Interview with DJF

[Paul Smith 0]

Thanks to Wayne (DJF) for the first in this 2nd round of DJU interviews. Read, enjoy & digest.......

 

1. What is your DJU Forum Alias?

DJF

 

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

Wayne Fogg, 31, Liverpool, living with partner of 8 years

 

3. What is the Name of your Disco?

Started as dj foggy, now DJF PROMOTIONS

 

4. How long have you been a DJ?

10 years

 

5. What inspired you to become a DJ

Started as a backing singer in North Wales(towyn circuit) and got peed off with working all week in Liverpool then travelling to north wales and earning 40 a night after expenses and agent fees

 

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

yes, musicians union joined end of august 2004

 

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

A bit of all to be honest put favour older parties as the crowd are easier to please with musical preferences

 

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

When starting as a backing singer was with my mate who was the singer performing in ty mawr holiday park in towyn, when he had a call to say his wife had gone into labour, in Abergele 2 mins away so he had to go whilst he was on stage so he brought me on and shouted quickly wot had happened. I had to sing his some of the set about twenty mins before he came back. the audience thought it was part of the act as I knew his set inside out. but I threw up when the gig was over and the audience gave us the best applause I ever had.

 

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)

Started off dj'ing on cassettes doing youth clubs before a backing singer using a pair of teac casette decks,then onto vinyl so great experience forwarding cassettes til the right track.

 

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

Wish I knew, I could sell it on ebay, or give it to forum members for free. But I try and enjoy each gig with the audience and then we are both happy and both remember and will use me again and recommend to a friend.

 

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

No. been very lucky I only buy gear I know I will use and don't normally buy without trying first (except backup cd player off ebay)

 

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

More lights I think, I think a good light show also helps in presentation

 

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

Complete remote control setup so I can get out in the crowd to encourage to dance and get involved and actually enjoy themselves

 

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

Turning up to a gig after finishing day job late, to set up and ask the roadie wheres the cd's, realising I hadnt put them in and travelled 10 miles home to get them to find your mum had gone out and you didnt take your keys, so had to break the back window and say someone had tried to break into the house and called the police, and playing venues with a sound limiter.

 

15. What do you think is the best thing about DJ'ing?

The hours are great, I enjoy meeting different people wherever you play, knowing that even if 1 or 100 people have been dancing, tapping feet or fingers or say thank you which can be rare nowadays. I have done my job and of course the fanancial benefits

 

16. What do you think is the worst thing about DJ'ing?

Setting up, packing away and sometimes travelling, trying to go to the toilet if on your own. I won't leave my gear unattended whils working

 

17. What would make you stop DJ'ing (if anything)?

Done it once was given the ultimatum by the misus her or dj'ing. No competition I see, took 12 months out before she wanted a new holiday and new clothes and a social life

18. How do you think DJ'ing will change, in the next 5 years?

Most people I know (friends) say to me, it's easy as a dj just playing music so one month about 3 years ago I had work every friday and saturday night for nearly five months so took a different friend eah weekend and they soon changed their minds saying don't know how you do this I couldn't.

 

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

Is this all your gear, do you have any upto date music not the s:cense:t in the charts?? Do the lights work, have you got that one by errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm,you know the one that goes like bum bum da da bum bum bum da dede you know the one

 

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

Look around at your audience play to the audience not youself, no matter what you do or say or play requests or mentions you will NEVER AND I MEAN NEVER please everyone, only a selection

 

21. And worst advice you were ever given?

Honestly you can eat yellow snow

 

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

Charts, internet, radio,

 

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

Van Morrison-brown eyed girl,

Foundations-build me up buttercup,

Tina Turner-simply the best

 

24. Mode of transportation.

r-reg ford mondeo 1.8 td ghia hatchback

 

25. What is the furthest that you've travelled from home for a single gig?

Went on holiday last two weeks in september 2004, looe bay caravan park, the tuesday of the second week the dj/mc a lad about 18/19 walked out and the had no one to play music except one of the dancers, so got talked into having a word with the owner/manager of the site who was on duty 24/7 and said we wher from Liverpool on hols and I was a dj and had all my cd's with me would you like a hand, WOW he hugged me and nearly kissed me,anyway done 3 night before we went home got paid 100 per night, ale free for the 4 of us but I dont drink when on duty and use of all facilities for the remainder for free.

He then asked me to come back next year 100 per night and free accomodation for the year and free facilities. Dont know wot to do?

 

26. Approximately how many gigs have you done to date?

Not sure but can say 1500+

 

27. What is the largest/smallest audience numbers you've played to?

Largest 1100 ty mawr northwales/smallest 35 in a pub in Liverpool city centre casa bar for ajoint 30th+40th a french family went down a storm

 

28. What is your main (most successful) form of advertising your disco?

Word of mouth,recommendations from previous gigs

 

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

Never, so fingers crossed

 

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

When the day comes you don't enjoy it and it feels a chore then time to hang your headphones up.

peace be with you all

 

 

[Dukesy 0]

Excellent! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thumbup.gif

Cheers!

[brianmole 0]

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

[Gary 0]

Superb Wayne - Well done.

 

I've got one question for you, about one of your answers.

 

Could you elaborate a bit on your answer to:

 

QUOTE

18. How do you think DJ'ing will change, in the next 5 years?

 

 

 

Excellent interview !! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/notworthy.gif

Edited September 8, 2005 by Gary

[C.S 0]

Respect to ya young man http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/notworthy.gif

[stevie 0]

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/042.gif Well done http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/notworthy.gif

[Kingy 0]

Good interview.

 

Co-incidentally I used to go to Ty Mawr in Towyn when we had a caravan. Spent many summers there as a child! (On Henly's site next door in those days!)

[High Fidelity 0]

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

 

I too used to holiday at ty mayr towyn when I was younger.

[DJF 0]

fao gary sorry mate misread the question whilst trying to do day job

 

18. hard to say over the next 5 years i suppose technology is changing alot, maybe a voice activated cd player with hard drive you just speak,tell it what you want and it cues up the next track ready to play http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/cool.gif

 

had a caravan on oakfields by stone bridge for 14 years now and i know most of the acts very well, how many do you remember???

 

andrew black(my teacher and bobby gold's son in law) bobby gold (been going for 40 years+), dawn valentine (bobby gold's daughter), barricade (craig and johnathan, craig is bobby gold's son) JJ (johnathan's dad john) eddie laine from wrexham, andy THE TERMINATOR, visage, m'toka,

 

all the above are still close friends and still keep in touch.

Edited September 9, 2005 by DJF

[partychris 0]

good interview http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/cool.gif