hi all.

i was just wondering what tracks you guys start the night off with.
and what you end the night with .
many many thanks guys.
steve/jazzcat

Depends on what function / age group i'm playing to.

For an older crowd or a more formal function, I would usually start with something that isn't too old, but that most middle aged - older people will remember and can dance to. Diana Ross - Chain Reaction is a good example. Not too heavy or dancy to start them off.

Wedding Reception - I'd start off with the Bride & Grooms first dance (their choice - which is usually but not always! a smoochy) followed by something slightly faster but still easy listening. Then i'd go into something cheesy that everybody can identify with - Kool and the Gang - Celebration - predictable but does wonders on the dancefloor.

Other good dancefloor fillers - to encourage them to start dancing include, Billy Joel - Uptown Girl, Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come on Eileen, 4 Seasons - December '63 (Oh what a night), Billy Ocean - Love really hurts without you, Edwin Starr - Contact, Tom Jones - Sex Bomb

Judge it by the function and age group and trust your instincts.

For less formal mixed Teens to 30's age groups - modern classics like Rock DJ, Shania Twain - Man I feel like a Woman etc still work quite well.

Don't forget to use Kazz's tip at Family Functions, where there may be a lot of kids in attendance. Use the first 30 mins to 1 hour to play to them (No really heavy stuff tho like Eminem!!!) if they are younger kids then do some Games for them as well - it impresses the adults that you are truely catering to all ages, and keeping the kids from under their feet whilst they have a natter. It also impresses the client since you are working from the word go, and not sat at the bar just playing background music.

To finish off - again - age group and audience driven by then you should have a good idea of what will work . Often I start lowering the pace by playing some Classic Motown, then going into UB40 - Red Red Wine, Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't no body. The as a final track Either a smoochy or New York, New York or You'll Never Walk alone is predictable and hardly original but hey, it works!.

Top tips there from Mr P.... As every function is different there are no rules... hopefully, you will be able to gage what the audience would be into... remember, fast dancey tracks arent always the best to get em up to start... If they are duffers, I often ease them in gently with a waltz or two then follow up with maybe "pretty woman" - just remember = if they are duffers you will have to be careful that you dont string too many up tempo tunes together... they need a rest!

Other examples of what I might use are "Never can say goodbye" - gloria gaynor into "Love really hurts without you" Billy ocean - or I might do "I cant help myself" four tops into "Tears of a clown" . the options are limitless!

Some audiences will surprise you.. I often do a bit of an odd set to begin with if the audience are a bit more mature.. such as hot love - t-rex, come up and see me, steve harley into stuck in the middle, steelers wheel... .

One guaranteed track for duffers is the mavericks - dance the night away!

the tracks that i use
are
diana ross chain reaction
billy joel uptown girl
barry white -youre my first my last my everything
s club 7 - dont stop movin
but it all depends on the function really
just try and see what type of crowd u have got that night
normally
you do that right and 90% of the time it works
at the end of the night
just play a classic slow one
like chris deburgh - lady in red
stevie wonder - i just called to say i love you
jennifer rush - the power of love
or more uptodate ones like
daniel beddingfield - if your not the one
christina aquelira - beautiful

Ok some of you may not agree with this but at every gig i do (apart from bars and nightclubs) No matter if its a young, middle aged or old crowd is Ross Royce and Car Wash....Come on introduce my self and then get every one standing up hands in the air. A few practice claps then into the song......They flood onto the dance floor as it has broken the ice and also the song will mix into alot of different tracks.

I hope you introduce it ROSE Royce otherwise it's not a good start to the evening

Hiya,

Obviously depending on the function....for example I'll use a typical wedding. After the formalities such as any 'late' cutting of the cake, bride and groom first dance, second dance, third dance (some of my weddings of late seems to be adopting a little Americanism!) I'd say some of the standard tracks I use are:

Abba - dancing queen
Barry White - my first my last
Candi Staton - Young Hearts
4 Seasons - Dec 63
Steelers Wheel - stuck in the middle
Beegees - Staying Alive
Van Morrison - Brown Eyed girl
Steve Harley - Make me smile
Billy Ocean - Love really hursts
Diana Ross - Chain reaction
Mavs - Dance the night away

Tend to stick to main stream 70s for the first 20 mins or so for the majority of functions such as weddings as 70s generally appears to appeal across the age range.

To finish the evening once again using a wedding as an example I finish on a few like
Elvis - Wonder of You / Suspicious Minds
Bride and grooms first dance (if family and friends didnt join them on the dance floor the first time round
Monkees - Daydream believer - with this I loop the first 2 seconds of piano for a few seconds talkover, wishing bride and groom all the best, etc
Frank - New York

MANY THANKS GUYS.
I AM TAKING IT ALL IN AND LEARNING NEW STUFF ALL THE TIME.

ROFLMAO You finish a wedding on Suspicious Minds????????????????

"I'm caught in a trap" la la la why not play Take these chains from my heart and set me free!

Spin

Start off with LiL John & East side boyz, get low and end it with something slow and good.....but has to have some emotion...like ...dunno

Yeah i know where your coming from spin....however think I need to elaborate on this song further.

No i dont play this as the last the song!!!(wishing the bride and groom good luck just beforehand I usually play it within the last 45 mins or so. Really took the influence from a few of the function bands that play around here and it does work....regardless of the words of the song (inappropriate songs???)

I think we've had this thread a while ago on here, Dowding started posting around Obviously dances such as the first, and any romantic slowies the song meanings and lyrics do seem to be much more prominent

A good middle of the road song to get a average crown going is shina twain - man i feel like a woman but as stated it can not really be planed

Depends on the function, we check the room out, see what we think, weddings has to be the first dance as requested by the client, we usually get about half way through and say that the fred and linda would be pleased for you to join them on the dance floor or something like that, guests dont always know whether they should or not.

Try something with a bit of impact like Barry White, the first few bars are unmistakable etc.

But if its an 18th/21st then something clubby that shows off the lighting can be good, to be honest thats where our skill comes in, sus out the guests.

Older dos for aniversaries etc we have started with rock n roll, glenn miller, go for impact some thing that says DANCE!

End of the night, we play Frank Sinatra NEW YORK NEW YORK, as the last up tempo track, that usually fills the floor and they all get in a big circle kicking their feet up etc, has never failed us yet and is a well known end of eveing track, then at the end of that track a brief thankyou safe journey home etc and then into three smoochies, dim the lights and the couples will get up and smooch, snog etc

We usually find that the client has specified a couple of slowies, but if they havent ask it makes life easier, this goes for the first track as well, but alwasy ask before the night, you might end up not having the track with you!

We usually use Will Young Evergreen as the very last track.

Sounds easy doesnt it....

I usually start with

Mastermix - Ultimate Pop Party 2003

or

Billy Ocean - Love Really Hurts Without You



If not played at start i usually play at abt 11.00PM really gets the party atmosphere to the max.