Are you one of those dj's who...

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djcrazychris

DJ Extraordinaire
Jun 12, 2018
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In all my years of dj'ing....thousands of parties ...weddings...and corporate events....ive never once ate a meal on premises...AND IM A BIG FATTIE!!

I watch gig logs on youtube all the time...and the dj's not only move away from their booth to sit down at a table and pig out with their entire crew of misfits...half of them under dressed and there just hanging out....they also whine and complain if the food wasnt good....or if they werent offered...

I am normally offered food about 50% of the time... and i think there is a reason why 50% never think to ask...and why the other 50% are simply being overly kind... As i learned from my own wedding... even cheap weddings are expensive... handing out 4 or 5 extra plates to strangers is very kind and generous... but why should that cost be added? Do they pay extra so that the caterers ...servers... valet....pool boy... etc can all feast as well?

I find it highly unprofessional....and bizarre to presume i am part of their family and friends ....feel i can step away from the real reason im there....grab a plate and drip gravy all over my suit...have chicken in my teeth....and smell like an arbys the rest of the night...

For that matter....i wont even sit down ...at any point... im there to perform.... to entertain.... if i went to a dinner theater and had to wait while the cast milled about in folding chairs on stage and fixed themselves a plate... even taking up a few tables on the main floor to eat... id think it must be amateur hour...

Maybe its just me...my ocd maybe...

But just curious your thoughts...

cc


ps---- pet peeve #437... dj's who wear polo shirts to weddings .... have some self respect... atleast grab one of those dress shirt / tie combo packs at jc pennys .... u wanna charge a thousand dollars and show up worse dressed than uncle terry the blacksheep of the family... sad...sad....sad.

if you went to a Rolling Stones concert and Mick was wearing khakis and a polo shirt with the bands logo on it...you would think the band lost their mind...

BE AN ENTERTAINER GUYS!!! STOP DRESSING LIKE THE FED EX GUY!!!
 
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I don't do weddings, so I wear a logoed shirt to most events .. I have also been offered food at 90+% of the events and have always graciously accepted. I eat at my booth most of the time (hidden).
 
i think its regional... for example here, many venues REQUIRE you to get vendor meals (at a reduced rate). Also here, we have huge cocktail hours with tons of stations, that vendors are also invited to enjoy. Kinda hard not to eat, when you're either already paid for or invited to enjoy by the venue itself. We always eat in a different area, such as the bar or separate room, and done so at the same time guests are eating, so its mostly background music going on. My wedding required us to have vendors fed... and we had 19 vendors (10pc band, live painter, 2 photogs, 3 video, 3 dj). As far as dressing goes... you represent your clients, so if you feel al they're worth is a polo shirt then hey, u just are making me look better.
 
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i think its regional... for example here, many venues REQUIRE you to get vendor meals (at a reduced rate). Also here, we have huge cocktail hours with tons of stations, that vendors are also invited to enjoy. Kinda hard not to eat, when you're either already paid for or invited to enjoy by the venue itself. We always eat in a different area, such as the bar or separate room, and done so at the same time guests are eating, so its mostly background music going on. My wedding required us to have vendors fed... and we had 19 vendors (10pc band, live painter, 2 photogs, 3 video, 3 dj). As far as dressing goes... you represent your clients, so if you feel al they're worth is a polo shirt then hey, u just are making me look better.
Yea, my clients are usually worth a polo shirt .. :)
 
yeah....to clarify.... just talking about weddings...or events where everyone is dressed nicely... the last thing i ever want is to stand out as different for the wrong reasons at any event...

but yeah... if you are doing a kids graduation party...and its casual...by all means... wear the fed ex shirt... lololol

cc
 
Don't do weddings (any more), don't sit, usually too busy to eat - but there is almost always a beer hidden behind me!
 
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i can only remember one situation when i was actually drunk at a show....in a nightclub...and a patron banged on the booth door so agressively that my mixer came unplugged from the wall.... took my drunk butt 3 or 4 minutes to figure out why the music stopped...lol... decided id better try and keep my senses from then on...

cc
 
I used to refuse to eat and even used it as part of my sale schtick "We're not here to eat, we're here to work." In subsequent years, and especially as being diagnosed as diabetic, I've eased off that. Now I'm still careful to minimize what's on my plate, and I (somewhat) hide behind my table, but I'll help myself to the buffet, AFTER all of the guests have eaten. If it's a served dinner situation, I usually will skip it.
 
I get offered food at almost all weddings. If they offer early into dinner service and I can effectively take a break, I often will eat very quickly. I don't eat in front of guests, I normally go to another room. Most hotel or ballroom weddings will have a separate green room set up for vendors.

If it's a buffet, and they don't offer until all guests have gone through, I typically decline. I don't have enough time at that point.

I know a lot of vendors that require a hot meal by contract... that's way too much for me. If I can eat without disrupting my responsibility I will, but I don't take it that seriously.
 
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At weddings I always got fed, even if I worked as just bring in equipment and didn’t have to stay at the event. And there is no line item requiring a meal in my contract. I’ve been in the business since 1975 and always got fed at formal events. I have been told to sit with the family, told to turn off the music and eat. One time when I was doing a afternoon then a evening wedding and tried to turn down a meal at the evening one. Well the groom was highly upset & insulted I didn’t want to eat. The only thing that saved me is I told him I just ate, At my wedding I fed all vendors, happily. Trust me in the scheme of things a few vendor meals aren’t that much. So I seen it from both sides. Most of the clients I work for want to take care of us not because of any contractual requirement. If they thought it looked unprofessional they wouldn't do it. But if you feel the need not to eat don’t I just hope you don’t get a client did finds it a insult.
 
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aLJMHrcw-k


Brian made good points in this video a few years ago.

...As for me, I have been offered a meal at about 96.5% of all events that I perform. The 3.5% of events that I was not offered a meal were normally corporate events, and usually 4 hours or less performance time. Weddings, only 1 since 2013 did not offer me a meal...Prior to 2013, maybe 3 or 4.

With that said, I ask this question on my planning form:

Will you be providing a meal for the DJ? – Yes__ X __ No_____ (I do not require to be fed, however if a meal is not provided then the DJ will be bringing a bag lunch if contracted for 4 or more hours)

I did a 7.5 hour wedding one time where I was not offered a meal, and I was mad about it. I had a bad head ache at the end of the gig. It was a long drive. I had a very long day, and was not a happy camper. I don't care if I was offered a PB&J sandwich and a bag of chips...at least that would have been something to hold me over until after the gig. ...After that I put the question on my planning form. ...Since I put the question on my planning form, ALL but 1 have marked YES to providing me with a meal. The one that did not provide me with a meal, I knew ahead of time that I was not getting a meal. So I brought my own lunch with me, and I did eat it during dinner.

I'm sorry, but if we are talking a 5+ hour ceremony and reception plus the 2 hour load in/set up time, and 1 hour load out time, plus the 1 to 2 hours I spent traveling to get to the gig. ...IT's a long ass time without a meal, and I don't like working with a bad head ache. We need to eat something.

Now if we are taking a 2 or 3 hour gig...I don't care about being fed...I can eat after the gig. But 5 or 6-7 hour wedding gig...I need to have something to eat whether it's a cheap vendor meal, or the same thing the guests are eating I don't care (I prefer a nice meal obviously, but I will graciously take a cheap sandwich and chips vendor meal)
 
I’d say I eat at 20-30 percent of my gigs, and usually hide out at my DJ booth when I do. I’m usually pretty busy playing music, so there’s not much time for eating. I can gobble down a few bites, and I’m OK with that. If the client offers a meal, I don’t decline, but I don’t linger over it.[emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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I have the "Will you provide a meal for the DJ" question on my planning guide, as well. Pretty much always offered and after everyone has been through the line, I will let Rebekah get something while I am behind the board, then I will go get something small. We take turns eating behind the table, trying to not be seen. I usually also have a bag with water, gatorade and chips, just in case, at events longer then 4 hours.
 
I have the "Will you provide a meal for the DJ" question on my planning guide, as well. Pretty much always offered and after everyone has been through the line, I will let Rebekah get something while I am behind the board, then I will go get something small. We take turns eating behind the table, trying to not be seen. I usually also have a bag with water, gatorade and chips, just in case, at events longer then 4 hours.

I also bring a steel 32 oz cip with lid usually filled with Diet Pepsi with me to every gig. I also usually bring a single bottle of water as well. ...Often have a granola bar in my small bag where I keep some Hand sanitizer, Ibuprofen, Tylenol, plackers (best for getting stuff out of teeth), gum, hand lotion, and let's not forget TUMS and Acid Reducers. I even have guests ask me if I have any Tums at probably 1 in every 20 weddings. They love it when I have something for them!