So I got heckled tonight

[jbj]

halfway through what is traditionally the last song at a wedding over here (and the fact i'd announced it as the last song and everyone was to join the bride and groom on the dancefloor was a bit of a give away too) some clown comes up and asks for a Proclaimers tune that is linked to a football team and can cause aggro.

Me "This is my last song, and I don't play any football songs."

Him: "It's not a football song [it bloody well is], it's an Edinburgh song [not actually a thing]"

Anyways he toddles off in a huff. After each gig I speak to the bride and groom then spend 5-10 minutes working the room making sure everyone enjoyed themselves, hand out cards / give the website out if anyone asks etc...

I get to this prats table and ask if they'd enjoyed the night - everyone says they had a great time. Then he pipes up:

"No, you were shit."

Me "See if I had a pound for every time I'd been told that... I'd have 1 pound."

At this point one of his mates chimes in: "Ha you're a complete dick Del and the DJ just leathered you."

 

[LeftyTom]

Touche'

 

[jbj]

Usually my response would be something self depricating like if people keep telling me that I'll be able to retire soon but this guy was a complete prick so I felt like putting him to the sword

 

[dodgechargerfan]

So, what’d ya do with the pound?

 

[jbj]

So, what’d ya do with the pound?

I've never been shit yet so I don't even have a pound

Genuinely in the 10+ years of DJing I've had one truly rotten gig and that was more to do with it being 50 miles from where their friends and family resided, on a Monday night...!

I've got a pretty robust feedback system whereby I:

- if time permits: work the room at the start of the evening introducing myself, taking any requests / gauging the crowd etc... that along with the bride and grooms music choices direct my set, or at least the start of it.

- I check up with the b&g throughout the night to make sure they're enjoying themselves and if they need me to do (or not) do anything

- During the evening food I give them 5-10 minutes then work the tables. I don't court request songs usually because you end up with 100 drunk song requests, but it's a great way to gauge how things are panning out

- I do the same at the end of the night to a lesser extent - check the bride and groom are happy with everything, work the room a bit - which is where tonight's altercation came about - there were 180 guests, 1 was bound to be an asshole of some sort.

It's essentially foolproof - I'm constantly seeking meaningful feedback (spot the DJ that sidelines as a teacher! ) and in the odd cases like the Monday night gig, no negative feedback came from that but if it did I could respond with - I courted requests from your guests throughout the night - none were forthcoming and the consensus was that the music was on point and I created a good atmosphere - I can't physically drag people up to dance so there's not much else I could have done....

 

[gtrjunior]

Those gigs happen. When my wife and I were DJ’ing several years ago, we had a similar gig. We played all the popular music that always works....but nobody was getting up to dance. There were only a small number of requests, which we fulfilled and a small group would come up and dance to that song then sit back down. We tried every genre....but like you said, you can’t make people dance.

 

[Scott Powell]

In a bar when I'm heckled I'll shut that SOB down in about 10 seconds. At a private gig and/or wedding I'm more tolerant.The money is usually way better and the heckler's family shut him down 99% of the time

 

[jbj]

In a bar when I'm heckled I'll shut that SOB down in about 10 seconds. At a private gig and/or wedding I'm more tolerant.The money is usually way better and the heckler's family shut him down 99% of the time

Absolutely. I was being very diplomatic with this particular person. In all the years of doing this and hundreds of gigs I've only ever had to get aggresive once.