Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[funkymook]

I also had 50th birthday. I couldn’t have handpicked a better crowd. Non-stop dancing and a great attitude, I didn’t get many requests but those who asked said things like ‘do you think .... would work?’ ‘how about.....?, but only if you think it’s OK’.
And to cap it all, a central London venue with a fantastic view over the Thames, an easy load-in, allocated secure parking and lovely staff (security guy even helped me with my gear at the end of the night).

Here’s what I played (lots of cocktails and canapés at the start, party really kicked off after the speech and cake cutting).

Taster Of The Honey (Not The Keeper Of The Bee) The Jones Girls
That's the Way Love Goes Janet Jackson
Revival (Japanese LP Mix) Martine Girault
Be Thankful For What You've Got William DeVaughn
Walking On Sunshine Rockers Revenge
Apparently Nothin' (12" Mix) Young Disciples
Keep On Movin' Soul II Soul
Hollywood Rufus & Chaka Khan
Dream On Dreamer The Brand New Heavies
Nights Over Egypt The Jones Girls
Low Rider War
You're Losing Me Ann Sexton
I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky The Ripple
Funky Miracle The Meters
Funky Nassau The End Of The Beginning
I Feel Sanctified The Commodores
Everyday People Sly & The Family Stone
Love Will Bring Us Back Together Roy Ayers
Do I Do (1982 Musiquarium Version) Stevie Wonder
Rock Creek Park The Blackbyrds
For The Love Of Money The O'Jays
Get The Funk Out Ma Face The Brothers Johnson
Funkin' For Jamaica Tom Browne
Love Like This Faith Evans
Let's Groove Earth, Wind & Fire
Love Town Booker Newbury III
Let The Music Play Shannon
Last Night A DJ Saved My Life Indeep

(Speech and cake)

Happy Birthday Stevie Wonder

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough Michael Jackson
Valerie Amy Winehouse
Town Called Malice The Jam
One Step Beyond Madness - One Step Beyond
Tainted Love Gloria Jones
(Love Is Like A) Heatwave Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
Uptight (Everything's Alright) Stevie Wonder
River Deep Mountain High The Supremes & The Four Tops
Tears of a Clown The Beat - Tears of a Clown
Jamaican Ska Byron Lee & The Draconaires - Jamaican Ska
Funky Kingston Toots & Maytals - Funky Kingston
Teenage Kicks The Undertones
Rock The Casbah The Clash
Going Underground The Jam
My Generation The Who
Louie Louie The Kingsmen
Land Of 1000 Dances Wilson Pickett
Le Freak Chic
Groove Is In the Heart Deee-Lite
Doin' the Do Betty Boo
You're The One For Me D Train
Let's Go Round Again Average White Band
I Feel for You Chaka Khan
Space Cowboy Jamiroquai
Show Me Love Robin S.
Finally CeCe Peniston
Ride On Time Black Box
Rebel MC & Double Trouble / Street Tuff Rebel MC & Double Trouble
Jump Around House Of Pain
Walk This Way Run-D.M.C.
Cross The Track (We Better Go Back) Maceo & The Macks
I Know You Got Soul Bobby Byrd
I Believe In Miracles Jackson Sisters
I Found Lovin' The Fatback Band
Never Too Much Luther Vandross
Superstition Stevie Wonder
Girls & Boys Blur
Fools Gold The Stone Roses
On a Ragga Tip (Original Mix) SL2
The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind) Kenny Dope & The Bucketheads
Push the Feeling On Nightcrawlers
You Got the Love (feat. Candi Staton) The Source
Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now McFadden & Whitehead
It's A Love Thing The Whispers
Candy Cameo
The Glow Of Love Change
Joy And Pain Maze Feat. Frankie Beverly
Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker) Parliament
Me & Baby Brother War
Could You Be Loved Bob Marley
Ain't No Mountain High Enough Diana Ross

[Excalibur]

I also had 50th birthday. I couldn’t have handpicked a better crowd. Non-stop dancing and a great attitude,

Another one off my Christmas card list. Martin, I'm not sure whether to officially declare my hatred for you, or apply for a job as a roadie?

I'm not familiar with everything on that list, but oh my there are some gems. Brothers Johnson and War stand out as corkers. Nice one Martin.

[Nakatomi]

We just don't hear enough Betty Boo these days. Or Deelite for that matter. Largely forgotten gems IMHO.

[DJColsie]

Biggest downside/puzzle is my handheld radio mic is virtually unusuable, due to some intermittent noise from somewhere. Retuning doesn't cure it, and funnily enough, my headset mic doesn't have the same problem.
I seem to be having issues with the radio mics more often, perhaps it's this band changing that's doing it.

Think Toby might be along soon to give his thoughts on that one!

[Excalibur]

Think Toby might be along soon to give his thoughts on that one!

I'm awaiting his arrival with barely contained excitement and anticipation.

[TrebleBassDJ]

Biggest downside/puzzle is my handheld radio mic is virtually unusuable, due to some intermittent noise from somewhere. Retuning doesn't cure it, and funnily enough, my headset mic doesn't have the same problem.
I seem to be having issues with the radio mics more often, perhaps it's this band changing that's doing it.

do you know what frequenices you were using?

does your headset microphone use a seperate receiver to your hand held or is it one receiver and either your headset or handheld being used?

[CRAZY K]

I'm awaiting his arrival with barely contained excitement and anticipation.

If you have VHF it might now be a problem, not experienced any problems with UHF except below.

Working in Portsmouth near the sea and Naval area and found I was getting a blocking effect.

Switched to non wireless no worries, got home tested perfectly.

My Conclusion, must be a lot of activity round the docks which interfered with my frequency.

I see you can get a pair of KAMS for £100, my experience of the one I bought from Martin ( need a disco)
has been very good other than the on / off switch.

My two JTS units 5 years and 10 years old have been fantastic for reliability.

Possibly time to invest again as labour repair costs are quite high relative to new prices quite often----------or are you playing at too many nearby seaports with radio communications e.g. Hull and Grimsby 😄😄😄😄😄😄

ALAN
CRAZY K

[Excalibur]

do you know what frequenices you were using?

does your headset microphone use a seperate receiver to your hand held or is it one receiver and either your headset or handheld being used?

Separate receivers, both Shure, both frequency agile. Retuning the problem one didn't help. The interference was intermittent noise, a hissing type.

If you have VHF it might now be a problem, not experienced any problems with UHF except below.

Working in Portsmouth near the sea and Naval area and found I was getting a blocking effect.

Switched to non wireless no worries, got home tested perfectly.

My Conclusion, must be a lot of activity round the docks which interfered with my frequency.

I see you can get a pair of KAMS for £100, my experience of the one I bought from Martin ( need a disco)
has been very good other than the on / off switch.

My two JTS units 5 years and 10 years old have been fantastic for reliability.

Possibly time to invest again as labour repair costs are quite high relative to new prices quite often----------or are you playing at too many nearby seaports with radio communications e.g. Hull and Grimsby 

ALAN
CRAZY K

It was in Hull, but not in the docks area. It is a consideration, certainly. My money is on something electrical nearby. It's by no means unknown for problems to be unique to venues.
I don't think I need to spend more, Alan. I now own three handheld UHF ones, one headset, and a quad VHF recently acquired for the dreaded Karaoke. I'm more considering selling, not buying.

[TrebleBassDJ]

If using UHF microphones you have 2 UHF frequency ranges that can be used Channel 70 and Channel 38.

Channel 70 - 863.000 MHz to 865.000 MHz is free (I believe) to use in the UK, I would recommend having at least 500mhz in-between microphones, IE: Mic1 = 863.000, Mic2= 863.500mhz. You can usually get 3 microphones on this frequency range without interference, sometimes 4 if using high quality transmitters and receivers.

Channel 38 - 606 - 614MHz, This is a licensed frequency range in the uk (around £80 a year), again try to keep a minimum on 500mhz between devices.

I use Channel 38 Sennheiser microphones both onstage and DJing, I try to leave all transmitters (hand held or belt pack) switched on but muted when not in use, this reduces the chance of another signal being picked up by your receiver.

You can also use VHF frequencies 173.800 MHz to 175.000 MHz free (I believe), however these are very popular so the chances of issues are higher.

I did once have an issue where a handheld would randomly crackle, The fix was a piece of cardboard at the bottom of the pp3 battery forcing it to make a better connection. The metal spring had become worn on the microphone so the battery didn’t always make a perfect connection.

Hope this make sense, written during my lunch break while the boss isn’t looking

[Excalibur]

Hope this make sense, written during my lunch break while the boss isn’t looking

All makes sense, much appreciated. It's fairly much my normal practice. When I'm in a different venue, I'll try them again and see if the fault is linked to the venue or the kit. You can't beat the process of elimination.