Ever had a gig like this?

[Skins]

So there I was, it a hot sweaty hotel function room in swindon last night for a grand wedding reception.

Bride and Groom supply a list of songs, including the likes of faithless, Cafe Del Mar, Mighty Dub Katz, for ten minutes during the night,

Busy dancefloor around 9.30pm, then bride comes over and asks for her dance set for ten minutes.

Right I thought, lights, decks and action........

Opening song was Chicane, Offshore (by request), I turned around for 2minutes whilst I dug out faithless.............a minute later, faced the dance floor and couldnt believe it........

The whole dancefloor was empty.....:eek:

In fact.......even people sat down at the tables had cleared off...:eek:

Couldnt figure it out, besides, this is what the client wanted for ten minutes...

song ended, so I carried on...then suddenly a pint glass goes flying in one direction and dinner plate the other.

To my horror, a massive punch up was taking place in the bar (seperate to the function room)...

Everyone had gone into the other room to break things up, so whilst I endured a 7 minute version of faithless, opened the rear doors to let some air in and another fight was happening outside............

Couldnt belive it........so, thought sod this, I`m off for a bog break....headed to the loos and yet another fight with two women........

This took over an hour and half, by then most of the guests had gone home and I had around 30 people left. Time now 11.30ish

Played up until midnight, was told NO SLOW SONGS so ended the night with eye of the tiger:rolleyes:

Bride came over at the end of the night, asked for just one more song as she had lost her husband somewhere.

at which point I found the song she asked for, and she sat down in the middle of the dancefloor with her bridesmaid and at the top of their voices they sang...........

Louis Armstrong, what a wonderful world:rolleyes: :cool:

Ironic, but touching at the end of the night all the same!

Happy days, and a rather eventful evening!

Shaun

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I endured a 7 minute version of faithless

Endured Faithless????

You can't be the first DJ ever, not to like Insomnia? :eek:

Sounds like a classy night though..:D

[PropellerHeadCase]

Yep, I had the police called to a wedding where one guest coldcoqed another and left him bleeding into the urinal :eek: - would've been a short night except that I couldn't leave until the police helicopter had spotted the suspect running away through the golf course.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Yep, I had the police called to a wedding where one guest coldcoqed another

Where one guest what? Is that a Kiwi word? :confused:

[Dragonfly]

sure we've all had them lol mine was 4 evacuations due to the tablecloth lighting game ....... the dj then started with "we didn't start the fire" :D :D :D :D ;)

night ended when security had enough of the groom and his new father in law mud slinging nose to nose on the dancefloor at 10pm.

apparently the staff had a police escort of the premisis that night. aaahhh weddings ......stuff a whole load of people in a room for the whole day who don't really like each other and never have and ask them all to smile ..........



or was that just mine :D :D :D :D :D

[rob1963]

Since I first started, I can think of a couple of occasions when there was a fight...

...and another when I refused to play someones request, so he smashed a bottle over my head!

Not bad for 24 years worth of gigs.

:)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

...and another when I refused to play someones request, so he smashed a bottle over my head!



That explains a lot....:D

Seriously though, were you badly hurt? That is awful. :mad:

[rob1963]

That explains a lot....:D

Seriously though, were you badly hurt? That is awful. :mad:

Just half a dozen stitches, Darren.

It was in a pub where I worked a couple of nights a week...just one of those things, I guess!

:(

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Just half a dozen stitches, Darren.

It was in a pub where I worked a couple of nights a week...just one of those things, I guess!

:(

I don't think it's 'just one of those things' and to be totally honest Rob, things like this really annoy me when it comes to the safety and security of DJs.

I hope the person who did it was severely reprimanded? (Can't say what I really would like to say)

[PropellerHeadCase]

Yep, I had the police called to a wedding where one guest coldcoqed another and left him bleeding into the urinal :eek: - would've been a short night except that I couldn't leave until the police helicopter had spotted the suspect running away through the golf course.


Where one guest what? Is that a Kiwi word? :confused:

Well, I used coq as opposed to that other word that gets asterisked...

Here ya go cold**** (encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861598510/cold****.html) - you'll have to replace the asterisks in the URL manually :eek:

[CRAZY K]

So there I was, it a hot sweaty hotel function room in swindon last night for a grand wedding reception.

Bride and Groom supply a list of songs, including the likes of faithless, Cafe Del Mar, Mighty Dub Katz, for ten minutes during the night,

Busy dancefloor around 9.30pm, then bride comes over and asks for her dance set for ten minutes.

Right I thought, lights, decks and action........

Opening song was Chicane, Offshore (by request), I turned around for 2minutes whilst I dug out faithless.............a minute later, faced the dance floor and couldnt believe it........

The whole dancefloor was empty.....:eek:

In fact.......even people sat down at the tables had cleared off...:eek:

Couldnt figure it out, besides, this is what the client wanted for ten minutes...

song ended, so I carried on...then suddenly a pint glass goes flying in one direction and dinner plate the other.

To my horror, a massive punch up was taking place in the bar (seperate to the function room)...

Everyone had gone into the other room to break things up, so whilst I endured a 7 minute version of faithless, opened the rear doors to let some air in and another fight was happening outside............

Couldnt belive it........so, thought sod this, I`m off for a bog break....headed to the loos and yet another fight with two women........

This took over an hour and half, by then most of the guests had gone home and I had around 30 people left. Time now 11.30ish

Played up until midnight, was told NO SLOW SONGS so ended the night with eye of the tiger:rolleyes:

Bride came over at the end of the night, asked for just one more song as she had lost her husband somewhere.

at which point I found the song she asked for, and she sat down in the middle of the dancefloor with her bridesmaid and at the top of their voices they sang...........

Louis Armstrong, what a wonderful world:rolleyes: :cool:

Ironic, but touching at the end of the night all the same!

Happy days, and a rather eventful evening!

Shaun

Last song I played by request at the Wedding I covered at the weekend ---brilliant--

Difference was no flying glasses :eek:

CRAZY K

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Well....that sounds a bit different mate!
The wedding I did on saturday night was a classic and easily the best so far this year, maybe even one of the best I have done.

When I had my consultation with the bride and groom back in March they simply said to me that they didn't have any specific requests (apart from their first dances) and that they had seen me before at another wedding and that they would go with my experience. The only 'Don't plays' that they said were anything by Robbie Williams, The Bangles (especially Eternal Flame) and any really cheesy stuff. They said that they liked Indie/Ska/Rock/60s/70s/80s etc..so I was really looking forward to it.

I set up in the morning and when I returned around 7.15pm (I started at 7.30pm), I was met with a huge crowd and a cheer. There was a pint of lager waiting for me (I drunk it but I don't normally when I'm working)...and I began to play some background music for them. I did my usual mix of stuff which seems to work - U2 - 'One', Madness - 'It Must Be Love', The Jam - 'That's Entertainment', Paolo Nutini - 'New Shoes'...laid back stuff like that etc...

Now, their first dances were really cool and I knew that they were up for a laugh because, again at the consultation in March they said that the third song would be a classic and they would get everyone up laughing their heads off. Around 9.00pm I made the announcements and everyone gathered around the dancefloor as the bride and groom made their way on to it and the first dance was 'So Amazing' by Luther Vandross...lot's of people joined the floor for the 2nd song which was 'What a Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong and just as it was ending I made a short announcement to the guests to clear the dancefloor and make sure that they had enough video space available because what was going to happen next was worth capturing. People looked at me wondering what was going to happen and the bride and groom stood facing me side by side ready and grinning from ear to ear.... the 3rd song was 'I like Big Butts' by Sir Mix-a-lot and the bride and groom had worked out a dance routine...it was hilarious and the guests were in stitches, they loved it !!!

After that it was pretty easy all night...I did a huge Indie classics set and witnessed a group of women in their lates 60s (?) jumping around (yes really) to the likes of 'Chelsea Dagger' and 'Parklife'...it was funny though watching them try to get up off the floor from 'Sit Down' by James. I went through the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s...I played a nice motown set and best of all, a long Ska and mild punk set...Everyone loved it, it was a pleasure to do. I had various requests during the night for 'American Pie' but wasn't sure about it so I asked the bride and groom what they thought and they simply said "Go for it!!" - I played it and it went down a storm, it packed the dancefloor.

Now, last track of the night was a bit different and I only played it because on friday night at a birthday party at a hotel I was DJing at, I played it and it went down really well. The song was 'Aint no pleasin' you' by Chas & Dave and it worked wonders!! Everyone was singing along and enjoying it and when it finished the clapping and cheering went on for a while. The bride came over in tears and hugged me saying that she couldn't have wished for a better night. I had people of all ages coming up to me and shaking my hand and commenting on the music and it was just a pleasure to be there in all honesty. It's nights like that, that make the job so enjoyable sometimes.

[PropellerHeadCase]

the 3rd song was 'I like Big Butts' by Sir Mix-a-lot

Considering how we all deride clients for giving us dodgy song names, it's 'Baby Got Back' ;)

[Skins]

Endured Faithless????

You can't be the first DJ ever, not to like Insomnia? :eek:

Sounds like a classy night though..:D

I LOVE Insomnia, perhap I should have rephrased that..!;)

The over 60`s at the wedding didnt seem impressed!

Shaun

[Skins]

Considering how we all deride clients for giving us dodgy song names, it's 'Baby Got Back' ;)

Oh heck, what a tune....
:)
Two others song they requested was "the bucketheads" and "tag team, whomp, there it is"

nice little mix if i must say so myself.....

,,,,,,,,,,,,,now ...wheres chris de`burge........:zip:

Shaun

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Propeller'...I know that, you know that but they didn't and that's how they described it so I just said it here...if that makes sense?

[rob1963]

I don't think it's 'just one of those things' and to be totally honest Rob, things like this really annoy me when it comes to the safety and security of DJs.

I hope the person who did it was severely reprimanded? (Can't say what I really would like to say)

Darren,

It really annoys me too, but it's a fact that there is sometimes trouble in pubs, and on occasion it's the DJ who is on the receiving end.

I'm pleased to say that the person responsible was carried outside by some of my mates & "severely reprimanded"

:)

[Key2]

Well....that sounds a bit different mate!
The wedding I did on saturday night was a classic and easily the best so far this year, maybe even one of the best I have done.
<snip>
It's nights like that, that make the job so enjoyable sometimes.

Thanks for sharing that, shakermaker. You have just described something that cannot be experienced in almost any other profession, apart from mine perhaps, (driving instructor-when someone passes their driving test by overcoming a particular handicap). Sometimes a 'high' like that can carry you through all the 'lows'. Nice one!:thumbs_up:

John

[Excalibur]

That explains a lot....:D

Seriously though, were you badly hurt? That is awful. :mad:

Explains a lot of your posts! :p

PS. Only joking!

[rob1963]

Explains a lot of your posts! :p

PS. Only joking!

:jawdrop: