No wonder we are given bad press..

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I was doing a photo booth on Saturday and the DJ turned up, set up and then didn't have any sound...Why? Because his laptop wasn't booting properly. Did he have a spare? No. Did he have CDs? No. Did he have a tablet/phone? No.

This went on for about an hour, so I went to speak to him and asked if he'd rung anyone to which he replied, he'd rung a mate but he wasn't in...He then rang his 'agent' who said there was nothing he could do and would have to try and get the laptop working. By this time it was 9pm, so I offered to download the first dance and lend him my iPad while I got someone to drive another laptop to him. This was nothing to do with us by the way, but I didn't want to see the bride disappointed. Soon after, he got the laptop booted and started the evening off.

Did I get any kind of thanks? No, of course not..

[funkymook]

Did I get any kind of thanks? No, of course not..

Hopefully he was too ashamed to speak to you!

[Excalibur]

I'd like to say I find that sort of behaviour hard to believe, but if I'm honest, it's probably typical of far too many DJs nowadays.

Disgusting.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

It wasn't just the DJ, it was his 'agent' and his attitude.

[velocityroadshow]

Wonder how much he charged

[Reel Feeva]

I remember a few years ago, the ceilidh band I am in was asked to do a wedding in Glasgow and we quoted to do the disco afterwards, and were charging £100 extra, and I would DJ that part, after all I was getting paid for turning up and drumming anyway. The bride said the hotel could supply a DJ for £50, so for me, that was the man to get.

However on the night the "DJ" turned up with hair like Young Einstein, wearing old Adidas tracky bottoms and a ripped blue wolly jumper to do the set up. His PA was old Carlsbro speakers and an old H&H amp. The lights were just some coloured bulbs in cabinets and used a table from the hotel with no cover, so quite clearly no investment had been made in his equipment for years. No starcloth, no DJ stand, nothing, but his PA, mixer, some CDs and his lights. Anyway after set up he went away without a sound check, and we started the ceilidh part, which was a hoot. We agreed that after an hour of ceilidh dancing he would come on and do some disco up to the buffet, and sure enough, about 58 minutes after we started he appeared, with the same attire and announced something over the mic, which was not audible, and proceeded to play Runrig, Loch Lomond, which in Scotland, is an end of evening song.

We left him with a full dancefloor, which immediately emptied, and the sound was so poor, that you couldnt make out the lyrics. Anyway, we came back on after the buffet and agreed timescales with him, and yet again, he failed to turn up with adequate time to load music and see how the crowd were enjoying themselves, and again proceeded to empty the dancefloor.

I genuinely felt sorry for the bride that night, but for me, if that is the sort of DJ the hotel were recommending, then I certainly wouldnt want an event there, I have never seen such poor standards for a long time. For the sake of £50 more, she could have had a decent light show, good sound, and someone who was well dressed and certainly would have waited until the end of the evening before playing Runrig, as in myself.

I have plenty more horror stories from over the years, but for me this was the worst I have ever seen.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

A couple who's civil partnership I did last year sent me an e-mail over the weekend.

They've started a room dressing biz on the back of their wedding and took a photo of the DJs set up from Saturday night - honestly probably the worst example of this I've ever seen.

A PAINTED facade (which manages to spell karaoke wrong

Speakers on the ground aka not even bothered to buy / bring poles

Couple of cheap lights sitting on top of said speakers (hey if hey ain't bringing speaker poles, is a T bar likely?

It looks like something from Pheonix Nights.

Now on a personal note, if someone wants to have that for their wedding and pay appropriately then that's no concern to me, neither are the sids of this world however a room full of people will have turned up and seen that on Saturday night and ultimately their opinion of mobile jocks will be tarred by the sight of it.

And before someone chimes in saying "gear does not the DJ maketh" I fully subscribe to that but is a guy who won't invest or can't be bothered putting his speakers on stands likely to have a top quality professional attitude?

[yourdj]

I genuinely felt sorry for the bride that night

I wouldn't - its their fault for booking a £50 DJ - everyone knows that cheap = crap.
I assume the hotel did not add on an extra £200??

If they had stretched to a measly £100 and got you then they would not have any problems.
Whats the "going rate" in Scotland for the allotted time period he had.

What was this DJ charging Darren, its amazing how many DJ's don't have back up, especially a second sound system!

[Excalibur]

I wouldn't - its their fault for booking a £50 DJ - everyone knows that cheap = crap.
!

Toby, I suspect that on many occasions I fall into the category " Cheap. ". Let's just say that I believe your logic is flawed, and leave it at that.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I wouldn't - its their fault for booking a £50 DJ - everyone knows that cheap = crap.
I assume the hotel did not add on an extra £200??

If they had stretched to a measly £100 and got you then they would not have any problems.
Whats the "going rate" in Scotland for the allotted time period he had.

What was this DJ charging Darren, its amazing how many DJ's don't have back up, especially a second sound system!

I've no idea how much he was or if it was recommended or booked through the venue.

He wasn't using any kind of stand - a clothed table with a CD Mix type unit and a laptop with no sound card, just a line out.

Cheap isn't always crap Toby, but you do have to question why some people are so cheap.