
Compliments of the season Shaun. http://yoursmiles.org/tsmile/nysanta/t7700.gif (http://yoursmiles.org/t-nysanta.php)

[ppentertainments]

Would like to say I envy you, but I actually love Xmas parties and prefer them to other events through the year (including weddings).
Next year my intention is to do less over the summer, for some reason I am never exceptionally busy in the summer so thought I would take advantage.

[yourdj]

I am with you on that Sean. good move if you can afford not to work. I too do not have a lot of patience with rude people as i do 95% weddings and my clients are all generally nice. :)

I just don't understand how people can be so horrible, especially considering they are often on show in front of their boss or workmates? I do a very nice hotel and even the people at that can be a handful, especially the corporate takeovers. I am lucky though as i do a small party in a nice French restaurant at the front and know most the people who come. Its also a 70's 80's disco themed night so NO NAFF CHRISTMAS MUSIC. 3 this week and 5 next so can't complain - Yay. :)

Here is a snapshot from last weekend:

17576

17577

[Excalibur]

I too do not have a lot of patience with rude people as i do 95% weddings and my clients are all generally nice. :)

Come and live in my world then Toby. The clients are usually fine, it's their friends and relatives you have to watch for. ;)

Classy pictures by the way. Look a very refined crowd.

[DJColsie]

I actually booked the 12th off to go to my day job works Xmas do. Other than that had 2 40th, 1 Xmas party and NYE.

Had a late cencellation for tomorrow night so now down to a 40th, a Xmas party and NYE. Quite unusual for me but looking forward to the slower pace.

Did 10 in Oct and 6 in Nov and got 3 for Jan so gonna enjoy a slower month.

[Shaun]

I am with you on that Sean. good move if you can afford not to work.

Can anyone afford not to work? It's just a case of budgeting for the quiet months with the income from the busy months.


I have 4 bottles of Single Malt to help me through the cold December nights. :d

[Excalibur]

Can anyone afford not to work? It's just a case of budgeting for the quiet months with the income from the busy months.
Have you read in The Good Book about the seven fat cows, and the seven thin cows? Seems to me as if you have. ;)



I have 4 bottles of Single Malt to help me through the cold December night. :d
And a couple of warm ones as well, I hope.

[funkymook]

I know most DJs really look forward to the influx of work that this time of year brings. I just can't bear it though, rude people and drunk idiots (more than normal).

I don’t do Christmas party bookings, I can’t stand them for the same reasons. I’ll only do a Christmas party if it fits in with my music tastes and it’s for really nice people.

Same with NYE, unless I’m offered one that really appeals to me I won’t bother.

I limit myself to about 40 bookings a year so I can have some weekends off with my other half.

[musicology]

I'm happy enough to do the christmas do's but no longer do NYE. edit. I know, too many do's!

[Nakatomi]

I wouldn't mind Christmas parties so much if the music didn't polarise opinions so roundly. Last night I played The Poggles 'Fairly Dull Tale of Noo Yoik' as the last tune & two people came over shouting the odds that it's a load of :Censored::Censored::Censored::Censored:e. Took them aback when I yelled back at them I KNOW IT IS! :lol: All while the dancefloor are pretending to be drunks swaying in the back of a paddy wagon. Mariah Carey, Slade etc.. get boos & cheers in equal measure at my gigs. Maybe I shouldn't start playing them in March next year...

People who hate Xmas music should do what I used to do... Avoid anywhere playing music at this time of year :D

[yourdj]

Come and live in my world then Toby. The clients are usually fine, it's their friends and relatives you have to watch for. ;)

Classy pictures by the way. Look a very refined crowd.

I thought Yorkshire was one of the most friendly places in the UK? Everyone i have met from Yorkshire has been very protective of their wallets, but thoroughly nice. If i had the choice to move up north that would be a strong contender as it has so much history and outside spaces.

Southerner port town folk are usually just drunk and not that abusive, but my tolerance levels are not what they used to be for rude people that don't listen. 3 strikes and then you out is my rule now, not had any real problems with anyone for many years now. Doing the MCing has really helped my ability to deal with dickheads without them becoming a problem. Deflection, humour or just ignoring them without being rude, seems to work the best.

Thanks - only just starting to really understand how my camera works, i was reasonably happy with them, especially as i had to use my crap £20 flash. I take photos to curb the boredom mostly on the party night as i am sitting about otherwise. It's also good advertising as i give them a business card and they can download them for free. That was a very nice crowd - private school teachers (who are usually kids themselves), one of the most nailed DJ sets I have ever done also. i played about 1/5 of each track and mixing / genre matching was really good. A good crowd can do that as you don't have to worry about anything else.

Adam Ant was the Headmaster (we are talking about one of the best schools in Hampshire here).
i wish my HM was like that. He was a proper tool.

17578


Can anyone afford not to work? It's just a case of budgeting for the quiet months with the income from the busy months.

I have 4 bottles of Single Malt to help me through the cold December nights. :d
Nice. You would think being scottish you could get it for free (i.e. a French person living in bordeaux getting a few litres of wine from the farmer next-door), but i bet you pay the same cost as us for a single malt? Do they still do it as small breweries or is it such a big business now that its gold dust?

I love December especially after a 4 event November. I had an offer I could not refuse this year totalling about 37-38 events in December over 7 venues (2 different companies). Just got paid today also in one load, which shows trust as the company has not used us before. Cant complain with that. :)

[funkymook]

i played about 1/5 of each track and mixing / genre matching was really good. A good crowd can do that as you don't have to worry about anything else.


It’s great when that happens isn’t it, any chance you can post the playlist? it’s always good to see what other people are playing, especially when they mix it up like that.

[yourdj]

It’s great when that happens isn’t it, any chance you can post the playlist? it’s always good to see what other people are playing, especially when they mix it up like that.

Certainly - it was a "boogie wonderland" theme (basically 70's-80's disco derived music), but they all dressed like characters from the 80's, so I added a lot of music to match. Set genres make things much easier, its just nice to really enjoy a set rather than constantly struggling to get the right balance. Doing weddings all the time can make a dead simple corporate really enjoyable, so i really enjoy December. Its tough work but very different and fun from the rest of the year.

The Macarena was a request btw and Calvin Haris was for the staff who were cleaning up ;)

131 Fame 5:19
115 Birthday Songs - Frank sinatra - happy birthday to you 0:34
131 I Think We're Alone Now 3:47
131 Communards - Don't Leave Me This Way (1) 6:28
123 Loco In Acapulco 4:31
We Are Family 3:36
126 The Village People -YMCA 4:48
136 Weather girls - Raining men 5:28
132 Wham - I'm Your Man 4:03
133 Dancing On The Ceiling 4:28
137 Muma mia 3:32
107 GREASE MEDLEY MEGA MIX 4:47
87 Kenny Loggins - Footloose 3:47
79 80s music - flashdance - shes a maniac 4:04
75 Bonnie Tyler - Holding out for a hero 5:50
75 Adam and the Ants - Prince Charming 3:18
73 Madness - Baggy Trousers 2:49
92 Karma Chameleon 4:02
84 Aha - Take On Me 3:46
100 Superstition 4:00
102 A Town Called Malice 2:51
107 Dexters midnight runners - Come on Eileen 4:12
110 Walking on sunshine 3:56
78 dont stop me now 3:31
113 the jackson 5 - blame it on the boogie 3:32
119 I Wanna Dance With Somebody - WANT TO 4:49
120 Baywatch Theme - I'll Be Ready 3:22
75 queen - bohemian rapsody 5:56
116 i will survive 3:17
134 Smalltown Boy 4:28
125 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) 3:37
128 Cars - Gary Numan 3:59
85 Bat Out Of Hell 4:49
88 Rocky Horror Picture Show - Timewarp 3:18
103 Los Del Rio - La Macarena 3:54
104 Bee Gees - Staying Alive 4:46
106 9 To 5 - dolly parton 2:45
138 Don McLean - American Pie 8:32
96 top gun - take my breathe away 4:14
127 P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 3:59
109 The Time Of My Life (Dirty Dancing) 6:47
Calvin Harris & Disciples - How Deep Is Your Love (Audio) 3:33

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Ive been picky this year and only doing 3 Xmas parties plus a couple of private school discos.

Turns out I'm making more Tha last years Christmas run with fewer gigs and hours on the clock so its win win.

Means I'm actually enjoying the tunes this year and not burned out on the idea of Xmas.

[DJ Jules]

I've just been looking at my diary for the next few weeks and wondering what I've let myself in for. I've got a total of six adult Xmas parties, plus about 5 kids ones (two community centres and three schools. However, I somehow have a bunch of kids and adults birthday parties in amongst these, meaning I'm out 5 times a week for the next three weeks, and on quite a few occasions (tomorrow included) I'm doing a kids party during the day and an adults party on the evening!

However, my last party of the year is on the 23rd of December and I'm not working NYE and I'm still on track for December to be my highest earning month to date with disco income overtaking my pay from my day job for the first time ever.

Good job though because January is dead at present and I've got a couple of very expensive building projects to fund through Jan and Feb :(

Julian

[yourdj]

I've just been looking at my diary for the next few weeks and wondering what I've let myself in for. I've got a total of six adult Xmas parties, plus about 5 kids ones (two community centres and three schools. However, I somehow have a bunch of kids and adults birthday parties in amongst these, meaning I'm out 5 times a week for the next three weeks, and on quite a few occasions (tomorrow included) I'm doing a kids party during the day and an adults party on the evening!

However, my last party of the year is on the 23rd of December and I'm not working NYE and I'm still on track for December to be my highest earning month to date with disco income overtaking my pay from my day job for the first time ever.

Good job though because January is dead at present and I've got a couple of very expensive building projects to fund through Jan and Feb :(

Julian

Mental busy is good if you know your quiet in Jan. I find the week at Christmas is a nice break before the pre New Year events.
Thats the beauty of working the same venue 3-4 times a week, especially when they let you leave the kit installed. :)

[CRAZY K]

Don't blame you Shaun knowing how bad the weather can be in Scotland during Winter.

And all those XMAS tunes you hear a million times in Sainsburys, Waitrose, et al.

Still Noddy Holders doing alright --I think I read somewhere he makes £500, 000 every XMAS:rolleyes:

My business is now Summer based so one Wedding and that's me done-- but they have requested Slade and look away now all of you------last track BLACK LACE--HI HO SILVER LINING ---honestly !!!!!!!!!!!

Strangely I have my best JANUARY ever lined up ( subject to the dreaded cancellation disease)

Ah well off to the Egyptian Airport to see if we all get blown up:eek:

CRAZY K

[Marc J]

Good move, Shaun!

Just imagine if you'd had a bunch of bookings in Edinburgh over the next couple of weeks - nightmare!

[leelive]

I have stuck to that policy for the last few years..... but this year I need the money!!
Doing 8 nights (starting tonight) to 400 people a night in Glasgow.

I bet your glad you aren't having to DJ in auld reekie now that they have shut the FRB!!

All the best

[mattydj50]

I've left a photo at home. See you in January!!

Mrs DJ does come along on NYE and we have a meal, watch the singer/band, I do my stuff and we see midnight through then she toddles off to bed around 1215 and I follow once done.

Breakfast there next morning is always entertaining seeing the sore heads and anyone who misbehaved walk around sheepishly.

Then reality kicks in and we start packing up. Mrs DJ does her bit in supervising!!

[Shaun]

Good move, Shaun!

Just imagine if you'd had a bunch of bookings in Edinburgh over the next couple of weeks - nightmare!

I know. Can you imagine?!! The majority of my past festive work always used to be in Edinburgh. :eek:

[Corabar Entertainment]

17580

[Shaun]

17580

LOL. Perfect!

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Enjoy the rest Shaun!!

I tend to take on as much as I can during December because I am generally quiet in January (although I do have 3 bookings so far) so I have a chill out and spend some time with the missus then.
Saying that though - This is the first time in as far back as I can remember that I am not working Christmas Eve or Boxing Day and at first I was a bit gutted about it but it wasn't long before I started thinking that I can actually enjoy Christmas for the first time and not have to worry about anything until New Years Eve.
I am doing New Years Eve at the hotel this year which is fine by me.

As far as Christmas Parties go in general.... Well, I just get on with them to be honest and look forward to the break at the end of them all. I think it makes the break more enjoyable and I really feel like I've earnt it.

[soundmaster mobile disco]

Can anyone afford not to work? It's just a case of budgeting for the quiet months with the income from the busy months.


I have 4 bottles of Single Malt to help me through the cold December nights. :d

Enjoy the whisky shaun
Baffies on and the xmas movies!!!

[ckpr2]

At most gigs I have done there is always trouble with drunks.
They fall over gear while trying to talk to me.
They get into punch ups near my gear.
I have had speakers knocked over during a punch up.

I must stop playing Elton Johns "Saturday nights all right for fighting" !

[Imagine]

Enjoy the rest Shaun (and enjoy a little something from Islay and think of me).....I'm as busy as ever

Weirdly this year though, it's all adult stuff and only a couple of kids ones (and those two are regulars). One of the adult ones is an 80's night (yup....the light screens are getting an airing :) ), and one's a 21st, other than that it's jingle bells all the way for me.

Unlike our learned friend in Yorkshire, I've got only the one from Mr Vectis this December (I don't know what I'm doing wrong there this year.....NaD has completely died a death for me, although I suspect it's because I put my prices up in January).

I don't seem to attract the problem drunks the rest of you do for some reason....in fact (touch wood) I've never had any problems on that score. OK, I had my shirt ripped off by a load of drunken ladies last week....hey-ho, but I don't seem to get the aggressive ones for some reason....I'm not complaining.

I love Xmas parties personally. I tend to find them a lot more relaxed (maybe that's just me). I've had a very good year this year, and next year so far is looking even better (January is pretty much booked out already). Bear in mind I'm technically only a "weekend warrior"....I'm a happy bunny and have doubled turnover this year (I'll report in the New Year's Resolutions thread in a couple of weeks).

NYE - I'm out this year again despite me saying I wasn't going to (I was actually booked for this one in July and I could have booked it several times since...it appears there's a shortage of people willing to do NYE these days). This year it's just 10 minutes up the road, and my lockup is midway between the venue and bed so should be a nice easy one so long as the lift works on the night. So long as I remember the countdown (last year's DJ "forgot") and do a bit of chat on the mic...(again, that didn't happen last year), then I'm home and dry on that one. Unfortunately it's a 2am finish :eek:

So...it looks like February before I get my next weekend off at the moment!

[dicky]

Hmm December has been an odd one for me - only worked:

Sat 5th Dec (was DJing with main rig and hired out my second rig)
Fri 11th Dec
could have had booking for 12th but turned it down as was going to a christmas party myself and not DJing

Coming up - nothing this coming weekend, next bookings are

24th Xmas Eve
26th Boxing day (same venue - can leave my gear set up from 24th)
and NYE

That's a little quiet for me - also I am a 'part timer' but generally average 7 bookings per month eg: June, Aug, Sept and Nov. However the higher prices actually makes it my most profitable month this year for less work involved so happy days I guess.

Already have bookings for the firt two weekends in January :) plus several more on my book for the following months already


Rich

[Shaun]

Thanks everyone. last gig of the year tonight. A nice quick 2 hour High school Party. I've really enjoyed this lazy December. Looking forward to the extended break now. :beer1::beer1::beer1:

[Excalibur]

Thanks everyone. last gig of the year tonight. A nice quick 2 hour High school Party. I've really enjoyed this lazy December. Looking forward to the extended break now. :beer1::beer1::beer1:

Note to self: Monitor Shaun's posts carefully till New Year. :Naughty: He has been known to be somewhat less restrained and decorous with his posts when he's had a :wine: or two. :)

[Shaun]

Note to self: Monitor Shaun's posts carefully till New Year. :Naughty: He has been known to be somewhat less restrained and decorous with his posts when he's had a :wine: or two. :)

You have been duly appointed as my personal moderator for the foreseeable. I hold you personally responsible for my actions. :beer1::)

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

December has been great. Couple of private schools (that are already landing me more gigs) a girl's 13th and a select few party nights. Less work, less hours, more dough, happy jim.

Short wee 10-1 works night out in marlin's wynd tomorrow, stint at the Blythswood on Friday and that was me wrapped up until the head in the school i teach in cornered me yesterday.

"I hear you DJ?"

"mhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...."

"Brilliant, we need someone to play some Christmas tunes for the fairy parade on Tuesday."

Turned on his heels and trotted away :zip: On the upside I can plug into the school's PA so I'll only need my laptop and controller if even that.


Hanging around for the school disco tonight. Not sure if it's a staff member behind the decks but they're already setting up the stage with a considerable amount of Maplin traffic lights :D

Enjoy the break Shaun, we all deserve it this time of year.