You gotta be kiddin' me

[Jasaoke]

So I went to a wedding over the weekend and they had a DJ for the reception. This was not a low-budget wedding, or reception so I can only assume that the DJ was not low-end. (and he didn't have low-end gear; I'm sure he wasn't inexpensive.) I am frankly somewhat offended at what was passed of as entertainment for the evening. He did the usual Wedding DJ Announce the Bridal Party, then played the 'dinner music' which seemed to be one artist doing what I'll call Coffee Shop versions of current hits.

The rest of the evening consisted of 2 "sets", separated by the throwing of the bouquet and garter. The program material for the first set was essentially what you'd get from a modern variety station, the second set had a few standard dance rock songs thrown in. Here's the kicker: The entire first and second "sets" had ONE. CONTINUOUS. BEAT. That's right, there was one, single, semi-cheezy dance loop playing under ever song of the night. This was accomplished by time-compressing quite a few songs (roughly half). So there was absolutely no rhythmic flow to the evening. The second set was about 10% faster than the first. It's like this guy read an article that said the "best dance tempo is X", and that's it.

At one point, one of the people from our table made a request. Without pausing, he said "I don't have it". This dude has a laptop in a high-end hotel (I'm certain there was Wifi), he's paid his ASCAP/BMI, and can't accomodate a request? A professional DJ had his entire library memorized?

Are you frickin' kidding me?

[Naga]

While it isn't incredibly likely to have every last song memorized, it's certainly possible to have a really good idea of your library, and if any song at random, by any random band comes up, you're pretty sure it either does exist, or doesn't exist. But, he couldn't at least try to get it? Really? With free Wifi? And why sync the speed of every song? What does that accomplish? Of course the whole DJ argument comes in, but really? If you're going to provide a service, don't screw with your customers

[KeithReynolds]

Lots of lame DJs use a program called VirtualDJ and tempo/beat lock their songs. It just ruins it. Sounds horrible.

For the record, if it was a band playing live, the song list would have been dramatically smaller. People wouldnt have most of their requests played at all.

Its not that hard to know if you have a song or not. Especially if its something you do on a consistent basis. Possibly someone already requested it and he knew he didnt have it.

Weddings have DJs. Nothing to cry over. Id rather have a DJ than some crappy band play horrible versions of songs that you cant turn off.
I think its more about making the married couple happy, than a few random dateless ppl sitting at a table by themselves wanting to hear master of puppets. You know what I mean??

Sounds like he wasnt a good DJ at all. Just like shitty bands, theys outs there brah.

[bassist_25]

I for one think it would be awesome to go to a wedding and hear Master of Puppets.

[Jasaoke]

I agree with y'all. It just seemed terribly odd that a DJ with top-notch gear in a top-notch setting would put on a sub-par show. (He didn't even have lights)

An no, I don't know what the wedding couple wanted, so maybe they got their dream reception. The mono-tempo thing really killed it for me. By 10 o'clock he had a whopping 11 people on the dance floor; 200 in attendance.

And yes, I'm jealous. I want a taste of the wedding market.

[Don Hughes]

One of my wedding songs was Lemmy's version of Stand By Me

[rockstar]

you get what you pay for!

[witchhunt]

Fond memories...In 1982-3, I was in my first real band. Our first paying gig was a wedding reception. We didn't think it would go over too well due to our set list which consisted of a lot of Maiden, Raven, Angel Witch, Sabbath, etc. We gave the bride to be a complete list of what we played and were told "That's exactly what I want." We showed up and tried to do a short sound check with our borrowed PA, which we were using for strictly vocals. About 1 minute into the check, the bride's dad came running over, screaming to turn it down. We agreed and when the time came to play, we opened with Prowler. Dead silence except for the bride asking us to turn it up a bit. During the second or third song, the dad physically pulls the PA power cord and declares that's enough. We tried to have a civil talk about how and why his daughter booked us and the longer we talked, the more pissed he got. He's now cursing and calling us freaks and acid heads. We managed to get loaded up and apologized to the bride who we sincerely felt sorry for. Lucky we were paid (I think) $400 in advance and decided to give half back. I walked back into the hall and handed the dad $200. He actually stood there and tore it in pieces and yelled something like, "It's not about the money. It's about you pricks ruining my little girl's wedding." Live and learn.

[bassist_25]

Fond memories...In 1982-3, I was in my first real band. Our first paying gig was a wedding reception. We didn't think it would go over too well due to our set list which consisted of a lot of Maiden, Raven, Angel Witch, Sabbath, etc. We gave the bride to be a complete list of what we played and were told "That's exactly what I want." We showed up and tried to do a short sound check with our borrowed PA, which we were using for strictly vocals. About 1 minute into the check, the bride's dad came running over, screaming to turn it down. We agreed and when the time came to play, we opened with Prowler. Dead silence except for the bride asking us to turn it up a bit. During the second or third song, the dad physically pulls the PA power cord and declares that's enough. We tried to have a civil talk about how and why his daughter booked us and the longer we talked, the more pissed he got. He's now cursing and calling us freaks and acid heads. We managed to get loaded up and apologized to the bride who we sincerely felt sorry for. Lucky we were paid (I think) $400 in advance and decided to give half back. I walked back into the hall and handed the dad $200. He actually stood there and tore it in pieces and yelled something like, "It's not about the money. It's about you pricks ruining my little girl's wedding." Live and learn.

That's rock 'n roll.

[Jim Price]

Witchhunt's story reminds me of a show early in Tommi-Gunn's career (back when I used to "manage" them, hahaha)...We booked a gig at Grier School in Tyrone. This gig turned into pretty much the scene from This Is Spinal Tap where Spinal Tap plays the air force base. It was some sort of formal dance, with suited-up guys from some prep school and the Grier girls - plus one pain-in-the-ass chaperone, who dogged me the whole night when Tommi-Gunn began playing their '80s-era hair band-flavored rock. Most of the kids stood around, and a few of the girls and guys liked it...But the chaperone guy was pissed off and getting in my face the whole time about volume, style of music and other stuff. The group finished up the gig and we all quickly got out of there (Rick Claar and John McKelvey were handling production for us that night, too). It was one of many "Spinal Tap" moments in the Gunn's career...

[PanzerFaust]

I remember that gig VERY well JP.........

Mostly due to the Grier School girls though........

haha.....

[ZappasXWife]

I just revisited this old post and I gotta say the stories were cracking me up haha. Esp. the Metal wedding reception with the pissed off dad. The reason I revisited this is that my daughter is getting married next summer and was wondering if any of you had a good DJ recommendation, or at least good questions to ask. I know you would recommend a live band but she doesn't want that. I know one question is: do you use VirtualDJ because that would be a dealbreaker. (thanx Keith Reynolds)... Any suggestions would be appreciated. I have little to no experience with DJs

[Jasaoke]

kBand would make a great alternative to a DJ or traditional cover band. We can customize a set list and provide "dinner" music...

[floodcitybrass]

We play weddings and I promise it won't be one continuous time compressed beat.

So if anyone out there knows of a bride and groom looking for a pro band that plays weddings, send them my way.

[KeithReynolds]

Bands dont have the wedding market. Maybe if a guy in a band gets married, he will have his band play there. that sorta counts I guess. Not everyone likes the same music. bands are the same music. even if its different covers, its still the SAME SOUND. esp if the band sucks, you cant get rid of them.

People wanna hear a variety of songs. classics to brand new hits. DJs are the only safe real option for something like a wedding. The crowds are so diverse at weddings usually.

With a live band, so much is left to chance. could be a horrible show done by a good band. too many risky factors.
Risks like: not enough sleep the night before, fingers hurt, hungover, drunk, stoned, equipment doesnt work, and the list goes on and on. thats the risks just for each guy, multiplied by how many dudes are in the band. noooo thanks.

with a good dj, its consistent. if its a bad DJ, all sorts of things can go wrong. if its a good dj, he has a good voice and knows what he is doing. things like not drinking before or during the gig is something thats important. gotta keep it professional. the guy i replaced at my job just sat and got drunk all night.

A wedding you cant do over. its a special kind of gig. its not like playing some local hole in the wall place to 6 drunks who just pissed themselves. who cares if thats a bad performance?? no one.

Im speaking generally. im sure bands have played weddings before and even done great.

btw- even guys in bands hire DJs for things. shhhhh! dont tell!

[MeYatch]

Bands dont have the wedding market. Maybe if a guy in a band gets married, he will have his band play there. that sorta counts I guess. Not everyone likes the same music. bands are the same music. even if its different covers, its still the SAME SOUND. esp if the band sucks, you cant get rid of them.

People wanna hear a variety of songs. classics to brand new hits. DJs are the only safe real option for something like a wedding. The crowds are so diverse at weddings usually.

With a live band, so much is left to chance. could be a horrible show done by a good band. too many risky factors.
Risks like: not enough sleep the night before, fingers hurt, hungover, drunk, stoned, equipment doesnt work, and the list goes on and on. thats the risks just for each guy, multiplied by how many dudes are in the band. noooo thanks.

with a good dj, its consistent. if its a bad DJ, all sorts of things can go wrong. if its a good dj, he has a good voice and knows what he is doing. things like not drinking before or during the gig is something thats important. gotta keep it professional. the guy i replaced at my job just sat and got drunk all night.

A wedding you cant do over. its a special kind of gig. its not like playing some local hole in the wall place to 6 drunks who just pissed themselves. who cares if thats a bad performance?? no one.

Im speaking generally. im sure bands have played weddings before and even done great.

btw- even guys in bands hire DJs for things. shhhhh! dont tell!

We played a wedding before. I'd like to think we didn't completely ruin the evening.

I know its pretty rare around here, but there are bands that exclusively play weddings, and make 5-10 times more per night than DJs. Real wedding bands are good, and they provide an experience that a DJ can't possibly match.

[KeithReynolds]

Im sure real wedding bands are great. The only exposure to them is what ive seen in the movie 'the wedding singer'. that band was cooool.

im not saying bands have no place in doing a wedding, im just giving some insight as to why DJs are 99% chosen over bands for the wedding thing. thats all.
Most people would like to hear the actual song, and not some bands attempt at the song. even if it happens to be a good version, people typically want the original.
even consider how you feel about your favorite music. youd rather hear THE song instead of some other bands version of it usually. same thing applies here. i went to see a pink floyd tribute band years back. great band, really fun...but i just went home and listened to the real songs.

i mean, if an ultra refined ultra talented band was a wedding band in this area, maybe it would be something. youll never know until you try i guess.

[MeYatch]

Im sure real wedding bands are great. The only exposure to them is what ive seen in the movie 'the wedding singer'. that band was cooool.

im not saying bands have no place in doing a wedding, im just giving some insight as to why DJs are 99% chosen over bands for the wedding thing. thats all.
Most people would like to hear the actual song, and not some bands attempt at the song. even if it happens to be a good version, people typically want the original.
even consider how you feel about your favorite music. youd rather hear THE song instead of some other bands version of it usually. same thing applies here. i went to see a pink floyd tribute band years back. great band, really fun...but i just went home and listened to the real songs.

i mean, if an ultra refined ultra talented band was a wedding band in this area, maybe it would be something. youll never know until you try i guess.

The bride/wedding planner could give two shits what version of the song they hear. They want to have a good reception. Typically DJs are much better at that, but it doesn't have anything to do with their endless list of songs. If a band did it right, put aside any egos and worked for the event there's no reason it wouldn't be successful. There are wedding bands that make 10 grand a night.

[HurricaneBob]

Ive played lots of weddings. We did so good they invited us back to play there divorce party.

[nakedtwister]

Ive played lots of weddings. We did so good they invited us back to play there divorce party.

Badum, tss!

[ZappasXWife]

Haha Bob yeah I could totally imagine you excelling at both parties. BUT noone answered my question...would really like some advice? DJ vs. band is not the question. I already know the answer to that one, but its not my wedding. Although I WILL pass along the kBand suggestion.

[floodcitybrass]

Last summer we played 12 weddings. That's quite a few given the fact that the wedding season is somewhat short around here (May-October). So I am guessing we played about 100 weddings over the past 10 or 11 years.

I have to chime in here and provide some insight. Weddings are not for every band.

When someone calls inquiring about a wedding, I give them some advice. I tell them that if they are going to get a band for their wedding, be sure to get a band experienced at playing weddings.

I ask possible wedding clients:
1) Have you heard us before?
I want to make sure they dig what we play. If they don't like our stuff, then I don't book the job.
2) Are you set that you want a band at your wedding?
I don't want to play a gig if the bride's mom is pushing a band and the bride really wants a dj.


Bands that play weddings must do all of the logistical planning that that DJs do. You have to work with the staff, plan schedules, line people up, do lots of announcing, etc. You have to make sure the wedding moves along and there is no down time.
You have to make sure your setup is neat and clean and looks good. No orange extension cords across the floor. No cases all over the room.
You also have to dress reasonably well too. The list goes on.
Also, bands are used to being the center of attention at normal gigs. You cannot expect this at a wedding. You have to remember that this special day is not about you. Its about the bride/groom and their family.

I think a band has to have variety. And I mean real variety. I'm not talking playing classic rock, hard rock , and 80s rock. This is western pa and people want to hear a polka or two at a wedding. You don't have to be a polka band but it is impressive when you can cover the styles. We have our main stream music that we do: rock, funk, soul, motown, etc. But we also have songs that we can play live during dinner too: jazz, Frank Sinatra songs, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, etc.
You also need slow songs in your set list for the slow dancers.

We do not have nearly the variety that DJ has. But we can cover a wide variety and keep it family friendly. We can play lots of tunes that DJs typically play at weddings. But of course we do not have a set list of 30000 songs.
So why would someone choose to have a band over a dj? Its really personal choice and choosing a DJ does not offend me. You cannot treat a band and a DJ as one in the same.
A band is going to make the wedding classy. People ALWAYS remember Flood City Brass when they attend a wedding. They are less likely to remember the flavor of the cake, the color of the flowers, the meal, etc. But they always remember the band when we play. A band is more intimate with your crowd. Guests generally stay longer rather than going home.
Bands to cost more than DJs (I hope) and they take up more room.

The best part about playing a wedding is when the bride and groom come up at the end of the night thanking you on how great it was.

[moxham123]

In addition to what Flood City Brass wrote, when we do a wedding, we cover a wide variety of party/dance music, I coordinate everything ahead of time and act as the emcee, Keep everything on schedule, and we give them the best of both worlds - we provide a live band and also can play any song by any act on a CD, etc. that we do not play. The last wedding we did required some songs that we do not play but I had the original recordings and played them through our P.A. and everybody loved it.

P.S. I, personally, know many D.J.s who get paid way more than some bands around here for weddings.

[Metalhead]

lol shits too funny ,sounds like there was a communication problem between the guy who booked the dj and the dj

[bsaller]

I just revisited this old post and I gotta say the stories were cracking me up haha. Esp. the Metal wedding reception with the pissed off dad. The reason I revisited this is that my daughter is getting married next summer and was wondering if any of you had a good DJ recommendation, or at least good questions to ask. I know you would recommend a live band but she doesn't want that. I know one question is: do you use VirtualDJ because that would be a dealbreaker. (thanx Keith Reynolds)... Any suggestions would be appreciated. I have little to no experience with DJs

Pro DJ Service 942-5581 any music, no gimmicks!!! or my band R2B2. We have have ref. from prev. weddings.