Are you one of those dj's who...
- Thread starter djcrazychris
- Start date
What are you talking about? We're talking about while working a gig do you eat at the gig. That means you're getting paid to do a job.
To eat, when to eat, how much to eat, where to eat. This subject has been talked about for as long as I've been DJing....over 40 years. I've learned from the years past discussions.
I eat only occasionally, and when I do it's a very small portion and I eat discreetly and quickly. Never drink any alcohol. I do get asked to partake in the meal, but most of the time I decline.
Somewhere in this thread I read about how to dress for an event. Another item of discussion brought up often over the years. I can only add that dressing appropriately is encouraged and will go a long way in defining your professionalism.
I eat only occasionally, and when I do it's a very small portion and I eat discreetly and quickly. Never drink any alcohol. I do get asked to partake in the meal, but most of the time I decline.
Somewhere in this thread I read about how to dress for an event. Another item of discussion brought up often over the years. I can only add that dressing appropriately is encouraged and will go a long way in defining your professionalism.
Disagree...During formalities, I am actively on my microphone, announcing, interacting with guests, coordinating things with other vendors and prepping people for the events to come. Part of my job as a Dj/MC is to line up people for Grand Entrance, work with photographer and parents for initial reserved dances, prep those giving a blessing/toast on how to properly hold mic so guests can hear them, get guests hyped up/coordinate with vendors for cake cutting, bouquet, whatever else...
That being said, I'd venture to guess the order in which I do things may be different from some of yours. I elect to front load a lot of formalities and have come up with a cadence that drastically reduces downtime seen by some of the less experienced performers in the area. My couples love it.
I don't understand how I would be "working the hardest" once all this is over. Once the dance floor is open that's the first time I can actually take a breather. Typically I have my first songs staged and ready to go (and often play to the older crowd early on) until I can get a good crowd reading.
If I pop on the Cha Cha slide or similar which is over four minutes (or better yet line up something ahead of time) and sit/crouch down behind my facade in a dark room where lights are pointed away from me and towards the audience for two minutes (since I have perfected being able to eat quick), do you really think people can see and are watching?
How is this any worse than Djs who cut the guests in line? In my opinion eating last when it is dark behind a barrier while people are distracted is generally less visible.
I won't answer for Justin, but his style and mine are typically very close.
I mix songs generally at a faster pace than letting them just ride all the way through (with the exception of a couple tunes). To play more than 2:30 of a song is rare, and I typically avoid all of the line dance songs. So once dancing stars, the process of reading the dance floor, selecting a song, and then mixing in and out is a pretty consuming activity. I might sneak away to grab a cup of coffee, but I wouldn't eat once dancing starts.
Most of my timelines have a gap bewteen what I'll call "opening formalities" like the introductions, first dance, welcome, blessing... and the second set of toasts, parents dances, and the opening of the dance floor. It's 20-40 minutes in that gap at most of my events. That's when I have time to eat, between formalities, not during them.
Whether people would care if I eat at my table... I feel like my area is a performance space. It's my stage. While it's not quite the same, I don't feel like I can treat that space like a guest would treat a dinner table to enjoy my food there. I am working, and will look like I'm working if I'm standing there.
Last edited:
It's actually a entertainment add on for the client and guests when they get to see the DJ perform, and actively mix while holding a Cheeseburger!
Also performing attractive dance moves also adds to the entertainment at a reception!
Singing in the middle of a song, and making weird sounds over the MIC is also an important skill for any quality DJ to have!
Just read the comments: "Best DJ Ever" ....We can all learn a lot from this guy!
Nice! Sounds like a good high energy show!
My night typically begins a little different. First I make an attempt to get everyone to join the Bride and Groom on the dancefloor to kick things off after their first dance together. I start off by trying to please the really old and really young playing something predictable that everyone *should* know. The way I pitch this to couples during our meeting together is normally talking to them about some of the important people in their life (e.g. grandma) and asking what kinds of music they like or if they have any fond memories of listening to music with them growing up as a child. I'll use that as a baseline and start with related songs. I set expectations here by stating there's a lot of music out there that this special person possibly may not know, and if they would like - we can use this chance as an opportunity to give them a "moment" to have some fun with something familiar that they'll remember and cherish. Now, there is an exception to this, and it is if I have a dancefloor packed with mostly younger people with the older people on the sidelines - in this case I'll start with Top 40 and revert to oldies when they start to leave the floor to go get a drink/smoke whatever.
So we *often* start with something old...I don't know about a lot of you, but if I don't use specialized mixes, or remixes I find it difficult to match certain oldies selections as the BPM can drift. I've also noticed the crowd that responds to these selections could care less if I am actively beatmatching, so, I typically just do a standard no-frills crossfade during this part (or let the computer do it for me). I fade out when/if it looks like guests are getting bored with a selection. As the older and younger crowd seems to get tired, that's when I'll start actively mixing things in. As a side note, when I go out by myself (no assistant) I have a second/backup computer running Mixmeister (primary computer is Serato). This essentially allows me to take a break if needed without it being super noticeable and go on the floor with my Microphone as I please as I can adjust the waveforms ahead of time and activate the channel the backup computer is on.
In my area of Ohio, many guests seem to get pissy when line dances aren't played. The "pissy" guests are normally those that aren't comfortable in non-group non-lead self instructed dancing.
I agree, I am pretty busy during formalities, which is WHY I CANNOT EAT during that time, and in my contract it states, I need to eat before all of that.
Of course, I would be working the hardest after all this b/c I am actually DJing, and barely have time to pee. I don't believe in crouching behind while DJing. With all due respect, my clients pay me too much to do that.
This thread is getting funny! Before, after or during formalities? As long as you're not eating and talking on the mic at the same time. And worried so much what people will think of where the DJ is eating? Does anyone even notice that there is a DJ during cocktails and dinner? Maybe CrazyChris can start a sitting/standing or tuxedo/suit thread next.
I can go the full day without eating, much to the amazement of my wife and the djs on my staff. I don't get "hangry", however, as I get older I find myself getting a little light headed if I don't eat by the time the nights over.
I guess my final thoughts on this would be:
-I have no idea what medical condition my Djs are in. I don't ask - they don't tell. They could be diabetic, have GI issues etc. I just mostly set the parameters of get the "main" interactions done, don't cut in front of guests and don't put the hall/caterer out - but a the same time do what you need to do to get the job done. Some of my Djs will get their own food and eat while they set up.
-I'd think some halls would look unfavorably on a vendor needing to potentially be served at a different time, just as guests would look unfavorably upon being cut in front of by someone who is hired to work.
-If we're needed away from the stage for a minute or two, I authorize anyone working for me to throw the backup playlist in Mixmeister on so the music keeps going, sounds mixed, and is appropriately formatted for the event. I was actually trained by another company to fully do weddings in Mixmeister so a two man team did not need to go out. Basically they trained me to cue up my playlist, rehearse my announcements, walk out on the floor, let my board dim the music and make my announcement within the allotted time in the mix. I actually became quite good at doing this when working with that company.
On a side note - I do pack extra underwear and socks in my garment bag just in case...