OK, so i'm pretty happy with how my setup and performance is panning out.

The sound is ok. I might decide to add another bin and change the tops at some point but it sounds decent and is loud enough for 150 ish.
The light show is ok. Good mix of scanners, barrels, LED Par Can's, Impossibled and a (cheap) laser.
I use screens to display pictures or messages appropriate to the celebration and let the customers email me photos to show on the screens.

Music wise, I have it pretty much covered for general parties. I carry all the classics and a good range of chart music, though there is sometimes something from the charts I haven't got. it moves so fast nowadays.

So, Music, Pictures and Lights all covered.

Is Video the next level and is it worth the investment? I can't really afford project plasma, and neither can my customers methinks.

Are there other things I can do that set me aside from 'Mr joe average disco man' ?

Pyrotechnics, explosions ?

Yeah sounds sweet man

All depends on budget really ! Dayglo - neon painted blade dancers ! £150 each for one hour. ive been two funtions with these now, i thinki might look good in spandex

they had them at BPM and Plaza last year. Gorgeous girls. where do they get these people from ive never seen them advertised anywhere. I ll go back BPM in october and find out.
big mac

Can you post a pic of your current set up?

Brilliant! Now that would cause an impact. I could get my mate to do it. He's a bit more Bez than Spandex Dancer.
A bit out of my range though, but I do like the Shadow Dancer DVD's that I have seen, they just look a bit erotic, though I understand there is a family friendly version. I presume I would need some sort of license to use these though or is that just for pop videos ?

[quote name='dh140770' date='Jun 30 2008, 04:25 PM' post='216188']


Is Video the next level and is it worth the investment? I can't really afford project plasma, and neither can my customers methinks.

But your customers can afford it, you have to tell them about and sell it to them & tell them how it will enhance their event better than any other discos out there.

Ill tell you a quick story, i met a client last friday night who wants a party for her husbands 40th, i told them about "project plasma" and how it would make thier event even better, i told her what we could show & after she had looked at my youtube video, she booked the disco & the plasmas for £700.00. not bad for a 40th

sounds like you have got all the equipment you need, you just need to raise your expectations and your price, i worked for an agent until two years ago and he was always telling me "people will not pay more than £150.00 for a disco" well thats b:cense:x, i was going out every friday and saturday for £140 and never knew any better, i was doing over 125 gigs a year for him. this year i have 25 weddings & iam earning more than i did for the agent with 75% less gigs.

Edited by Nik Andrews for use of Bad language

Don't know if I dare say this!!!



A name change??(Runs).


All that modern day gear.....and a logo and name straight off of Cliffs Golden Greats.(Remember the video!!).


Please....you did ask for suggestions??

http://www.wfsd.co.uk/photos.htm

This should give you an idea. It's compact because it needs to fit into the back of an estate car. In addition to the equipement photos i also have some LED Par cans and a laser but I tend to vary what I take out. Normally between 5 and 7 light depending upon speed of setup required and the function.




That's really funny!!
I know the name is cheezy beyond belief but it's no worse than some, and I really don't like things like 'DH Roadshow' etc. Real pet hate that (sorry if anyone is offended ;-)
It also sets me aside from the R&B, Dance, DnB DJ's ... MC Booyakasha, DJ BlaBla etc, because that isn't me. I can do that stuff, but essentially I am party DJ.

... "I like tall speakers .... I like small speakers ...."

Good Spirit.....Thank You!!


I'm a cheezy old party DJ too...proud of it.

taking it to the next level is always good and if it means you can charge that bit extra even better !!!

the problem with it is the next level now will just be standard in a year or two and a new bread of dj will come along and offer the same service only half the price and then its back to square one !!!

and no matter how good you make your set up you end up with it sitting collecting dust most of the time as the venues dont have enough space for it etc

example of mine is an 8k rig great love getting that bad boy out for a rumble but dosent happen very often even though im probably the only mobile dj offering that kind of power in my area most people and venues just dont need it

most of my work is in ressys with in house equipment ??? and for most of my private work small 2k rig is plenty also full lighting rig enough to kit a night club without going into all the details but usually only use a chauvette stage wash to throw a bit of colour about , 2 evl pro scanners and a gobo for the dancefloor centre plenty

the only level that cant be reached by somebody just setting up and undercutting people is experience , honesty and for those things to be worth anything the industry needs regulated

sorry if i sound like the angel of doom but i just dont see how you can set yourself apart from any other disco without there being a value in the length of time you've been in business and the legality of your business because being legal is the expensive part

if i was not paying all the legal side of things i could charge a lot less too and still be making more money

I think the next level is to look at the service side of your business. You mention lights, sound, music which are all necessities but my advice would be to promote your service as you rather than the gear you have.



I find DJs fall primarily into 2 categories - those that sell their service by their equipment and those that sell it on what they can do for their client.



Over the years I've done both and I know which one works the best. I've also consulted with loads of brides to glean their opinions (not just ones who have booked me) and TBH equipment is not high on their list of priorities provided it looks good and is not 'tacky'.



On many occasions I have had DJs say to me that they are already 100% client focused yet the home page of their web site has a picture of their rig in it's full glory - possibly in a link they have another page that lists all their equipment (maybe with pictures). To me this moves the perspective away from client to equipment focus.



I'm not having a dig at anyone either - there's nothing to say that either method is wrong and certainly if you offer video DJing then this can be used as an optional add-on for additional fees. It just depends on whether you market them as 'Our 42" Panasonic High Definition Plasmas with the latest blue laser DVD players will have your guests look on in amazement' or 'Our video screen system will allow you to display pictures of your day to your guests (and even those taken earlier in your life) plus live footage from the dancefloor'.



OK neither of those are polished tag-lines as they stand but the point is that from the 2nd one the potential client will start to get a picture in her head of the benefits for her function.



Sorry gone off on a bit of a tangent there but (& I did this with an earlier site of mine) show some DJs a web-site with a full rig on the front page & they'll say 'Great'. Try it with some Brides and you'll get a different reaction which will be a lot less than 'Great'.

have to agree with paul the only step forward really worth making is your customer service , all the equipment in the world wont make any difference if you focus on how good you look and not what the customer wants

image & equipment is only important to teenagers in nightclubs not brides or grooms

Have to agree with Paul and Eazy here (doesn't seem right somehow). The people who tend to take an interest in the equipment are thwe wannabe DJ/my mate's a DJ crowd who do your head in at shows. Sell yourself and show the customer how important the success of their function is to you and what you can do to ensure it. That's the next level.

Good points.

But one thing I try to do (not necessarily as a DJ but in my other 'walk of life'):



TBH this phrase applies to anything you're trying to flog..!


David

I get loads of positive comments about my LED starcloth that fills the back of my 12ft stage ??

Don't do anything lol

Rev, you surprise me with that answer lol

The Reverend dosent have to do anything...he's got divine intervention on his side.



Paul

Bless you my child

I even give out wafers as prizes....

never mind the wafers break open the red wine and hold the water.