So I SHOULDN'T have played "Never Gonna Give You Up"?
Can't say I ever had this happen
- Thread starter Jeff Romard
- Start date
Is not it wild, when we Wedding DJs see our past Wedding Brides, now Divorced. (I see "them" as well Sawdust123)
The Bride's Entrance Song, Mixx? ... I am safely going to Guess, none of Us here on this Forum. Or, are you telling on your own Self. (not a question)
Now, if the bride was getting married because she was pregnant....
you may of had some issues.
..
I did a wedding many years ago for a marriage that lasted less than three months. I would see the bride every so often for years and she would always tell me that I could use her as a reference. Thanks (but no thanks).
Why not, he was great far better than the groom turned out to be
It turned out my daughter knew the bride and before the wedding told me she would be surprised if this marriage lasted very long. I don't recall why she felt that way. However, I could barely recognize the bride when I saw her months later. She had taken on a goth look with chopped hair dyed black and a boatload of new tats. Perhaps hubby wasn't on board with the new look.
The bride's mother did write me a great thank you note though that I would show to prospective clients.
I think every DJ has experienced that to some degree, even if not on a spotlight dance.
In the CD era, all my system libraries had a printed index catalog which was essentially the printed version of the database we use inside DJ software today, One the columns was the "into" time to avoid weird sections like that, or portions often desired to be skipped like Old Time R&R, Party Train, I will Survive, and of course - Isn't She Lovely," etc.
The purpose was to assist DJs finding the songs they needed in collections that were not identical in sources despite containing nearly all the same titles, across different CD collections. It was indexed by both artist or title making it easier to loacate a request, or avoid confusion between tracks with like titles. It also identified the type of music, so you'd know where to place it, or what kind of music it was - even if you'd never heard it before.
I used to work with an emcee who loved to make obscure requests - the location of which I would not already know by habit just to see how long it would take me to look it up and get it cued. On average - that would be about 20-25 seconds.
Of course, if the Bride and her Dad are waiting on the dancefloor - 20 seconds feels like an eternity.
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Applied? Did they demand that or did you just offer offer it? If offered, I don't know why you'd do that. Perfection is unreliably subjective. Mistakes happen - I'm the DJ not a referee. I will always defer to the client to make that call between a strike and a ball.
Oh man...I've got several stories about this over the years...but one sticks out immensely!
This goes all the way back to 1988...
I had a bride contact me one week before her wedding reception crying because her DJ cancelled on her...
She was crying on the phone, and came in to my office with tears in her eyes..and stupid me...I FELL FOR IT!
She called me last minute saying her DJ had cancelled on her, and I had not booked a gig for that night as that was my 10th Class reunion that I had planned and paid for to go to...but I felt sorry for her...and this was one week before her event.
Never EVER again will I EVER do that again...NEVER!
But never EVER, EVER EVER...EVER fall for that trick...NEVER!
To make a long story even longer...this bride told me that the DJ they hired had cancelled on them at last minute (I wonder why???)???
I met with the bride & groom and went over everything...and they gave me a list of songs written on a restaurant napkin (where we met to go over the details)...and I asked them if there were any songs on this list that were important to their event...and they both said 'NO'.
And I also said to them, since we are less than a week from your event that if there is ANY song that you absolutely need...you need to provide me with the CD...to which they 'agreed'!
I had probably 2/3rds of the songs on their list...and the gig went off without a hitch!
Until six months later when I received a subpoena from small claims court that I was being sued for not having one song on a list of over 200 songs listed on a restaurant napkin!
What???
I thought I had this in the bag...and many of the other DJ's in town came in support of me...thinking this was a no brainer!
But NO...the judge (masterbate as I called him)...had other ideas!
He tossed my contract aside, and said "This was supposed to be her day, and it should have gone according to her wishes!"
WHAT???
My contract, which was drawn up by a very expensive lawyer, I might add...was completely USELESS!
I ended up paying the D&G what I charged them for the gig...plus court costs!
All of my buddy DJ's that came to support were totally astonished that I lost this case...but it was a lesson learned!
As it turned out...this bride was a law student at Michigan State, and was using what she learned to get her way.
No longer did I have a DJ contract...it was now a 'Service Agreement'...
No longer was any list of music needed for any gig a part of the 'Service Agreement...
And...no longer was their down payment considered a 'Deposit'...but now a 'Reservation Fee'!
Deposits are refundable...Reservation Fees are NOT refundable.
I learned my lesson the hard way...take my advice and change yours accordingly!
Once you are in court...the judge will ALWAYS side with the tearful bride.
By the way...that song was 'That's My Job' by Conway Twitty...I hate that F'ing song...but I now have it in my CD collection!
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Ironically, back in the mid 80's I did a wedding reception for a couple...and three years later they both contacted me and hired me for their divorce party!
They both told me they loved each other...but couldn't stand to live with each other.
One of the best gigs I've ever done!
It was a blast!
Don't use expensive lawyers - use intelligent and experienced lawyers.
It sounds like what you got was a standard form adhesion contract - a document that is entirely one-sided, without a process of accommodation or resolution on issues of performance or material defect. Adhesion contracts are very common.
Examples of adhesion contracts include your credit card agreement and Terms of Service for many things including iTunes, Spotify, etc. These are multi-page documents often with terms that are unenforceable or even illegal. They thrive on ignorance and exploit people's lack of knowledge to dissuade legal action before anyone even bothers to explore if a term is actually enforceable.
For a meaningful and successful service contract we have to actually state the limits of liability, eliminate subjectivity, and define the manner of resolution should a dispute arise. It's also imperative to define the limits of engagement and value of any disparity. For example: "Our liability for failure to perform any part of this agreement shall be strictly limited to the face value of this agreement. Buyer hereby agrees to arbitration in lieu of legal action should any qualitative dispute arise."
We won't avoid court for things like not showing up or gross negligence - but we can limit qualitative arguments over song selection or perceived quality to arbitration, and other methods of resolution and take steps to keep nick-picking disputes out of the courtroom while also placing limits on their value.
I actually once fired a difficult couple - after they had already paid a deposit. They got very petty early on and at one point the groom made the comment: "maybe we should have hired someone else." To which I said: "I think you're correct. Please hire someone else, and have that person contact me in writing to confirm your new booking. I will forward the full amount of your deposit directly to that new DJ company."
My contract has no provision for firing someone like that, but once he volunteered to look elsewhere - I knew I had a way out. I simply needed him to show proof he had retained someone else - and then my contract could be safely voided by transferring the surety deposit to a specified replacement of their choice.
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For me I have plenty of songs I either hate or tired of playing because I've played them so much. It doesn't matter what I I dislike or want to do. It's about what the client wants if I agree to do the event.
I can't remember the last time I used CDs to DJ with. Some are still using CDs. I'm completely sold on being a computer DJ till I retire. For me it's much easier than using CDs. Carrying several CD books into a gig can be heavy. I use a 2 TB portable HD that I carry in my laptop bag and I have another for backup.
I can't tell how many songs are on the HD. I know it's in the thousands.
Instead of deposit our contract says retainer. I feel bad for the DJ who posted he got sued for not playing one specific song out of hundreds of songs on their list. That to me is crazy. That sounds like a bride that came up with a scheme to get paid back the money they paid the DJ.
I wonder when is the last time any of you got contacted by a person at the last minute that the DJ they booked bailed on them and they need a DJ to do their event for them?
I have a question. If that happened to any of you would you agree to do the event? If so why and if not why?
I can't remember the last time I used CDs to DJ with. Some are still using CDs. I'm completely sold on being a computer DJ till I retire. For me it's much easier than using CDs. Carrying several CD books into a gig can be heavy. I use a 2 TB portable HD that I carry in my laptop bag and I have another for backup.
I can't tell how many songs are on the HD. I know it's in the thousands.
Instead of deposit our contract says retainer. I feel bad for the DJ who posted he got sued for not playing one specific song out of hundreds of songs on their list. That to me is crazy. That sounds like a bride that came up with a scheme to get paid back the money they paid the DJ.
I wonder when is the last time any of you got contacted by a person at the last minute that the DJ they booked bailed on them and they need a DJ to do their event for them?
I have a question. If that happened to any of you would you agree to do the event? If so why and if not why?
I was the DJ t
I was the DJ that got sued for one song...as it turned out, she was a law student and was practicing on me.
Also, deposits are refundable...reservation fees are not!
As for CD's...I carry over 1000 of them to my gigs...last year I purchased several plastic totes with closable/overlapping lids to carry my CD's in.
Not too big of a deal for me...plus people enjoy seeing them!
It also makes it looks like I actually have to work to do the gig...which a laptop and two speakers (to me) looks kind of cheezy and make the DJ look like they are just standing around pushing buttons.
I was the DJ that got sued for one song...as it turned out, she was a law student and was practicing on me.
Also, deposits are refundable...reservation fees are not!
As for CD's...I carry over 1000 of them to my gigs...last year I purchased several plastic totes with closable/overlapping lids to carry my CD's in.
Not too big of a deal for me...plus people enjoy seeing them!
It also makes it looks like I actually have to work to do the gig...which a laptop and two speakers (to me) looks kind of cheezy and make the DJ look like they are just standing around pushing buttons.
Sir I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers. I understood your post. I also understand how you feel about a DJ using a laptop to DJ with. Let me say this please. I used to be a DJ who carried CD books to use at events. I never planned to ever become a computer DJ. I was used to using CDs to DJ with and wasn't going to change. What got me to change is my partner. He kept after me until I agreed to try it out. My reason for hesitating was because I was worried about how I was going to know where to find the songs to play. I kept at it until I saw how easy it was for me to catch on and understand how to do it. It wasn't over night that I learned. Yet for me I say I'm grateful my partner kept pushing me to become a computer DJ. Since I've become a computer DJ I have never regretted it. It's a lot easier to carry my music on a portable HD instead of CD books.
One thing that you missed. It's not about what you use. It's about knowing what to do with what you're using. Nobody is going to say the DJ sucked because they were using CDs or a computer to DJ with. They will judge the DJ on the job they do. Not the equipment they used. The average person won't know the difference of a DJ using CDs or a computer other than what they see.
I finally did what my partner did with me for my buddy that's a DJ. I finally convinced him to try DJing with a computer. He used to bring his CD books with him and a CD player. He was just not fully convinced. Now I can't remember the last time he has done that. He is strictly a computer DJ like me and my partner.
Please hear me out. I'm not trying to convince you to become a computer DJ. If you're happy with how you do things and people like what you're doing, keep doing it the way you do. Just don't be so judgemental of those who are a computer DJ.
When I first came back I was using CDs and thought it would be easy for me because I was DJ before for 13 years. I thought it would be easy peasy. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I kept at it and got to be great at it. I didn't give up. Again for me I as long as I'm still a DJ I can't see me doing it any other way I do it now. Bottom line I was open minded to the possibility I could learn how to DJ with a computer.
Please pay little attention to what Mix says, he is has proven himself t be somewhat delusional over his years on this forum, use whatever medium you’re comfortable with, it your show, your income.
Why the wise Crack? I'm on his side. A person taking you to court because you didn't play one song they wanted at an event is ridiculous to me. I remember a few years back we did an event in a backyard where we were in Branch Brook Park and was asked to do an event the next day. We agreed to do the event. My partner was the DJ for that event. He got a list of songs to play at that event. It was a long list of house music stuff. Songs that you couldn't cut short and do quick mixing like you would for the stuff the young ones listen to today. The event was for 3 hours. So there was no way you could play every song on her list. They tried to get us to stay longer but the wife tried to get us to stay but didn't want to pay us more money to stay there.
Now if I remember correctly he said he was given a list of 300 songs to play. Not playing one song on that list I can't see a client being upset about the DJ missing playing one song. Since this was a wedding I can only see a bride being upset if the DJ missed playing a song for their entrance song or special dance song for a special part of the wedding.