Any advice from a dj?

kc66

I have done dj in a pub a few times. I do it as a favour and use a laptop. No mixing or anything like that but just play loads of songs, chart music etc.
A friend has asked me to do his wedding. I know the type of music thats played at weddings and have a great selection of music, but looking for any tips from people that have done it before.

fade2black

I stopped doing them a few years ago but the formula hasn't changed much at all. Firstly, it would be a good idea to find out off a member of the wedding party what music would be most appreciated. For example, the last wedding I did the groom was a biker so I had to make sure I had songs like sweet home alabama and what not. To do this is not essential but it can be useful.

Basically weddings are the easiest gigs to do because the people are pissed and they'll dance to everything. It's going to be cheesy, and it's not going to be pretty, but hey...it's money and at least your not the guy cleaning the toilets.

Some essential songs:

Jive Bunny's various megamixes.
That Dirty Dancing megamix
Christ...the Grease one too.
Some 70s stuff like Tiger Feet (Mud) Rock the Boat (you have to have this), Matrimoney (Gilbert O Sullivan)
The usual 80s, uptown girl, come on Eileen.
Maybe some Elvis, burning Love.

Remember, these people are drunk as skunks so they want to dance and they want to spend the next day talking about hw great the night was. For this to happen...here are the things that I did that I pass down to you my son....

Ok..play your chart hits and whatever was popular the last couple of years..but it's the oldies that people really love when they are pissed. At a high point in the night play "fools rush in" by Lick the Tins, that songs ends with an irish dancing bit and you should see a bunch of people trying to dance diddly aye style...they're loving it...so keep it up. There's a tune called Siamsa on the Lord Of the Dance Soundtrack (stay with me here) and you'll be amazed at the effect it will have on the crowd. The key is to keep them on the floor by going straight into annother tune with the same tempo of the previous tune that worked. Now this Siamsa will work believe me, It's a secret weapon I even sometimes use in a night club for students. If they still want more of the same, by all means play The Irish Rover or something.

At the end of the night, if the atmosphere is great send them home with a sing song....Sweet Caroline, New York New York, My Way, even finish with Ireland's call if ya want. If you have any other questions or need copies of any of these songs feel free to send me a pm.

Let me know how it goes.

jonny68

Yeah fade 2 black has basically covered it all there if your asked to play something like a wedding you have to play the crowd pleasers not the latest hot minimal techno white label from some obscure geek in detroit,i used to DJ myself in the mid/late 1990's but i was actually too busy going out to raves and clubs getting mad out of it to ever take it seriously the way some people did,played a few big partys but was never totally "committed" as it were,if i had the money and space id love to get decks again just to play around.