Weddings A guest DJ & other requests?
- Thread starter Bill Kexel
- Start date
This reminds me of a good story!
I showed up to do a 'opening the pool party'. It was more like a desperate housewives party to be honest. All of the husbands of this 'community' worked and were wealthy. All the wives stayed home and reared the children, took care of the homes, shopping, etc. The beginning of the night, before the music even started, one young lady (not the client) - "we want this to be like a NY club - we love that music". Don't recall the song she specifically asked for but rolled on with it. Approached by the next young lady - "I have no idea what you're playing but we don't listen to this - we like disco". Put disco on. Approached yet again, "I have no idea what you're playing but we don't listen to any of this - we like classic rock". On and on. I think you get the idea. At some point, someone asked for Sultan of Swing by Dire Straits which btw is a great run to the potty song. As I'm returning, I'm 15' from the stage and I see a young lady with her hand on the mouse and "click" - it all went off. She looked at me and ran off the other side of the stage! After putting the music back on, I had to face the wall for a few minutes. After a few minutes, I turned everything off and said as nicely as I could - THIS IS MY OFFICE! I DO NOT COME TO YOUR HOMES OR OFFICES AND TOUCH YOUR EQUIPMENT! DO NOT COME INTO MY OFFICE! I was then approached by another young lady who said 'what's wrong?'
Continued..
The young lady tried to excuse her friends behavior. The party got better from there. Toward the end of the night - a couple and their child came in - all drinking alcohol. It was about 4 minutes to 1:00am. I said, this will be the last song. The mom from this couple comes in and says "uhhh no, we just got here from a prom." I picked up the contract and said the party ends at 1:00am. She said - "no it doesn't, we just got here". I said you can gladly go talk to the person that signed the contract. She says "If you EVER want to work here again, this party is NOT over". She slips me a 20 and says please, one more song. What's one more song, right? This happened 5 times. 20 minutes later, the person that held the contract comes and says we have to shut down - to which I chimed, "this is the last song". Here comes momma - "WTF - I just gave you x amount of money - that should be PLENTY!" I told her to talk to the client. Her response - "we're all the client - we ALL chipped in and paid!" I said I have one contact, this is her name, you may go and talk to her directly. Party ended. Packed up and left. I didn't care if I saw estrogen for the next 2 weeks!
The young lady tried to excuse her friends behavior. The party got better from there. Toward the end of the night - a couple and their child came in - all drinking alcohol. It was about 4 minutes to 1:00am. I said, this will be the last song. The mom from this couple comes in and says "uhhh no, we just got here from a prom." I picked up the contract and said the party ends at 1:00am. She said - "no it doesn't, we just got here". I said you can gladly go talk to the person that signed the contract. She says "If you EVER want to work here again, this party is NOT over". She slips me a 20 and says please, one more song. What's one more song, right? This happened 5 times. 20 minutes later, the person that held the contract comes and says we have to shut down - to which I chimed, "this is the last song". Here comes momma - "WTF - I just gave you x amount of money - that should be PLENTY!" I told her to talk to the client. Her response - "we're all the client - we ALL chipped in and paid!" I said I have one contact, this is her name, you may go and talk to her directly. Party ended. Packed up and left. I didn't care if I saw estrogen for the next 2 weeks!
Reminds me of back in the day when I carried CDs, While dinner music was playing, upon my return from the restroom, I spotted 2 drunken 20somethings behind my DJ setup.
They had pulled out about 20 Cds & had them all stacked up. I asked if I could help them with something. The one chick says "We picked out some tunes for you to play, because this crap you're playing sucks" I explained that these songs were chosen by the bride & groom, and I politely advised them that I cannot allow them behind my system & to be pulling out all these CDs.
The other chick says, "Look asshole, you gotta play what we want, because we're the guests!!" At that point I told them nicely to hit the road.
My motto:
I don't care who you are...."you don't touch my junk!
My favorite - when someone says "Ya got anything good in there?"
My answer - Nope, it all sucks.
And I TOTALLY love when people come up and say something about what's on and there's a packed floor!
"Oh, put this on - this will pack the floor because no one likes this song that's on" - uhmm, dude - look at the floor!
We were running a Video show about 2 months ago (all adult party) and this lady FREAKED OUT over the Bon Bon video because of 'scantily clad women'. Seriously? I mean seriously? She LOVED the song but was offended by the 'scantily clad women'.
My answer - Nope, it all sucks.
And I TOTALLY love when people come up and say something about what's on and there's a packed floor!
"Oh, put this on - this will pack the floor because no one likes this song that's on" - uhmm, dude - look at the floor!
We were running a Video show about 2 months ago (all adult party) and this lady FREAKED OUT over the Bon Bon video because of 'scantily clad women'. Seriously? I mean seriously? She LOVED the song but was offended by the 'scantily clad women'.
Please keep those kind of people away from Texas...we hate having to waste our bullets! :tribiggrin:
I've seen them all in person - but never in documented form! Ha! Not much I haven't seen in the 24 years that I've been on the block.
ittigger
been there, done all, no t-shirt:tribiggrin::triwink:
my wife doesn't like #9:trisad:
i don't know why:triconfused::tritongue:
been there, done all, no t-shirt:tribiggrin::triwink:
my wife doesn't like #9:trisad:
i don't know why:triconfused::tritongue:
They had money for the services I offered, but they wanted much more for the same price.
No thanks. other gigs aren't that hard to come by.
Knowing your worth and not getting it is almost as savory as knowing it and getting it.
Don't let the selfish desires of others divert you from your course.
Yup, I don't have a T shirt or coffee cup to show for it either. Your wife doesn't like #9? The person that writes the checks?
:tritongue:
..and wasn't it rewarding to realize that when the next sunrise was in full force that the person in your mirror was neither of those two selfish biotches!!!
We've done the violinist thing many times, and we've done the guest DJ thing once.
Neither were issues.
The violinist has never needed a mic.
The guest DJ thing, bride had a hip hop dj friend, he brought his turntables and mixer, and plugged into my system, we did a test before hand, sounded great.
He did a great job, crowd loved it, and then the novelty wore off after about 20 minutes,he sensed it as well, and turned it right back over to me.
I don't have a problem, or get offended, when someone asks if they can get a discount for something. I simply explain to them why they would not get a discount in this area, and possibility would pay more. For the guest DJ, i had to be set up a little earlier to meet him to do sound checks, and then while he was playing, I walked around, made sure the sound levels were fine, and then got right by the controls and was ready when he turned it back over. There was no time off.
When people get a true explanation of what exactly will happen, it's not an issue. I don't take it personally if they are asking for a discount. They just don't understand, and I'll be happy to explain it to them.
If, after I explain it to them, they don't understand, then I'd decline and wish them well.
Neither were issues.
The violinist has never needed a mic.
The guest DJ thing, bride had a hip hop dj friend, he brought his turntables and mixer, and plugged into my system, we did a test before hand, sounded great.
He did a great job, crowd loved it, and then the novelty wore off after about 20 minutes,he sensed it as well, and turned it right back over to me.
I don't have a problem, or get offended, when someone asks if they can get a discount for something. I simply explain to them why they would not get a discount in this area, and possibility would pay more. For the guest DJ, i had to be set up a little earlier to meet him to do sound checks, and then while he was playing, I walked around, made sure the sound levels were fine, and then got right by the controls and was ready when he turned it back over. There was no time off.
When people get a true explanation of what exactly will happen, it's not an issue. I don't take it personally if they are asking for a discount. They just don't understand, and I'll be happy to explain it to them.
If, after I explain it to them, they don't understand, then I'd decline and wish them well.
I disagree. It sounds like they are related to or associated with a bunch of half-ass'd wannabes that they want to work into the mix for little or no money.
I'd say.. "You can add anyone to the roster you want, but they can not access my equipment and my price is the same."
Professionals have their own personal audio.
.
Wow, I think I would have had to have been taken away by the riot squad.
People touching/stealing my CDs was the number one reason for going mp3.
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right on Hank
i haven't lost/misplaced a CD since i went mp3's.
but to be honest i only "misplaced" 2 maybe 3 cd's since going that route in the 90's:trismug:
before the 90's maybe 3 or 4 of those cass. things.
then we won't talk about those round black things with a 2'' hole in the center:tribiggrin::triwink:"lost" a bunch to bad floors, etc.
i haven't lost/misplaced a CD since i went mp3's.
but to be honest i only "misplaced" 2 maybe 3 cd's since going that route in the 90's:trismug:
before the 90's maybe 3 or 4 of those cass. things.
then we won't talk about those round black things with a 2'' hole in the center:tribiggrin::triwink:"lost" a bunch to bad floors, etc.
They're talking about the posibility of adding a band for a few sets... a band isn't cheap, at least one that a normal person would want playing at their wedding. I didn't see that they asked if the band could plug into his setup.
My gut tells me that they are somehow connected to both the violinist and the band. That's all I was implying. I still wouldn't take the job unless I was completely detached from the other performers.
:triwink:
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I don't see the big deal with letting someone who knows what they are doing handle my gear. It is just material goods. Just like a car, I have no problem loaning my car to a friend. All it is is just a piece of metal on 4 wheels that can be replaced.
When I went to pick up my brand new van a few years back, I was driving a loaner car. I took my friend with me and he was the one who drove back my brand new van 26 miles back to the house. No big deal! :tricool:
When I went to pick up my brand new van a few years back, I was driving a loaner car. I took my friend with me and he was the one who drove back my brand new van 26 miles back to the house. No big deal! :tricool:
I look at it as the tools of my trade. Is this a hobby or a business?
If the "guest DJ" breaks something, or causing something to malfunction that is not brought to my attention & it fails at my next event, what do I tell my customer?
Not worth the risk.