Monday 3 November 2008

The Mall, Woodhall Spa

A fantastic karaoke night
What a great night we had on Friday October 31st at The Mall, Woodhall Spa. It was fancy dress and a fund raiser for Cots Charity.

I will try to get some photos from the regulars but in the meantime hust a quick thanks to everyone who came and had a fantastic time. Big thanks to Tom for giving it big on the mic to get the money rolling in. Thanks to the ladies who sang their hearts out throughout the night, and to everyone for making it such a fun night for everyone there...

Sunday 19 October 2008

David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk

What a fantaistic set of CDs and a DVD!

Well, it's my birthday today and my wife bought me "Live in Gdansk", the latest DVD/CD collection by David Gilmour - lead guitar player and vocalist of Pink Floyd who maintained his form as a solo artist after Pink Floyd had parted company in the mid eighties.

Going back there for a moment, to the mid eighties - I think it was 1984 when Roger (Waters) and David (Gilmour) reached the end of the line and agreed that they could no longer work together, following the difficult times recording, mixing and mastering the last release as a foursome, The Final Cut. It (1984) was a heart breaking time for many of us long-term Pink Floyd fans. It was a worrying time, worrying that we'd no longer be getting a new masterpiece of an album every few years... But the worry was over very soon afterwards. David, Richard (Wright) and Nick (Mason) regrouped as 'Pink Floyd' and released A Momentary Lapse of Reason - accompanied by an amazing live tour (A Delicate Sound of Thunder being one of the best live performances I've ever heard on CD or watched on Video/DVD since the truly amazing 'Live at Pompeii - filmed in 1971/72) and in '94, the Devision Bell and the accompanying tour.

Pink Floyd was alive and well in the capable hands of Dave, Rick and Nick and we were spoilt by some truly magical recordings, live performances and video releases for the next dozen or so years. Live 8 was a brief teaser for Floyd fans who hoped of a reunion tour that never happened. And then David set out on his own once more after releasing 'On an Island' in 2006 he performed for the cameras at the Albert Hall and released the amazing 'Remember That Night' in 2007. I was so pelased to see him, with Rick and the rest of his new band, performing again and doing every track true accuracy and justice.

So here we are in later 2008 and thinking little about Pink Floyd's music, David Gilmour's music or any music really following the passing of Richard Write just a few weeks ago. The sadness is bound to happen to us true Floyd fans, just like when Syd Barret died not so long ago, it hurt, it hurt a lot! I cried, yes I cried. I sat alone in my office and listend to the studio version of Echoes and cried...

So now... as I pull myself together... I am the proud owner of the latest release, Live in Gdansk. I'd watched the abbreviated version on BBC a couple of weeks ago and also seen David on 'Live with Jools Holland' a couple of times too, but I just couldn't wait to get my mittens on the DVD/CD to watch all by myself...

Now I have it! Now I'm so thrilled. The music is, as always, truly fabulous. Seeing Richard Wright on keyborads and hearing his voice is somewhat haunting but satisfying. The crowd's appreciation for Rick when David introduced the band members said it all. He was and always will be a favourite for all his contributions to the amazing sound that was Pink FLoyd, and is the David Golmour sound.

I listened to a few tracks but couldn't resist skipping ahead to the full 20 minute (plus) of Echoes... And, with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes I remembered all those days and nights when it was just me, David, Roger, Nick and Rick... Remember those days and nights when all I had for company as Pink Floyd...

Pink Floyd, David, Rick, Roger, Nick, Syd, in no particular order... Thank you for a lifetime of memories. Live in Gdansk may be the last time more than one ex-Floyd member is on stage or in a studio at the same time, but thanks to all the recordings and all the moments we simply cannot describe, we'll always have memories.

Saturday 4 October 2008

Wedding Fair at Kenwick Park

It's raining again! Typical English Sunday weather? It sure seems to be this year. I honestly can't remember the last time we had a weekend completely without drizzle or heavy rain - or at least, an element of unpredictibility.

Oh well, today I'm going to Kenwick Park in Louth to show off my mobile disco and, hopefully, pick up some wedding disco bookings. Sounds easy! Not so easy though. There is a lot of competition for wedding DJs and around here is no different.

Days like this I am so appreciative of the wonderful feedback we get from brides and grooms we've worked for in the past. For example at the end of Friday's wedding in Belton Woods, the groom came over and said "you'll be hearing good things from us because that (the disco) was abslutely awesome". Another fantastic comment!

Today it's just a small PA system tucked under my table with a video playing on a flat screen. I don't go for the whole disco setup as it is not necessary. When a bride comes over for a chat they are more interested in what I say, and how I present myself, than how big my speakers are or how many disco lights I would use.

So it's neat a tidy, suit up and talk as much as I can to the brides and grooms who need wedding entertainment and, hopefully pick up one or two bookings for next year. I'll be happy with 3 bookings. That's my aim today.

Another day for a DJ

You know it amazes me how little respect a DJ gets (boo hoo) from venues, clients and guests - pretty much everybody who hires a dj or uses a mobile dj really. No I'm not looking for sympathy (ok just a little), but a little would be nice.

Yesterday, after realising there was one requested track that I didn't have, I bought it from Napster - then I loaded up the truck at 3pm. For insurance reasons I can't leave all the gear in the vehicle as mobile dj insurance only covers us when the equipment is in use (attanded) locked away in a secure building, or in transport.

A quick shower and shave gets me all set for heading out the door with my lovely wife as my assistant/producer/roadie by my side. Today the venue is the Devere Hotel in Belton Woods, near Grantham so it's about an hour and a half drive for this mobile disco trundling down the A153...

Thanks to traffic, we get to Belton Woods at 5.45pm and I'm feeling pleased because being early means no stress, no rushing about to get all the gear in and be set-up on tim (even though we always are but I still stress a little).

But... Well, I was told that the reception was 'upstairs' and that we would have 'easy access'... As soon as we park the truck I sense that we are in for a long walk with the disco equipment, but I've been assured, on the booking form, that there is easy / close vehicular access, so smile this may not be as bad as it first appears.

In reception we are told there's a lift 'just over there' and we can use the front doors (yep, the fron doors of a grand hotel for lugging all our mobile disco gear). So we took a ride in teh elevator to explore the venue and find out where, in fact, the wedding reception is to be held.

Up the elevator, round this corner, through this set of double doors, through this massive hall with the bar and beyond that... We stop at the bar to explain who we are 'hi we're the wedding disco' type thing... And she (the girl at the bar) goes and gets the lady who is organising everything. I'm thinking, maybe they'll be having the wedding disco in this area, it's got seating, it's got the bar... Oh no! This is just the entrance part, we'll be through there when they finish the wedding breakfast.

A young chap takes us on another tour of the Devere Hotel in Belton Woods and shows us the 'best' entrance to use. It was the back entrance via a loading bay, to a service elevator, up to the kitchen area, through another function hall where a band was setting up, through a maze of halls and doorways, right back to where we were earlier!

I looked at the stairs over to my right and thought, surely that's the quickest way in... Aparently not. So we lugged the gear a couple of hundred paces from the elevator to a room behind the function room where the reception was being held. The speeches were nearly finished. We had time for a short break before moving our gear, once again, into the reception hall.

(I'll come back to this later as, right now, I have a truck to unload and prepare for tomorrow's wedding fair at Kenwick Park).

Friday 3 October 2008

Did I Mention...

I am typing my little fingers to the bone trying to 'retype' all the blogs I had on my old service... Which, for some mysterious reason, went astray! Odd how these computers have a mind of their own sometimes. But, we learn to live with them, somehow.

So. The point is. If an articale you expected to see (from the previous blog) is n't here yet, it will be soon, but, obviously the date will be a new date but I will mention the original date in the blog.

Another Friday - Another Wedding

Well it may be wet and cold out outside but I'm sure the sun is shining on Gemma and Stephen as they get married in Belton Woods (near Grantham, Lincolnshire). we have been hired for a disco and a bit of karaoke - the karaoke is 'for later on when everyone has had a few drinks' as Stephen suggested!