9 June 2009

Mobile discos in Canberra. Anyone used one lately?

| farnarkler
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I’m planning an event and need a mobile disco to provide entertainment.

Have any of you got any recommendations or warnings about local mobile discos and their DJs?

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Who would you recommend Jim? I’ve got some friends that are getting married next year, and they’re on the lookout for a good band!

No fuss, f.

Hope the event goes smoothly!

IF I did want a band I’d be approaching big Mitch who I’ve known over the years or Chicago Charles who I met a few weeks ago.

Jim I understand your feelings about APRA. As I said, I got into some trouble in London with playing self recorded music so I don’t want a repeat.

farnarkler said :

I’ve had more than enough of bands. I worked at a London club which had live bands and there are only so many times I can take renditions of ‘Sweet home Alabama’ and ‘Summer of 69’.

The crowd are all in the mid to late 30’s so 70’s to 90’s will be on the menu.

And if you do want recommendations of decent bands, I’ve got a few (none of which have ever played either Summer of 69 or Sweet Home Alabama’).

farnarkler said :

Yeah but I don’t want to have to pay APRA for being allowed to play music in public. A mobile DJ will have that all sorted. I don’t know how much investigation is done by APRA here but I got caught up with all the bullsh*t about illegal music in the UK and don’t need it here.

With the utmost respect, farnarkler: F*ck APRA. F*ck them right in their shiny arses. I’ve had to deal with them on a couple of occasions, and I can confidently state that you’re best off ignoring their existence entirely.

No no no Davo111 – see my comment #18!!! (Promised I would do my best to give them bad press!)

If you need someone simple, then you can’t really go past mobydisk. They choose pretty good songs, have their own speakers/lights etc, and for a little bit extra they have a karoke function. They’re not very good at “mixing” so to speak, but they have a large song list, and they are good at making playlists to suit the audience.

if you want a DJ, you could put a post on inthemix (www.inthemix.com.au) asking for any interest. Canberra’s got some great DJs and many of them are young and looking for more experience so they may do you a really good deal.

Gungahlin Al2:41 pm 09 Jun 09

“Mobile disco”?

I found them a bit hard to dance in when they kept driving around corners…

DO NOT use Mobydisc. Their business is run quite well from the back end, but the DJ who ended up at our wedding turned up late, clearly didn’t want to be there, was on his mobile all night, stopped playing in the middle of our farewell circle (before his time was up), wouldn’t engage at all with our guests when they approached with requests etc. The company asked for feedback after the event, which I gave to them in a frank but polite manner, and I never heard anything from them again……..

that name again, mobydisc!!!

You could consider a jukebox – I’ve used Superjuke for two 18th birthday parties and it went down a treat – you can select what music you want on the box (head office is Adelaide I think, but the jukebox is local) – the guy delivers it all, sets it up and picks it up the next day – very dependable. It comes with flashing lights and you can even get karaoke…..and you can delete the list of songs requested if it gets ridiculous….
http://www.superjuke.com.au

we had one do a fantastic job at our reception. This particular person is also known to have played in Garema place on new years eve.
I’m just following up to fid some details for you…
(or get the good sir to com and post himself)

Nambucco Deliria1:37 pm 09 Jun 09

I’ve got 60Gb on MP3 and (at last count – and I do count) 917 CDs. Do I win?

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy12:58 pm 09 Jun 09

Funnily enough I have a portable hard drive with approx 12k songs on it (a gift from a DJ mate in London who retired) but I don’t have an ipod yet.

I don’t have an ipod either (and don’t want one), but have well over 100Gb of songs on mp3, as well as perhaps 200 cds.

Yeah but I don’t want to have to pay APRA for being allowed to play music in public. A mobile DJ will have that all sorted. I don’t know how much investigation is done by APRA here but I got caught up with all the bullsh*t about illegal music in the UK and don’t need it here.

farnarkler said :

Funnily enough I have a portable hard drive with approx 12k songs on it (a gift from a DJ mate in London who retired) but I don’t have an ipod yet.

Now is a good opportunity to buy one (it’ll be cheaper than hiring a DJ, so it’s completely justified!)

Nambucco Deliria12:29 pm 09 Jun 09

dtc said :

Warning on the ipod – at our office’s last Christmas party, due to a mix up two people – both males but with about 10 years difference in age – were asked to bring their ipod filled with music to dance to post dinner. Out of the 40 odd songs chosen by each of them, there was ONE song that was the same (a Justin Timberlake song). The other 39+ were completely different. And it wasn’t that one picked Chisel and the other DJ Funky House remixes, they just had slightly but noticeably different views on what made a good dance song.

The benefit of a mobile DJ is that s/he will have 500 – 5000 songs on their potential playlist. Your own ipod – you probably have 50 and if your music choice doesn’t match a lot of other people’s, then there is trouble . . . (also, you have to find the songs – you might think you have a lot of songs already, but filling in 3hrs+ of music takes a fair few dance/party songs, and that obscure brit pop band that you love aint going to hack it. You can’t be too ‘pretentious’ about what you choose, you just might have to buy a Kylie song. Still, its cheaper than hiring someone).

Then again, if its your party (BBQ/birthday/wedding etc), choose the music you want.

Mobile DJ as well as working in an office, are you?

Funnily enough I have a portable hard drive with approx 12k songs on it (a gift from a DJ mate in London who retired) but I don’t have an ipod yet.

Warning on the ipod – at our office’s last Christmas party, due to a mix up two people – both males but with about 10 years difference in age – were asked to bring their ipod filled with music to dance to post dinner. Out of the 40 odd songs chosen by each of them, there was ONE song that was the same (a Justin Timberlake song). The other 39+ were completely different. And it wasn’t that one picked Chisel and the other DJ Funky House remixes, they just had slightly but noticeably different views on what made a good dance song.

The benefit of a mobile DJ is that s/he will have 500 – 5000 songs on their potential playlist. Your own ipod – you probably have 50 and if your music choice doesn’t match a lot of other people’s, then there is trouble . . . (also, you have to find the songs – you might think you have a lot of songs already, but filling in 3hrs+ of music takes a fair few dance/party songs, and that obscure brit pop band that you love aint going to hack it. You can’t be too ‘pretentious’ about what you choose, you just might have to buy a Kylie song. Still, its cheaper than hiring someone).

Then again, if its your party (BBQ/birthday/wedding etc), choose the music you want.

I’ve had more than enough of bands. I worked at a London club which had live bands and there are only so many times I can take renditions of ‘Sweet home Alabama’ and ‘Summer of 69’.

The crowd are all in the mid to late 30’s so 70’s to 90’s will be on the menu.

farnarkler said :

Thanks for the info. I had thought about people getting upset when they request a song that just doesn’t fit in with the crowd.

Jim, that must’ve been really nasty, I hope you’ve recovered!!

That was a loooooong time ago (I can’t remember if I was using CDs or LPs).

If you’re worried about people getting upset about the music, I’d suggest hiring a good band – they’ll entertain everyone, work with you in structuring the event, and provide the best possible musical experience.

The hassle here is that it’s necessarily a lot more expensive and you’ll have to make sure that noise levels aren’t a concern, etc.

Yeah, Ipod is the go.

If you can’t be bothered with that, the best one is definately 3D Entertainment.

Thanks for the info. I had thought about people getting upset when they request a song that just doesn’t fit in with the crowd.

Jim, that must’ve been really nasty, I hope you’ve recovered!!

Nambucco Deliria11:04 am 09 Jun 09

Dagget66 said :

Seriously though, why not put together an IPod playlist and run it through a set of PA speakers? You’ll save a bunch of cash and get *exactly* what you want.

+1

This is by far the best way of doing things – you get the music you want, and none of the inane banter most of the practitioners of ‘mobile discos’ want to subject you to.

Seriously though, why not put together an IPod playlist and run it through a set of PA speakers? You’ll save a bunch of cash and get *exactly* what you want.

+1

I did mobile DJing years and years ago. Perhaps the most horrible job I’ve ever had.

I remember one gig at a wedding in Tuggeranong: the blokes all wanted to hear Acka Dacka and the birds all wanted to hear Kylie, I spent the entire night almost getting beaten up by representatives of the two warring factions.

Seriously though, why not put together an IPod playlist and run it through a set of PA speakers? You’ll save a bunch of cash and get *exactly* what you want.

Having hired a few over the years, I don’t have any on my blacklist, or any on my must have list either, but what I would say is ask lots of questions about the kinds of music they have. Ask them to describe their collection before you tell them what you want – and don’t settle for “a bit of everything really”. Some will have mostly latest pop/hip hop dancing type music, which is not so good if your guests are mostly older and will want some salsa-type beats thrown in. Or they want to hear 80s pub music. Maybe make a list of the ten songs you think should definately be played on the night and check that they have all of them.

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