I agree mate but the bar was separate from the room that I was in and it was pretty busy with people dancing.
Like I said, I didn't think people had noticed it.
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I agree mate but the bar was separate from the room that I was in and it was pretty busy with people dancing.
Like I said, I didn't think people had noticed it.
I meant if someone had swung at a barman, they'd have had the clown out on his ear in no time.
You're a bigger man than me carrying on despite it, I'd have killed the music until he'd been thrown out and have done so for much less in the past.
I managed to get 2 hours into my first gig of 2013 before being asking for Gangnam Style :rolleyes:
50th birthday party in a bowling club not too far away. I was also doing a vocal set and the guys nephew was going to play guitar and sing at some point during the night.
It was a nice room for it being a bowling club and although I was stuck in the corner and had to set up a bit squint, I manaeged to get everything looking and sounding good.
Good range of folk from kids (who were mesmerised by the mega bar blaring away behind my table scrim :D ) right through to your old yins so I got to play a good mix.
The vocal set was a blast. Started off with a bit of Robbie Williams then went to the classics with a heavy bit of cheese (Achy Breaky Heart anyone?) thrown in for good measure.
The guys weren't particularly up for it but the women were on the dancefloor for every song, singing down the mics, grabbing parts of me I won't mention in public etc... It was really fun and I had someone come along to shot new video and pics for the website so hopefully we've got plenty to work with from it.
The guys nephew went on right after me at 11 and started playing a lot of mid to low tempo stuff. He was really good but singing Iris after people have been up shaking it to me singing the Gambler and Brown Eyed Girl muted the atmosphere a bit.
He finished up and I played out the last 40 minutes pretty much non-stop with requests and a mostly full dancefloor. I'm convinced there were some guys in there who didn't leave their seat even to go to the bar!!!
The boy who had sung asked for Wonderful Tonight as last order was called and it went down a treat. I've not spun it for years but I'll need to keep it in mind because everyone dug it.
Very good feedback from everyone after it, I got a great video testimonial from the birthday boys wife as it was her that booked me and the pile of cards I'd left on the bar at the start of the night were gone before I'd even started singing so all in all a very good start to 2013.
Well last night I got very worried!! :eek: When I went into the Golf Club and saw it was a 60th Birthday party for twins, and I realised that in two and a half years, I'll be having mine! :eek: I'm now beginning to believe I may be becoming old. :(
The night was absolutely par for the course, playing to the under fives chasing the lights round the dancefloor till their bedtime. Then all the easy tracks till buffet* was over, and pick the pace up for the last bit. For ages, I could hardly get anyone on the floor, with only one request for four hours, and when drink had been taken, and chatting to family done, guess what? Twenty in the last ten minutes. It was ever thus.
* Buffet. I was instructed by the organiser to go and help myself, so I did do. Just as I'd finished it, she came over with a plateful for me, believing that I'd refused to leave my post to get some. Ah well. :D
Snap, in almost every respect. I used to close with it, and haven't done for years. I did last night, and it did indeed go down a storm.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ
I had to close with the proverbial 500 miles and Loch Lommond as per usual but I'll definitely keep it in mind. It made a nice last little 15 minutes.
I hate when people come up with a bunch of requests when you've got next to no time to play them. I had one or two last night I had to refuse given that the bar had already closed and I was clearly playing the last few songs. I usually make an announcement around an hour before I finish saying if you have any requests, you'd better be sharp in getting them to me or it might be too late. Then if anyone comes up and you can't play their song, they've had fair warning.
I also had a guy go in a total huff because I wouldn't let him sing karaoke. Trying to explain to him that it's not karaoke it's a live vocal set and apart from that, the people organising it would have asked for karaoke if they'd really wanted it must have been Swahili because the guy just couldn't comprehend why I wasn't letting him sing and went in a right strop.
The ironic thing is, if he'd got off his backside and joined in with everyone else dancing and enjoying it instead of sitting with his face tripping him I'd have given him the mic to sing part of the song as I did with a handful of people up on the floor and at tables who were getting into it and enjoying themselves.
Don't quote me, but I think either of those are now regarded as grounds for justifiable homicide. :mad: ( And before anyone thinks I'm advocating euthanasing punters, it was a joke. Only just, but it was a joke. :D:D )Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ
I love "Wonderful Tonight". If I ever play a "slowie" by choice, WT is it!
Rough weekend for me. Saturday night was a wedding in one of my usual hotels. It was a fairly last minute booking, and wasn't a stunning night. Nothing to horrendous, but it just didn't seem to fully get into gear. I think one of the problems is that there were so many children there, and a lot of people left early to put the kids to bed. By 2320, there were around 16 left - 8 in the room, 8 in the bar downstairs.
Some great comedy from a guy who may well be a member here...he claimed to be a DJ. He first came to my attention when I was on my way back from the loo, and he was chatting to Roger (my DJ - we work together at most gigs now...it's saved me from that point last year when I would've rather slurped the jelly from my own eyes than ever do another gig!) about the kit. He came to my attention the second time as the moron that nearly had to have the hotel evacuated by smoking in the gents toilet (which, try as I might, I can't understand. After all, who'd want to stand outside chatting when you can stand on your own next to some dude having a dump?!). Toward the end of the night he came over and asked/slurred at me to play "Beautiful Monster" by Ne-Yo...which I didn't have. He was incredulous; I explained to him, seeing that he was a DJ :rolleyes:, that with chart music being so disposable these days, I rarely buy new music unless it pops up on a request list, or I'm asked for it, in which case I download on the fly. Anyway, I downloaded it for him, while he told me that he had four hard drives containing 28,000 songs. "Wow", I said "you must've spent nearly £25,000 on music. That's impressive". "No", he said.
"Oh, how much was the Produb licence to copy that lot then"?
"The what"? :daft::daft::muppet::muppet:
He then went on to tell us how he was a four time disco dancing champion, and if we played Ne-Yo we were in for a treat. Well, I had to. What followed was the most cringeworthy, David Brent style dance routine that followed with him running to the booth, giving Rog and I the jazz hands, and asking us if we enjoyed it!! Priceless. I know it's unprofessional, but Rog videoed it on his phone. When it's on You Tube I'll post the link :muppet::muppet:. He tried it again a couple of tracks later, but was physically escorted from the dance floor by another guest, and plonked firmly in his seat.
The night turned sour at the end for me...partly my own fault, but lesson learnt...always stick to your terms!!
Until today, I'm was of the guys that was still willing to accept cash on the night as payment. Not any more, as I've went home on Saturday with empty pockets! My terms state electronic payment 14 days prior, or cash on the night, and that if the cash option is taken, it's due on my arrival. My clients rarely take the cash option, and I hate rocking up to a B&G in whatever I've travelled to the gig in, and holding out my hand for the money before I've unloaded. So, despite what my terms say, I've always waited until the end to chase the cash if it's not offered when I arrive (which it usually is).
Well, Saturday's couple looked completely surprised when I asked them for payment as they got up to leave, and told me they hadn't got any cash!! They said they'd pay via my website in the morning - I told them that I want it by 10am, or I'd be interrupting their Sunday lunch! They actually paid at 0137 this morning, but, lesson learnt the hard way. Always stick to your terms...and I no longer accept cash payments.
Tonight is/was a different kettle of fish. I left my gear at the hotel last night because I am/was (:Censored:) booked for the hotel group's Xmas party tonight, which I do every year for expenses only. Rocked up there tonight at 1830 to find some other dude already set up!! Turn's out head office booked a DJ without thinking to tell the hosting hotel! The GM, and a GM from one of the other hotels were mortified. Super embarrassing all round. Odd weekend......
Crazy little afternoon for me today. I was booked for a 6yr olds birthday party for 5hrs from 3:00pm until 8:00pm. I had my doubts about this anyway, but they were compounded by the birthday girl having EB which basically means her skin blisters easily upon movement, and I was under instructions not to do any party dances or play musical chairs.
So. 5hrs. No party dances. No big movements. Tricky!
Anyway, turned up and the birthday girl might have been under instructions not to dance or move, but she obviously wasn't paying any attention. And the bouncy castle probably didn't help :D
I was also told that 80 guests were expected and in fairness I reckon they had 80 guests between the 3:00pm start and 7:00pm when the party died but they all only stayed for about 2hrs each. I did my job, I entertained the kids (including party dances) and plenty of people took business cards and complemented me on how well I kept them occupied, but I was fighting the face painter, the amateur guy doing balloon models and the bouncy castle for the kids attention and spent the last 2hrs of the party with VDJ on automix teaching the 5 remaining kids how to make balloon models to a better standard than the other amateur balloon modeller :D
Only downer was a bloke who was there with his 5yr old son who had a few too many fosters (at 4:00pm?!) and started off being quite normal and joining in with the kids games and then progressed to being a bit scary (having his face painted black) and then to downright abusive. It ended with him threatening me, the mother of the birthday girl and her grandmother and then being taken away by the police with his 5yr old son in the back of the police car.
One for social services in the morning I imagine...
If anyone ever asks me to do another 5hr kids party, the answer will be no.
Julian
If anyone ever asks us for a 3 hour kids party we always try and knock them down to two. But five hours??? You did well mateQuote:
Originally Posted by DJ Jules
Lesson learned I hope Johnathon. I was booked once for a 5 hour party for 8 year olds and despite telling the parents that it was too long for the kids, they insisted that it was that length. Cue me playing the last two hours to 10 very bored, very tired eight year olds who wouldn't respond to any incentive (games, prizes, offers of alcohol :rolleyes:) , from myself and their parents.Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ Jules
The organisers apologised at the end for not taking my advice but the customer is always right:p