Good Gig, Bad Gig.

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Originally Posted by Chris G

Hi Paul,

Current Top 40 stuff, Rihanna, Britney, Katy Perry, Jessie J, The Wanted, Katy B, Cee - lo Green, that sort of stuff

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From experience on Sat night (in a club, mainly filled with 18-25 age bracket) the current chart stuff actually isn't going down too well with only a few exceptions - namely Cee-lo Green, Katy Perry (but not ET) and Rihanna - and the majority has a very short shelf life (measured in 1-2 weeks). I've been finding a lot of "Chart" from the last 6 months still goes down better than some of the current (Wretch32 for example).

From my own experience of 30th birthday parties, while people may ask for "modern" music or "current", they will rarely dance to it. Secretly they're all just waiting for someone to play "Love Shack", "Come on Eileen" or "Red Red Wine". I reckon it's like a mini mid-life crisis, 30 somethings just want to be seen as young and trendy, but are really just there for a bit of Dad dancing :D

I include myself in the above by the way... :o

Julian

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Originally Posted by DJ Jules

From experience on Sat night (in a club, mainly filled with 18-25 age bracket) the current chart stuff actually isn't going

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Totally agree the shelf life is very short at moment - As discussed in another forum there seems to be a change taking place in the charts at present the big artists seem to be teamin up with house/trance jocks and producing cheesy dance numbers - these seem to work for me at present - they are also very dj friendly to mix in so you dont have to play whole tune etc

But your are right at a party - party music always seems to work best . shame there is no recent proper party numbers - Actually Im gonna start a new thread TUnes released in the last 12 months that we will still be playing in 10 years !

Right folks, brace yourselves. Cocoa and comfy chair time again.

Wednesday, I had an 18th booked locally, at a venue unknown to me access and facility wise. I've driven past it hundreds of times, but never been, it's a trendy little cafe bar. Wednesday afternoon, I go for aq recce, after all, forewarned is forearmed. There is a nice sign on the front door. " Closed for redecoration, re-opening after Easter"!!!Whaaaaat? :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: Cue frantic phone calls, and it turns out that all is well, we are to be expected, and welcomed as planned. :D :D

I turn up half an hour earlier than I would have, and find the friendly staff at the rear of the building, by the fire escape. This offers me good access to the upstairs room where I shall be playing. I am informed that because the alley I am in is a shared access, and the neighbours are none too amenable, would I unload the gear,move the van, and then bring the gear in. No problem. I move the van, and when I get back, all the gear is already upstairs!! :eek: :D :D Lovely. :D

As may be expected, gear is minimal, only the Powerbar for lighting ( doesn't matter, it copes easily ) two warriors and the lightest amp. I get set up in a nice corner with four, yes four 13 amp sockets immediately behind me, and away I go. Ready in loads of time, but bare minimum of kit.

In come the first punters. Gadzooks, but the outfits!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: I don't know whether they're auditioning for Spearmint Rhino, holding an Ann Summers party, going to the Rocky Horror Show, or what! :confused: The birthday boy didn't share his ethnic origin with what I took to be his stepmum, and she too had entered into the fancy dress theme. I have no idea what her outfit signified, but she looked very fetching in what there was of it.

The theme was Hollywood nights, and we had Avatar, Iron Man, some remarkably interesting Cruella de Villes, Superman, an Officer who was no Gentleman ( cos she had forgotten her trousers. ) and Olivia Neutron Bomb from Grease ( The outfit at the end of the film. ;) ) among others I didn't even recognise. At this point, with the amount of flesh on show, I was worried that I might go blind, or have a coronary!

Away we went, and I was pleased that after recent discusions about dress code, I had put on my Hawaiian shirt. Cool. :cool:
I spent three hours playing all the expected dross, working my fingers to the bone, and getting foot tapping at best. Just over an hour to go, and a young lady asks if I can play Macarena. Well, the floodgates opened, the floor was jam packed with bodies, and we followed on with Saturday Night, YMCA, Britney, Gimme Some, Oops, Hokey Cokey, and a veritable cheesefest. Then I did something unforgivable. It was so bad, that I'm not sure I can tell it here. :( :( :o :o :o :o :o I know what, I'll put it in code. Track five. http://www.7digital.com/artists/blac...s/05-Superman/

I finished on New York, and got a round of applause. Out in twenty five minutes, home in fifteen more. A great end to what had started worryingly.

Mixed emotions.

Literally just got in. I had to deal with a bridezilla all night (she wasn't a bride...it was her 40th)

She put a real damper on the whole evening. TBF, I wasn't on top form and occasionally struggled to keep them entertained. 7.00pm to 1.30/45am is a long time to keep folks on the floor!

The dancing was good with some funky requests but the birthday girl was adamant I stick to her list...so much so, she made me another photocopy of it during the evening!

Full report with pictures and video tomorrow.

Night all.

just got into work - tip no 1 never work the next day after a gig :(
40th birthday party - very very family orientated more kids than adults - I personally thought I had played a stinker - had 15 people max dancing - dancefloor was dead most of the night - Persons whos birthday it was though t I was great so did her husband and they said that they wanted to book me again ????? Must be one of thoose parties where people just dont dance

Peter - Loved your review! Sounded a classic!
Charlie, 7.00pm - 01.30am is a long time to DJ. We've all had gigs like that so I wouldn't worry.
Paul - The people were happy with you so it's just one of those things. I had one like it a few weeks back.

we did an 18th on Friday night, simmilerly to Excalibur's crowd, i struggled to get them to dance until i played the cha cha slide. Instant packed floor. From then on they danced quite happily to anything

Yes this happens to me most weeks..The moment you put cheesy songs on they get up..Although i do not like playing cha cha slide,Saturday night etc.Its what the customers wants that counts..

Wedding on saturday night was a good one,non stop dancing.I was asked to finish of with sinattra new york new york.Never had that one as the last dance for a long time.

Shame about the distance from my van to the function room door.I had to walk through the gardens.it was also heavy rain,so not an ideal start to the night but still my party was a good one.

Had a great night on Friday, playing Wahoo in Oxford. I got the call on Wednesday as their usual Friday night DJ couldn't make it and I know the promoter pretty well.

The town was quiet so there was no more than 100 in all night, but those that were there made sure that they had a good time. The dancefloor was busy nay packed from around 11pm right until 3am.

The music was a mixture of chart dance and rnb, plus some older dance and rnb tracks plus a bit of cheese here and there thrown it,

Traktor Pro 2 performed flawlessly (second time out for this new version).

As it's a late one I have the relationship where they know they can ask me to cover, because I can't take getting home at 4am every week ;-O