Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Couple of rubbish sounding gigs. It's no fun when you're trying all the tricks and nothing seems to be working. Having the bar in a seperate room is usually asking for stuff like this to happen.

I've just been drafted in to play bass for my brother's wedding band on Wednesday night at a fancy hotel in town.

It's a corporate do where they want "band-e-oke". Karaoke but with a live band.

2 hours worth of playing, decent cash and I'll only need to take my bass guitar and an amp so it's a 1 run load in.

Never done a band-e-oke gig before but my brother assures me they're usually pretty fun and easy so it'll be interesting to report back on it.

Not a DJ gig so delete if it's not kosher but I thought I'd do a wee story about this one since it was so different.

Turned out to be great fun and ridiculously easy.

The hotel was dead in the centre of town. I drove my brother in and we managed to get parked right outside the loading door. 50 yards down a corridor and we were in our room

The room itself was tiny. About the size of a medium sized rehearsal room. We were assured this was OK since there were only 10 people coming. I started to get worried but set up my stuff. Several points struck me about this:

1. It is much quicker and easier setting up an amp with a bass guitar running straight into it as opposed to a full DJ rig with audio and lights.

2. This is offshot by the fact that you have 4 other guys stuff to help with and that's before you get to the band PA and so on.

We sound checked running through a few numbers me and the keys player (who was also depping) were unsure about and we were sounding pretty good.

Went and got suited and booted and headed downstairs to recce with the band before they came in.

The guy who was hosting the thing is independent of the band but he's good to deal with, had a ridiculous red silk gameshow host type suit on and a bunch of inflatable guitars, feather boa's, Elvis wigs etc... for the guests to use during the gig.

We didn't have a clue who had booked us except for the fact it was a corporate team building exercise :facepalm: I start having visions of us mincing through a bunch of songs to 10 folk in business gear that are drinking diet cokes because they don't want to be "that person"

Then they all rocked in dressed as the Village People and can can dancers.

It's honestly hard to think of a funner gig I've ever done. We were booked for 90 minutes and pretty much played solid for it with people from the group singing every song until the singer of the band did the last one (easy shift she had)

It was great fun and although there were a few sketchy parts in some songs (bearing in mind half of the band were last minute stand ins) we sounding great 95% of the time and the people loved it.

We got changed out of our suits, loaded out and after dropping off my brother and the singer I was in the house for half 10. Being the rock star that I trully am, I dived straight into bed with a cup of tea and my Springsteen biography

[Corabar Entertainment]

Sounds like fun, but I have one burning question...











































...what the heck is 'depping'?????

[CRAZY K]

Sounds like fun, but I have one burning question...











































...what the heck is 'depping'?????

Deputising--- a fairly commonly used expression in the live music circuit---ie sitting in for and replacing another musician because the original is unwell, unavailable or off on tour for better money--all of which we come across with Barn Dance Bands.

We know one Musician in a Barn Dance Band who derives quite bit of his income this way--playing fiddle for various Bands, Duos, Trios in various styles---

[Corabar Entertainment]

Cheers Alan!

[CRAZY K]

Well--- now completed my shared gig with the DJ using the Hotels best White tablecloth as frontage and refusing to share his equipment on spurious grounds.

No problem with that as mentioned before except the took the whole stage up and left me very little room to set up in--

I did an excellent Professional first set of the Crazy Barn Dance and then when he arrived to take over I totally ignored him and took my PA kit out the Hotel.

An interesting night ( one for Corabar Steve ) tonights client was recommended by the Hotel Wedding Coordinator who used to work at Wicksteed Park Kettering and knows me, Steve and I worked together there a few wet summers ago on a job she recommended.

Sooo if they need a decent DJ I know a few

[Corabar Steve]

Steve and I worked together there a few wet summers ago

Don't remind me.

[funkymook]

Well--- now completed my shared gig with the DJ using the Hotels best White tablecloth as frontage and refusing to share his equipment on spurious grounds.

No problem with that as mentioned before except the took the whole stage up and left me very little room to set up in--

I did an excellent Professional first set of the Crazy Barn Dance and then when he arrived to take over I totally ignored him and took my PA kit out the Hotel.

You obviously do have a problem if someone doesn't share their kit with you - perhaps you've come to expect it? (and what was his spurious reason?).

[CRAZY K]

You obviously do have a problem if someone doesn't share their kit with you - perhaps you've come to expect it? (and what was his spurious reason?).

Nope--I have a problem with people who have no obvious respect for the clients Wedding running smoothly, efficiently with the minimum of disruption--as evidenced by the fact that despite knowing very well another Entertainer was working with him the complete stage was swamped unnecessarily by kit leaving me two fire exits to set up in.

Nice.

I work all over England in a similar fashion with Bands, Discos and other Entertainers and not found any problems like this.

Spurious--so heres a guy with a standard mixer set up who says and I quote from the confused Bride--

Dear Alan
I am just e-mailing to confirm out barndance, for an 8.00 start on Thursday 20th December. I have been in touch with the DJ and he said unfortunately you cannot use his PA system as it is programmed for his set (or something like that...) is this going to be a problem.


This Bull S...t was also fed to the Wedding Cordinator who recommended me and was equally confused having seen Corabar Steve and I put on a combined show a few years ago together.

Still, thats dealing with a proper Professional DJ

Moving on im more concerned that tonight at the 18th Barn Dance/Disco someone is going to force me to play Gangman

[Shaun]

Nope--I have a problem with people who have no obvious respect for the clients Wedding running smoothly, efficiently with the minimum of disruption--as evidenced by the fact that despite knowing very well another Entertainer was working with him the complete stage was swamped unnecessarily by kit leaving me two fire exits to set up in.

Nice.

I work all over England in a similar fashion with Bands, Discos and other Entertainers and not found any problems like this.

Spurious--so heres a guy with a standard mixer set up who says and I quote from the confused Bride--

Dear Alan
I am just e-mailing to confirm out barndance, for an 8.00 start on Thursday 20th December. I have been in touch with the DJ and he said unfortunately you cannot use his PA system as it is programmed for his set (or something like that...) is this going to be a problem.


This Bull S...t was also fed to the Wedding Cordinator who recommended me and was equally confused having seen Corabar Steve and I put on a combined show a few years ago together.

Still, thats dealing with a proper Professional DJ

Moving on im more concerned that tonight at the 18th Barn Dance/Disco someone is going to force me to play Gangman

I completely agree with Martin, from your posts on this matter past and present it does look like you have a problem with people that don't allow you to hook into their system.

To be honest! I think from this point forward I will not even give a reason when I say no to such requests. A simple "sorry, this is not something I allow" will suffice. I wouldn't want any other hired entertainers to think my reasons are "spurious" simply because they don't like my answer.

[funkymook]

Did you speak to the DJ yourself?

Going by that email it appears the client asked on your behalf (and possibly misunderstood the reasons given, they don't sound very sure do they?).