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.