A polite request...
Monday, 3 August 2009
During a disco, a request is just that. Like most DJs, I invite wedding guests to approach and ask for a tune that they want to dance to. It's why I'm there; to play the music that people want to hear.
At Get Wed, we encourage the bride and groom to email a song list over before their big day, so we can ensure to arrive with every track they want. Of course, I need to be able to fit them all in. I once received a list which totalled nine hours of playing time! If a guest asks for something, I can even (phone sigal permitting) download any tracks that I don't have during the gig. In short, when it comes to disco music, I'm a flexible kind of guy.
Does anyone else feel a but...coming on?
But (there it is!) I do reserve a few rights when it comes to requests. I'd like to explain these and assure everyone that it's not because I don't like a particular song - my tastes simply don't come into it. Any decision is based on my experience and what's best for the success of the wedding reception. So here goes:
1) I may not play your track straight away. If I play Endless Love during a rock music section, it will bring the evening to a grinding halt. Please be patient, and I'll do my best to work it in smoothly.
2) I might have played it already. With the amount of requests I receive during an average wedding reception, I usually can't play a song twice. Of course, for the bride or groom, I can always bend the rules!
3) It contains unsuitable language. Even if there's no kids present, a glare from a Nan is always unsettling! I always try to play radio edits or clean versions but if there's a track I'm not sure of, I'll have to run it past the happy couple first.
4) I can't squeeze it in! If you come to me ten minutes before the end, the chances are that the final songs will already have been picked in advance. And by the way, it's not me that dictates the finish time, it's the venue's licence. The 'One more song' chant doesn't work!
By looking back at the gig logs on the laptop, I can see exactly how many requests I've played per evening. The number is typically between 95 and 98% of those asked for, which I believe is a pretty good average. So, if you're a wedding guest and your song happens to be left out, then please let me apologise in advance. There's always a good reason for it which should hopefully lead to a full dancefloor and a brilliant wedding reception.
Labels: endless love, reception discos, song requests, wedding disco, wedding dj, wedding reception
posted by James McCann @ 21:47,
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