Friday 9th - Sunday 18th

[milhouse 0]

Friday 9th

 

Nightclub under a Hotel in Blackpool - Private function for 4 companies 9.30pm-2am

 

About 180 people in total, started very well with a full dancefloor from the start. The first 100 people arrived at the start; the rest a little later on...

 

Only problem was, most of them had been drinking shedloads since lunchtime. They all arrived clutching 3 bottles of wine EACH. Recepie for disaster usually...

 

About 1 hour into the gig a *very* strange looking man came up to me (middle aged, bald head, lots of earrings, wearing clown-type shoes, a vest top and shorts) and screamed rather loudly at me "no offence but when are you going to play something good with a beat like Motown" with a very depressed, annoyed and strained face, whilst also spitting all over me. The dancefloor was full, and he himself was dancing (I was playing Diana Ross - Cant Hurry Love at the time) - so if thats not Motown I dont know what is. Kindly ignored the chap and let him go back to the dancefloor.

 

At about 11pm a very large, sweatty, drunk woman dived into the DJ stand to try and grab my mic to do "Karaoke". I ushered her away and whilst doing so she grabbed my £120 headphones, ripping them out of the socket and nearly snapping the band. She was laughing, rolling around, thinking she was being clever. Remained calm and used minimal force to protect my property. She refused to let the phones go and I wasn't going to get them back without taking her down or something (which I wasn't going to do), backup arrived however - in the form of the doorstaff http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif

 

Anybody else ever had such a situation?

 

Apart from that it was a fantastic night with people dancing right through.

 

Saturday 10th - nightclub

Tuesday 13th - another club

Wednesday 14th - all dayer nightclub

Thursday 15th - all dayer nighclub

Friday 16th & Saturday 17th - Private functions in posh function venue

Sunday 18th - Hilton Hotel Staff Xmas Party - very rowdy expected, 300+

 

Phew.

Edited December 10, 2005 by JonWhittaker

[Jimbo55 0]

Had a very instant lady on Tuesday night insist that she was going to sing "Flower of Scotland" or some other "Irish Jig Tune" After pointing out to her that the song she wanted to sing was the Scots National Anthem she started to shout at me that her husband was paying for the gig and she was going to sing what ever she liked.

I did my best to ignore her but in the end asked for help over the mike saying that I was concerend that there was a lady in distress and could someone help her. two ladies came and "escorted" her to a table.

 

Got an apology from her sister later on in the evening. No explaination was given.

 

Jimbo

[milhouse 0]

Some people are so odd when drunk. What best way to kill the atmosphere in a nightclub than an intoxicated person screeching over the mic.

 

Doorstaff should always be present I think, but its not always the case.

[FDDJ 0]

Nothing else for me this weekend apart from Chrimbo shopping... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/sad.gif

 

Had a corporate xmas party last night at the HG Wells in Woking (enquiry passed onto me by Mr Mole, cheers Brian! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thumbup.gif ) which was very good albeit short....

 

The client had booked the room, catering etc. and HG Wells had also quoted for suppying the DJ but for some reason had typed one too many zero's on the quote (£4000 http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wacko.gif ), the client didn't bother checking if it was a mistake, rang Brian who then passed it onto me as he was booked.

 

Nice size room capable of handling 300 for a full sit down with PA already in situ on the stage (Tannoy tops with Meyer subs) with further Meyer cabs flown in the lighting rig shown below.

 

Set up for 7 PM for background music with the meal due to finish at 9.30 and dancing through to til 1 AM.

 

It took them a while to serve dinner due to a staff shortage, so I didn't start to crank up the sound until 10.15, I had a full dancefloor until 11.30 when a fleet of buses arrived to pick up most of the guests! This meant I was left with 9 people and finished at 12. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thumbup.gif

 

We used the house par cans plus two tripods of lighting, 2 Mad Scans & 2 Mad Spins on the left with 2 Twister 4's and a Martin Acrobat on the right.

 

Strangely I only had one request all night (for the Sugababes - Push The Button) only 2 songs after I had already played it...http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/533.gif

 

I had a dressing room to myself all night behind the stage, i'm getting pretty good at Nokia Golf on my phone now.....

 

http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/2791/wells7ct.jpg

Edited December 11, 2005 by StevJam

[wizard 0]

Friday: Corporate Xmas party for Aurora lighting St. Albans.

 

Good night except for coaches arrived 30 minutes before the end to take them all home. which meant a very quiet last half hour http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/sleep1.gif

 

Saturday 10th: Just finished an xmas do for Porsche ( unfortunately no freebies ) very strange night only had to do 2 hours after the meal and no one really wanted to boogie.... but dance floor packed to the slow songs ... so I suppose you could say it was a slow night http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/tongue.gif ....client happy tho........ and thats what counts.

 

Next friday 16th. St. Albans police station.......... that should be interesting ! Must remember not to park the Van on double yellow lines http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/fear.gif

[Gary 0]

Had my first hecklers of the season last night http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif in a room which, I suspected early on, might be a bit of a challenge music program wise...

 

Party of 120 elderly (60+) folk asking for songs such as "Rhinestone cowboy", "The lullaby of broadway", "hey big spender", and waltzes, fox-trots and quicksteps...but diversifying into Pussycat Dolls "hot like me" (which this month, I've been mixing in and out of a parody version "hung like me" by the Puppydog dudes(?) which I was given recently...)

 

Other groups in the room were 80 multi-age from a local supermarket chain, 40 from a local "alternative" electricity supplier...

 

and then there were a party of 10 40 to 50year old blokes, who'd booked their table under the name of "The Toss-pots" and seemed to be living up to the name quite well...a feat that they could also have achieved by calling themselves the "musically narrow-minded selfish, self-centred, rude, arrogant, loud-mouth gits" too.

 

They'd handed in all their request slips during the meal background music, including... "two little boys", "any pink flloyd", "any steely dan", "dedicated follower of fashion", "my ding a ling", and cliffs "batchelor boy" as well as "any shadows", and "love grows where my rosemary goes"

 

I sneaked in "two little boys", , "any steely dan", "my ding a ling", and cliffs "batchelor boy" all during the background music, which I know they heard, as they were singing along to some of them.

 

After about 30 minutes into the main gig one of their table came up and said "yeah, I got a complaint - you aint played any of our requests which we 'anded in". I showed him the request slips with the played songs crossed off and he agreed that, yes, I played those, but immediately went onto the fact that I'd not played all the others yet, even though they were handed in an hour ago.

 

I pointed out that, whilst I dont play them in the order that they come in, as the evening would flow well, if the music went "fast record/slow record/fast record/slow record" etc, that I would be planning on playing at least something from The Shadows, and Edison lighthouse, during a 60's spot I was planning on doing in the next 30mins or so. He turned to go and turned back loudly stating that I ought to play'em in order...

 

The next half hour brought about fairly loud verbal abuse of other tables requests and a dozen SMS text requests from him/his table, with the cliches "when are you going to play any desent music?", "got any good records?", "Away in a manger" etc etc...none of which got any reply from me, either by txt or mic...so, thus leaving the sender in mystery as to whether I'd got the txts or not...

 

Anyway...I worked the room room around to a 60s spot, had "love grows" and "Apache" cued up 3 and 4 tracks away, and...they all (10) got up and left... problem solved...I write all the table numbers on the back of the request slips as I lay them out pre-start, so...all of table 15s request slips, including the crossed-off playe

ones, got filed to an out-of-the-way place, ready for any plea of "innocent" if the whasits tried to grumble.

 

The rest of the night was ok, given the age difference of the majority group, compared to the others. But a 60% full dancefloor, I'll settle for when such diverse requests are inbound.

 

Gotta love challenging nights....its what experience is gleamed from.

 

 

 

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif

[desperatedan 0]

Intersting weekend for me also :-

 

Thursday - Xmas party at Carosuel Hotel Blackpool for employees of local nursing home. Most where just interested in free booze and buffet. Large range of different requests including the Birdie Songs OMG !!!

 

Friday - 3 x 14 yrd old girls Bday party, which including 100 screaming 14 yr olds.

Nice venue Victory Hall Moberly, had its own stage and in house lights which I used to help feel the venue. Was a success as most danced all night to what ever I played was helped out by playlist supplied by Bday girls. Not much mic work just got on and played the music as was only for 2 hours.

 

Saturday - U7's and U8's Football Xmas Party - Royal Vincent Hotel Blackpool (the one thats famous for stag and hen weekends!!!). Funny choice of venue for a kids party. First time for about 5 yrs I have come across a sound limiter !!!!!!!!

Very Sensitive sound limiter as well and you can imagine with 50 screaming 6/7 yr olds is threatened to trip all night long. Especially when Santa turned up. Managed to get through the night with the limiter only tripping once when the parents & kids where singing along to hey baby. Staff helpful and reset power almost straight away.

 

Big thanks to the forum due to tips on here from others having nights with sound limiter was able to control the night, took the advice and pointed out to the group about the sound limiter before the start so they knew what was happening when / if the power cut off.

 

Dont know if the norm but just stamping feet on dane floor made limiter move up !!

 

All in all not a bad week http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif

[M3KTG 0]

Thursday night a Staff party for CDL(?)60 guests at MUFC didnt start till 9:45 finnished at 1am full dance floor right thro till the end.

 

Friday another staff party for ermmm some company 130 guests at MUFC, again started at about 9:45 and by 10pm over half had gone home and the rest sat as far away as they could proberly get from the dance floor http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wallbash.gif till about 12:30 this gay guy comes up and comments on how boring his collegues are and could i play some tunes for him and hid Boyfreind 1 am finnish.

 

Sat yet another xmas party this one for Hawk Int 320 guests at MUFC Meal finnished a 9pm i played 20mins till the band came on then another 15 mins during there break they did a extra long secound set,then i played from 11:40 till 1am with a full dance floor each time.

 

they only problem i had this week end was on thursday some drunk at the end of the night wanted the mic to sing, As soon as i said no for the 3rd time security was on him and had him out of the ground so fast, it turned out out they had cought him doing some sort of drugs in the mens loo and was looking for an excuses to eject him

 

 

Other than that a really good weekend roll on next week

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

Thursday night I set up in a hotel in windsor, and was then informed that there was a last second change of plan and only 23 guests were now coming...

 

Didnt bother me I said and no you cant have a discount as its not my problem.

 

contract said that they would provide a CD with some salsa music on for me to play.

 

Insted a lady turned up with a radio mic and informed me she was the Salsa teacher.....

 

This was great news, it ment that the 23 people who did come spent nearly 3 hours learning to dance and all i had to do was press play and sit back and laugh at people falling over them selfs...

 

Friday was a compleate contrast. 300 guests from diferent companys, in a large hotel suite.

 

had them up on the dance floor all night, and requests for R n B had to be ignored mostly because people wont dance to it , they only sit and listen ....

 

typical drunk women asking for it all night though.

 

great gig and lots of fun.

 

Saturday Compnay party for about 60 people, most of them were in there 40s and 50s so a mix of all sorts of old music . only about 5 people there under 20 again asking for 2-pac but having there requests rejected becuase the bosses wife had already told me not to play any of that modern rubbish...

 

Had a couple of girls from another party in the same hotel gate crash my gig becuase there was more happening on my dance floor..

 

I anounced that we had some gate crashers over the mic and told them that the cute one in the white top would have to dance with me if they wanted to stay http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

She did and after about 2 min of al green she was kissing me and wanted my phone number...

 

now im just going to relax untill it all starts again next week

[ChrisPointon 0]

Saturday was a Wedding Reception in Chester Cathedral. One of those very old buildings which puts you in awe, and makes you feel your own mortality http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wacko.gif

 

Only 150 guests in a huge room didn't help matters much, although not having to arrive until 8.15 for a 9.30 start got rid of that hanging around for hours waiting for them to finish eating mentality which plagues most Weddings.

 

Had to wait for the Xmas Concert in another part of the Cathedral to finish at 10.00 before we could get started, but at least we got quite a few people dancing right from the start.

 

Old buildings like this are great for experimenting with lighting http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif , and thanks to the NJD Spectres we managed to light the huge high ceiling to give a great ambient effect on the dancefloor. The old stone Pulpit, 15 foot above the dancefloor was great for setting your DMX Lighting effects, and it was one of the few occasions where the size and layout of the venue, justifies going above your usual lightshow.

[centrestagediscos 0]

friday the 9th i had a xmas party for the crew and partners of hms turbulent as with all matloe bashes they were totally http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/censored2.gif but i never get any trouble from them always very polite helpful and generous the only thing is they would not buy me a coke when they asked if i wanted a drink ended up with loads of pints and shorts behind me all going to waste.

[C.S 0]

QUOTE

DJ Marky Marc Posted on Dec 11 2005, 02:03 PM anounced that we had some gate crashers over the mic and told them that the cute one in the white top would have to dance with me if they wanted to stay  She did and after about 2 min of al green she was kissing me and wanted my phone number

 

oh dear........more inspiration for Peter Kay ? http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wacko.gif

[jeffwall 0]

chalk and cheese for me this weekend

 

friday was a brill night (the one that i thought was gunna be rubbish) our lady of lourdes school southport xmas party 120 people and dancin all night http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/toot.gif

 

 

Sat 40th (thought this one was gunna be great) was possibly the worst gig ive done

Because of the controll freak husband of the birthday girl!

 

First of all only one single socket working in the room, none anywhere else, so was worried about my elec load

 

He wanted it to be so organised....gave me a playlist that was crap and told me to stick to it, told me when to play what, told me to get the kids off the dance floor and not to encourage them on????? They were the only ones who danced all night apart from 2 women and a bloke!

 

Told me not to play any xmas music, and told me to announce that the party was a no smoking party (when half of the guests were smoking already) so they left pretty handy....

 

He was an ar:cense: hole to be honest spoiled what cud have been a good night if he had just stop trying to interfere all the time

 

Whats more the heating system was full blast and i was stood right infront of a huge radiator (was sweating cobs by 10pm!)

 

Never mind! you get them eh?

 

[ChrisPointon 0]

Jeff, i've had a run of these dictorial playlists and they are a problem and cause frustration when you know that what you have been asked for, won't work at that function http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/188.gif . In this business you have to take the rough with the smooth, and try and advise to the best of your ability. However the customer is always right even if their taste in music is wrong for the age group present!.

 

All I do is to politely point out on the mic that the evenings music has been chosen by the Bride and Groom and that we are booked to follow their personal playlist. This avoids the embarrassment of looking like it's your own choice of material!.

 

Trying to get through to people, that the Bare Naked Ladies, Katie Melua

Kate Bush, KT Tunstall & Queens of the Stone Age may be great for listening to in the car, but that by playing them, they won't really be encouraging their guests onto the dancefloor can be bloody hard work. Sometimes they take your point, othertimes they insist that their own selection is followed regardless http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/533.gif

[Leonna 0]

This is it! My time has come! Someone has been mad enough to pay me to DJ, so no going back now http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/hide.gif

 

Mon 10- 1 xmas party local restaurant

Tue 10- 1 xmas party local restaurant

Wed 10- 1 xmas party local restaurant

Thu 10- 1 xmas party local restaurant

Fri 10- 1 xmas party local restaurant

 

 

After Monday there may be no tue,wed, thur, fri!!!

 

I will let you know how Mondays went. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/scared.gif

 

[High Fidelity 0]

For me it was Christmas parties in the restaraunt of a local large hotel.

 

A bit like Jeffs, 1 bad 1 reasonable.

 

I'm new to the hotel christmas party type of do's and I'd done the main function room a couple of weeks earlier and had a great night.

 

What a difference this weekend was. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/fear.gif

 

Fri night was full of younger ones who wanted the disco to start before everyone had finished their meals, and wanted nothing but R&B and modern pop all night.

 

Everyone was on the dancefloor with their drinks and smoking (They were'nt allowed to smoke in the main part of the room) when it was time to start the disco so it took ages and loads of announcements about the drinks and smoking on the dancefloor before I managed to get started properly. Plus, it took the staff about an hour to turn the lights down over the dancefloor. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wallbash.gif

 

Saturday was a bit better, a much better class of punter who liked Northern Soul & Motown and were screaming and cheering at the start of everone of this genre. Plus, the staff had moved a lot of the tables from around the dancefloor, and I moved all the ashtrays over to the bar side before I started.

 

Fri night had one drunk female collapse on the dancefloor, and one dipstick crash into the rig.

 

Sat night, one couple went head over apex acting daft, and the obligatory one crashing into the rig.

 

Never mind, just one more to go before Christmas.

 

 

[YourBigEvent 0]

Wednesday - Kids party, usual stuff

Thursday - Over 60's Xmas party, starting playing at 10.45, finished at 12

Friday - Xmas party, starting playing at 10.45, finished at 12

Saturday - Wedding, started playing at 10.45, finished at 12

Sunday - Kids party, then my quiz

Monday - Quiz

[brianmole 0]

Thurs 8th: Lingfield Racecourse xmas party for 120, 57 turned up, 90% women, was a good laugh, strangely they asked for a load of trance, so I obliged and blew the roof off! Finished at 1:30am, got up 9am went to work, then....

 

Fri 9th: Hurtwood Park Polo club: xmas party for 120 staff of Cranleigh School (OKay yah!). This was a black tie party which started with a meal in a marquee. I knew is was going to be good when each table took it in turns to sing a song standing on their chairs http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/laugh.gif Surprise request of the night: Jackson Sisters - I beleive in miraclesAnother 1:30am finish.

 

Sat 10th: Amberley Castle: wedding for about 80 guests. This couple had booked the lot: Jazz band in the afternoon, piano during the meal, video all day, photographer all day and evening, chocolate fountain for the evening, fireworks, and me for the party. What really surprised me was that the videographers (2 cameramen & 1 driver came from Manchester, the photographer came from Derby, and the choc fountain came from Bornemouth - that's a lot of distance!

 

The choc people arrived late, blaming their satnav. I am hearing this excuse so often these days, it makes me wonder how people rely so heavily on a bit of technology to keep their reputation intact (or not as the case may be). So what the hell is wrong with a map? It's cheap, it's not rocket science, and it will not let you down. I really think people who rely on satnav are blindly going from A to B, not knowing where they are or how they got there, and are missing out a a basic skill which they will need when their toy goes wrong.

 

Anyway, back to the party, and another rant: the videographers. Picture this, the first dance, 1 photographer (quite discreet) and 2 cameramen moving around the B&G at very close range. No room for anyone else on the dancefloor. I see this new trend of highly intrusive videographers quite annoying. Normally, I get the B&G to the floor for their 1st dance, then 1/2 way through invite all the guests to join them, but I had to hold off till the 2nd song to do this.

 

Turned out to be a wicked crowd, did the party classics at the start, went out to see the fireworks, came back and played a memorable 2nd half:

 

Surprise requests:

Rappers delight - Sugarhill Gang (full version)

Last night a DJ saved my life - Indeep

 

These 2 went down an absolute STORM http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/cool.gif , then another request came in for one of my all time favourites:

 

Praise Cats - Shined on me http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/notworthy.gif http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/notworthy.gif http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/toot.gif http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/toot.gif

 

Now, this really made my evening, I then continued with what I can only describe as a Hed Kandi house set with stuff like Jon Cutler - I'm yours, Circulo dos chiffres - Right on brothers (Ian Carey mix), Universal Love - Francisco Farfa, Salida del sol - Bongoloverz & Cantero, etc...., which went down very very well as everybody was dancing. I had many positive comment of how refreshing it was to not have been subjected to a typical 'wedding DJ'. As I was packing away the stuff in the car at 1:30am, I slipped on the icy tarmac and fell onto a knee and middle finger in a heap. Still hurts now boohoo!

 

Sunday: a lovely walk in the beautiful winter countryside with Mrs M & the kids, followed by cinema for tales of Narnia http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thumbup.gif

 

All in all, a wicked weekend.

[Dynamicdiscos 0]

Thursday - Very ill with Flu like bug and NO voice! :huh:Mike Moore had to help me out with a school disco. Thanks Mike I owe you one!

 

Friday - Still v. ill but dragged myself out for Crookham infant Schools xmas disco at least the children though it was funny... A dj who couldn't speak and if I did it was a mere squeek. Goodness knows how they followed the games but they managed it. Callapse into bed as soon as I got home.

 

Saturday - Wedding Argh! Still not much of a voice my worst nightmare. Took to the Southern comfort in a feeble attempt to get my voice back. Wow it worked but only for a few hours. Disco went well. Clients were very happy.

 

Sunday - Not quite back on form but at least it didn't hurt to talk. 6th Birthday went very well. Received my largest tip ever... £25 and lot more potential bookings.

 

Monday - Staying in bed coughing, spluttering and blowing my hooter! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/sleep1.gif