Fill That Floor

[davemoody 0]

As a wedding DJ I might as well throw my hat in the ring as well and pass a few comments.

 

Firstly with the smoking ban I have to agree that it is going to be harder keeping people in the room if the venue has a cosy smoking hideaway they can escape to.

 

As for not dancing before the buffet it is a difficult one. One hotel I play at a lot the Bride and Groom have the first dance at 8.30. The staff have already started putting the buffet out and as soon as you come to the end of the first song after their first dance you have to annouince the buffet. Its ridiculous.

 

I generally try to get things going about half an hour before so you can get people on their feet. One way I do it is to suggest to the bride and groom to have a couple of slow dances and on the second we can get people to join you on the floor. So get as many people at the start around the dancefloor in a big circle, to get your captive crowd. After you have got people on the floor on the second dance now comes the tricky part of keepiong them there!!!

 

Last night for instance tried this again and it works for me 9 times out of 10. Big round of applause for the B and G and then straight in to an Abba mix that everybody knows, all the lights going, then its Barry WHite, First my Last etc and then Love Really Hurts etc. couple of recent ones like Mika Love Today or Scissor Sisters and I get a full florr until the Buffet.

 

Then assess the room for age group and may start with a few 60's, then 80's, bit of soul and mortown, 90's like Take That, Robbie, Kylie etc and then a few cheesy party classics if they want that sort of thing.

 

Most of the time this works but like everybody I have bad nights. A few weeks ago the bride and groom got married in Cyprus and they had a wedding reception for friends and family. So started off doing the same and died dramatically. Problem was that they were all clubbers and had been clubbing till the early hours in the Cyprus clubs so I had to quickly think on my feet and try and adapt to the type of music they wanted.

 

Bearing in mind on the phone the week before, the B and G said that they wanted a mix of everything with a few cheesy ones to get everyone dancing!!!! Soon as I put Fedde Le Grand Hands Up on the floor was packed. Have to say I found it difficult then trying to keep them there for 2 hours with my limited club knowledge. Haven't played oin a club for nearly 15 years now!!!!

 

I think all of us have a speciality as such to entertain a certain type of client. As I have admitted, mine is generally weddings because I am good at it.

 

I have got some school proms coming up and I am dreading it already. I am already brushing up on some new stuff I can incorporate such as some up to date Indie, Club and R and B classics.

 

Wish me luck!!!!!!!

[McCardle 1]

i read a comment on one of the interviews here once which i agree with. the difference between people going out to a club or pub to enjoy themselves is that is a choice and their purposes, those at a wedding are there through invitation or family loyalties and therefore turn up out of politeness or because they could not come up with a good excuse not to be there so it makes sense that they are not all there for the disco and there will be people there who do not normally socialise or enjoy discos, so it should follow that not everybody will flock onto the dancefloor at such occasions

[Nedd 0]

The other thing to bear in mind with all of this, is that even hard-core clubbers don't even think about arriving at a club until about 11.00pm and then spend only two/three hours on the dancefloor, whereas we get the jitters if people don't want to start dancing at 8.00pm or even earlier, and then stay hard at it to the end of the night!!!!

[stevemarshall 0]

Weddings and functions are always fun, you have to do a number of things peoplewatch is the key, listen and watch your crowd..also do some party dances and games to break up the crowd..check out the ages of the people there as well...I have being doing functions for more years than I can remember..now doing them in Spain along with disco work...with both Spanish and English speakers...every day is different that's what it makes it interesting!

[Rapmeister 0]

I find that if you get the girls up and dancing you cannot fail, the good old catchy 70's soul tunes Donna Summer, Barry White etc.. will always get them going. Save the ska and cheese till the end and the lads will get up there also.

:joe: