Mic Mac...To DJ or not to DJ.

[MicMac 0]

Hello all. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/042.gif

I intend to use this thread to chart my course into the world of DJing.

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

 

The story so far...

 

5 weeks ago

Bought from a well known auction site a set up - speakers, amp, CD player CDG player, lightbox, 2 lights. Karaoke set up (Mics Books, CDG's TV).

 

3 Weeks ago....

Go to local working Men's Club every Saturday to sing Karaoke. DJ is resigning that night. I sugested to Manager I had set up.

 

2 weeks ago...

Went to club, who were promoting "Karaoke with DJ Colin", so in we went, (Colin turns out to have wife on comittee).

 

1 Week ago

DJ Colin has got a anniversary the following week and manager asked me to do it

 

Saturday

Set up and did the gig. All went well. A few people sang, and nothing catastrophic happened, and I had a fair idea of what would go down well. Colin spoke about 'sharing the work he has at the pub, but I am unsure whether he is just thinking when he has got other gigs, or share the two nights between us (They do karaoke on Saturday and Sunday), Colin did say he had a gig (is 'gig' the right term?) next sunday, but I told him it was up to manager whether he wanted me so I will have to see.

 

Today

 

I have my first real gig..... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/scared.gif on Saturday for a wedding. ( Bloke rang yesterday as his DJ had let him down. I have quoted him £150 (the event starts at 5pm - midnight.), but figured it was a good idea to receipt for £127.66 + VAT = £150.00.

 

Also added to the pressure is it is my daughters 4th Birthday, and I am doing a party for her...BUT the party ends at 3:30pm giving me 1 1/2 hours to pack up, scurry across town and reset up ready for the couples big day....

 

Worst fears....

My worse fear is putting on a wholely innappropriate track, cos I think "she loves me " is some romantic track, when in reality it turns out to be a heavy rock track of blood and guts. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/omg.gif

 

Something in my equipment goes fizz and wipes out the electric accross the local district http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/oops.gif

 

My light show is not all that. I have one of the box lights, and 2 lights that emit dots and spin round. I appriciate once everyone is tanked up no-oe will give a monkeys, but I am concered that initially I may look tacky. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thumbdown.gif

 

So any supportative comments will be greatly appriciated. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/grouphug.gif

 

Until the next exiting episode.... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/pizza.gif

[andyw 0]

firstly good luck with the wedding.is one and a half hours long enough to pack away get to where you need to be and set up again.i think you really do need to get some back up gear asap,even brand new equipment can go wrong on the night.have you spoke to the b&g about music especially the first dance i always ask if there is any songs they dont want played.do a search on the forum you will find a lot of lists of popular tracks then make sure you have most of them.have you got pli yet if not i suggest you look into that,check with the venue to see if they want to see your pat test certificate and pli cover(some venues wont let you set up until they see it not many but it happens)

good luck andy

 

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

QUOTE

but figured it was a good idea to receipt for £127.66 + VAT = £150.00.

 

This might be a major problem if your not VAT registerd.....

 

you could end up in deep doo doo charging people VAT

 

 

But good luck with the wedding

[ChrisPointon 0]

Marc is 100% correct, if you are charging VAT then you need to be registered for VAT and be paying this portion to the Customs and Excise. By charging VAT to customers without being VAT registered carries very severe penalties.

[RobbieD 0]

QUOTE

I have my first real gig..... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/scared.gif  on Saturday for a wedding. ( Bloke rang yesterday as his DJ had let him down. I have quoted him £150 (the event starts at 5pm - midnight.), but figured it was a good idea to receipt for £127.66 + VAT = £150.00. Also added to the pressure is it is my daughters 4th Birthday, and I am doing a party for her...BUT the party ends at 3:30pm giving me 1 1/2 hours to pack up, scurry across town and reset up ready for the couples big day....

Firstly, as mentioned above, you must not charge VAT unless you are VAT registered.

 

Also I would be very concerned about only having 1½ hours between gigs. I've only once performed two mobile functions on one day, and I had a three hour gap. But that was only just long enough. What happens if you get stuck in traffic, or your transport breaks down? And if it was my first wedding, I would make a point of getting there even earlier than normal.

 

As you can't expect the bride and groom to change their wedding times, I would strongly urge you to move your daughters birthday party forward.

QUOTE

Worst fears.... My worse fear is putting on a wholely innappropriate track, cos I think "she loves me " is some romantic track, when in reality it turns out to be a heavy rock track of blood and guts. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/omg.gif

Listening to the track through the headphones first removes that risk. But even the most experienced DJ's have had occasions where they put on a sure fire dance floor filler, only to have everybody sit down. Just make sure you have another track to hand, move on, and don't let it phase you.

QUOTE

Something in my equipment goes fizz and wipes out the electric accross the local district http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/oops.gif

As mentioned, make sure you take some back up gear, as equipment can and does fail. As a minimum you need back up for anything that would kill your show dead by it's failure. So music source (CD player or PC) mixer and amplifier are the items to concentrate on. (If a speaker fails you still have the other one working.) There are many treads here on back up gear, if you do a search.

 

QUOTE

My light show is not all that.  I have one of the box lights, and 2 lights that emit dots and spin round.  I appriciate once everyone is tanked up no-oe will give a monkeys, but I am concered that initially I may look tacky. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thumbdown.gif

Don't worry, we all have to start somewhere. Lighting is far less important than sound.

 

QUOTE

So any supportative comments will be greatly appriciated. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/grouphug.gif Until the next exiting episode.... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/pizza.gif

I would normally say that (given your concerns) it would be wise to admit to the customer that you are quite new to this. Most people would be understanding, and this is balanced out by the fact that less experienced DJ's charge less.

 

We all need to start somewhere, and make mistakes at first - it's all part of the learning experience - but I don't think that someones wedding is the place to do this. (Many consider the wedding day is the most important day in a woman's like.)

 

Ideally I would suggest that you spent several months doing other less important functions before accepting a wedding.

 

Is there anyone else that you can pass this booking to? Maybe you could go along with them to gain wedding experience.

 

Or maybe you can call on someone (such as a retired DJ) to share this gig with you?

 

Sorry, not very supportive. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/533.gif

[Paul Smith 0]

Ditto, ditto & ditto all the above replies (well it saves a lot of typing & quoting).

 

There used to be a program on TV called 'In at the Deep End' but even they had a few days with an expert 1st to learn the ropes http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/oops.gif

 

Having said that you are stepping in at the last minute after they have been let down so I think that as long as they are aware there may be the odd hic-cup (hopefully not) then I'm sure under the circumstances they'll understand.

 

Between now & then set-up your gear each day and practice - introduce the B&G on your mic play their 1st song etc then try out other tracks and make a note of any that may go well together or may work on the night. This will give you a crib list so that if your mind goes blank at least you will have something to refer to.

 

At the end of each practice dismantle all your gear ready for the next time - this way you'll get used to setting up as well and you will find that the time it takes will reduce which is also important for some venues.

 

PS I replied to your question about VAT on another thread you are running. Had I known you had duplicated the question here and it had already been answered I could have saved 5 minutes of my life http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/nono.gif - also could you avoid shouting in Purple

 

Thank you and Good Luck

[ian . 0]

If you don't know what you're doing, you'll ruin their wedding day. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/nono.gif

 

Seems to me like you've only just started.

 

You could end up with a bad reputation before you get going.

[desperatedan 0]

Hi

 

I know we all have to start some where but think you are quite brave taking on a wedding at this early stage of your dj career,

 

Just a couple of things to make sure you have done ......

 

1) Spoke to Bride & Groom to confirm first dance - and double checked to make sure you have the song for the night.

 

2) Worked out roughly what you are going to say to introduce the B&G for there first dance, cutting cake, throwing boquet etc.....

 

3) Confirmed what dress code the B&G expect you to be in for the evening (Weddings a lot differance dress code from karaoke)

 

4) Found out what type of music they are expecting to here have they got any personal fav's as dont forget to them it is the most important day of their lives and will expect everything to be perfect.

 

5) Be honest with them that you are new DJ this may help you in the long run.

 

6) If you can take someone along with some previous experiance that would be helpful for you and for the B&G.

 

All in all good luck and remember to report back with what happens.

[RobbieD 0]

Hi Paul,

 

I hope all our advice/comments didn't put you off of participating on this site.

 

Did the wedding go well? It would be interesting to get an update.

 

Cheers,

 

Robbie

[MicMac 0]

HELLO ALL, http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/042.gif

 

Well I did it. And I think I am one lucky lucky DJ.

 

Firstly the set up was already at the venue, all I needed to set up was a second CD player. The microphone did not work in the amp they had, so I set up my amp, and a speaker, so Mic could be used. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thumbup.gif

 

Between 5-8 it was very quiet, with mostly family members and young children about. In fact at one point (about 6:30) there was only me in the room http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/bigstar.gif

 

At 8ish everyone started to arrive, thus really only needed to do 4 hours

 

The Groom had given me the CD with there song on it, so that was not a problem http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/inlove.gif .

 

There were a number of children present who seemed to take over the dance floor, and I was also asked to turn on the wall lights a bit earlier on in the evening, and never turned them off, so this might have been a cause of very few adults dancing. I also had the forsight to set up the karaoke descretley in a corner, and sure enough, around 9:30 I was asked whether I was going to do Karaoke. Once I had confermed with Groom that he was OK with this the request slips came flying in, thus I was able to not worry too much about me selecting the music.

 

I stopped taking request so I was able to finish the night with 1/2 hour love songs (putting the Bride and Grooms song on again as a starter). http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/inlove.gif

 

Finished at midnight, and was back in my local club for 12:30 giving me 1/2 hour quality drinking time.

 

So what have I learned....

 

1) I need some lights. I do not think my three lightboxes and 2 spinning lights would have done the room much justice.

 

2) I need to establish how to avoid feedback from the Mic. I 'encouraged' singers to sing away from the speakers, however there was feedback every now and then.

 

3) I need to concentrate on what music I have and develop my playlists for certain events.

 

4) I need to ensure I inventory all my equipment, as I left a speaker stand at the venue.

 

5) get a list of 'must have's' in music, and attain them.

 

( During My daughters party I attempted to play a couple of tracks from my lap-top, but every now and then it would emmit an excrusiating electrical 'buzzing' noise, that I figured would not be acceptable at the wedding). I need to check out whether the connecting wire (from the Laptop to the amp) is suitable, or whether there is a fault with the amp itself.

 

So that was my first real 'gig'. Like I say I feel really lucky that most of the equipment was already there, and they had loads of CD's there too, which I was able to use.

 

The Groom seemed very pleased, and said that he would reccommend me. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thanks.gif

 

Next steps....

 

I am awaiting a decition of the club as to whether they are going to continue with Karaoke on a Sat and Sunday, or just have music from a player from behind the bar. If I am able to get the gig and become resident DJ I will be able to practice and build up my kit, before I 'go mobile' as it were http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/headphone.gif . However if they decide not to employ me than I need to quickly sort out the issues as stated above, and advertise. (I am still waiting for a bridal shop to finalise her advertising leaflet Due to have 25,000 published ), as for £50 she will include a Mic Mac advert, and this will then be available in her shop, and wedding fairs she attends.

 

So until the next exiting episode of 'To DJ or not to DJ'..... see ya http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/042.gif

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

MICMAC

 

Dont want to sound harsh but I you need to pop out and get a lotto ticket while your luck is still in as it seems you got away with this gig by the skin of your teeth...

 

Next you need to hook up with a few more experianced DJs in your area and see how things are done correctly...

 

I garantee the next booking you get wont be so easy and could end in tears if you carry on like that..

 

anyway well done for getting away with it http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

 

 

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

[FrankieJ 0]

QUOTE

Don’t want to sound harsh but I you need to pop out and get a lotto ticket while your luck is still in as it seems you got away with this gig by the skin of your teeth... Next you need to hook up with a few more experienced DJs in your area and see how things are done correctly... I guarantee the next booking you get wont be so easy and could end in tears if you carry on like that..

 

I Agree with Marky.

 

 

No offence to the Mac but this is a fine example of how easy it is now days to set up a rig and run a wedding for 7 hours without the experience.

This is also another reason why our industry isn’t taken seriously, ok MICMAC got away with it this time but as Marky mentioned it could end in tears the next.

I can appreciate that we all have to start some where but do yourself a favour MicMac get yourself hooked up with a local experienced DJ and learn from him/her as this is how we all started ( Except Andy, he was born with a microphone in his hand).

 

Anyway hope I didn’t cause any offence, good luck to you. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thumbup.gif

[andyw 0]

well said marky marc and frankiej,some very wise words there.it sounds like micmac has learnt some lessons and got off lightly,i know he filled in at the last moment and fair play to him for that,my main concern now is advertising in a wedding brochure,might be better to cut your teeth at some different types of events before advertising as a wedding dj.get some birthdays and anniversary parties use the money you get from them to reinvest in equipment,my advise is get backup sound before you get more lights.

well done mic mac,1 down loads to go http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thumbup.gif

[C.S 0]

Perhaps a few of us should sit down and think about all the gigs we have ever done and see how many gigs we had at the start that were like this ! If we are honest then i think we could be suprised. It is important to remember that in fact anybody can be a dj ! It seems to me that Micmac has some of the most important elements of being a dj, enthusiasm,interest ,willingness to learn,humilty(we could all do with some ) and he talked to his client and did exactly what his client wanted. I salute you sir for your guts and wish you the best of luck with finding your way http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/cool.gif

[ChrisPointon 0]

MicMac has already identified his weaknesses and publically shared them with us in the hope of improvement. It's a shame that others can't display the same level of honesty!.

 

He's identified that he needs our help, I don't think he should become a target for being honest asking for help do you?. We all need help sometimes.

 

It's those who blunder on with little experience, misplaced confidence and swollen egos, blundering their way through gig after gig thinking that they know it all and are gods gift that do the real damage to the industry.

 

So lets stick with the advice giving, rather than passing judgement, the gig is done and dusted so no mileage to be gained from still dwelling on negativity, so time to move on to some constructive pointers.

[MicMac 0]

I would like to come back on a couple of points.... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/1106.gif

 

I felt I was lucky in that I had a lot of time saved for me by the virtue that the kit was already there. Had it not have been I would have had to set up my own kit. (bear in mind that I finished our childs birthday 1 1/2 hours before the wedding, so I had very little 'prep' time. In all honesty when I agreed to do the wedding my daughters party slipped my mind http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/oops.gif and just took the booking, however I have learned that if I do not have adiquate time to prepare then I will not take the gig.

 

I was very proffesional and honestly felt the night went really well, and the comments from the groom said as much.

 

I think andy w is right that it may not be the best time to advertise in a wedding magazine until I get some more experience.

I am finding my feet and understand I have a lot to learn, but also feel I am not " another reason why our industry isn’t taken seriously",

 

Anyhow my next (2) tests are on the horizon. On Saturday evening I have a 21st birthday party, and the following Saturday afternoon I have a childs 6th Birthday.

 

The quest continues...... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/headphone.gif

 

 

 

[andyw 0]

i didnt want to sound harsh or critisize,i'm problably the last person on the forum in a position to do that,but felt the advice given,to hook up with an expirienced dj was spot on,we learnt more in one night with ads then we would of learnt in months/years of doing it by ourself,things we would never of thought of until something went wrong then it might of been to late.i wouldnt say you are a reason the industry isnt taken seriously by the fact your on this forum trying to put right the things you have identified needs to be corrected,but if you get the opportunaty to go with someone else you might identify other things that havent crossed your mind yet.

[Andy Westcott 0]

Well, now for my opinion:

I think (as do some others) that Mac has demonstrated a surprising commitment to getting the job right by posting his experiences here, and highlighting his own strengths and weaknesses.

 

Identifying these points has to be half the battle won already!

 

Agreed, a wedding wasn't really the best kind of gig to 'practice' on, but it went OK, so no damage done.

 

My advice to Mac:

Avoid weddings for a while.

This one was OK, and I understand you filled in at short notice, but many can be a real struggle and test the confidence and ability of even the most experienced DJs, and I wouldn't like to think you were put off at such an early stage by a bad experience. There is also the chance you could ruin the night for the client, and that is unthinkable.

 

I agree with the idea of getting together with another DJ and attending some of his/her gigs to see how the more experienced guys handle tricky situations - I seriously wish I'd had that chance all those years ago.

 

Cut your teeth on the sort of events you have coming up - 21st and the 6th birthdays - completely different and each capable of providing useful experience.

 

And keep asking questions here.

Almost by definition, the people here want to help others, as well as gain extra knowledge themselves, so there won't be many questions that we would consider silly. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif

 

We all had to start somewhere, and for many of us our early gigs didn't go as well as yours did, and most of us still remember..... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/hide.gif

[MicMac 0]

Hello all. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/042.gif

 

Another Gig done and dusted. (3) http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif

 

As mentioned in earlier post I was asked to do 21st last night (did not get all details from DJ who had 'passed me the job' until 3pm yesterday afternoon.

 

Anyway. Everything went really well. They had also hired a 'Bucking Bronco', so this was a way for me to practice my 'compaire' skills. Both Birthday Girl, and her boyfriend were very pleased. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thanks.gif

 

(A real heart stopper was that at about 9pm, the whole rig went down and the fire alarm was activated http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/fright.gif . For 5 minutes I really thaught the worse had happened , http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/whistling.gif however it turned out someone trying to get out had inadvertantly activated the fire alarm that automatically tripped sockets http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/drama2.gif . Phew http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

So all went well.

 

Am just about to email plans to mother of 6 year old who I am going to do a party for next Saturday

 

....The quest continues http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/headphone.gif

[shakermaker 0]

I've only just seen this thread so apologies for being late and I hope my comments are of some help.

 

Firstly and before I go anywhere else can I just say that you have done the right thing joining this site and are not too proud or scared to ask for help, admitting that you are new to the world of djing etc..

 

Someone said earlier that "anyone can dj"...Mmmm, can they? Everybody WANTS to be a dj and certain people may claim that they are dj's but the proof is in the pudding as they say.

 

You are starting off and as rightly said elsewhere, a wedding was probably not the ideal starter but you got away with it and well done! No'one has mentioned it yet and it's probably not THAT important but a 7 hour session (no matter what part of the country you live in) should have been a bit more than the price you gave them but again, you are starting out so fair do's. The VAT thing was mentioned and I am sure you have taken that on board.

 

Gear wise, please ALWAYS take back up stuff with you...Mixer, Cd players and other stuff like speaker leads, audio leads and lightbulbs etc...They may be a pain in the butt to take with you but they could really help you out should anything go wrong. On the subject of lights etc....at the end of the day, it's all well and good having great lighting etc etc but it's down to you and the way you come across on the mic etc that really matters. Sound is mega important, don't go straight for quantity, think of the quality. It's all well and good having really loud speakers but 99.9% of the time you are behind them or level with them and don't get a real feel for the sound. Always do a soundcheck. I said to the venue manager the other day at a function I was doing whilst setting up "I'm just going to give them a quick soundcheck" and his reply was "I thought it was just bands that did that!" - How are you supposed to get your sound as you want it and sounding good if you don't soundcheck?

 

If you can afford to do it, put every bit of money that you make straight towards more equipment. I've just got a transit van after 9 months of making multiple journies in the car....haha..now I can put the back seats back in it!! Get cases for your lights etc. It's amazing how quickly things can get damaged. Also, if you are going to be buying equipment, try and get it from the same shop. If you are a regular (even if it's just buying clamps, leads or bulbs) then the shop will get to know you and give you discount. There is always a way that they can drop their price and lose some of the tax or whatever it is that they do.

 

There are loads of things to consider and I don't claim to know it all. You have gone in at the deep end and so far, by the sounds of it, you are doing ok so best of luck to you. There will be ups and downs guaranteed but you'll learn from them.

Edited October 16, 2006 by shakermaker

[C.S 0]

QUOTE

"anyone can dj"...Mmmm, can they?

 

That was me who said that ........ and yep they can because you only need some gear and some music ...... but if they are any good at it thats a different story !

[MicMac 0]

Another Gig http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

Wow. I don't know how they are finding me but they certainly are.

 

This gig is an 18th Birthday party in a local pub (Starts at 8 so should have no problem if Kids party finishes at 3). I quoted £100 for 7-midnight, and an extra £20 if I was to go on until 1am. Customer came back to me and said she wants it from 8. Me thinks on the night she will try and say that if I quoted her £100 from 7 - midnight I should be able to do 8-1am for same, however this will not allow me to pack and go for a drink myself, so I am unsure whether I should risk an argument and state that any time after 12 will inccur an extra £20, or just to do the gig until 1 and accept the £100.

 

I figure if I can take on 'low key' stuff, until I can afford to get myself some quality gear, then I should do OK.

 

Another issue is a deposit. Because my bookings seem to be 'short notice' I am wondering what is the best way to ask for a deposit (as the gig would be upon me before I was able to secure any deposit), but even thoes that I have over a weeks notice, I am unsure how to secure a deposit.

 

I have looked into banking and it seems small businesses do not get any favours, and seems like if you choose the wrong bank it can be a nightmare. (Any top Banking tips would be greatly appriciated).

 

Also is there a good source for music I should look at. I have about 600 CD's but many of these are NOW's, other compilations, or thoes free ones newspapers started to give out. I need to listen to all music I have as I am often asked for something and do not know if I have it or not, however it is a daunting prospect to listen to 600 CD's and rate them, however I do not think I have much choice.

 

Until the next episode....

 

The quest Continues.... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/headphone.gif

[andyw 0]

i cant see when the disco is but i would not take a deposit on a late booking unless it is close enough for you to drive there and get a cash deposit,but insist on payment before you start,i think some people insist on it before setting up but that is up to you,my advise to you about finishing would be set the time and finish if you go over then expect more money your running a bussiness(dont quote me on that because we made that mistake the other week).

cd's a good place we got loads was at car boot sales,then go round the towns and look at the cut price cd's(if getting from car boot sales remember to check it's original cd's,open the cover to check it got the cd's thats meant to be inside,and make an offer for all the cd's they got you can pick up some bargains that way.)

i can remember a few months back,i think it was bigben done a gig with just now albums so it can be done.

good luck

andy

[brianmole 0]

Cash BEFORE you start is key here. Do not wait till the end. Abbey do a free business banking account, it's somewhere on this forum I think - do a search....

[Paul Smith 0]

Have a contract / booking form prepared as well with times etc on it and give them a signed copy + get them to sign yours.

 

If it's last minute (ie a few days away) & the client is local I drive to their house to meet them, sort out paperwork, songs etc & take at least a deposit in cash (or full payment).

 

The word is out on the street eh http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif and already you're doing 2 gigs in a day.