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rickryan.com

rickryan.com

DJ Extraordinaire
ODJT Supporter
Dec 9, 2009
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Hendersonville, TN
www.rickryan.com
Last night we did a 2Xphoto, DJ/MC, and Photo Booth for a wedding. I was able to use DJ Rob for this one. He's great. Tall, good-looking and he teaches dances. A couple of the schticks I've seen Rob pull off is that when he does the YMCA, he pulls out a box of props; cop hat, indian head-dress, construction worker hard hat, etc. He then stops the dancing, clears the floor and calls the groom and his groomsmen to the front. He gives them all a hat, then lines them up in a line, in front of his DJ table, then gets in front and teaches them the YMCA (the full dance). It kills, every time and about half-way thru, he pulls everyone else to the floor.

He also does a full stop, lines up guys on one side and girls on the other, then teaches the Meringue. It works, equally as well. Each dance takes up about 10-15 minutes each and they're really effective at helping to break things up. I don't know how you guys are on gigs, but I sometimes don't feel like I'm interactive enough but I'm just not sure I could pull off the stuff Rob does. I suck as a dancer and as a short, fat DJ, I feel more than a little inadequate. How about you guys? How interactive are you?
 
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Depends - like all things DJ'ing, a lot of it is "situational management". Some times I hardly interact, although I'm almost always groovin' behind the DJ booth (because I don't sit). Other times I'll divide the room in half, girls on one side boys on the other (like DJ Rob) and hit em with Paradise By the Dashboard Light, or teach the older ladies The Wobble.

The craziness depends on the time of day, the vibe of the crowd, the amount of booze flowing, etc.
 
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I've done the "teach the YMCA" with all the props stuff in the past and I've heard about others doing it, but it doesn't seem as popular here as it used to be. Usually I'll get out and dance during Cha Cha, Cupid, maybe Wobble, use my mic to do instructions if people are lost. I am, by nature, not the most interactive, so my comfort zone is behind the booth, but some of the guys I work with, do all sorts of stuff like that. I think it depends on the DJ and their personality.
 
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Most of my wedding clientele do not want me to play the YMCA. Most would be against props...It's Cheesy is the general opinion of it. The ones that have me request the YMCA are the clients and guests who LOVE THE CHEESE!

I have not had a client check mark that they want a "High Energy Interactive DJ" at their wedding in a long, long time. ...I give them the option. Most choose "Low Key to Moderate" and some choose "VERY LOW KEY" ...Coincidentally, last night was my highest paying wedding in D.C. this year, and they wanted me to be a very low key DJ. ...The Crowd didn't need much interaction from me at all...They were ready to party and dance, and I played a lot of modern music including EDM stuff. ...NO line dances. No cheesy stuff. It was a packed dance floor all night. I even had guests wanting me to play one more song, and offering me $100 to do so...I had to decline though because being at the high end venue I was at, I did not want the bride/groom to get charged some sort of an over time fee due to me playing past the end time of the event. ...I also have it in my agreement that I don't do overtime unless asked to do so 15 minutes before the event ends, and the over time is already cleared with the venue manager.

Line Dances...I could get out there and help teach them, but in my area, the dance floor packs pretty darn well with guests who are SEASONED LINE DANCERS when I do play them. Everybody knows the Cupid Shuffle, Wobble, even the Booty Call is still remembered by many. ...Now sometimes people need some help with the Electric Slide these days if I play it as that one is getting old, and some have forgot how to do it. If 1 or 2 people remember...others can easily follow suit though.
 
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This is something I talk about with the bride and groom. I ask them if they have seen things that they liked or didn't like.

Reading the crowd for interaction is as important as it is for song selection.

I'll gladly teach line dances if it's needed. If the floor doesn't need it, I don't.
 
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tunes4046 said:
I am the same, however I have a friend who is the super interactive DJ and he gets $2500 a show his equpiment is 2 10 year old Mackie SRM450's and 4 halogen par can on a chaser, he is very busy and is hired because of what he does
Click to expand...

There's lots of niches that can be filled and gear is the least important part
 
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redhotdj said:
At a wedding I don't want to be the center of attraction
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Nor did I, but at many receptions, you at least need to be aware of the time line and order of events and make sure they happen on time with all participants at the ready and done per client wishes with some personalization sprinkled in...if you did your pre-event meetings correctly.
 
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With the exception of two, perhaps four, local DJs who thrive on interaction and have all the tools to make it work (including the DJ Of The Year from the DJ Expo), the rest really shouldn't be doing it at all. That damned forced "FM voice" yet with improper English, the repetitive "Ladies & Gentlemen" (among others), the screaming into the mic, the disrespect for their own gear (standing on speakers, etc), and the complete lack of teaching skills is what has turned many a perspective B&G totally against it.

For me, it is difficult to explain or turn their minds that all weddings are interactive to some degree and if the DJ service being considered demonstrates all the basics are done at a high level expertise, everything else above that will be too.

I am a dancer so it's all quite natural to demonstrate and even more so, to effectively teach and lead any or all of the "Silly Set". It was how I did build my early reputation because of doing so off-beat, non-traditional, and challenging (and in the clubs long before anyone else here thought of it)..
 
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When DJing at a wedding, I don't ever ever leave the booth or touch the mic once I start my set other than announcements.


This is made very clear before signing, and actually brought up by me if the potential client hasn't already addressed it.
 
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ittigger said:
What if you have to go to the bathroom? Do you have a bucket with you?
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I almost always have to run to the restroom at some point between the end of dinner and the end of the event. I try to do so during a long line dance, or a slow dance. There are those events where I don't do that, and after the last song has been played I find myself running to the rest room, but is it worth it to hold it in for so long?

Everybody else can go tinkle when they need to including the photographer, catering staff...everybody...a DJ shouldn't be expected to stand in one spot for hours without a quick restroom break. ...Another benefit of a 2 person team...the assistant can man the booth for a few minutes when the DJ has to go. The worst are those big hotels where the restrooms happen to be down 2 or 3 different long hallways from the ball room...that sucks.
 
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