Such rewarding torture. Sometimes being a
mobile DJ is a terrible form of mental torture so painful I can't understand why I put myself through it. Tonight's booking was a prime example.
I arrived at 6.30pm to set up and be ready to start at 7.30 as booked by the Hotel. Unfortunately the Bride & Groom had been expecting me to start at 7pm. Bad start.
The groom informed me that he wanted me to start immediately and to play music to dance to right through to the finish at midnight (a total of 4 1/2 hours - the "business" part of most nights only lasts 2 1/2 to 3 hours). I explained to him that, in my experience, very few people will actually dance at 7.30, preferring to wait until after the buffet at 8.30 to 9pm. "Not our family & friends" he said, "they've been drinking all afternoon and are well up for it!"
He's the customer. He pays the money. He gets what he asks for.
I started at 7.30 and spent an agonising 4 1/2 hours trying to work some kind of atmosphere into their family and friends. If you have a crowd of people who are in a good party mood and actually want to dance, filling 4 1/2 hours with music is not too hard. When you have a crowd who only dance when they feel like it, and don't seem to feel like dancing to any of the stuff that usually works it is almost impossible. After just 2 hours I was already running out of music that I thought would keep them dancing.
Unfortunately, unlike a number of DJs I have seen working, I actually worry about whether my audience (is that the correct word?) is having a good time. Consequently, if I can't get them going I start to get stressed, then pissed off and finally (and only in the worst cases) seriously depressed and anxious. Tonight was one of those occasions.
By midnight I was truly wound up, but still managing the fake smile that says to the audience "Yes, I'm enjoying this music." despite having heard it 300 times already this year. And then the Groom and his best man came up to me. "Here goes a complaint" I thought.
"Thank you very much" he said (slightly drunkenly) "an excellent night." "Yes, you did us proud" added his best man.
"It was a pleasure." I replied, a little taken aback. And for that brief moment, I think I actually meant that. Its amazing how a few words of thanks, some show of appreciation, can change the way you look back on the whole night.
Still, I wouldn't want to do it again. Although there will almost certainly be another couple like that before the year is out.
that's a nice rock!
me:
sex:male
age:30
status:married
children:3
Listening:
Barry Diston:Unreleased Stuff
Reading:
Weblogs
Terry Pratchett
Maps
Watching:
Bugger all at the mo, to be honest
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