How do you handle song requests at gigs

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MADNESS

MADNESS

Well-Known DJ
Dec 20, 2006
2,293
49
65
Florence, AZ
www.primetimedj.net
How do you handle requests at gigs. When I do a school event. I bring notebooks with all of my music listed by category and have a form that I print out that lists artist and song title. They look through my books and write them down, when the sheet is full I pick it up and start to bang it out, what is appropriate anyway!!!

Any other ways of handling them?
 
We have business card sized request cards that we print up.

It has our logo, areas for song, artist and a "dedication" if so desired. Our database is on our laptop as we no longer print a book due to the constant updating we do.

YMMV
 
I quit wasting money on the little request list papers.

Now, I created a request list sheet of paper with instructions at the top to check to see if the song you want to request is listed already, if it is, there is a place to put another check beside it.

It has worked much better than going thru 50 requests and find that 20 of them are for the same song or others are duplicated also.

They don't really need to look at your database for reference. Let them request it, if you have it and can get it fit it, great. If not, move on to the next one.

For weddings, I don't use this method. Guests can come up and talk with me directly.
 
Randy I like that but the only problem I have had doin that is that the kids request all sorts of music you do not have and then get stupid with you when you do not have it. At list with my method I usually only get requests for music I really have!

And I do not do this at wedding either
 
MADNESS said:
Kirby, so how do the guests look at the database? Do you have a computer set up for that? I print the books for the guests to use as a reference. How do you keep them from messing nwith the other porgrams or is it touch screen or Something?
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Guests aren't allowed to look at the database as a rule. :sqeek: Also we've avoided doing school events as I'm not sure I want to even mess with 'em.:sqwink:

They write 'em down, we double check whether we have it and if it's an appropriate request or if it's on the B&G's DNP playlist. So that way if it's something that's not going to get played, we can lie and tell them we don't have it. :sqrolleyes:

Like I said we used to print a book but stopped doing so several years ago, when the book was topping 700 pages. Even on "draft" print, that was a waste of time, paper and ink that we didn't want to mess with anymore.

Now you have to understand that we have a very different way of doing things. Very few original discs leave the house with us (only the ones not entered into the database, yet).

We have painstakingly copied all of our discs, numbered them in sequence, placed the copies in paper CD envelopes and everything is in an Access database with Queries setup for different types of searches for different scenarios. Yes, it took us a lot of time.

It keeps people wanting to look at the CDs when your back is turned as all they see are numbered discs and they can't tell what you have or what you don't....:sqwink:

YMMV
 
It seems that when I start taking requests at events out of the50-80 people there it's always the same 5-6 that keep coming up requesting music. Over and over and over. Then there's always the one kid that keeps requesting a Slipknot or other totally inappropriate song. So I try to keep the request to a minimum.
 
I just let them tell me or my assistant, I search VDJ, if I have the song they are looking for then I will add it to the playlist and get to it eventually. I have never had a song book or second laptop for them to search my database. The only guest who get to search my database are the clients who signed the contract and even then its prior to the gig. If I had a book or a computer set up there would be people who would do nothing but flip through the book or search on the computer all night making horrible request. If they don't have a song off the top of thier head ready to request then its not worth having them search for a song.

What really "grinds my gears" is that 6 out of 10 people who make request DO NOT EVEN GET OFF THIER ASS AND DANCE!!! They will give you the head knod and thumbs up but continue to sit down while the dancers clear the floor.

request are both good and evil, they can ruin your night if you get a ton of bad request or they can make your job easy by having everyone select what they want to hear.
 
MADNESS said:
Taking them.

Do you just have people come up and ask you are do you have a way of documenting them?
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Just type it in my DJ software song request window.
 
I put out( 3 1/2 X 5 ) cards they write the requests down and I do a search for them when I have time, if I have it and it's appropriate I play it.

No Guarantees !! It's in my contract I have the final say on music selections.

Mostly weddings...

BTW If it's a good song and I don't have it I keep the card and it goes in my search list to be added to my library.
 
badblood70 said:
It seems that when I start taking requests at events out of the50-80 people there it's always the same 5-6 that keep coming up requesting music. Over and over and over. Then there's always the one kid that keeps requesting a Slipknot or other totally inappropriate song. So I try to keep the request to a minimum.
Click to expand...

Coreen and I will sometimes ask them if they have their request on their own MP3/Ipod player and when they say yes, and then think that we're going to plug in their player into our system, we'll crush their hopes and tell 'em to go out to their car and listen to it as it's not going to happen. :sqeek::sqrolleyes::sqwink:
 
MADNESS said:
Randy I like that but the only problem I have had doin that is that the kids request all sorts of music you do not have and then get stupid with you when you do not have it. At list with my method I usually only get requests for music I really have!

And I do not do this at wedding either
Click to expand...

Since I have been doing school dances as my bread-n-butter for many years, I have no problems with very many kids 'getting stupid' with me. :sqwink:

But, as mentioned many times before, you gotta do what's best for you. You asked what others did, I simply replied. :sqcool:
 
Guests can ask me for requests, and I'll add it to the list of suggestions. We'll play ones that are good ideas, and others, well, maybe not. Bottom line though, you want to make a request, you have to talk to us. They dont' get a songbook to look through because then they pick even worse selections; they're just shopping., If they don't know what they want, they can go think about it and come back when they have an idea.
 
Kirby Ball said:
Coreen and I will sometimes ask them if they have their request on their own MP3/Ipod player and when they say yes, and then think that we're going to plug in their player into our system, we'll crush their hopes and tell 'em to go out to their car and listen to it as it's not going to happen. :sqeek::sqrolleyes::sqwink:
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Oh I like that, I like that a lot!! I hope you don't mind if I use that.
 
If I play a request (or a song I pick) and it doesn't go over well, I fade it out - no reason to play more than a minute or so if it's killing the dance floor.
 
MADNESS said:
Kirby, so how do the guests look at the database? Do you have a computer set up for that? I print the books for the guests to use as a reference. How do you keep them from messing nwith the other porgrams or is it touch screen or Something?
Click to expand...

That seems to be a lot of work! When someone come up to my booth and requests a song, I immediately search it while they are standing there. If I have it, I cue it in on the bottom of my active playlist so I won't forget or splice it in immediately.
If I don't have the song I will suggest some others or have them pick something else.
If it is a song that I would not play, I will tell the Guest to choose something else. I never promise to play something knowing I won't.
 
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