Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[DJ Jules]

Karaoke and heavier rock type music? I'd never have pictured those going together. Hey ho.

A few of the guys were in a Metallica Tribute band, one of them did a storming rendition of Highway to Hell

Julian

[Imagine]

Well I must have had a rarity this weekend - two back to back gigs - both perfect (apart from the row with the Stewards on Saturday but hey ho)

Yesterday - my annual freebie for the Scout Group I'm a leader with. It's the third time we've done this one and it's always a panic trying to organise because as a charity we have to at least cover costs. It was made harder this year by the bloke that runs the social club next door deciding to put on a free event for the kiddies which ended 30 mins before ours started.

Turned up nice and early - not an awful lot of noise coming from the social club considering he's got a DJ in there. Never mind....got on with the business of lugging everything and setting up....and settling in for the kids to arrive.

WOW!!!!!

We started about 20 mins late because they were actually queuing around the corner to get in! Ended up with 90 or so kids plus their families....really packed hall and a crowd I'd have been happy with on a Saturday night let alone a Sunday afternoon! By the time we got to the Cha Cha Slide and Hokey Cokey - even the parental were on the floor

I don't do kids parties as such any more (I got bored with them I'm sorry to say), but this one has got me thinking I maybe need to start doing them again. Little angels lapped up the fun and games, and didn't have the usual limitations of school discos (although I always keep it clean for kids anyway it's just less pressure on this one for some reason).

The best bit - it was our biggest to date and £450 have gone straight into the group's coffers

Now looking forward to next weekend - apparently I'm working with a blue comedian and then we're looking at "disco classics" for the duration....bring it on

[Shakermaker Promotions]

A few of the guys were in a Metallica Tribute band, one of them did a storming rendition of Highway to Hell

Julian

I used to do a regular Karaoke night in Basingstoke called 'Alternative Karaoke'. I sourced loads of Indie / Rock / Punk etc karaoke tracks because it suited the pub I was working in and it worked really well. It only stopped when new management took over and wanted to try and get rid of that crowd. Silly really as the new management didn't have a clue and didn't know the history of the pub and that it had always had that type of punter in.
Needless to say, the new management didn't last long.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I used to do a regular Karaoke night in Basingstoke called 'Alternative Karaoke'. I sourced loads of Indie / Rock / Punk etc karaoke tracks because it suited the pub I was working in and it worked really well. It only stopped when new management took over and wanted to try and get rid of that crowd. Silly really as the new management didn't have a clue and didn't know the history of the pub and that it had always had that type of punter in.
Needless to say, the new management didn't last long.

Ah bar owners and their reluctance to accept that sometimes things are fine just the way they are.

My local got taken over a while back and the new manageress (a nice but clearly naive lassie in her early 20s) decided it would make good business sense to allow a Celtic supporters bus to run from the pub.

A few naggling issues -

it's a mixed pub (it literally has a Rangers side and a Celtic side with the bar in the middle but it's just good banter and the regulars like it that way, there's plenty of pubs linked to either team elsewhere in the area.

the bus wasn't for regulars, it was run by a shower of halfwits from surrounding schemes that no other pub (even the Celtic ones) would touch with a barge pole. Cue ed up neds with IRA tattoos and tricolors hanging around outside at 5pm on a Wednesday afternoon singing rebel songs before a European qualifier.

The Rangers end (myself included) emptied and started spending their money in other pubs until the manageress had to put her hands up and admit she'd made a total mess of it and sent the bus packing but she lost A LOT of money in the process. There's a handful of guys in the Rangers end who are in there every night that essentially keep that place open and she lost their business for 2 months because she was chasing a handful of folk to buy a pint or two on a Saturday afternoon when the bus got back.


It amazes me how many bar owners are so short sighted they'll dive on something they think will make easy money short term without thinking about the long term implications.

[Excalibur]

Customer's just asked me if I'm prepared to use the mic to announce things.

[Imagine]

Customer's just asked me if I'm prepared to use the mic to announce things.

Oh dear.....they do realise by letting you open the mic they're going to get

"Auf Wiedersehen, Pet! Alright all you Europrats, listen to me. My name is Davenport Nice, I'm a-standing… Yes - Davenport. I'm a-standing firm for Britain, for her Tuesdays, for her Wombles, for a Bachman, for a Turner and most of all for a noble Overdrive. You ain't seen nothing yet, Euro Poppers - Let us rock!"

[Imagine]

Another one of those with toe-tappers and knee-slappers....but to be fair I was warned before I even got the gear out of the van.

I wasn't the main event either, so not overly worried or panicked about the lack of dancing.

Tonight was a 60th in a local Masonic hall. My main job was to provide the MC services and background music for a singist (who couldn't EQ her kit for toffee) and a comedian, and then provide the rest of the evening (90 minutes it worked out to) with disco.

When I got to the venue I was told that as is often the case with these things that the guests hadn't seen each other in a while, can you please keep the volume down so they can chat. Ah-well....it's like that sometimes.

Very minimal rig due to sharing a small space with the singer, so just the Party bars then...simples
The evening didn't go too bad if I'm honest. The music was to be strictly "disco classics", which in reality went a little older than that to Motown and the 60s (because that's what got half a dozen on the dance floor). But it was literally a maximum of 6 at any time. I know I was warned to expect it, but it still makes it hard work at times and the steward telling me to cut the music at 11:45 was a relief if I'm honest.

Funny though, lots of thanks from all the guests and my client so can't have done too bad a job. I'd just have rather seen a fuller floor.

Now into a brief quiet spell before Xmas. I've only got a school disco and a wedding coming up this month. Enquiries for some reason for November have been fairly thin on the ground....time for a rest before Mariah Carey season kicks in

[Nakatomi]

I've got 2 more gigs this month - one for the residency & one doing cover for a mate.

December.. God don't talk to me about December but at least xmas party bookings their end have been slow & I now only have to source another DJ for 3 nights. Yay for less stress for me!

So.. tonight.. MEH gig really. I'm now doing what I call working to rule, so the bare minimum is going in with me. no bin, no haze, no scanners, no flowers, no booth, no screen. Just a gigabar, quadphase HP, cluster & a wash light for the pulpit. Oh & the alto 15s. In in 30 mins, out in 30 mins. Much preferable to the other I think.

Packed floor most of the night even before the 1st dance, and busy during the buffet too.. then for the last hour (B&G paid the £500 bar extension fee to go on til 1am) we had about 20 left out of the original 100 or so. All so far so good really, but I just wasn't enjoying it especially.

Can't wait to get December out of the way. Big changes are coming.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Saturday night saw me back down in my old county supplying the disco for a joint 30th birthday party at a small venue I've been to a few times in the past.
The booking came to me via a friend who'd recommended me and it was for a guy and his wife who both celebrated their birthday's on the same day. It was a good earner.

The evening started off with fun and games when I arrived at the venue at 6.30pm to set up as arranged because there was nobody about and the hall was locked up. It was pitch black and I parked around the back by the exit as I remembered that the access there is very easy. Entry through one door and straight on to the large stage.
I waited for around 10 minutes before I started to wonder what was going on and then I received a text message from the birthday girl which told me that the key to the venue was hidden under a pile of leaves! Excuse me!!!???
I searched for the key for another 5 minutes and eventually found it and then had to walk around the venue in the dark, looking for the lights. It was all very bizarre.

Eventually found the lights and when the venue was lit up, all was revealed. They'd already dressed the venue during the afternoon and to my amazement, left me a space to set up on ground level in front of the large stage! On every previous visit I'd used the stage so I was a bit surprised as to why they didn't want me to use it? The curtains were closed and there was a massive inflated 'PARTY' banner in front of it.

I was set up in plenty of time and was alone in the venue until 7.25pm when the guy and his wife turned up. Lovely couple and very excited about the night ahead.
Minimal request list received in advance. There were a few songs on it as 'must plays' but the genres were Soul, Funk, Disco, Current, 90's and minimal cheese.

Supposed to be 60 guests attending but it looked more like 40 and it was a bring your own booze party.
Kicked off the evening with lots of Soul & Funk which the birthday girl loved and people seemed to be enjoying it but were chatting, rather than dancing. This lasted for around 90 minutes. During that time I was asked to turn the volume down twice by an older lady who just happened to be standing right near the speakers. Even when I'd turned the volume down, she kept looking over at me and indicating that it was too loud when it most definitely wasn't.
At one point the birthday girl came over and asked me if I'd like a drink. I told her I was fine but asked if everything was ok and mentioned the lady who'd said about the volume. I was told to forget about her and carry on so shortly after I decided I would try and get people on the dance floor by upping the volume and playing some current stuff which included the 'must plays' from the list.

The face on the lady was a picture. She put her hands over her ears and shook her head at me as the birthday girl danced with her friends and then started walking towards me. I guess she was about to tell me to turn it down again but she caught the birthday girl's eye and quickly turned around and went back to where she'd been standing......right next to the bloody speakers!!!

It was a decent night in the end. As the booze started to work, the guests got into it and there was a nice 90's section which included some classic dance tracks which got everyone up. They also loved the Motown too.
Midnight came around very quickly and it was time to play the last song which surprisingly was Frank Sinatra, My Way. I thought it was a strange track to end on but it's what they'd requested in advance. It appeared that the guests that were left thought it was strange too as I received some confusing looks when it started playing but everyone joined in and then as it finished I got the "One more! One more!" brigade in full voice. I wasn't sure whether to do it or not as it was now gone Midnight but I was given the nod and decided on Mr Brightside which went down very well.

I took it upon myself to find the lights again as the song was in its final stages as I wanted to get packed up and one guy came over once I'd returned to the set up and asked me if I could play some more stuff. I told him that it wasn't possible and he looked annoyed. "I've been here for nearly 6 hours" I told him... "Why do people always wait until the very end?". His reply was "Oh well, nevermind. It's been a great night. Nice one".

Packed everything back into the van and said my goodbyes to the (now very drunk) husband and wife and was back at my sisters enjoying a couple of rums by 12.45am. Received another text message from the birthday girl at 02.07am which was hilarious. It was very complimentary once I could actually understand what it said because it was all jibberish!

A week off now and I need it.

[Benny Smyth]

My gig last night was by far the worst of 2016.

I'm actually still at a loss for words. I'll report more tomorrow, but the word of the day is dumbfounded.

Yup. Still dumbfounded.

Due to arrive at 6pm for a 7pm start. I turn up at 5:45pm to find the venue staff already turning the room round. Turns out that all the speeches were completed within 10 minutes. The only alcohol that's been served all day is one bottle of Corona - the rest have been soft drinks. Righto...

So we set up and get music playing. All the guests are outside, and I do a quick head count - about 45. I look at my job sheet as I'm sure I was told that there would be many more. After looking, I see that they were expecting 150. Compare notes with the venue, and expected numbers are pretty much the same. B&G have paid for an extra 65 people for the buffet, so some people haven't turned up. Well hopefully there'll be an influx of guests coming in.

There wasn't. I reckon a max of another 30 arrived.

Timings were supposed to be 7pm start, first dance at 8 and the father/daughter dance after the evening food at 9:30. I get told by venue staff that a load of taxis have been ordered for 9pm, so I have a chat with the bride and suggest doing the F/D dance immediately after the first dance so people won't miss it.

First dance is bought forward to 7:30. I think that the venue were sensing that there was no atmosphere, so maybe it's better to kick things off now. So there I go with my introduction...and I get a pretty decent reaction from the crowd. Certainly much better than I was expecting. Whey hey - looks like we may have a good night after all. So first dance done, F/D dance done and then...practically everyone leaves the room.

And that was that. People still in the venue but with the exception of a smattering of dancers, it was like I wasn't even there. At 9pm, a lot of people left. At 11:30, the B&G got in a taxi and left and I'm booked until 1. I'm now in two minds - go home or keep playing. I decide to take down as much as I can, but keep the sound on. Ministry of Sound: Sunset Soul gets played (well I am just background music after all, so what's the point?) and I start taking down my lighting, packing away headphones and mics, power to the laptops packed away. One sub and top packed away as well. Essentially, I slowly packed away as much as I could do leaving the music on. As soon as I got to the point where I had to shut down the music, I turned it all off. I was home and in bed by 1 completely dumbfounded.

There was no feedback from anyone. Couple of requests dutifully played, but nothing else. Nobody telling me I'm rubbish (in fact, those I did speak to were relatively nice people), and I couldn't even read anything from their body language. Like I said, it was like I wasn't there. Apparently the bar took £500 all day.

I've said this to a few people about Saturday night and I'll say it again (and I promise that this is not a sick joke or an exaggeration): I sat with my mom for 27 hours straight at a Marie Curie hospice until she passed away, and that gig was very reminiscent of it. The knowledge that we all know the inevitable ending to this, and it's just a case of waiting around until the final breath.

Never known anything like it.

Just completed a consultation where I found out today tgat the client was a guest at this wedding and booked me based on what I did that day.

Not sure how to feel about that.