last night's gig

[Corabar Steve]

Bit of an odd one, at my Thursday residency.

Firstly when I arrived & unloaded the gear, I got out of the lift & the bar was more or less deserted (about 40 or so people (in one group), it holds 320), but apparently it had been quiet all week & a few more turned up while I was setting up. The manager reckoned at closing around 11 (usually it's some time around midnight, with the option to go as late as 2)

Played the usual mix of stuff (for this job mainly 80s, 90s, 00s, loads of cheese & some disco) people seemed into it, but nobody dancing & no requests (even after asking for them). So I carry on playing as many floor fillers as I can think of to virtually zero response apart from the odd tapped foot or 1 or 2 singing along (strangely each week the best response is around the pool table)

About 9ish somebody from the original group of 40 came up & asked me if I could turn it down for a few minutes so that they could make a presentation to one of their number who was leaving. Er....NO (I would like to point out at this point that even if this wasn't a regular advertised music night at this venue & therefore akin to going into a club & asking the DJ to turn it down for a mo, that a) They were actually the furthest possible point away from me
b) Due to the small number in attendance the house PA wasn't even switched on
c) The system I was using was only 200w (Usually used just for a little more oomph near the dance floor, in addition to the house PA))

10ish somebody from the same group comes up "are you gonna do any Karaoke?"

Thinks "Do you see any TV screens on my set up :Censored: -wit" "No sorry :)" .

10:30 "As you don't do Karaoke can you play some songs we can sing along to?"

"Sure no probs" (There's hardly anyone else here, so why not?) (the bar normally starts to empty at 10:30 anyway due to it's location & people heading off for last trains etc)

"American pie, Brown sugar & Daydream believer please"

2 mins later start playing them (in that order) & the place erupts, well as much as it can with 50 people in it.

Form that moment I can't put a foot wrong, they dance to everything I play, although strangely not anywhere near the dancefloor.

11pm I go up to the manager "Do you still want to finish at 11, or shall I play on?"

"Give it a while but I still want an early night"

"Ok turn the lights up when you want the last one played" (normally lights go up = one song to go)

Well, over the course of the next hour I played a set that included : Superfreak, U can't touch this, Put your hands up for Detroit, Ymca, Voodoo Child, Get the Party started, One way or another, Can't fight the moonlight, Paris to Berlin, Ooh ah just a little bit & I'm in the mood for dancing, finishing with Stereo MCs Step it up. For a good 45 mins of this at least 15 people were dancing on the bar (manager & bar staff included, in fact I was the only person in the building not to step on the bar)

If the rest of the evening had been like this I reckon a lot more would have stayed a little later / til the end. Oh well

[theoloyla]

Amazing! I've had a few like that over the years. It leaves you asking "Why?"

[Candybeatdiscos]

sounda good night once it got started mate - well done...

[Dragonfly]

mmmm half of you feels a huge sense of acomplishment because you have created an awesome night with only limited resources (crowd) the other half is saying ............................please sod off so i can go home.:D :D :D

[PropellerHeadCase]

I had a sonewhat similar night a few weeks back, but it was a wedding...

The bride really wanted clubby dance stuff and I couldn't even get much of a reaction to 'Groovejet' or 'Can't Get U Out of My Head', anyway 10:30 rolls around and the floor is near dead so I trot out the groom's request 'With or Without You' suddenly the floor is rammed and everyone is hollering along, so I take a calculated risk and jump into 'Take Me to the Clouds Above' everyone's still up for it, I played 'Lola's Theme', 'Toca's Miracle' and 'Silence' amongst others over the next half hour and then managed to fit in 'SexyBack' and 'Smack Dat'. Odd night, but totally finished on a high.

[Steve 'B']

I had a sonewhat similar night a few weeks back, but it was a wedding...

The bride really wanted clubby dance stuff and I couldn't even get much of a reaction to 'Groovejet' or 'Can't Get U Out of My Head', anyway 10:30 rolls around and the floor is near dead so I trot out the groom's request 'With or Without You' suddenly the floor is rammed and everyone is hollering along, so I take a calculated risk and jump into 'Take Me to the Clouds Above' everyone's still up for it, I played 'Lola's Theme', 'Toca's Miracle' and 'Silence' amongst others over the next half hour and then managed to fit in 'SexyBack' and 'Smack Dat'. Odd night, but totally finished on a high.

Just goes to show. A DJ can make or break your big day!!

[PropellerHeadCase]

Just goes to show. A DJ can make or break your big day!!

:D You're too kind.

[sleah]

Just goes to show. A DJ can make or break your big day!!

:evelgrin: :evelgrin: Muwaahhhhaaahhhhaaaa:evelgrin: :evelgrin:
:devil: oooooo the power..........:devil:

:Laugh: :Laugh:

[soundmaster mobile disco]

Good tp know that someone else has had this happen to them too,it is frustrating but like all good djs we take the good with the bad nights.

[Steve 'B']

I am a pro at the first bit. Ya know, empty dance floor!! Its the second part I am trying to master at the moment!!:rolleyes:

[Shaun]

Sounds like you turned it around and ended the night on a high. Great Job Steve :)

[Creature]

sometimes you just cant beet the old classics :):):)

[Atlantic_Sound_Disco]

Nope you can never beat the old classics, Last night i did an 18th was deadly for first 2 hours then suddenly went mad, after that everything made them dance, even chas and dave???? yes that was one of my requests, around 10.45 on every show i anounce i am going to play one terrble song, just to see what happens, last week it was cliff richards summer holiday, this week it was the tweets - birdie song, i tell you they all groan then the floor fills lol, it works every time.

Tim.

[theoloyla]

My gig on Friday was a 40th birthday party at my regular venue. It was also the engagement party for the birthday girl. She specified that she only wanted 80's music and some Robbie Williams when he booked. Reminded me when I contacted her shortly before the gig and emphasized when she arrived at the gig. I expected that it was going to be a good gig. When I saw the audience I had my doubts. There were a lot of elderly people and lots of children. She paid me at the start of the evening (which is always good) and I asked her if she wanted me to include any 70's stuff like Abba, Bee Gees, YMCA etc but again she said she just wanted 80's. The evening was pleasant but I struggled all night with the dance floor. The Robbie tracks worked best. I made a point of reminding the audience that the 80's theme was her idea.

[Atlantic_Sound_Disco]

My gig on Friday was a 40th birthday party at my regular venue. It was also the engagement party for the birthday girl. She specified that she only wanted 80's music and some Robbie Williams when he booked. Reminded me when I contacted her shortly before the gig and emphasized when she arrived at the gig. I expected that it was going to be a good gig. When I saw the audience I had my doubts. There were a lot of elderly people and lots of children. She paid me at the start of the evening (which is always good) and I asked her if she wanted me to include any 70's stuff like Abba, Bee Gees, YMCA etc but again she said she just wanted 80's. The evening was pleasant but I struggled all night with the dance floor. The Robbie tracks worked best. I made a point of reminding the audience that the 80's theme was her idea.


I think thats called being tottaly selfish with regard to anyone else at the party, jobs like that i avoid as she was obviously asking for her sole musical taste and not giving a dam about anyone else in the room, i would have told her your the DJ and this is how it works, such is life ehh.

Tim.

[CRAZY K]

My gig on Friday was a 40th birthday party at my regular venue. It was also the engagement party for the birthday girl. She specified that she only wanted 80's music and some Robbie Williams when he booked. Reminded me when I contacted her shortly before the gig and emphasized when she arrived at the gig. I expected that it was going to be a good gig. When I saw the audience I had my doubts. There were a lot of elderly people and lots of children. She paid me at the start of the evening (which is always good) and I asked her if she wanted me to include any 70's stuff like Abba, Bee Gees, YMCA etc but again she said she just wanted 80's. The evening was pleasant but I struggled all night with the dance floor. The Robbie tracks worked best. I made a point of reminding the audience that the 80's theme was her idea.

Its always the tough one--do you play to the instructions of the person paying the money or the needs of the audience?

I think you got a win win here--played her music and got yourself off the hook by confirming it was her that wanted it not you:D

When you think about it---the older people were probably parents and family friends and must have been ( 0n average assumptions) at least 60 or more so 80s music wasnt probably their cup of tea--you were dead right of course--70s was probably needed.

Atlantic--The Birdie Song is a brilliant party dance for the right audience--as are several Cliff Richard numbers.

If it all goes wonky just copy Theo-

BLAME THE PERSON WHO ASKED FOR IT :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :

CRAZY K

[Shaun]

If a client stipulates a set theme or rigid playlist I always tastefully inform the guests that the bride has specifically chosen the theme/playlist. I hate these type of events though, during the planning stages with the client I always try to promote the benefits of letting guests make requests throughout the evening. Most of the time I can convince them.

[CRAZY K]

I think thats called being tottaly selfish with regard to anyone else at the party, jobs like that i avoid as she was obviously asking for her sole musical taste and not giving a dam about anyone else in the room, i would have told her your the DJ and this is how it works, such is life ehh.

Tim.

Im doing a Wedding in May where the groom is a Club DJ and hes giving me a CD to play for part of the evening.

I dont personally have a problem--hes paying me a lot of money to do that and if he wants that then thats fine by me--its his shout.

Any complaints from the audience?

Theos approach---go and talk to the Groom.

CRAZY K

[sleah]

Im doing a Wedding in May where the groom is a Club DJ and hes giving me a CD to play for part of the evening.


That then opens a whole other can of worms............
Is the CD legal or a copy/compilation he's made?
If it's dodgy do you refuse to play it, what will the client say do and so on.

Oh the fun of the disco industry :D

[CRAZY K]

That then opens a whole other can of worms............
Is the CD legal or a copy/compilation he's made?
If it's dodgy do you refuse to play it, what will the client say do and so on.

Oh the fun of the disco industry :D

Well as its a Wedding in a private Hotel and im being asked by the client to play his CDs which I assume he has bought and paid royalties on and I assume are originals im not losing any sleep, he knows the score---hes a DJ!

CRAZY K

[PropellerHeadCase]

If a client stipulates a set theme or rigid playlist I always tastefully inform the guests that the bride has specifically chosen the theme/playlist. I hate these type of events though, during the planning stages with the client I always try to promote the benefits of letting guests make requests throughout the evening. Most of the time I can convince them.

Trouble is, though, that very often, at least this is what I find, people won't request stuff UNTIL they're having a good time. So if you don't have a bit of latitude to get the floor filled in the first place you may never get that request you're after, or when you do get a request it's 'Africa' or 'My Heart Will Go On'.

I think this is one of the biggest problems for DJs, actually, the assembled guests generally wait for you to get it right rather than being in anyway actively involved in helping you to get it right, and sometimes even when you've got it right you've got it right too early so they're not ready to dance yet :mad: :bang: