You have a confirmed booking and you've sent out a music planner to your client asking for 20 tracks.

The planner comes back with 20 tracks you've never heard of, all relatively obscure and none of which you have.

Would you take it in your stride and start searching for them to buy immediately, would you wonder what you'd let yourself in for or would you have some other reaction?

Comments please.

If close to the gig date - contact client back immediately and ask them to supply the tracks.

If gig a long way off - I would query with the client, what proportion of the night is likely to be that type of music - Whilst waiting for the reply, I would stream the music from a e-service and decide whether I want to do the gig or not. Any single gig can be done really well, given enough time for auditioning and grouping of tracks, for sorting out the wheat from the chaff, the good stuff from the bad stuff. We're all able to listen to "Greatest hits of naff stuff" and pick out the playable ones...group together similar naff stuff - regardless of our own tastes.

If it were however, a regular gig eg: "Naff stuff genre night every wednesday for 6 months" - I wouldnt bother - just turn it down before night 1.

OK, of all 20 tracks (60~80 minutes) sound like a cat being dragged backwards along a 1 mile blackboard, accompanied by windscreen wipers on a hot dry windscreen, then if there was a few months left to go...I'd tactfully tell the customer that they would do better with a disco that specialised in that sort of "music" .

I don't send out a planner.

If this was not covered before I sent out the contract, then I haven't done my homework properly. It should all be covered at the preliminary booking stage. How can I quote for a gig I know little about?

I am not a gig-pig.

If I am not totally happy in the knowledge that my experience will mean that I can provide what the client wants at the time of the booking enquiry, I would point this out and pass the work to someone better qualified. Why would anyone take on a job they can't realistically and compitently complete?

This may seem to contradict what I was saying in a different thread (the one about helping out at short notice) in as much as I need to work as much as possible. I think its about knowing your market and limitations. Sometimes as professionals we need to know when to say "No thanks!"

Just seen this post, and it's fairly interesting.

I have only seen this scenario with agency contract work, where you have no contact with the agent prior to the event. Private gigs are different as you have immeadiate contact so you don't get this problem.

I did a gig 2 years ago for an agent and received an e-mail play list the day before the wedding with 105 tunes on it. most of these were albums tracks or imported tracks. I told the agent I would do my best and this was accepted.

Rob

During the initial phone enquiry I have a general discussion about musical likes and dislikes. On the basis that I'd never heard of these relatively obscure tracks then I would decline and politely suggest they look for someone a little more familiar with their taste.

If it was a last minute thing then I may try and help on the assumption that they provide the CD's. Did a heavy metal gig using this proviso a couple of years ago - they were thrilled to get hold of a DJ willing to play their type of music at such a late stage. I just did my best but it did work out really well.

Being a 'lappy' DJ, I would start searching my PAID-UP sites on the net (before anyone makes silly comments about illegal tracks etc.).

Failing that....and iys not usually an issue, I would contact one of the large musical emporiums ( ) and order the necessary....

But then, as you might have noticed on another topic...this is an area that I positively welcome....and sometimes gets me those jobs that some of you others won't touch!

surely its for the client to decide what the good tracks are, not us as DJ's

80% agree with that, after all they are paying us. I think sometimes they need a steer. sometimes they ask us and sometimes they refer to us for our professional experience.

I will discusss music with the client, and if they rattle of a load of, "we'd like to hear this, that & the other", especially if it's an era I'm not particularly strong in, say 60s music, I'll offer to send out one of my 'Advance Request Forms', on which they can list these specialities.

It does say on the form that the songs are for suggestion only, and there is no guarantee that I'll have all of the tracks listed; I also mention that the list does not form part of the contract.

I'll then try to source the tracks in question, with the idea that it will possibly help with the next gig of this type.

As with BigBen, if I felt I was out of my depth, I would decline the gig.

My intial phone call would eliminate this problem in our case,

I dont take any gig where i feel i wouldnt be able to provide a quality service and or dont feel adequatly "ofie" with that genre or style of music or even type of engagement.

I recently had a call for a disco and they wanted club music and hard core/rave all night. Im not a club dj nor do i know about rave music or anything, However over the years im made several contacts and 9 times of of 10 can point them in the right direction.

I understand some posts on here saying to do your homework etc, but i dont want to offer services to that particular clientiel.

Now a few weeks ago i made apost about reggae music, I took a booking some time back for a birthday and they requested 70's music (no problem there) i received the booking form back and they wrote "list to follow" and when that arrived it requested "reggae etc"

After speaking to them and also getting some help from Paula and others ive sorted it all out, But made it quiet clear to the client this isnt really my area, I offered to pass the work on to a DJ who i know does reggae nights, but as i was recommened to her and she came to see me at a gig some time back shes happy.

Ive been totally honest with her and she respects that,
If it was the other way i think she may have felt misled.

Just my views and comments,

Im not trying to boast, but ive never had a problem, taking on any work. All the discos i have done, i have delivered what the client wants, regardless of how obscure the requests are.

They want it and they pay for it then they get anything they want

Unless you don't have it...

I don't carry all types of music, and make this clear.

99% of the time i have the request. If unable to get it, they are requested to bring the obscure song to the function if it's essential