Good Gig, Bad Gig.

Good gig number one of the weekend (hopefully the others will be similar :) ).

Tonight, a cheeky little wedding just 30 miles down the road from me in Suffolk. Nice little hotel, absolutely lovely couple who I'd spent many hours conversing with on my Sainsbury's breaks during the summer but never met. Even better, a very small room so only my small setup was required.

Now...I normally only use this particular setup for kids parties because I like to go the whole hog with hearts and stars and all that at weddings, and not the dot-spewers that are the WashFX5's. That said, tamed VERY nicely with Soundswitch (I still love that program), they actually looked quite good in a wedding scenario. I've managed to fix the first dance routines with a slow moving white derby which looks passable at a good old fashioned mirror ball.

I digress. What should have been a 40 minute setup time/room turnaround turned into just 15 (and yes....I did it!), the first dance was half an hour late (nowt to do with me) and it was a very small wedding. You know, the ones where you wonder if you're going to get many tootsies on the dance floor. I'd been sent a selection of 10 songs each from the bride and groom, the rest was down to me (and during our many phone calls we'd gone along the route of mainly 70's to 90's)...oh go on then!

Not much of the usual wedding fayre I must admit (certainly no Abba) but a very healthy dance floor for the vast majority of the evening apart from a couple of the groom's tracks which absolutely bombed....hey ho!

Lots of praise at the end of the evening from the bride, groom and the other important dignitaries. A few derogatory remarks from a couple of the younger guests because I wouldn't (couldn't! and even the duty manager told them that!) play on in exchange for cash and forget the :Censored::Censored::Censored: licensing laws (there's always one isn't there :daft:)

All in all, a good night. Out of the venue and back on the road in 20 mins, home half an hour later and ready and raring for the first of two kid's Halloween parties of the weekend tomorrow....using the exact same setup (I'm liking the 15-20 min setup).

For those wondering what can possibly be setup and running in 20 mins or under....here's a little piccie. The lighting's all pre-wired and the bottom of the lighting posts are bolted to the stand so it's literally a case of plonking the top section on, connecting it to the mains, plugging in the Prime4 and Bob's you're mother's brother :)

Maybe next year I need to concentrate more in easier get-ins/outs ;)

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Originally Posted by Imagine

Lots of praise at the end of the evening from the bride, groom and the other important dignitaries. A few derogatory remarks from a couple of the younger guests because I wouldn't (couldn't! and even the duty manager told them that!) play on in exchange for cash and forget the :Censored::Censored::Censored: licensing laws (there's always one isn't there :daft:)

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Funny you should say that! :whistle: Mine was my client. I'd been chatting with venue staff beforehand, who were telling me what they'd had to do to a DJ who overran. Client wanted me to play music as guests left ( milled about), despite me pointing out that I'd unplugged the laptop, and was about to pack the speakers. He was confident that his wallet would magically persuade the venue staff to let me carry on longer. Fortunately, he was wrong. :)

Mine was an engagement party, which looked like a disaster for me early doors. A playlist of three artists, recent chart and classics. First couple of hours are spent chatting, and I play recent(ish) chart, and suchlike. I can't get any serious dance floor action, until I am saved by some Irish Ladies, who are In The Mood For Dancing! :DI won't pretend that opened the floodgates, but from then on, I had a very healthy floor for most of the time. A strong female contingent stopped me from heading into Indie territory, where my playlist indicated I would end up. I arrived there in the last hour for the biggies, Dancefloor/Brightside/Sex on fire etc.

Many guests were very appreciative as I wheeled my wheelbarrow through the streets broad and narrow ( pulled my trolley through the masses of inebriated bodies standing in my way. Venue wouldn't let me use the huge fire doors two feet from the stage, insisted I trolley it through the building. Understandable, as it would have let lots of cold air and dead leaves in, but still a pain in the posterior).

Overall, marked down as a win, but hard fought. I hope and expect tonight's 50th to be easier and better. Time will tell. :confused:

PS. A guest decided I was a double for a famous TV star. Guesses welcome( I think). If you're under fifty, you've got no chance. ;)

I know Peter! Or maybe not. I don't want to get myself banned.

My thing last night was much harried over by the groom. Uplights were added on & paid for but little did I know the original plan for 80 guests had been modified. To THIRTY.

Had I known I'd have been inclined to suggest they replaced me with an iPod.

I've done quieter parties with less appreciative crowds but it still wasn't what I'd call much fun. Quiet ones aren't too bad when at least some guests engage & request tracks. When said tracks are hoovers like Shallow by Gaga & Bradley Cooper, not so much. Nobody was more surprised than me that it reached its conclusion at midnight.

Oh & happy anniversary to me! I've been going to that venue for the last seven years now. Get less for murder! :lol:

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Originally Posted by Excalibur

PS. A guest decided I was a double for a famous TV star. Guesses welcome( I think). If you're under fifty, you've got no chance. ;)

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Originally Posted by Nakatomi

I know Peter! Or maybe not. I don't want to get myself banned.

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Maybe not, young 'un. :) I think you're too young. I will say that once upon a time it was David Cassidy, and many years later Tom Selleck. The guest's suggestion wasn't quite as flattering, but undoubtedly accurate.

I just checked, and Theo said it in 2008 on here! Cheeky little imp.

Good gig number 2 of the weekend - I'm on a roll :)

Tiny little village hall 30 miles away for what's been billed as a kids Halloween party. No problemo.....until I learn that they range from 4 years old (I normally tend to veer away until they get to 6), and that there's 40 of 'em ..... EEEEEK!

Know what though - brilliant couple of hours, lots of happy kids and parentals, several business cards given out and even one of the parents taking me aside at the end and asking if I could do her daughter's birthday party next Saturday.....erm....nope!

I did find out why I'm working over the other side of Cambridgeshire on kids parties so often at the moment though. Apparently there's a real lack of guys and girls not willing to take on such parties and it's getting so they're having to book those that do months in advance....this can only be a good thing :)

Got given an entire Victoria Sandwich to bring home, no requests for "one more song" and no-one telling me I was a :Censored: DJ because I didn't play their request. I could get used to this lifestyle ;)

So, home nice and early on a Saturday evening with fish and chips beckoning followed by a few small sherries until I go and repeat tomorrow afternoon. God it's good to be back in the saddle and working flat out again :)

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Originally Posted by Imagine

God it's good to be back in the saddle and working flat out again :)

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Ain't that the truth? ;)

Another slow burner for me again. Golf Club in Lincolnshire, about ten miles from where I was last week! 50th Birthday for a lovely lady, with an all too familiar back story. :( Hadn't planned a party, wanted a holiday. Covid shot that down, so Golf Club said" Giz a job. I can do that. Organise food, party and Disco".
Ah yes, Disco. Might explain why when I turned up, the first words from the manager were " don't dare leave without giving me cards"! Couple of weeks before the party,Club ring client and say " About this disco. Or technically, lack of Disco". :( Client is told the club can't find one, so can she?

Add to Event to the rescue, by providing quotes from me and A.N.Other. I win on honesty, charm and dashing good looks. ( OK, two out of three....... ) The room was really lovely for guests, and the classic DJ nightmare. Buffet is as far as it's possible to be away from me without leaving the building, and the bar is set to intercept dancers as they head for me. The room is big, and my little kingdom is tiny. Small, but perfectly formed.

I have a playlist of sorts, Soul, Dance, Pop, Indie, mainly from 80's/90's. I think it's great, guests ignore it mainly. :( To be fair, I was playing the less dance floor friendly stuff first. Eventually Lulu comes to my rescue, as requested by a lovely lady who feeds me requests all night, some very leftfield ones among the good calls. Long story short, we establish the same healthy floor as Friday.

Guests and staff all very happy, a positive review expected, but still can't help feeling they both were not all they might have been. We are our own worst critics, I often think.

Third and final for me this week...a 6 year old birthday with a Halloween theme, half the guests of yesterday and a hall THREE TIMES THE SIZE!

I thought I was going to struggle on this one. The lighting did just do the job of illuminating things in what felt like an aircraft hanger. The load in wasn't the most pleasant in the world either. Why oh why when they build these places (and this one's only just been finished) don't they think of people like us as well and at least provide a dirt track to the side of the building to get in and out?

Something I've found over this weekend - it's not just the older guests that are reluctant to dance.

Now don't get me wrong, a 6yr old birthday is NEVER going to be a two hour rave which is why most of us doing the kiddy side of things do games as well. But...I suddenly twigged this afternoon (and to an extent yesterday) - this littlun's have never BEEN to any of the sorts of things we do. They'd have possibly been to the Xmas school disco before the lockdowns closed everything down and if they did...probably don't remember it. These boys and girls now turning 5-6 years old don't actually know HOW to dance or what to do at a party.

All ended well with the mums wanting a mass photos of the kids in front of the booth with me smiling in the background, and a random couple who were using the cafe at the front of the building asking for a business card for their anniversary next year.

It's now been decided that I need to come up with a suitable stage name for the kids parties by the way (by a couple of parents I know)....you know, like Mr Mayhem (already gone) or indeed our own Mr WhizzPop (I know....Mayhem's on here too...or was).

Any ideas from my assembled and esteemed colleagues?

Captain Chaos sort of strikes with me, but the jury's out :o

Right....time for a rest before next weekend's shenanigans.

Interesting observation about the kids and probably quite true.

I don't really count them as gigs but I'm my school's resident DJ (one of my favourite bits of feedback ever was a colleague saying: I never realised how :Censored::Censored::Censored::Censored: our discos were before you worked here, you're actually really good" :D

I was off most of the week with a chest infection but managed to make it in on Friday. Wall to wall double history then a quick plug into our ancient rack setup and off we went. I was feeling horrible by the end of the day but hey ho.

The kids loved it, they always do and it was nice to see them enjoying a bit of normality after all of this time.

Being an ASN school, they aren't particularly cool so the requests are always a bit strange - after 5 years of refusing I finally played some beegees for a kid in his final year that loves them. Requests for YMCA, 1D, Olly Murs, Gangnam Style. I fully look forward to the "you play loads of rubbish oldmysic" mocking tomorrow and for weeks to come.

Speaking of, a kid who just left at the Summer was mad into Cher and Celine Dion. He'd always come up with some elaborate story about how he wasn't bothered but his pal really wanted to hear I'm Alive or Believe. I'd always play them for him, he was a sweet kid and quite OCD so he'd always help dress the hall depending on the theme with stuff he'd bought and brought from home. It was a bit sad setting up alone without him buzzing around putting decorations and lights about. :(

As for a kids DJ name, obscure Bon Jovi reference but if it was me I'd go with Captain Crash.

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Originally Posted by Imagine

Any ideas from my assembled and esteemed colleagues?

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Something with your first name in might help when people book to know who you are.

Not sure I'd want to phone up and ask for "Mr Mayhem"

So Whacky Wayne or Wild Wayne could be a couple of options?

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Originally Posted by rth_discos

Something with your first name in might help when people book to know who you are.

Not sure I'd want to phone up and ask for "Mr Mayhem"

So Whacky Wayne or Wild Wayne could be a couple of options?

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Phone? PHONE? Do people still use that?

On the website (when I eventually finish it and come up with something I'm happy with), the about section will still mention me for the sake of the parents. The "persona" is more for in front of the kids. They seem to struggle with the name "Wayne" (there aren't many of those about that are their age after all!

* Mr Mayhem exists - he is/was a member on here and is on the kids and teens entertainers FB group and does very well ;)
* We used to have a guy in this area when my kids were small (not a DJ but an all-round kids entertainer type act) called Stripey Wipey.
* I remember when growing up seeing a regular holiday camp entertainer called "Poz" - and believe it or not he still appears to be in business (if memory serves me right, he was actually based somewhere in your neck of the woods Gavin :o ).
* I sort of remember Captain Crumble from Caister many years ago (although his book is the one I alluded to in a thread on the members area....cringe!)
* My five-greats Grandfather went by the name of Professor Roselia (I'll let the more eager of you look him up....let's just say entertaining kids is literally in the DNA)

I'm basically trying to separate DJ Wayne who's very good at weddings and dresses in a natty musical waistcoat from the clown that does kids parties in a DaveSounds style shirt, harlequin trousers and a scary hairy wig (equally well I might add). I need something that's easy for people to remember (kids and the parents that stay/get involved) and a little bit zany