Lack Of Information From Clients

[MintyDave 0]

Im going into a wedding do next friday night with not only very little information, but having had no contact with the clients whatsoever

 

The story is that i have been booked through a regular venue and to date they have been lets say economical with information and i have been to events not knowing who's party it is. Ok its only a small village pub with room for 60-70 people and my last few gigs have been absolute crackers, there is something about the place which gives a great atmosphere.

 

Anyway they took a booking for a wedding a while ago and have made several attempts to contact the clients to discuss all the details. They have had confirmation that the wedding is going ahead and the landlord had to nag them just to pop in to talk about food etc, they were there 5 minutes and extracting any info was painful. He asked them to contact me and they never did

 

The attitude is that 'oh im sure it will be ok on the night' (from the parents of the B&G). The venue has been paid for buffet and me so getting my money isn't an issue and it was only last night i was told i could start setting up at 8pm ish. The bride isn't even in the country.

 

So im going into this one knowing i can setup at 8 in my usual spot and thats it. No music requirements, no first dance track, dont even know the name of the B&G.

 

Oh how i like living on the edge. Cant blame the venue, they know as musch as me and the landlord has best described the night as being 'Rather Tame'

 

I get the feeling they want a Disco as thats what other peope do.

 

:wall:

[UKHero 0]

Dave some B&Gs just want you to do your thing. I did a gig at Tickton Grange Hotel in Beverley Nr Hull last night. The B&G said we will leave it to your expertise. They gave me a first dance though and that was just about it. I got there at 5pm to be safe a three hour drive so wanted to be early and watched a DVD in the car till about 7:30 then was told I could set up. Again the B&G said they would be guided by me and the night was one of the best I have had in a long while.

 

Back in the dark old days of working for an agent I used to very often be sent to a venue not knowing what it was Wedding, Birthday etc etc.

 

Some times people do put their faith in you as a professional (I know its unusual in this day and age) so grasp it and give them a night to remember. Get set up and changed in to your suit (if you do that) then go speak to them ask if they even want a first dance, some don't.

 

I am sure it will be fine, just relax. We may offer extra services like planning forms and request lists etc but some just want you to do your job.

 

Have a good one.

 

Nik

[deejaymitch 0]

It's amazing how often I find this happening. I do some work for a local hotel and often turn up not knowing what sort of function it is (wedding, birthday etc) and they almost NEVER have the name of the bride and groom/birthday boy or girl etc. It's incredible.

[DJMickeyk 0]

That is highly unusual, some B & g's I come across don't want any input into the music and are happy to just let you do it your way, but I have never come across a couple who haven't even contacted me personally to confirm everything is ok, or just a general "what sort of music do you play" type discussion. each to their own, could turn out to be a wonderful night, once you are paid and are happy you did a good job then all you can do is get on with it. I have never gone through an agent and always deal directly with clients so i guess that is why I haven't come across this before.

Edited May 30, 2010 by DJMickeyk

[deejaymitch 0]

His name is Irish but he didn't sound Irish on the phone, I'm just hoping it doesn't end in a punch up.

 

Comments like that are a sure-fire way of getting a punch-up started. Nice use of racial stereo-typing there :nono:

[Rothgar 0]

Comments like that are a sure-fire way of getting a punch-up started. Nice use of racial stereo-typing there :nono:

 

My apologies, keyboard engaged before brain.

[MintyDave 0]

This is exactly what im talking about :djurant:

 

I have just had a phone call from the bride - wedding tonight at 8pm!!!!!!!!!

 

they planned on bringing a bunch of cd's with the first dance and other favourite tunes as she is American and they are both country fans. To save carrying cd's across the pond they ripped the cds and brought a hd. Trouble is the songs on the hd are drm protected and she cant burn them or even play them with windows media player. She cant tell me what format the songs are or offer any other technical explanation as she is not up to speed on all things pc.

 

so now they are complilng a list and emailing it to me of what she has said are unique not standard english tunes. Johnny Paycheck etc.

 

I dont mind hammering itunes for a few popular tracks but sadly i will be sending an email requesting additional payment subject to track availability.

 

Now i feel like im the guilty party here and doing this kind of thing upsets me. I just want to do my best for poeple, like we all do.

 

Like i have nothing better to do than surf itunes, twitter on forums and drink tea :ads:

 

 

[vokf 0]

I know what you mean Dave, we try to give a good service, but clients do need to make it a bit easier!

 

Last weekends wedding revelealed that the bride (who wanted mainly modern during our meeting, and wasn't at all keen on cheese) was also a closet MeatLoaf fan, and whilst I've got "Bat out of Hell", and "Real Dead Ringer for Love", I didn't have "Paradise by the Dashboard light" (quick wink to another forum member...lol).

 

I generally don't mind getting a few tracks in, but obviously I won't get lots of rare albums for a kids party, but tracks I consider I should have anyway, I'm always happy to get (as an investment).

 

Does anyone try to cover this in their contract?

 

Good luck Dave- it sounds like you're trying your best in difficult circumstances.

 

 

Jason - sitting in the sun with just about to quaff a nice Latte whilst the kids are running about and leaving me alone... bliss lol.

[MintyDave 0]

Had i had some information sooner i could have gone over to HMV (30 mile round trip) or gone thru ebay, as you say music is always a good investment and i am more than happy to pick up tunes given a reasonable ammount of notice.

 

I have recently recieved a wedding must play list that specifies a lot of Indie classics some of which i dont have, should have and soon will have. at least i have a chance there.

 

i have just subscribed to CD Pool Radio & Hits costing £25 per month and thats 40 tracks of the latest tunes. its great considering some recent gigs (even last night) where they did want some radio release only tracks.

 

Still waiting for this email!

 

sitting in the sun with 20 sheets of plasterboard.........that need moving.....

[MintyDave 0]

song list landed at 2.30pm after another phone call, they sent it 2 hours ago but spelt disco wrong in my email address :sad:

 

Johnny Paycheck

Someone to give my love to

Old Violin

 

Gordon Lightfoot

If you could read my mind

Sundown

Summer side of life

Carefree highway

 

Putumayo Presents - French Cafe

Fibre de Verre

Marilou sous la neige

Si la photo est bonne

Juste quelqu'un deBien

Je m'suis fait tout petit

En Douce

La Fe'e Clochette

 

Jack Johnson

Better together

Never know

No other way

Sitting, waiting, wishing

If I could

Breakdown

 

Eddy Arnold

Then you can tell me goodbye

 

Daft Punk

One more time

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

High life

Voyager

Face to face

 

Morcheeba

Shoulder holster

Let me see

Over and over

Friction

Be yourself

Way beyond

Undress me now

World looking in

Can't stand it

 

The beach - original soundtrack

Pure shores

Voices

Porcelain

 

Groove Armada

Easy

I see you baby

Final shakedown

love sweet sound

Feel the same

Super stylin

Remember

Paris

Suntoucher

Fogma

Raisin the stakes

Healing

Tuning in (dub mix)

Join hands

 

Royksopp

Melody a.m.

Eple

Remind me

Inspace

What else is there

Sparks

Only this moment

Go away

 

Various artists - Big tunes living for the weekend disc 1

Call on me

Mymymy

Strings of life (Danny Krivitt re-edit)

Put 'em high (JJ club mix)

Stupidisco

Keep Movin' On (Mike Discala remix)

 

i never knew Aramand Van Helden was a country singer :joe:

no indication which the first dance is but i assume its johnny paycheck. Off to itunes i go.

[gadget 0]

At least its not all 100% obscure tracks, there's quite a few which you'll already have no doubt.. ?

 

Cheers

 

David

[MintyDave 0]

At least its not all 100% obscure tracks, there's quite a few which you'll already have no doubt.. ?

 

Cheers

 

David

 

I have the popular ones from moby, groove armada, daft punk, armand van helden eric prydz etc, and have hand picked a few more from itunes, especially the country ones but am limited to 18 inc the downloads

 

The majority of these tracks especially the Groove armada, Royskopp and morcheeba are a definate waste of money and i am not buying them. If they were in the Artists top 10 downloads then ok but when they sit at 148 no way.

 

French Cafe - yeah right

 

Seriously they are in essence background music and i would imagine you would find half of them on Ibiza chillout type compilations. (I have a few of them so will play some)

 

Getting the lot (not all on itunes anyway) would cost me about 25% of my fee and as i said they are not floor filling tunes - not even dance tracks!

 

Can do no more this late in the game im afraid. :wall:

[MintyDave 0]

well its done and dusted, what a chew that was. Was supposed to be in at 8 to setup. I ended up helping the bar staff clear tables at 9.20 and played my first track to an empty venue at 10pm. The B&G came in at 10.30 with a few friends and family and asked for the first dance, i was not told what it was so that wasnt a good start but good job i had it, then played until 12.15. it went ok as i got to play some decent tunes and didnt have to fight to find good dancing tracks given the short performance time

 

everybody left without a thank you or anything which was a bit sad but the venue staff barely got a nod either so im not taking it personally.

 

Onwards!

[UKHero 0]

well its done and dusted, what a chew that was. Was supposed to be in at 8 to setup. I ended up helping the bar staff clear tables at 9.20 and played my first track to an empty venue at 10pm. The B&G came in at 10.30 with a few friends and family and asked for the first dance, i was not told what it was so that wasnt a good start but good job i had it, then played until 12.15. it went ok as i got to play some decent tunes and didnt have to fight to find good dancing tracks given the short performance time

 

everybody left without a thank you or anything which was a bit sad but the venue staff barely got a nod either so im not taking it personally.

 

Onwards!

 

 

Ahhh Dave we do our best but it seems to fall on the ungrateful sometimes. I know we are getting paid for the job we do but a thank you makes you feel so much better at the end of a gig.

 

I wonder how they would react if they had seen how you had gone to the trouble and worry to make there night as perfect as possible by reading through this thread. Some offer nothing (including the fee) but expect all and when they get it still do not have the grace to show appreciation. As you say onwards!!!

 

 

Nik

[D.X 0]

Had a few non contacters, makes turning up at the gig over 100 miles away a bit nervous but it's always turned out fine.

 

What annoys me more are the people who fill out my enquiry form asking for a disco from 7-12 then after I've quoted them they tag on wedding breakfast background music and then oh, that will be in another room and oh, the disco goes on till 1am, sorry we didn't know.

 

Yeah right, you didn't know what time your own wedding party finishes. I got wise to these "want something for nothing" people after a while. I now jack the price up every time they ask for something that wasn't in the initial enquiry. Some go for it, some don't.

Edited June 5, 2010 by D.X

[MintyDave 0]

Im still on my little high after a recent good run and i know i did my best so the whole fiasco has not phased me one bit, as unfortunately i usually take things to heart too easily. the actual 1 1/2 hours of party tunes was great some very nice mixes etc. and they danced their frocks off. am doing a last minute 50th tonight and am going that extra mile for the woman as i know there are a few important people going from various local organisations. She is having some friends singing a few tunes and i have offered up my sound rig and extra lights to do the job

 

Was it Starship who sang - nothing gunna stop us now.

[UKHero 0]

 

 

Was it Starship who sang - nothing gunna stop us now.

 

Yes

[DJTREV 0]

 

Lots of stuff and playlist

 

 

Didn't want to quote the whole lot.

When a playlist is posted I like to go thro my tracks to see if I have most or all of those played and sometimes I get quite a surprise.

Todays surprise.

I actually have all of the French Cafe tracks

[MintyDave 0]

Didn't want to quote the whole lot.

When a playlist is posted I like to go thro my tracks to see if I have most or all of those played and sometimes I get quite a surprise.

Todays surprise.

I actually have all of the French Cafe tracks

 

Well done...i think

 

Like i said earlier under normal circumstances i would have made the effort to find that cd. What are the tracks like, something every dj should have?

[DJTREV 0]

Well done...i think

 

Like i said earlier under normal circumstances i would have made the effort to find that cd. What are the tracks like, something every dj should have?

 

I weren't actually looking for a pat on the back but it did give me something to think about.

All my tracks are on a hd but I check thro iTunes to see if they are there.

After your post I thought it might be a good idea to listen to as many as I could.

What a strange playlist.They weren't going to get down and dirty with many of those.Were they?

To my mind,and it is only my opinion,the French Cafe were no worse or better than the Groove Armada/Morcheeba/Royksopp tracks.

I personally would not know how to plan a nights music with tracks like that.I would probably be about as much use as a jukebox.

[MintyDave 0]

I weren't actually looking for a pat on the back but it did give me something to think about.

All my tracks are on a hd but I check thro iTunes to see if they are there.

After your post I thought it might be a good idea to listen to as many as I could.

What a strange playlist.They weren't going to get down and dirty with many of those.Were they?

To my mind,and it is only my opinion,the French Cafe were no worse or better than the Groove Armada/Morcheeba/Royksopp tracks.

I personally would not know how to plan a nights music with tracks like that.I would probably be about as much use as a jukebox.

 

Definately not floor fillers - background music type tracks! if i could of setup earlier and they wanted a coule of hours of background music then that would have been the time to play some of them.

 

Thanks for having a read, listen and feeding back btw, really appreciate the input Trev

[DJTREV 0]

What makes you think I might be having one of my boring days.

 

Going on from what Dave and I have been posting I just thought I would check thro my hd and see how many tracks I have of some fairly obscure artists/albums.An awful lot will never see the dancefloor but I suppose it nice to have them just in case.French Cafe being a good example.

Jack Johnson-74

Janet Jackson-77

Jive Bunney-81

Gotan Project-58

Maybe most of you will have that sort of numbers but it did surprise me when I bothered to look.

[Norfolk DJ 0]

 

Like some others on here, I used to work mostly for agents until 2004, when I got fed up with lack of info and generally poor money.

 

I reckon between 1984 and 2004 I only spoke to the B&G prior to the evening about 4 or 5 times. it was very unusual to do so.

 

Now I reckon 95% of clients provide some sort of playlist although my contract limits it to a maximum of 30 tracks and I am not obliged to source album or abscure tracks. This works well.

 

Some clients though simply leave it to me apart from the first dance.

[Swingcats 0]

I always deal direct with Bride and Groom, never the venue, always send a pro-forma for first dance, tracks etc and usually get it back with balance cheque about two or one week before gig.

 

No longer do agency work at all.

 

Never expect a drink, always fuel up on food before I go, don't expect food and often leave without a thank you or anone helping de rig. That's show biz! LOL

Edited June 7, 2010 by Swingcats