Good Gig, Bad Gig.

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Originally Posted by Excalibur

The organiser ( daughter in law ) has paid the deposit online, and I ask if I'm getting an envelope stuffed with five pound notes, or a swift BACS. She's been an angel all night ( as have been everyone involved, really ) and is firmly convinced she's already paid the balance, and rung me to tell me. She remembers the conversation. I don't, and am prepared for a large helping of humble pie if she's right. There we are, mobile phones in hand, checking bank statements online. Turns out I was right, and she pays next morning, hence the post title. My contract states BACS five days prior, or cash on the night prior to starting, so thank you everyone who's going to post " unless I get payment six months before the event, I refuse to even load the van " I'm happy with my system usually.

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I know I don't need to say, but I'm going to anyway. I have my system because I've been in situations like this and, on more than one occasion, the money has not been forthcoming the following day*

As soon as you get into this situation you either have to accept that you might not get paid or you're facing the possibility that you might have to bundle someone into the back of your van until the money is in your account (and good luck with that!)

Julian

* Or the following day, or any of the days that followed that one.

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Originally Posted by DJ Jules

I know I don't need to say, but I'm going to anyway. I have my system because I've been in situations like this and, on more than one occasion, the money has not been forthcoming the following day*

As soon as you get into this situation you either have to accept that you might not get paid or you're facing the possibility that you might have to bundle someone into the back of your van until the money is in your account (and good luck with that!)

Julian

* Or the following day, or any of the days that followed that one.

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This.

Full balance 4 weeks out. Couple of automated reminders via DJEP in the run up to that and it runs like clockwork.

Tomorrow's bride was late paying by a couple of days but still plenty of time to get paid up and that's the first one in years that's been late.

You might be lucky and collect Bacs close to or cash on the night and never have any issues but you're opening yourself up to the potential to be bumped. I'd rather not, I'm running a business after all.

After several less than bouncing gigs on the trot recently, last night made me realise why I do this job.

A regular haunt in which fairly minimal kit looks more than enough, lovely staff (I ALWAYS get fed here :) ), and a couple of very special friends I've known for years who have finally tied the knot. I say special....the relationship's been a long and at times, very tough ride involving divorces etc, but I won't go into the details here.

So, rock up early, watch the speeches ('cos I wanted to see those), met with the duet doing the first dance who'd been there all afternoon, and set up in a different corner to normal. I thanked the coordinator profusely - I prefer where I was tonight for acoustics as opposed to where they normally put me and had put the duet instead. She actually mentioned at the end of the night that the audio had sounded much better as well. Well it would do....it's travelling the full length of a long and narrow wood panelled room and not across it.

Cake cut and first dance done (somehow despite the duet having mics, yours truly had to do the intros to those) and we're off and running. Very small playlist consisting of mainly cheddary goodness (yes I played the Cha Cha Slide and YMCA at a wedding). Don't know about everyone else but the "classics" are certainly making a comeback this year....I seem to be playing them an awful lot.

Dancing was good until the buffet was served an hour in, then sporadic until the final hour when those that were left went for it with aplomb to such delights as Sandstorm, Insomnia and similar! Guest requests started flowing in the last hour as well. To be fair though, it's been hot and sticky in these parts for the past couple of days....it was absolutely roasting in the venue. Sadly, air-con's not an option for them as they're a listed building.

Music off at 11:45 sharp (actually, 11:43;50), round of applause gratefully received and out of the venue by 12:10. Home and drinking wine by 1am....not a bad night in my books. Even better, wifey's working from home today and doesn't need a lift in....I'm spending the morning asleep :beer1:

Saturday we do it all again for a regular customer, a swimming club's awards night....always a lot of fun :)

Well, last Saturday was postponed due to a "pitch invasion" at the social club where it was being held. It's been moved so I've now got three on the bounce next weekend :o

Anyhoo.....tonight's gig.....very, VERY good for the most part (I'll come to the bad bits in a while).

Booked nearly a year ago for a chap's surprise 50th who does an awful lot of charity fundraising, this one was a Retro Roadshow gig (yippeeeee), with the music policy being anything from the 70s to the 90s (double yippeee), and a good smattering of Ska. Now Ska is quite a way from my comfort zone other than Bad Manners and Madness, so it took more than a little bit of research on that side of things to get it right. Happily, it worked.

The surprise had remained a surprise (his face as he walked in was priceless), dancing happened by the gallon, much beer was consumed (by them, not me), and even better, the venue's music license only goes to 11pm.

And now the not so good bit. A new venue to me (very nice I might add with built in HK PA and a nice lighting rig should you want to hire the associated techs to run them) with possibly the worst access I've ever encountered, involving backing up to a gate from a bend on a very busy main road, hand carrying everything through the pub courtyard because the trolley was going to be too awkward, especially with the size of the light screens and THEN, parking the van a good 10 minute walk away in a side street with free parking because everything nearer is limited to 30 minutes maximum stay. Mid twenties summer heat and lugging a metric tonne of kit like that left me shattered before I even started. Getting out was just as bad and because the pub side of things was still open, more difficult because of customers in the way.


Not a bad night and definitely a tick in the win column, but the access and egress well and truly dulled things.

Next week. two weddings and a swimming awards night.....no rest for the wicked.

As Arrow said: Wedding for a lovely laid back couple, organised by Father of the bride. Lovely Golf Club, near Chesterfield. He and his wife were lovely too. I arrived early and was lucky to be able to set up before they came inside from the lovely grassy areas outside. ( There's a clue to the title, folks ). Once inside, I had absolutely no idea who/what was outside. Everyone was called in for the first dance, and left shortly afterwards.

I had a varied playlist, and free rein as much as possible. The playlist leaned towards Indie, and I've found these often tend to be good gigs. It was difficult to time things, as numbers fluctuated so much, and you'd often have something awesome lined up to play, just as everyone went outside again. Grr. Nevertheless, I seemed to be on something approaching the same wavelength as Bride, Groom, and parents, and slipped one or two quite suitable tracks in from time to time.

I still had a minibus full at the end, and the night finished with Wonderwall, to a round of applause for me, hugs and handshakes from people and the bar manager, and a request for a card, as I'd been so good, and used a rig which fitted the ( tiny ) space they'd left me. Fifty years in, and I seem to be getting the hang of the game at last. :DJ:

I stayed overnight at a nearby hotel, as I have a wedding today near Sheffield. This one's not going to be laid back, as the venue have marked my cards at the site meeting. I foresee being allowed in late, as it's already overrunning, and then hearing the dreaded " aren't you ready yet " ten minutes later. It was a small rig last night, and this will be smaller. I've prebuilt and pre wired the lighting t-bar in the van already.

I'm in, I'm set up, I've got the code for venue Wifi, cos we're in the middle of the moors, and I've got a clean shirt and tie on. Ready to Rock and Roll. :D

Every now and then you get a booking which is really touching – and this afternoon was one such booking.

A 40 birthday for a lady with Downs Syndrome – with a difference. As she never had a school prom, would never get married etc her sisters decided to give her all that in her 40th celebrations.

So I had everyone standing and cheering as she entered the room with her Dad to her favourite song, speeches (formal) cake cutting, and a ‘first dance’ which she done herself for a short while then everyone joined in.

What followed was a fantastic party – even Karaoke which went down well – and there were stilt walkers, fire eaters, photobooth and even an event photographer.

Tears throughout the afternoon of joy from family and friends and when the birthday girl comes up with tears rolling down her cheeks to say she has had the best day ever – you know you have done ok and makes the job so worthwhile.

First up, a huge " Well Done " to Chris for his post above. Very touching.

OK, Mine. Wedding where we'd had a site meeting, and the Owner/Manageress was dismissive of any possibility of me setting up early, hence why I feared the " aren't you ready yet " after hanging around waiting for hours. There was another manageress there on the day who was absolutely lovely.

Anyway, after tuning the rig, a bit of prior assembly, and some hard work, I was in, set up, and suitably attired half an hour ahead of the revised schedule. The crowd were " lively " and one or two had imbibed copiously. I was very happy with the rig, Maui 5s, two Helix, and two big par cans.

No playlist, and after a slowish start, requests began to come in, and most of them worked surprisingly well. The perennial " drinks on dancefloor " arose, one young lady was miffed that I wasn't actually concentrating on here request, but rather the glass she was holding airborne. Eventually, we had one smash on the floor, and everything came to a halt while I chastised them for that. The sour manager had said they were bringing their own drink in, so I had to moan about that too, over the mic.

When we got to the end, and I explained to one chap that as the laptop was switched off, and shut up, the speakers were unplugged, and I was packing up, he wasn't getting " just one more song ", :doh: the formerly sour manager was very happy, and very appreciative of my help. Funny that, eh? :whistle: You catch more wasps with jam than vinegar. ;)

Had an absolute belter of a gig on Saturday night for a really nice couple only slightly marred by smashing my wing mirror on the fence when I got home! :daft:

With a bit of input from myself because they couldn't decide on the last song we did an extended false ending which went:

Deacon Blue - Dignity
Casso & RAYE - Prada (absolute banger people had been asking for all night, they went mental for it to the point I couldn't get near the crowd with my camera)
The Proclaimers - Life With You
Oasis - Live Forever

Bride was ecstatic with how we wrapped it up and her dad very kindly stuck a case of beer in my car as I was loading up at the end of the night.

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Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ

Bride was ecstatic with how we wrapped it up and her dad very kindly stuck a case of beer in my car as I was loading up at the end of the night.

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Funny you should mention that. My crowd on Sunday all seemed to have cases of beer in the boots of their cars too. :whistle: Venue owner wasn't happy about that, so I had to be Bad Cop yet again.