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View Full Version : Shocking!!!



funkymike
09-09-2007, 04:16 PM
Well its not often I get Sat night off but last night I did, and a few more to come before the xmas rush, anyway Lastight I went to 21st Birthday party just outside where I live, the invite from the wifes work. Now I was never a roadie or taught the art of disco's, when I started I done it the way I would like a disco and that seems to work well, you know the stuff decent music/lights and mic usage and so on.

So last night I tried boy did I try to switch off and relax dance a few beers and a fag outside, nope not a chance. The bar was selling over priced warm drinks, possibly old stock beer as the pub over the road was the supplier for the night, and there was no way that the barrel had been in a chill room, oh the food was your cheap tesco value stuff, now you might be thinking it was a budget night, well no the hire of the hall,bar and disco came to over 500quid!! The hall insist on using there local disco company, dare I name and shame:D ..best not.

The point of all this the DISCO!:eek:

Now this company are well known in and around Oxford and I'm sure some of you know it, and some ofthe quests new me, I wasnt asked to do it because of the clause on the hall hire, had to use XXX discos. So all night all I got was 'go up there and sort them out' but no I kept quiet.

The disco had the whole family behind the decks, even the kids did the djing for a 21st, they had light screens, some gastly light boxes that didnt even run intime with the music and 1 yes one only 1 light, which in fairness was a martin (dodnt know the name, but it was a barrel light in a v shape) and shed loads of smoke not haze, and 2 very cheap green lazers that produced a squiggle on the walls.

It looked cheap and tacky plus speakers on the floor which where being hammered and distorted, and theres more...

The DJ not sure wether it was the 4 kids of the 2 adults (who scoffed most of the food), now i cant beat mix very well but then I dont say I can, but I dont think there should be a gap between each record (cd), no it wasnt running from now 54, and the music was all over the place, not flowing at all to keep it going and they put on 80's for all the old farts, charming, plus there where other kids there being a family do and some much older people (grand parents) so they played stuff like snopp dog and the full on pussy cat dolls album version which is full off swearing!!! and this went on all night, the dj/s didnt even mention whos birthday it was and just screamed down the mic without dipping the music.

I could go on, but I just had to rant about it, it was a terrible night, the disco completely distroyed the party mood, it was booked till 12, most left before 10.30, even me and the missis rebooked the taxi ealier to get away and I didnt relax didnt dance and didnt get drunk, plus a few fags outside, just to get way from it all, the night was orrible.

Now what bugs me, this company in Oxford take a lot of booking and charges a fair bit, I have seen my booking go down a bit this year as I get the feeling we are being tard with the same brush from disco like Ihad to endure last night, no wonder it gets harder and harder to convince potentional customers to book a decent disco.

Do I feel better now after my rant...no not really:mad:

Beginning to think why bother

mike

Solitaire Events Ltd
09-09-2007, 04:26 PM
So you had a nice night off then Mike? :D

Dragonfly
09-09-2007, 04:29 PM
not being funny but surely the hire of a hall , bar and disco for £500 is budget???? or is my maths letting me down?

rob1963
09-09-2007, 04:38 PM
They say you get what you pay for, so it was probably £225 for the hall, £225 for the bar & £50 for the "disco"

Penfold42
09-09-2007, 04:43 PM
I have a local disco that has 'wrapped things up round here'.....i come across his name on a regular basis.
I have also done a gig where he has been, only to find people slate him.....nice one....carry on chap!!:)

Thames Valley Discos
09-09-2007, 04:49 PM
Funny, i had a funny experience abroad. This was a so called club. On my arrival being a bit drunk got the misses to tell the DJ they had a DJ from London present. Bit of fun really. Anyhow the club had one moonflower light and i'm sure the DJ was using those Hercules thingy's. As i say i was a little(lot) drunk so could be mistaken. I was treated like royalty and pleaded with to do some DJ'ing for the club. Obviously i refused because of my condition and the gear looked naff. Just shows how spoilt we are over hear though, my workshop is set up better than this club.

TonyB
09-09-2007, 05:19 PM
I got a phone call from a friend to book me for his sisters wedding next July. They went to a wedding last weekend and was going to use the same DJ after being told how good he was but they said although the music was good, the DJ was useless. He just set up his laptop at the beginning of the evening and disappeared, wasn't there to take requests or make announcements.

When there are so many DJ's trying to improve our image, it does feel like we are hitting our head against a brick wall because there are other mobile disco's out there painting such a bad image of the profession.

spin mobile disco
09-09-2007, 06:29 PM
Never understood why so many DJ's seem to wonder off mid gig. Noticed it a lot when I've been to functions. I never leave my post during the gig, I buy a drink at the start and have a top up bottle if needed. Make sure I have everything I need go to toilet etc. Then thats it im in for the duration.
Can understand if cought short etc but just vanishing is rude.

Penfold42
09-09-2007, 06:39 PM
Never understood why so many DJ's seem to wonder off mid gig. Noticed it a lot when I've been to functions. I never leave my post during the gig, I buy a drink at the start and have a top up bottle if needed. Make sure I have everything I need go to toilet etc. Then thats it im in for the duration.
Can understand if cought short etc but just vanishing is rude.

What even after 4 hr's??

I try and take a comfort break with the buffet........sorry, but by that time i've drank 3 ltrs to top up what i've sweated out setting up, and i always tell the customer that i'm off for a comfort break!!:)

spin mobile disco
09-09-2007, 06:40 PM
Done 12 hour gigs before with no breaks , 4 hours are no different really.

Penfold42
09-09-2007, 06:43 PM
Then i must be getting old.........:o

Dragonfly
09-09-2007, 06:44 PM
Then i must be getting old.........:o

:zip: :zip: :zip: :zip: :zip: :zip: :zip:

Penfold42
09-09-2007, 06:51 PM
:moon: :lol:

TonyB
09-09-2007, 07:14 PM
I'm the same, don't leave my post during the gig. Only time would be if I used the little boys room or if I was persuaded to get something from the buffet. Only thing I drink during the gig is water and I usually take a bottle with me.

Penfold42
09-09-2007, 07:16 PM
I'm the same, don't leave my post during the gig. Only time would be if I used the little boys room or if I was persuaded to get something from the buffet. Only thing I drink during the gig is water and I usually take a bottle with me.

Water here as well.....but it looks like i can't hold it.....i thought 4 hr's was good enough......:)

super-hero
09-09-2007, 10:13 PM
I supplied some sound and lighting equipment to a local dj recently. It was for a very large hall and he didn't have a large enough system. So amps, speakers and lights were mine and everything else was his.

The event was a wedding, so there was a range of age groups.

He played for about 10 minutes and then let 2 of the brides family play a "set". He had already arranged this with them so they had brought along their own cd's. After about 45 minutes of them playing hard house and then moving onto jungle. I heard one of them say "I don't know why they aren't dancing".
By this stage many of the guests had got up and left and the original dj was drunk. I kicked the 2 dj's off, saying it was my turn to have a go. And got people up and dancing from the very first song. (Bee Gee's). I played for the rest of the night using unfamilior equipment and cd's.

I am so glad I had the chance to see what other people call a "disco". This guy is booked every weekend at various events, and I just can believe how he gets away with it.

pdarnett
09-09-2007, 10:48 PM
How about I set up a website called "rate my dj" where performances could be rated by the attendees of a function? So then the public could be naming and shaming them as we're to polite to do so.

A Plus could be first!!

Dillmiester
09-09-2007, 11:11 PM
I'm the same, don't leave my post during the gig. Only time would be if I used the little boys room or if I was persuaded to get something from the buffet. Only thing I drink during the gig is water and I usually take a bottle with me.

Just noticed alot of you seem to DJ alone. Is this the majority?
I always have a crew mate to help out with setting up and breaks etc. Its good to have some one elses ideas flowing for music and when im on "the decks" he goes out and dances and generally interacts with people. Its works well for me...

rob1963
09-09-2007, 11:53 PM
I'm the same, don't leave my post during the gig. Only time would be if I used the little boys room or if I was persuaded to get something from the buffet. Only thing I drink during the gig is water and I usually take a bottle with me.

Exactly the same here.

It's not very professional to leave your post, even early on when you just have background music playing.

What if someone goes up to the disco to ask for an announcement or to cut the music...only to find nobody there?

Dragonfly
10-09-2007, 12:04 AM
I dont either .... infact im such a stickler for how things should be done that i have very dodgey knees and ankles (collapsed joints allsorts lol) but despite being told to sit down by various people .... for 4 hours + I STAND behind my decks because i feel its what should be done , i wouldntwalk off during a gig .... maybe to ask a b and g if everything is ok for them and is things are as they want if i can see them in close proximity but otherwise im manning the station.

plus it only takes one wannabe todecide he wants to be a dj while you are at the bar/toilet etc, ok may be different if you have a roadie i concede.

rob1963
10-09-2007, 12:10 AM
it only takes one wannabe to decide he wants to be a dj while you are at the bar/toilet etc.

Absolutely, even if you're only gone for 2 minutes.

After all, at my gigs there's already a wannabe DJ doing the other 3 hours & 58 minutes anyway!

:D

flatliners
10-09-2007, 02:11 PM
the light on his rigg might of been a wizzard nice effect but i wouldnt trust one on its own

Ricesnaps
10-09-2007, 02:28 PM
Do you know what, I actually plan into my night breaks away from the gear. Granted I have a roadie, so the station is always manned, but it's really important to me to mingle with the guests and find out how things are going.

A quick walk outside the venue is always a good thing to do - catch the smokers! A lot of the time guests will chat to you and tell you how it's going or what they would like to dance to when your NOT behind the decks.

I'd say standing behind the decks for 4 hours solid isn't always the done thing!