Calling all DJs

[Lastcat]

Cool, looks great. Welcome to DJing

So, how did it go? Usually people are hesitant to get up and dance. Usually the kids (5-10yr old) are out there first. If there is one song that gets the Adults up and dancing, its B52's Love Shack, works every time, in my case.

Did ya get a full dance floor? What songs were the crowd dancing too?

[Gauss]

Nice photograph. It looks like a huge success.

[doncolga]

Applause man! My first DJ job was sort of a surprise. I'd started gigging on keyboard and vocals in 1988 when I was 15 and stayed very busy all the way through 2008, and still play of course. I used to be very snobbish if someone asked if I was the DJ when I'd set up. I'd quickly correct them that I was the musician. Then in 2008, I got a call from a bride whose DJ ditched on her two days before the wedding asking if I could DJ. Since she was in a bind I told her sure. It went really smooth but I wasn't sure what to charge. She paid me what she planned for the other DJ and it was *WAY MORE* than I would have charged to play live for them. Needless to say, I added the DJ option to my service and started booking those jobs immediately. And so far, wedding receptions have been very nice jobs. Very wholesome and family friendly for the most part and a pleasure to be a part of. Even nicer if they're early in the day, as some of mine have been lately.

[BrentEvans]

Cool, looks great. Welcome to DJing

So, how did it go? Usually people are hesitant to get up and dance. Usually the kids (5-10yr old) are out there first. If there is one song that gets the Adults up and dancing, its B52's Love Shack, works every time, in my case.

Did ya get a full dance floor? What songs were the crowd dancing too?

Heh...not so much. I know zilch about pop music. This was a one off. At that, it went well enough... two or three slow dances, then they requested "Electric Slide", "Cha Cha Slide", some other "Slide," and "Just Dance." One more slow dance and it was pretty much over... bride and groom left to talk to a family member, and the guests left. There were a few dancers.

[Tom Smit]

45 minutes dance? ....seems short.

[doncolga]

Cool, looks great. Welcome to DJing

So, how did it go? Usually people are hesitant to get up and dance. Usually the kids (5-10yr old) are out there first. If there is one song that gets the Adults up and dancing, its B52's Love Shack, works every time, in my case.

Did ya get a full dance floor? What songs were the crowd dancing too?

Heh...not so much. I know zilch about pop music. This was a one off. At that, it went well enough... two or three slow dances, then they requested "Electric Slide", "Cha Cha Slide", some other "Slide," and "Just Dance." One more slow dance and it was pretty much over... bride and groom left to talk to a family member, and the guests left. There were a few dancers.

Indeed they are all different. Sometimes guests will run to the dance floor, sometimes if takes a bit of coaxing. Regrettably, many times if there's no alcohol, or if its not dark enough, there's less enthusiasm for dancing. Funny how that can make such a difference.

[LEVLHED]

Yes, no booze makes for a very difficult to turn-out dance. That's just a fact. Usually when I do a gig with no alcohol I'll flat out tell them that it will not go for 4 hours. Typically at the 2 hour mark the whole place is looking pretty bleak. Of course I also tell them that I will keep playing music until our contracted time is up or they tell me to stop..whichever comes first.

[BrentEvans]

45 minutes dance? ....seems short.

Well... the guests really weren't the dancing type, and it was already 9pm. It was a church wedding, not a club scene. People really started trickling out after they cut the cake and did the obligatory slow dances.

However... it was mission accomplished. The bride and groom got to have their special moments, and enjoyed the time with family and friends.

I think what was the most fun for me was actually the light show... I programmed all 8 chase sequences that my console allows and I felt they were used to good effect. I had a couple of slow fades, a couple of straight chases, a couple of flash chases, and a couple of mixed flash and chase runs. I kept tap tempo synced with the music and changed sequences with the songs.... it was a challenge to keep me occupied and everybody enjoyed it.

It probably wasn't highly original, but I also came up with the idea of gelling my par46s red and blue and aiming them at the disco ball from below (they're on the speaker stands) and programming a chase sequence to flash them (my board can do multiple chases simultaneously). Between that and having the ball motor and pinspots on a DMX channel, I was able to create several variations on the moving light, and had multiple spangle swirls going at the same time.

[doncolga]

Well... the guests really weren't the dancing type, and it was already 9pm. It was a church wedding, not a club scene. People really started trickling out after they cut the cake and did the obligatory slow dances.

However... it was mission accomplished. The bride and groom got to have their special moments, and enjoyed the time with family and friends.

That can certainly happen. An unusual one was where the bride pretty much requested no dancing...just good classic listening tunes. But as it wore on, they couldn't help it. They HAD to line dance.

[doncolga]

Yes, no booze makes for a very difficult to turn-out dance. That's just a fact. Usually when I do a gig with no alcohol I'll flat out tell them that it will not go for 4 hours. Typically at the 2 hour mark the whole place is looking pretty bleak. Of course I also tell them that I will keep playing music until our contracted time is up or they tell me to stop..whichever comes first.

+1. I usually check with the other vendors (photo, video, catering, venue directors) and it's usually a consensus that those will be shorter. I look at it as a challenge to get them to dance with no booze. Teen dances I've done have no booze and it's a thrill to be able to keep them out there all the time. The key is fast songs they like, sprinkled with classic slow songs (movie tunes do really good). It's an opportunity to expose those kids to great older slow songs, and they usually love them. If it's dark and slow, it almost doesn't matter.

[BrentEvans]

That can certainly happen. An unusual one was where the bride pretty much requested no dancing...just good classic listening tunes. But as it wore on, they couldn't help it. They HAD to line dance.

Honestly... this was the first wedding reception I've ever been to where there WAS dancing. It just isn't done in my circle of friends.

For that matter... the last time I went to an event where there was dancing was senior prom... in 1999. Before that.... first dance in 6th grade.

The only dance step I know is the "Bob Step" from marching band.