Cheapest Isn't Always Best

Thing of interesting blog posts isn't always the easiest thing to do. So, I was relieved when I got the below Facebook message this week, which form the blog.

There's no names mentioned at all. I don't like commenting on other DJs, but I don't have to, the Facebook messages:

Hey stephen just had to share this story with you and i hope you dont know the dude in question!! was at a party last night and the dj was a total nightmare!! to keep it simple i'll compile a list of things he done!!

 1. put on a smoke machine which resulted in the building being evacuated and waiting 30 mins till fire brigade came.

 2. playing mika's "big girls" and encouraging all the "fat girls" to get up and dance!!!

 3. going up to the person who booked him mid-song and telling her to "get the table with the good looking girls to get up and dance"

 4. when that failed he then singled out one of the girls at the table and said " can you not at least get her up to dance"

 5. jumping off the stage halfway through a song and dancing on the dancefloor like an absolute retard!! legs and arms everywhere!!

 6. started playing heavy techno and MC'ing!! shouting " here we f**kin go" and other random loud noises!!

When you're booking your wedding entertainment, please don't always book on price alone. Picture your perfect day, would it include entertainment like the guy above?

Next blog I'll have question you should ask your wedding entertainer. Of course, we hope it's www.discotherapy.com!

You Want What Song!?

Just a very quick blog today, of a story from Xmas party season that still makes me chuckle.

As you may know, I was working with the fabulous Waterfront for the second year in a row for Christmas parties. The way it works is, I’ll do the background music during the meal, do the table shout outs / introductions towards the end of the meal, then get party kicked off. Around half an hour after I’ve kicked it off, Waterfront come on and do a 45 minute set.

So, the story… I’m around 15 minutes into my first set and a gentleman, who must have been in his late 60’s, come over and asks for The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Havin’ a Good Time.

He proceeded to sing having a good time.

Now, I’m a fan of the Chilies, but this was a new one on me.

My plan was to play a wee bit of rock after the break, so I told the gentleman that I’d have a flick through the Red Hot Chili Pepper tracks I had whilst the band was doing their first set.

15 minutes later, Waterfront had were on stage and ready to go. So, I gave them the grand introduction and warm welcome they rightly deserve and passed over to them.

The hit the first few bars of I Gotta a Feeling. As Mairi Clare gracefully sung the first line…

“I gotta feeling, ooooooooooo,  that tonight's gonna be a good night”

The Gentleman rose of his seat with a beaming grin on his face. He pointed at the stage and shouted over to me

“That’s the one!”

For one night only, he strutted his stuff to The Black Eyed Chilli Peppers!

Transform Your Wedding Venue! Stunning!

Sorry for the lack of posts so far, it's been a busy wee start to the year. Happy New Year everyone!

The first gig of the year, I had had the pleasure of Mood Lighting the room as well. I'm sure you'll agree, when looking at the picture, the effect is stunning!

It was taken at the Glasgow University Union, in... Well Glasgow obviously!

Disco Therapy have amazing wedding packages available this year, with Mood Lighting and DJ / Disco for your big day. You can contact us at info@discotherapy.com or give us a call 07946345544


You'll see in the picture, we provide a classy and professional setup, which is befitting of the most beautiful day of your life.

We also got option available, where if you don't want such a discreet setup, we can have a more traditional looking disco, with a massive lightshow!

Take a peek at the picture, I think it speaks for itself!

Xmas Top 10 Tunes!

In keeping with the festive spirit, I’ve decided to put together, what I believe to be, the tope 10 Christmas tunes of all time!

Yes, it’s a bold statement, but it’s just ones man’s opinion, please feel free to comment once you’ve had a read at the list:

1.     Fairytale of New York – The Pogues

2.     Merry Xmas Everyone – Shakin Stevens

3.     I wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day – Wizard

4.     Step Into Christmas – Elton John

5.     All I want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

6.     Driving Home For Christmas – Chris Rea

7.     Christmas Wrapping – The waitresses

8.     It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – Andy Williams

9.     Do They Know It’s Christmas – Band Aid

10.  Thank God It’s Christmas

The list is in no particular order, but my favourite’s Fairytale of New York!

Go on, have your say.

DJ... pft, I Fart In Your General Direction

Christmas party season is over for another year, and what a fantastic time I had in the Kerrydale Suite at Glasgow Celtic!

My first post Xmas parties blog will not, however, be about the parties… I’ll get to that in the next one.

I was working with the wonderful Waterfront again this year. The basis of this blog entry is on a conversation I had with the sensationally talented lead singer from Waterfront – Mairi-Clare Maloy.

This follows on from the previous two blog, slightly tongue in cheek, but there’s definitely plenty of realism in it.

I’d often thought that it’s just DJs that people think they can talk to however they want, often in a belittling and condescending manner. However, Mairi-Clare, who has a very well regarded full-time occupation, mentioned that people talk in the same manner to bands as well.

I did feel for Waterfront as people tried to get up the stage and dance as they were performing! Imagine that happened in any other workplace!

The classic example relates to my previous post of… play this, everyone will love it! If you don’t play that all important request, because your experience and common sense tells you that it won’t work, it somehow gives the person permission to hurl abuse at you.

It’s not just confined to when you’re at a party though. A good example happened to me only a few days ago. I’d liked a Facebook page, which I will not name, but it was wedding related.

Like the kind hearty and friendly soul I am, I post a nice wee welcome message there. The reply, from one of the page administrators, astonished me. It read:

“I hope you don't do those lasers that burn our camera sensors!”

Now, that is hardly an open armed welcome from a page administrator. Interestingly enough, as a wedding specialist, we understand that a laser show is not appropriate for a wedding. However, our stunning ambient Mood Lighting is perfect for weddings.

In truth, the amount of guests I get talking to me in this manner is few and far between.  So, I can now take my tongue out my cheek and resume normal business with my next blog and beyond.

Remember, be nice to your DJ and/or band, we’re just there to make sure everyone has a great time.

Speakers… Or Are They?

Blog number 2 in the cynical, tongue in cheek life of a DJ is about speakers.

I’m really proud of my sound system / PA. It’s a 2400 watt bad boy, with beautiful bass tones. Having a good sound system is really important to me, I truly believe it can make a huge difference to the quality of the night.

I’ve mentioned in previous blogs about how accessible DJing is, with a plethora of ‘DJs’ opting for cheap speakers from Maplin.

Yes, the speakers take their toll on my back, but it’s worth it for the well-rounded sound.

As much as I love my PA, I feel like I’ve been a little short-sighted when spending my £2,200 on it. However, many guests at parties have spotted the error of my ways and found another usage for them.

With such a lofty price tag, the speakers really should serve more than one purpose. The other function for them… a drinks stand!!!

Genius, I’m equally disappointed and astounded with myself why I didn’t think of this. In fact, it’s a little bit ignorant of me not to supply coasters as well.

You can imagine my joy when the rumbling bass tones cause a glass to topple over. I don’t think you can beat a bass bin that smells like lager, red bull and vodka!

Play This, Everyone Will Love It!!!

I’ve decided I’m going to post a few blogs about the life of a DJ, shedding some light on the little intricacies of the job that keeps it interesting.

The first topic is… quest requests that threaten to destroy your full dance floor.

Part of the skill of a DJ is being able to read a crowd and play the correct genre of music. It’s always my goal to get as many people on the dance floor as possible. I also like to play as many requests as possible.

And herein lies my dilemma!

Let’s take an example; I might be playing some good old rock music. Everyone’s got their air guitar out and loving the tunes. Someone comes up and asks, ‘can you put on some scooter?’ Not only do they want Scooter, but also want it next!

Now, as much as I appreciate the evocative lyrics and melodic beats of Jumping All Over the World, it’s not exactly my natural choice when considering what might mix well with a Slash solo or a John Bonham beat.

It’s difficult to explain this, especially when the guest insists that the other guests will love it and will all dance to it. Sometimes, in these circumstances, you need to take their word for it. After all, they know the people at the party better than me.

So, you can literally see my face drop when you played the said request and… everyone sits down, including the person who asked for the song!

Sometimes you have to trust your DJ in what will and will not work. Sometimes it’s a matter of building to a different genre, using bridge songs that make the transition smoother.

Memories Matter

Fiona & David's Wedding - Alona Hotel Lanarkshire

I was having a look through some pictures from last year's wedding disco's and I stumbled upon the one above.

It was taken at the Alona Hotel in Strathclyde Park Lanarkshire. It really is a beautiful venue, especially the marquee, which we were in that night. The white walls of the marquee lend themselves ideally to Mood Lighting.

The picture got me thinking about my caption / company slogan - Memories Matter, which will feature more heavily of the new Disco Therapy website.

I take great pride and put a tremendous amount of time, money and effort into ensuring Brides and Grooms have a wedding reception to remember for all the right reasons.

However, Fiona & David's wedding was particularly memorable for me too. We had a fantastic night from beginning to end, going through the genres. From The Time Frequency to The Time Warp, it was just a fantastic celebration of a wonderful couple.

I'm delighted to say I'll see Fiona & David again at Caroline & Dougie's wedding at the Parkville in Uddingston next year.

Get you dancing shoes on and your glow sticks ready!

Tonight Your DJ Is...

My good friend Stephen McCann, AKA Flatsteve recently got the below snap of me when I was DJing at a wedding. The wedding was in Largs, which is just outside Glasgow and just inside civilisation!

The picture captures me in full flow during the party. As you can tell, I'm certainly not a DJ who stand motionless behind my decks.

My ethos is, if I'm not enjoying myself then nobody else will.

Feel free to print the picture off to keep the kids away from the fireplace! 

How Important is Your Wedding Entertainement?

I was exhibiting at the Tinto House Hotel Wedding show on Sunday. Having DJ’d / entertained, provided Mood Lighting and been a guest there, I feel I’m in a good position to make the comment… it’s a beautiful venue with really friendly and efficient staff.

Whilst there on Sunday, a bride & groom to be commented that they hadn’t booked their entertainment yet, it was the last thing on their list!

Of course, as a DJ who specializes in Weddings, I’m of the opinion that your entertainment should be near the top of your list.

A DJ or a band plays such a huge part of your big day. Your dream first dance can quickly become a nightmare. The vivacious party you envisaged your guests having has the potential to be a damp squib. The success of your reception is a huge responsibility for your band or DJ.

It’s vital that you choose carefully and book in advance. We often take bookings for 2 and 3 years down the line. We’ve even got 2 bookings for 2016!

At Disco Therapy, we are fully aware of how important our role is in your big day... and we don’t take that responsibility lightly! 

If you’ve taken the time to read this, thank you! And, we’d love to hear from you, please leave your comments.

Have you had a great or terrible DJ or Band?

http://www.discotherapy.com
http://www.tintohotel.co.uk/

Oh What a Night... With Chitterybite!

I’ve had the absolute pleassure of working with many bands whilst DJing / entertaining at weddings. However, few have been as much fun as Chitterybite ceilidh band!

I’ve always thought that a disco and ceilidh compliment eachother perfectly. I  often call ceilidh dances when the client hasn’t book a band, but you can’t beat the real thing.

The Chitterybite Ceilidh Band have an established track record operating as a ceilidh collective providing top quality traditional musicians for corporate and private ceilidh dance events, Scottish evenings, weddings and Burns Suppers.

Like me, they place great importance on their role as callers and every Chitterybite Lineup features this important individual who helps instruct with the dances and entertains the dancers with some good crack!

Quite simply, they are fantastic fun!

So, if you want to have your wedding guests groovin’ to disco and jigging to ceilidh, book the perfect combination – www.discotherapy.com & www.chitterybite.com

ttttt, Time Warp

It's not to everyone's taste, which is why I always have a pre wedding disco / DJ consultation, but why not have a bit of fun and teach yourself all the moves to The Time Warp?

At the end of the day, what is a wedding, it's a celebration, so why not have a ball and don't take yourself too seriouslywhilst you're at it.

Go on, make it your dirty secret...

But I'll be testing that you know all the moves when I see you!

http://www.discotherapy.com

Joys of The Job - Eastwood House

Part of the fun of my job as a wedding DJ / Entertainer is meeting a wide variety of people.

I get to meet all sorts of characters throughout Glasgow, Lanarkshire & Lotian. Of course, I always hope that I do my job well enough that I’ll meet them again i.e., they’ll book my disco services again!

That’s looking at it from a business point of view, but there’s some people I want to meet again, just because they’re really good people.

As part of my Wedding DJ & Mood Lighting service, I meet clients for a pre-wedding consultation. When I first met Marty & Donna Scott for their pre-wedding consultation, I was immediately taken by what genuinely nice people they were.

This made DJing at their wedding at Eastwood House all the more satisfying. It was a fantastic night, with the dancefloor being full from beginning to end.

I feel the more personal touch really makes a difference… Of course I would say that!

I was over the moon it went so well for such a beautiful couple. Congratulations Donna & Marty, a couple I’ll definitely keep in touch with

Wedding Show - Georgian Hotel

Just a quick blog tonight.

I’ll be exhibiting at the wedding faire at the Georgian Hotel tomorrow. I’ll be demoing my mood lighting and will be handing out Teach Yourself the Time Warp & Macarena postcards!

Last time I entertained at a wedding at the Georgian, I Mood lit the room Blue, it was truly stunning...

But of course I’m going to say that!

Come along and have a chat, even if you’ve got another venue in mind.

Wedding Caricatures

It's often a huge headache for couple when trying to decide what favours to get for their wedding guests.

If you're looking for something a little bit different, get in touch with Neil Thomson at www.neilsart.co.uk

Neil makes caricatures of your guests whilst they mingle. He truly is amazing, his fantastic sketches are sure get your guests talking, a great ice breaker for guests who haven't met before.

For Those About to Rock...

I'm not ashamed to admit it, the first album I ever owned was the timeless classic, Appetite for destruction by Guns 'n' Roses.

It's an album that, in my opinion, redefined music as we knew it. The album encapsulated the raw and gritty edge that the individual members brought to the band.

This album was my introduction into, not only the world of music, but the universe of Rock.

Growing up with two older brothers, who listened to bands like Motorhead, Frank Zappa, Pearl Jam, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith (before they were commercial), The Alice Cooper, etc. My childhood was entrenched with rock royalty and musical genius.

When I've finished playing a gig, whether it's a wedding, birthday, engagement party or corporate doo, these are the bands that I listen to on the way home. Rhianna, Black Eye Peas & David Guetta seem like a distant memory by the time I roll into the driveway with Slash blazing out a guitar solo on my car stereo.

Although Disco Therapy has, in many ways, been a culmination of dream for me, my next brand / project truly Rawks!

I'm bringing my childhood musical influences to a party near you!

So, if you prefer Black Sabbath to the Black Eyed Peas, Kiss to Keisha, Cream to Coldplay, Disturbed to David Guetta, Pearl Jam to Paulo Nutini and Metallica to Michelle McManus (lol), then RAWK DJ is for you.

We're bringing good old-fashioned rock to a party, wedding or corporate function near you. So, break out your air guitar and stay tuned (excuse the pun) for the launch of Rawk DJ.

For those about to RAWK!!! We salute You!

In the mean time, please visit http://www.discotherapy.com/

Wedding DJ Gone Wrong

I was having a trawl through youtube & stumbled upon the video below (click the link).

It's titled "Wedding DJ Gone Bad - Bad Wedding DJ"

However, is he really that bad? Have a look and see what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NYlNQBj1n8

Yes, he’s extremely animated, but one of my pet hates is DJs who are totally inanimate. I feel that a huge part of my job as a DJ is to impart my love for music, positivity & energy on the party guests.

I’ve seen DJs who seem to have a chair as part of their standard equipment; they’re armed with it at every function they attend, ready to plonk their bum down at the first opportunity.

Based on the video, I don’t think he’s a bad DJ in the slightest, he’s just a man who’s extremely passionate about his work.

DJ - A Dirty Term!

I was having a look at a well known UK Wedding Directory website and stumbled upon the below:

“In terms of music, people in the UK tend to hire a cheesy DJ with flashing party lights and a bit of microphone banter, safe in the knowledge that he will play all the old disco favourites, from Sister Sledge to the Bay City Rollers.”

Unfortunately, articles like this do not help the perception held by the general public about DJs, especially when it is contained within a website that advertises the services of professional wedding DJ’s.

Articles like this have seen many DJ move away from calling themselves DJs and shift towards calling themselves Wedding Entertainers, MCs, Presenters, Hosts, etc.

Certainly, there is a huge spectrum of DJs within Central Scotland in terms of quality and experience, some of which definitely match the description of being ‘cheesy’ with ‘flashing lights’. However, there are also those (me included J) who dedicate a lot of time, money & effort into honing their skills, musical knowledge & ensuring that they have the best possible equipment available.

As mentioned in previous blog entries, I truly feel honoured when someone chooses me to entertain / DJ at the Wedding. When I DJ, I want people to have the best possible time & remember their wedding reception or party for all the right reasons.

The term Disco Jockey shouldn’t be something I’m embarrassed of - after all, it’s what I do. I’m also someone who cannot simply be described as someone with ‘flashing party lights’ or ‘microphone banter’. Infact the DJ industry as a whole has moved on vastly since the good old days of rope lights & light boxes.

Your wedding disco can be a classy & discrete, or as flamboyant as you want it to be. Choice within the Scottish marketplace has never been as good.

Client Testimonials

It's not often I take the time to blow my own trumpet, but one of the most satisfying parts being a DJ / Wedding Entertainer, is receiving positive client feedback.

We realise how important my role is on my clients' big day. Here's some recsent feedback I've

“Just wanting to say a big thank you Stephen for your services at my wedding, you certainly have a gift and will be hiring you for every other event that I am organising highly recommended the best DJ ever :)” - Lindsey Lane

"Thanks for a brilliant night Stephen!You were great! Everyone had a ball. Everyone commented on how good the DJ was...so job well done!" - Ali Ross

“Hi Stephen, just want to say a massive thanks from Paul and myself for the superb night you gave us and our guests at our wedding in the bentley hotel on the 18th June. Once again a huge thank you and we will definatley recommend you.xxxxx” Beth Hastie

Wedding Specialist

We're proud to say that we're now a member of The Wedding DJ Alliance.

This reaffirms our commitment to, no only specialising in wedding entertainment (Mood Lighting & DJing), but also to service excellence.

The Wedding DJ Alliance website states: "All member of the Wedding DJ Alliance are very experienced and specialise in providing first class wedding disco entertainment. Our wedding DJs agree to abide by a strict code of ethics, which is based on professional practices. They are committed to providing a high standard of wedding disco service for your special day"