Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[Daryll]

Yep , guess we all have them................
I was booked to do a 50th birthday at the Irish club in Portsmouth.
I could never pin down the client for a meeting due to various "things" , however , I did a venue visit.
nice club , rear entrance , small stage , sound limiter...................no problem , it was set to 97db....
So I did the wrong thing , I guessed that as it was a 50th birthday I would be playing 70`s, 80`s etc........er no
The guests arrive on their teddy boy outfits , and the ladies were in 50`s apparel.
They wanted the whole evening of 50`s rock n roll , So I said to my self ,. or words to that effect , I am now cruising out of my comfort zone by a long way.
Yea sure I have 50`s rock n roll , but 4 hours worth...................., still the alcohol saved the day, after 10pm a few asked for some cheese from the 70`s/80`s , get out of jail card for me.....
All in all a good night , must have been , I got a tip....................
Important lesson learned...............never second guess a client.

cheers

Daryll

[theoloyla]

Blimey Daryll. Like you I would have struggled without the warning. I probably do have enough music but I would have to prepare. In the 70's I used to do a regular rock n roll night every week or 4 hours but that was all vinyl.
THeo

[BeerFunk]

To be fair Daryll, I don't think there was any lesson to be learned there. I'd have expected them to mention that! Well done though

[Excalibur]

Well, Sunday was a bit unusual for me. I was one of the youngest people there!!!
70th Birthday, and rather than being surrounded by at least three generations of family, with lots of small children sliding along the floor, it was mainly friends, so most folk there were over 60 at the very least.

The birthday boy's wife had been unsure whether to have music or not, fearing some Herbert with a stack of speakers banging out Skrillex at the threshold of pain, while they tried to have polite conversation over the canapés.

After a lengthy conversation with the lady, she decided to throw caution to the winds, and book me, on the understanding that I would employ two small speakers, and two uplighters on slow fade. I was to be banished to the conservatory, while the guests mingled in the drawing room.

As expected, trade was very slow, until the last couple of hours, when they worked out that I would play what they wanted, at the correct level. Feedback today:

Hi Peter,
Just to say a very big thank you for helping to make Pete's birthday party go with a swing. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the evening and the feedback I've had today has been wonderful. It really was a party to remember and I'm so glad that we had you here. Everyone remarked on how good you were & how the music was perfect for the occasion & the level of noise just right.
Should we do another party here - we shall be pleased to have you back & I shall have no hesitation in recommending you.
Again, sincere thanks.
Pat & Peter

[theoloyla]

WEll done Pete.

[ian8limelight]

Nice one Peter

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Well done!

(I liked the comment in the feedback that said "Level of noise was perfect...", I know what they mean but it just doesn't sound right does it).

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Well done!

(I liked the comment in the feedback that said "Level of noise was perfect...", I know what they mean but it just doesn't sound right does it).

You were adequately noisy

It always astounds me when I hear guys going on about heading out with 4k rigs to play for 100 folk... either you're carrying a tonne of dead weight or you're bleeding everyone's ears.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Had a tough booking last night at one of my regular venues.
It was a 50th Birthday Party for a guy whose birthday was Christmas week. He was very laid back when I spoke to him and just gave me 4 requests which were as follows:
Dolly Parton / Kenny Rogers - Islands in the stream
Tenpole Tudor - Swords of a thousand men
Johnny Cash - I walk the line
Robin Thicke - Blurred lines

...and that was it! Pretty eclectic eh!!?

Anyway, when it came to yesterday morning I set up and was walking in to the venue with a box of leads and slipped on the wet path. I didn't fall over but I jarred my back and was in pain for a while. I managed to set up just before the customers came in to dress the room. I managed another quick chat and both he, his wife and his daughter were again, pretty laid back. I found out that he was a scaffolder and a lot of the guests coming were scaffolders too (mainly work colleagues). It was then that I thought "this could be a tough one".
I also asked if there were to be any announcements, birthday cake etc and was told that no fuss was to be made.

Got home, took some painkillers and laid down for the rest of the day and by the time I'd had a bath and was back at the venue the pain wasn't as bad.
7.30pm start and by 8.30pm and just as the buffet was coming out there were around 40 guests (100 guests anticipated) with the majority being blokes.

At times I felt like I was talking to myself. I asked for requests a number of times and didn't get one all night.
I played everything that I could think of that would work. Classics, New Stuff, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, Motown, Ska, Northern Soul.....and no dance floor reaction at all.
It wasn't completely dire to be honest. I could see people reacting positively to certain songs I played whilst chatting at the bar and around the venue and a couple of people got up during the night and dared venture on to the dance floor to the likes of The Jam, Madness, The Specials etc but it was probably only for around 15 minutes.

4.5hrs felt like 8 hours especially with no dancers and a bad back but it was one of those bookings where you think you've done bad when you've actually done alright because a couple of comments at the end whilst packing up encouraged me...... "Great music mate..."......"Good set.." etc.
Final comment was from the wife of the birthday boy who said "I am so sorry that nobody got up to dance but the music was really good..."

Thankfully for me, I've been doing this job long enough to know that there wasn't a lot more I could have done. Around 80 guests in the end with 90% of them being middle aged blokes who were big drinkers and not dancers.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

And what happens 10 minutes after I post all of that.....
An email comes through as follows:

"Hi Gary,

Thanks so much for last night. It was brilliant. We could see you tried your hardest. Sorry nobody danced but everybody had a great time.

Thanks again
Mandy"