Interview With Haydn

[Paul Smith 0]

Possibly the last interview this year - we stay in East Anglia and say Hi to Haydn ...

 

1. What is your DJU Forum Alias?

DJH

 

2. What is your Real Name, Age, Location & Marital Status?

Haydn, 42, Loddon nr Norwich, and married

 

3. What is the Name of your Disco?

Athenasounds

 

4. How long have you been a DJ?

just over 2 years

 

5. What inspired you to become a DJ?

Got bored, needed something to do in my spare time when i left the fire service

 

6. Are you a Full/Part Time DJ? If part time what else do you do?

part-time, window cleaner/carpenter, and a retained firefighter, (joined up again)

 

7. What is your favourite type of function now? (eg: Wedding, 18th Birthday party, etc)

40th`s have to be my favs, dont mind weddings,

 

8. What’s the worst/most embarrassing thing you've done in front of an audience?

Cant really say i have done anything embarrassing, YET, except hit the wrong button on the mixer (dont we all?)

 

9. If you could go back to the beginning of your DJ career is there anything that you'd do differently? (eg: The gear that you bought, the way you promoted/advertised yourself)

I purchased all the gear off a bloke who was giving up, i rolled with it for a year then upgraded stuff, didnt really promote myself as it was a hobby at first, have since done a website and advertised locally,

 

10. What do you feel you offer the public that convinces them to book you rather than "the next guy/girl"?

I would never say to anyone i am better than the next person down the road, punters get what they see with us, smart, funny, grown up, and keep every one happy.

 

11. Have you ever bought something for your show that you wish you hadn't? and why?

Yeah , a poxy UFO light off a company down in Kent, he advertised it as a pro light, £50.00 down the drain, its a kids toy and not sound activated.

 

 

12. What's your next DJ purchase likely to be?

I have a foot controller for my lights, i'm thinking of changing this for a switch operated controller that will sit on my mixer. but i have spent alot lately so it might go on hold till later next year (2008)

 

 

13. If you could get someone to invent a new piece of disco equipment for your show, what would it be?

God knows!!!!! i`ll just go with the times and see what comes on the market.

 

14. What was the worst equipment failure suffered during a gig?

i was dreading this question, played a NYE gig in norwich 2 years ago, was told i was in the function room so only took two speakers with me, got ther and was told i was playing in the main area, which happened to be the bowling alley`s, after about 1.5 hours i blew the tops (Peavey sats) and mids, because we were trying to pump it out, luckily my mate at home hadn`t started drinking and ran the other two speakers out and we were up and running within 40mins of blowing, hence we toned the sound level down after that, was a expensive night once i repaired the speakers,

 

15. What do you think is the best thing about DJing?

playing music, meeting people, and socializing

 

16. What do you think is the worst thing about DJing?

lugging the kit about,

 

17. What would make you stop DJing (if anything)?

Ill health, and my missus.

 

18. How do you think DJing will change, in the next 5 years?

Once the right bodies have sorted out what and what not you can play on what format, it will be digital .

 

19. Most stupid thing anyone's ever said to you at a gig?

"people dont like this stuff, play some good old disco stuff" i was doing my friends 40th for nothing and was playing Insomnia remix with about 100 people dancing to it. i told him politely to get off the stage, found out the next day it was my friends brother in law,

 

20. Best advice you were ever given by a fellow DJ?

My wifes cousins told me , play what the punter wants and not what you want, they pay ya,

 

21. And worst advice you were ever given?

None yet!!!!!

 

22. How do you keep up to date with music? (eg Promo monthly CDs, Downloads, Purchase from retailer)

CD`s and downloads.

 

23. Name 3 songs that 95% of the time will fill the dance floor for you!

Communards - dont leave me this way (12" IF POSS)

Whitney- I want to dance with somebody

Robbie williams - Angels - always fills for the smooch

 

24. One piece of advice you'd give to someone just starting out.

Dont jump in feet first, take your time and really look into the way you want to run it, worked for me.

 

25. What medium format do you mainly use eg vinyl, CD, hard-drive?

CD`s always, hard drive as a back up and obscure asked for songs

 

26. Have you embraced/adapted any ideas that you've read about on DJU - if so what?

I have taken note of some of the guys playlists,-very interesting

used the smoke machine cleaning idea- machine never worked again.LOL

asked a few questions with some great replies

 

27. What is your best gig ever and your worst?

Best was my friends 40th in Loddon, 250 people had them dancing all night,

worst was claxton club in Beccles, access a pain, 80 invited, 30 turned up and its the first time i have cleared the floor with the cha cha slide

 

28. Apart from 'Word of Mouth' what is your main (most successful) form of advertising your disco?

Mine is basically word of mouth, but i do get some from the yellow pages

 

29. Are you a member of a DJ Association / Union?

Nope

 

30. Add any additional comments which you would like to include here...

Not really, except this is a great informative site and glad i found it,

 

31. How many gigs do you do a year, how many would you like to do?

Since i started it works out at about 25 a year, not bad since i was happy with 1 a month.

 

32. What is your average charge for a booking?

anything between £150 - £250

 

33. How many tracks do you have in your music collection?

to date 30000

 

34. Have you ever had someone try to claim off you? (eg: Public Liability Insurance or other such legal action)

no, not yet and hopefully never.

 

35. What is your favourite music genre?

i love the 80`s but also like the trance scene

 

[Mattaious 0]

11. Have you ever bought something for your show that you wish you hadn't? and why?

Yeah , a poxy UFO light off a company down in Kent, he advertised it as a pro light, £50.00 down the drain, its a kids toy and not sound activated.

 

 

From the "Bay" by anychance?

 

 

Hey ho we all learn,

 

 

 

Excellent Read

 

:Thumbup:

[DJH 0]

:bouncy: yep you guessed right,