Event Pacing - The key to the "Magic" (blog)

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Scott Hanna said:
scalling it silliness is putting it down
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Really! You can't be serious!!!!!!

Scott Hanna said:
Bob, you seem to think that being obnoxious is a badge of honor. It's not. It simply makes you look like a jerk.

Dan started this site to get away from goofs like you over at another site. But you found it and now seem determined to make this just another "I'm bigger than you" site.

I know this will shock you,but there actually is people out there that would like to discuss Djing without constantly getting in petty arguements.

It may be time to find another forum that you don't know about.....until you spread your nonsense there too
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Scott, this is ridiculous! Many times you join the conversation without reading the thread from the beginning. You yourself have stated that several times. I don't know if in this instance that holds true. Go back from post #1 and you will see where it went South. I stated what I do and what I won't do and immediately it struck a raw nerve in some folks here. Why? I never asked anyone to follow what I am doing. Maybe it goes back to what I have always thought, that some come on here
only looking for approval and a pat on the back. It hurts their fragile ego when their views are challenged. It was my thinking that we are all adults here but from some of the reactions to issues being discussed here on this board (This thread being a prime example), I can see why some do what they do. I don't feel like I have to sugar coat anything I have to say, this ain't no Bakery.
 
I don't think anyone who has weighed in has suggested that the DJ take on everyone's role unilaterally.

I believe the gist is, do what needs to be done (to a point). Many weddings that folks here do, do not have planners or coordinators, unlike, apparently, the ones done by Bob and Canute. At that point, you can certainly claim that it's not your job, but the reality is, it doesn't usually take all that much effort, it makes you appear to be the one with a brain, and it keeps the B/G happy .. which should be a priority.

Should you work this out ahead of time .. yes .. but the reality is there really isn't anyone else for the majority here .. the florist or caterer isn't going to do it .. the in-laws or siblings will be tied up with other family and friends, so counting on them won't work.

Canute .. your contract is rarely with the client, so yes, you can compartmentalize yourself. But if you are hired directly by the B/G .. there isn't ANYONE else (if there is no planner) that they have employed for the day that will have the amount of effect you would as a DJ.

Carpe Diem.
 
For 8 years 2000 - 2008 I was resident DJ in two Clubs (4 years each), during that time I was not so involved in external Gigs like the ones from my Entertainment Agency except for the times where I took a break from the Club and had a Buddy fill in for me while I went and did the External Gig for the Agency, a Wedding here or there and my own Productions. 2008 til present I have been doing a combination of Bar/Club Gigs, Karaoke Hosting, some select Weddings and other Events. Those were all Gigs that I did directly. Gigs from my Entertainment Agency were and always have been the extras. I have done few Weddings for the Entertainment Agency since they are the ones who write the Contract. I did not want the Client assuming anything from me that was not written in the Agency's Contract so I declined doing Weddings for the Agency, with the exception of a few and they know why. I did not want that problem. My relationship with my Agency has been 100% perfect since I started with them in the late 90s. Even today when I do a wedding I make sure that I clearly define my role at the Event. I do my best to minimize my risk of mishaps by limiting my involvement. Giving someone/anyone a helping hand is a no brainer. I don't even know why some are discussing that aspect.
 
ahoustondj said:
For 8 years 2000 - 2008 I was resident DJ in two Clubs (4 years each), during that time I was not so involved in external Gigs like the ones from my Entertainment Agency except for the times where I took a break from the Club and had a Buddy fill in for me while I went and did the External Gig for the Agency, a Wedding here or there and my own Productions. 2008 til present I have been doing a combination of Bar/Club Gigs, Karaoke Hosting, some select Weddings and other Events. Those were all Gigs that I did directly. Gigs from my Entertainment Agency were and always have been the extras. I have done few Weddings for the Entertainment Agency since they are the ones who write the Contract. I did not want the Client assuming anything from me that was not written in the Agency's Contract so I declined doing Weddings for the Agency, with the exception of a few and they know why. I did not want that problem. My relationship with my Agency has been 100% perfect since I started with them in the late 90s. Even today when I do a wedding I make sure that I clearly define my role at the Event. I do my best to minimize my risk of mishaps by limiting my involvement. Giving someone/anyone a helping hand is a no brainer. I don't even know why some are discussing that aspect.
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I don't think anyone is saying you don't help. I think the issue is with the statements that you work it out ahead of time so that someone else will handle the "flow"

The many who have chimed in are pragmatic in that most mid tier and lower wedding just don't have a reliable person to do that (they just don't use day of planners/coordinators around these parts very much) .. regardless if it was negotiated, so either you can hold your ground and wait for it to happen .. or you can make it so. There is no wrong or right.
 
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canute if you read my thread # 32 you will see i have NEVER had do deal with a planner. around here i dont think anyone uses them soooooo sometimes that makes me chief, cook and bottle washer. hell i was asked a couple of times to call tables. so do i be rude and say no do it yourself. Im not saying what you do is wrong but just cause your contract says play music and music only, you would not assist someone if they needed a hand
 
steve149 said:
I believe the gist is, do what needs to be done (to a point). Many weddings that folks here do, do not have planners or coordinators, unlike, apparently, the ones done by Bob and Canute. At that point, you can certainly claim that it's not your job, but the reality is, it doesn't usually take all that much effort, it makes you appear to be the one with a brain, and it keeps the B/G happy .. which should be a priority.

Should you work this out ahead of time .. yes .. but the reality is there really isn't anyone else for the majority here .. the florist or caterer isn't going to do it .. the in-laws or siblings will be tied up with other family and friends, so counting on them won't work.

Canute .. your contract is rarely with the client, so yes, you can compartmentalize yourself. But if you are hired directly by the B/G .. there isn't ANYONE else (if there is no planner) that they have employed for the day that will have the amount of effect you would as a DJ.
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I've been the primary wedding planner enough times to know that most of you are full of S---. The difference between Canute's position and many of you is that Canute is not so pretentious as to claim the other vendors inferior or superfluous in his presence.

Really....70% of planners don't know what they are doing? Bull---t. DJs are notorious for an inability to be team players. That inability to work and play well with others is evident by people's desperate need to direct the thread to paint Canute as "wrong" when it is so obvious that he is the one with the clearest and most professional boundaries - the least in need of inflating ordinary diligence into magical skills.
 
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Proformance said:
I've been the primary wedding planner enough times to know that most of you are full of S---. The difference between Canute's position and many of you is that Canute is not so pretentious as to claim the other vendors inferior or superfluous in his presence.

Really....70% of planners don't know what they are doing? Bull---t. DJs are notorious for an inability to be team players. That inability to work and play well with others is evident by people's desperate need to direct the thread to paint Canute as "wrong" when it is so obvious that he is the one with the clearest and most professional boundaries - the least in need of inflating ordinary diligence into magical skills.
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What the frack are you on tonight? Please do not quote me .. then make points about another poster.

I did not make ANY claim about any other vendors not doing their job. I only made a point that the DJ is about the only one hired by the B/G that is still around during the entire event (maybe add in a photographer). I said, the majority of wedding I have been to, and it appears the majority of the ones done by those here, DO NOT have a planner or coordinator.

Canute (and you) are entitled to your OPINION ..
 
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steve149 said:
What the frack are you on tonight? Please do not quote me .. then make points about another poster.

Canute (and you) are entitled to your OPINION ..
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How old are you ... six? :)
Sorry, if my faith in your ability to follow the thread disturbs your need to color inside the lines.

As for entitled opinions - apparently not. I've read that Canute focuses on his role and wisely delegates the run-around and check-ups to other capable people in the room.

Based on that - responding posters have used their crystal ball to characterize his pricing, his skills, and his character, etc. Really... you guys can tell all that because he disagrees with your ascertions??

Petty, grossly uniformed and overstated - that's how the responses read. It is also consistent with the experience most brides have with DJs. If you want to know why brides think so little of DJs - congratulations gentlemen you are the perfect illustration.

I've met Canute in person - he's not the kind of "princess" many of you are online.

Steve,
You are just wrong. Bookings from an agent do not relieve you of direct planning contact with the bride and groom. Do you have an agent? If not, then what qualifies you to instruct Canute or any of us on agency?

RedhotDJ,
You have inappropriately lost (or never developed) your sense of where "helpful" ends and a loss of priority begins. No, you will not find me putting table clothes on the tables for people, and I do not let Hotel staff assist loading/unloading my gear. I do not take time away from the best performance of my job to do other people's job; nor would I allow others to compromise their responsibilities to take care of mine.

Now, if you would like to join Scott, Mike, and Rick and take that to childishly mean that I also won't hold the door open for anyone, look before I leap, or provide any multitude of common sense courtesy - then be my guest. I won't force you to mature.

Scott,
I disagree - I don't think it was Dan's intention to create a site exclusively for DJs with a Peter Pan complex. Loosen up your tights and grow a pair.

:) Good Grief.
 
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Proformance, I find your diatribes comical. Everyone that doesn't agree with you is an idiot. Houston you don't do weddings and your thoughts on the matter are meaningless. If the evening goes to pot the DJ will be blamed. Let me say it again. If the evening goes to pot the DJ will be blamed. And should be. If you don't want to be a Master of Ceremonies don't do weddings.
 
There ya go Mikey... way not to jump to conclusions.

Just to clarify: if I were to think you an idiot it would not be the result of disagreement. I am certain you would have arrived at the argument already an idiot.:)
 
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redhotdj said:
canute if you read my thread # 32 you will see i have NEVER had do deal with a planner. around here i dont think anyone uses them soooooo sometimes that makes me chief, cook and bottle washer. hell i was asked a couple of times to call tables. so do i be rude and say no do it yourself. Im not saying what you do is wrong but just cause your contract says play music and music only, you would not assist someone if they needed a hand
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There is a big difference between assisting someone (which I have no problem in doing) and taking responsibility for tasks other than for what I am hired. there are some who do the latter and walking around strutting their stuff like they were the hero of the event and the savior of the Wedding or whatever event they were doing.
 
Lol take a look at your rants based on nothing but conjecture. You take something said and then literally make things up based on nothing more than your history with dealing with other djs. I'll say it again if you don't want to be a master of ceremonies do not perform weddings.

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ahoustondj said:
There is a big difference between assisting someone (which I have no problem in doing) and taking responsibility for tasks other than for what I am hired. there are some who do the latter and walking around strutting their stuff like they were the hero of the event and the savior of the Wedding or whatever event they were doing.
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Houston when it comes to weddings its your job to be the master of Ceremonies. That's what you are not getting. Your job is to insure that everyone has a good time and that involved working with ll of the vendors and facilitating flow. If you are not doimg that at a wedding you are not doimg your job

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ahoustondj said:
There is a big difference between assisting someone (which I have no problem in doing) and taking responsibility for tasks other than for what I am hired. there are some who do the latter and walking around strutting their stuff like they were the hero of the event and the savior of the Wedding or whatever event they were doing.
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Houston when it comes to weddings its your job to be the master of Ceremonies. That's what you are not getting. Your job is to insure that everyone has a good time and that involved working with ll of the vendors and facilitating flow. If you are not doimg that at a wedding you are not doimg your job
 
mikemerlin said:
Houston you don't do weddings and your thoughts on the matter are meaningless.
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So you are here with me 24/7 and you know all that I do, eh! You are more comical than the Comedy Show I just attended. At least those guys get paid a Professional Fee, you guys just get pleasure from stroking each others ego.



Turd.jpg​

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mikemerlin said:
Houston when it comes to weddings its your job to be the master of Ceremonies. That's what you are not getting. Your job is to insure that everyone has a good time and that involved working with ll of the vendors and facilitating flow. If you are not doimg that at a wedding you are not doimg your job
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I guess my Clients must like paying people like me for not doing their Job and the Guy who they did hire as Master Of Ceremonies should just hand the Mic over to the DJ. The Wedding Planner/Coordinator should sit back and amuse herself while she watches the DJ run back and forth across the room gathering Silverware for the Cake and rounding up people from the Restrooms. Were you born with this kind of thinking or did you learn it along the way in your DJ University?
 
mikemerlin said:
Houston when it comes to weddings its your job to be the master of Ceremonies. That's what you are not getting. Your job is to insure that everyone has a good time and that involved working with ll of the vendors and facilitating flow. If you are not doimg that at a wedding you are not doimg your job
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Mike,
You have not described anything that pertains to being an emcee. You have merely pointed out how anal you are about simple things experienced people like myself take for granted and have learned to appropriately delegate such as: keeping track of where key people are, when or how champagne/wine is being poured, and if the cake table is properly set, etc.

Controlling all of this personally is not what it means to be an emcee. This rudimentary awareness is not enough to define a great DJ. Trying to assert that you are somehow better suited to perform this very normal over-sight than other vendors or participants makes you look insecure.

Are there wedding DJs who stumble over these basic things - Yes, usually the younger less experienced DJs. Can it be awkward - sometimes. Does it matter - sometimes. Does it enhance your image to compare yourself at this level - not at all. You are essentially telling us: "at least I don't suck." Surely you can find something more significant about your service to promote?
 
Mikemerlin, you must really relish those kinds of Gigs you get, huh? My only hope for you is that you charge extra for all the things you do. If so, then more power to you! Of course you may not be able to give a quoted figure for those extras because you won't know what to expect until it happens so you may have a Billing System in place for the Client.

Let me ask you something, what do you think the Guests would say each time they look to your booth and you are gone? Hmmm, that DJ is a real "Jack of all Trades", I wonder at which one does he excel?
 
Proformance said:
How old are you ... six? :)
Sorry, if my faith in your ability to follow the thread disturbs your need to color inside the lines.

As for entitled opinions - apparently not. I've read that Canute focuses on his role and wisely delegates the run-around and check-ups to other capable people in the room.

Based on that - responding posters have used their crystal ball to characterize his pricing, his skills, and his character, etc. Really... you guys can tell all that because he disagrees with your ascertions??

Petty, grossly uniformed and overstated - that's how the responses read. It is also consistent with the experience most brides have with DJs. If you want to know why brides think so little of DJs - congratulations gentlemen you are the perfect illustration.

I've met Canute in person - he's not the kind of "princess" many of you are online.

Steve,
You are just wrong. Bookings from an agent do not relieve you of direct planning contact with the bride and groom. Do you have an agent? If not, then what qualifies you to instruct Canute or any of us on agency?

RedhotDJ,
You have inappropriately lost (or never developed) your sense of where "helpful" ends and a loss of priority begins. No, you will not find me putting table clothes on the tables for people, and I do not let Hotel staff assist loading/unloading my gear. I do not take time away from the best performance of my job to do other people's job; nor would I allow others to compromise their responsibilities to take care of mine.

Now, if you would like to join Scott, Mike, and Rick and take that to childishly mean that I also won't hold the door open for anyone, look before I leap, or provide any multitude of common sense courtesy - then be my guest. I won't force you to mature.

Scott,
I disagree - I don't think it was Dan's intention to create a site exclusively for DJs with a Peter Pan complex. Loosen up your tights and grow a pair.

:) Good Grief.
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I do find it that you and Canute read past the ACTUAL comments to interject how superior you think your systems are.

Again, in case you're not able to follow, I don't see anywhere where anyone has suggested taking over all the responsibility proactively. Again, I do see where the pragmatics realize that without a planner, SOMEONE has to do the things needed to be done. You can get agreement from the B/G that someone WILL do it, only to find out when the time has come, that the someone who was selected .. just isn't prepared to do it .. or isn't near.

So, Canute can wait until someone signals him, but if someone doesn't signal him, what then. That was the gist of the thread .. not that the all-powerful DJ SHOULD assume it.

And I prefer coloring IN THE LINES .. it makes things less messy.
 
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RedhotDJ,
You have inappropriately lost (or never developed) your sense of where "helpful" ends and a loss of priority begins. No, you will not find me putting table clothes on the tables for people, and I do not let Hotel staff assist loading/unloading my gear. I do not take time away from the best performance of my job to do other people's job; nor would I allow others to compromise their responsibilities to take care of mine.

where did i say setting tables, vacuuming floors or washing windows I SAID if someone asked me to give them a hand Like helping the lady with the cake i would do it NO QUESTIONS ASKED,
 
redhotdj said:
RedhotDJ,

....................... if someone asked me to give them a hand Like helping the lady with the cake i would do it NO QUESTIONS ASKED,
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I think we all do that usually when asked. That however is not the discussion. Go back and ready your Buddy's Post # 72. What he does not understand that what he is proposing is a fallacy! A Client can hire a Band, DJ, MC and Planner all for the same Event. I have been a part of that equation many times over. Not all clients have Beer Budgets. Not all Clients are out looking for the cheapest. They are willing to pay for quality and they want each of their "Vendors/providers" to concentrate on just one thing, what they were specifically hired to do. For example, the time for me to play Music for the cake cutting is not at x.xx PM rather it is when the Bride and Groom is ready and I am then given the signal to proceed with that song. The Agenda I am given is not as much a Timeline as it is a sequence of Events to occur! Until then, I play music for dancing and general entertainment. What is so hard about that to understand that your Buddy Mikemerlin and some others cannot comprehend?
 
ahoustondj said:
I think we all do that usually when asked. That however is not the discussion. Go back and ready your Buddy's Post # 72. What he does not understand that what he is proposing is a fallacy! A Client can hire a Band, DJ, MC and Planner all for the same Event. I have been a part of that equation many times over. Not all clients have Beer Budgets. Not all Clients are out looking for the cheapest. They are willing to pay for quality and they want each of their "Vendors/providers" to concentrate on just one thing, what they were specifically hired to do. For example, the time for me to play Music for the cake cutting is not at x.xx PM rather it is when the Bride and Groom is ready and I am then given the signal to proceed with that song. The Agenda I am given is not as much a Timeline as it is a sequence of Events to occur! Until then, I play music for dancing and general entertainment. What is so hard about that to understand that your Buddy Mikemerlin and some others cannot comprehend?
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It is the discussion, as for many (probably most), there is no band, or planner or separate MC. While there certainly may be, the discussion here has been around handling those duties when you're the only one there .. yet it keeps devolving into "that's not my job".

We know it's not our job, but many take it on because there is no one else and people are going to look to you .. the one with the microphone .. anyway. Maybe you do events with phalanxes of people to do all those mundane and middling activities, but for most .. that's the folks here.

What's so difficult to comprehend?
 
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that your Buddy Mikemerlin and some others cannot comprehend?

I really don't have Buddy's, it makes life so much simpler
 
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