Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[Excalibur]

Well Wayne, two things. Insulated storage facilities mean kit doesn't alternately cook or freeze. Also, I'm soon going out to set up a Zebra, black speakers, all white lights, in a tent with my end like the black hole of Calcutta! Yes, the full starry, starry night cloth. Not just the ceiling, but all walls as well.

Last night was almost a belter. Out with the FFN in a village hall, set up the kit, wait for three hours, then take over for a hall full of well oiled and eager punters for around an hour. Fish in a barrel.

Two issues, first there were balloon arches for some unknown ( to me ) reason. After a few glasses of vino collapso, it was deemed a fine idea to burst the damn things, sounding like the battle of the Somme, and covering the floor in glitter/confetti. Come tidying up time, the volunteer team of cleaners express their displeasure at having to try to shift this stuff off a soggy floor. Brushes weren't working too well, and neither was the vacuum cleaner they tried.

Biggest annoyance for me was the heffalump who barged into the booth, giving it an almighty thump. She then sat down on the low stage, not realising she had overturned a bottle of lager, and sat in it! Cue one grumpy old DJ personhandling her out of it, and heaving out all the bags from under the booth to above the high water mark.

Hey ho.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Had a run of absolute crackers these past few months so roll it on.

When not being a superstar DJ I teach at a secondary Additional Suppt Needs school and Thursday was their prom.

Booking somewhere was problematic as even inviting the S5 cohort you're only looking at 30ish kids and most venues wanted minimum numbers so we had it in the school hall US style.

The place looked great once it was decorated, dancefloor down, led 2022 etc...

I was of course het as resident (and free) DJ. I started at the same time as these kids so I've got a soft spot for them and it was a lovely night. The kids all looked great,their requests veered from the latest Tok Tok garbage to the BeeGees and John Denver.

They had a blast and it was really nice to see them enjoying themselves.

Probably won't make it onto the website but the kids feedback was great:

"This stuff is all yours? All of it? So you're like a real proper DJ?"

"So you actually HAVE won awards and people DO pay you to DJ? We always thought you were winding us up."

And my personal favourite:

"I thought you'd be crap but you were actually really quite good sir. Well done."

[Excalibur]

Probably won't make it onto the website but the kids feedback was great:

"This stuff is all yours? All of it? So you're like a real proper DJ?"

"So you actually HAVE won awards and people DO pay you to DJ? We always thought you were winding us up."

And my personal favourite:

"I thought you'd be crap but you were actually really quite good sir. Well done."

Aw Jim! Some things money can't buy.

[Nakatomi]

DJs of Facebook groups: "oh I love gay weddings. They're always crazy fun". The reality: just like any other wedding they rely on guests who are up for a good party.

Suffice to say that I died last night for the first four hours, and every guest who requested a track bar one openly admitted they weren't going to dance Then just as I'd finally made a breakthrough it was time to herd everyone outside for sparklers.

The last hour was ok & I mixed my way through a bunch of lady gaga (groom requests) , steps & EDM classics til the end.

As the staff cleared away, several empty bottles of brands not sold by the venue were found. How odd - drinking their own contraband & still not getting lively? Hmmmm.

[Excalibur]

Marquee wedding less than half a mile from home. Working with an excellent band, and being so close, I set up my lights and PA before they arrived. Long narrow marquee, and we were placed at one end, with bar next to our enclave ( we were behind a curtain, as a surprise factor ) and guests past that. I knew we had a string quartet for the afternoon, then speeches, meal and finally ( after a long pause ) the Disco and Band.

Placement of a lot of things was " sub optimal " shall we say? The place where I should have thought to set up a couple of Mauis for speeches was to be used by the string quartet, and also happened to be the entrance to the tent. Not ideal. Also, I looked at the dance area, setup space, band's space requirements, numbers of people, and decided the Polars were more suitable. Good choice, until the band turn up with an Ev rig with 18" bins and 12" tops! Oh crap.

When speeches were due, I lashed one Maui on battery power into a Polar output, to bolster the sound. Good move, but limited choice of suitable space
and a string quartet still playing made it trickier than it need have been. Speeches over, I became the string quartet through the meal, until cake cutting, before the grand reveal, and first dance, when I had to hurriedly move my Maui, and retreat to base.

The band took over after I had done the first dance, and a couple more songs. They were slick and professional, and lovely lads as well. The weather had turned cold, and I expected guests to drift away early, especially when it was quiet after the band's first set ended. However, after they finished their second set, the twenty odd remaining guests had a second wind, and were really lively until just I finished after midnight.

All in all, a good gig, but with a bit better use of space, could have been a belter.

[Excalibur]

Am I repentant? Of course not, I followed it with Barbie Girl ( or vice versa, I forget).

An all day wedding I'd been looking forward to. A playlist ranging from Industrial Metal, Pirate Metal, Heavy Rock through 80s/90s Pop and ending up with Cheese including Barbie Girl and Birdie Song. Something for everyone then.

With the preponderance of Rock/Metal on the list, I'd decided that the 1812 was best suited to the task. Well, yes, but Mr Grumpy who lives next door isn't a fan of heavy bass lines it seems, so turn the tops up, and cut the bass. Not ideal, but I've heard worse.

We had the ceremony outside, just before a heavy shower, which had me hurriedly getting my kit into the tent. Cue sun coming out, when I should have been doing background outside. Venue saved the day by playing their rig in the bar, where everyone had sought shelter.

It's wonderful venue, with a huge house, cabins, acres of grass, a stream, play area and trees. Add to this a switched on team of staff, and loads of external power, and apart from Mr Grumpy, it's perfect.

We all had afternoon tea, then speeches, a Duck Race, and on to the evening. It was a tad sporadic while the sun shone and the temperature was high, but once the light and heat faded, it was party central for me. Apparently I was so far within the noise levels that nobody mentioned it, and yet it was perfectly loud inside. No matter what I played, they danced. This bride and groom really knew their guests. At midnight, I played the last song, and went from " the best DJ ever" to one worthy of a rubbish review, because I didn't play " one more song ". Ah well.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Didn't quite lower myself to the Birdie Song but I had an English couple's wedding just outside Edinburgh on Saturday. I've no idea why but you guys REALLY like the low hanging fruit.

I don't think I've ever done as many 'line' dances in a single evening. The one complaint being that I played the Damian version of the Time Warp as opposed to the really horrible one from the OST.

I made a bit of an arse of planning - we're down near Annan int he borders for a break. I did all the booking then went "hmmmm, I seem to have booked Friday to Friday and I have a gig on the Saturday" so I had to drive up the M74 on Saturday AM to pick up my gear, boost over the Tranent for the gig, head back to Glasgow to dump everything in my neighbours lock up and feeling a bit fresh decided just to head back down that night. Following a minor ' you need to get diesel and FAST' emergency that may or may not be linked to my late night driving speed, I got back to the wife, dog and rural lodge at about 4:30 am.

Funny turn of events aside from that ^ en route to the gig from Glasgow I was thinking about how it would be nice to have a roadie and thinking of people I could offer the job to. £100 to do absolutely everything bar actually leaving the DJing to me is a cushy shift really isn't it? They could even film me at points. Blowing my own trumpet - I'm getting really quite good at the video montages I do but since I'm behind the camera there's never any footage of me myself. I digress:

Cue load in where I'm told they way they empty the room it makes more sense for me to go round the side and load everything in literally through a big bay window. Humphing the stuff through wasn't too bad (though I'm really glad I no longer have my Peavey HiSys or as I liked to call them - the widow makers) but clambering in and out of it multiple times left me feeling VERY stiff yesterday.

Video is looking very nice but like a numpty I left my drone (with micro sd footage) back in Glasgow so I've edited it all together and hopefully can drop the drone footage in without too much incident when I get back on Friday.

[Nakatomi]

Didn't quite lower myself to the Birdie Song but I had an English couple's wedding just outside Edinburgh on Saturday. I've no idea why but you guys REALLY like the low hanging fruit.

Oh no we don't

I don't think I've ever done as many 'line' dances in a single evening. The one complaint being that I played the Damian version of the Time Warp as opposed to the really horrible one from the OST.

For my money the only good Damian one (if you can call it that) s the 'movie version'. I think it was the original before PWL issued the one that ended up charting. Otherwise I generally play my own edit of the OST version (denoised & EQ'd) if pressed.

Anyway talking of overplayed tracks how many times do you manage to escape without ending a night with Runrig?

[Excalibur]

Didn't quite lower myself to the Birdie Song but I had an English couple's wedding just outside Edinburgh on Saturday. I've no idea why but you guys REALLY like the low hanging fruit.
.

Oh no we don't

OH YES WE DO!

The one complaint being that I played the Damian version of the Time Warp as opposed to the really horrible one from the OST.
.

I too have had the exact same complaint. It happens.

For my money the only good Damian one (if you can call it that) s the 'movie version'. I think it was the original before PWL issued the one that ended up charting. Otherwise I generally play my own edit of the OST version (denoised & EQ'd) if pressed.

Anyway talking of overplayed tracks how many times do you manage to escape without ending a night with Runrig?

I bow down to your superior knowledge of the track in question, Justin. For me, it's PWL every time, unless instructed otherwise.

Re overplayed tracks, on Saturday, I didn't play Brightside, Sex on Fire, Not Nineteen Forever, Summer of '69, You Give Love a Bad Name, and loads of other Usual Suspects. It was curiously liberating.

[Imagine]

I've no idea why but you guys REALLY like the low hanging fruit.

Oh no we don't

OH YES WE DO!

Got to admit, I'm getting more and more weddings where they're REQUESTING the low hanging stuff on Deckbooks before the event. I've got a couple coming up later in the year which are well and truly cringeworthy but hey....money's money and if that's what the customer wants....

I too have had the exact same complaint. It happens.
I bow down to your superior knowledge of the track in question, Justin. For me, it's PWL every time, unless instructed otherwise.

I rarely get asked to play that one but when I do, I'm with the Old Git (the OST one is horrible)

Re overplayed tracks, on Saturday, I didn't play Brightside, Sex on Fire, Not Nineteen Forever, Summer of '69, You Give Love a Bad Name, and loads of other Usual Suspects. It was curiously liberating.

I haven't played Brightside for several weeks - is it finally losing its popularity? In fact a couple of recent weddings have actively banned it