Am I crazy, giving reasons why you shouldn't book? Well, read on and find out more just to make sure there is a point and I've not lost my marbles.
If your in the market for a DJ its a shark pool. Many people now thing they can grab a laptop, Spotify subscription, a second hand rig and sell themselves as a DJ. Unless you do your due diligence you could end up with a total cowboy who will wreck your big night.
So if your looking for any of the below things in your DJ you can make your pool smaller by scratching me straight off the list:
The Top 5 reasons I am not the right DJ for your event.
1. I don't spend all night on the microphone
Some people expect to hear the DJ on the mic talking all the time, introducing songs, cajoling people to dance and filling the dead air between songs with corny anecdotes.
I'm not that type of DJ, in fact that type of DJ belongs back in the 80s. I'll most certainly use the mic to introduce important parts of the night such as the first dance but I'll not be yapping away all night.
I let the music do the talking, reading the crowd, selecting the right songs and mixing or transitioning so there are no gaps.
2. I don't offer loads of different services
Some companies believe the way forward is to offer the client everything they might need as some sort of one stop shop. Sure it works for some things like photobooths and room dressing but DJing is a skill and not just a service.
I consider and sell myself as a specialist and if I'm offering 5 or 6 services then I am not. I'm more than happy to suggest suppliers to my clients who I've worked with and are good at what they do, but honestly, someone who can put a dance floor down does not make a good DJ.
If you want all the eggs in one basket then I'm not for you. My goal is to arrive fresh, set up and get on with doing what I was hired to do, smash the party.
3. I don't have dozens of disco lights
If you think loads of lights and other equipment = value for money then I'm not the DJ for you. Sorry I just don't want to blind everyone with some crazy thoughtless light show. Want lasers all over you for your first dance photos, shop elsewhere.
Of course you're not going to be dancing in the dark. I provide a tasteful, co-ordinated, computer controlled light show. Using multiple wash lights to colour the room, and moving heads to give patterns and movement. The lights work in time with the music to create atmosphere.
6 professional quality lights will wipe the floor with any number of cheap sound to light fixtures. I also position my lights correctly so people aren't blinded by them.
4. I'm too expensive
If you think I'm not worth what I charge you shouldn't book me. Believe me there are people in my area who charge half, and people who charge double or more.
I charge a fair rate that reflects my skill level, experience, effort, reliability, renown and equipment. I've never had a client tell me I wasn't worth it and I have had clients and colleagues telling me I am worth so much more.
Of course I don't fit every budget and I totally understand some people will consider me expensive, but believe me if you ever took the time to look at figures you'd be shocked. I am value for money based on the level of service I provide.
5. I want to pick all the songs
If you're not hiring a DJ for their musical knowledge then I'm happy to let that booking go to the next person. I so want to learn your music tastes and explore what songs you love, but I also want to be a part of this process and help you to get it right.
DJ's joke about being made into jukeboxes with lists of songs that you can't possibly fit into 5hrs. I'm at the point of my career where I get a lot of word of mouth bookings and can be somewhat selective of my clients and not just grabbing every job that comes my way.
I really want to work with the people who appreciate what a good DJ *me cough, can do to enhance their party. Never forget I have been to over a thousand different parties and have seen what does and doesn't work on the dancefloor.
So this is a bit of a tongue in cheek blog post and I hope I haven't totally put you off. The truth is I care about what I do and want people to see the difference between a DJ just in it for the money, and someone who is contemporary in their approach and actually cares about getting it right. If you want to chat more about my DJ service to see if its right for you drop me an email at andy@djandyp.uk.
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