I've done my best to search through the archives for a post on this, but there are so many references to it I can't read every single one. After all, unlike Ads, I have a life

So, apologies if this has already been covered.

I've never witnessed any trouble at any of my gigs - thankfully. I hope I never do, but I should be prepared...therefore time for a dilemma!

It's 11pm, the floor is pretty full and you're playing some cheese. Suddenly someone is knocked across the floor. Before you know what happenned there's three or four lads throwing punches with their girlfriends trying to stop them. What do you do?

Carry on as normal? Stop the music entirely? Change the music style - mellow soul for example? Or just play some background music at background levels?

What do you do with your gear - do you protect it as best you can? Do you start packing away? Do you get one of your speaker bars out - ready for a bit of self-defence? Do you try to look invisible?

Assuming everything gets sorted, how do you get everyone going again? Do you make any reference to what occurred?

Call for security or venue manager. Luckily, I don't get these sort of gigs anymore

I'd go for:

* Music off (everyone else will have dived over behind the bar anyway...no longer on the dancefloor)

* Lights to static/full

* Mic UP

* "HEY! You 4 have obviously got something you want to discuss OUTSIDE. However, there are 146 other people here tonight who purely came to enjoy themselves, please dont ruin Sharon and Daves celebrations tonight. Ladies - perhaps a couple of you could take your fella's outside, and a couple of you take your fellas off to a different room/lobby/foyer for a few minutes etc. Thanks very much."

* Music back on quietly - to give the people who have been asked to leave, a few moments to pick their teeth up and be herded toward the doors/lobby etc.

* Quickly announce next track and entice everyone back on to the dancefloor - as if nothing had happened.

Fingers crossed...

I have had it happen, switch the Music off Dead, switch some lights on (Main lights not your new onces!!! but the main onces) if your close enought and stand infront of you gear ready to protect it, not throw punches but to push people away!!!!

Then decide if you want to carry on!! Usally happens at the end of the night anyway so home to bed early, I went through a couple of Young Farmer Discos kicking off , Luckily i was on a stage so that helped, good to watch tho

Good luck

I find that in most situations like this, the DJs sight of the crowd is generally the best a trouble can be spoted before it gets to the point of a Fight.

For this example i would lower the level of the music, call on the mic for security, and then proced to the front of the disco, to protect my gear (if i am on my own). If i have my main roadie with me, (normally) we would go straight to the problem and stop it, we are both Westminster trained and insured for Control and Restraint, under this sisuation. Speed is what will save you and your Kit. Decide before this ever happens, wether you get out the way or get in the way.

Now before i get slaughtered, i am not a thick set bouncer, but a trained person that can calm these situations down or hold them off until the police get there.

Make sure that if you are a get involved person, that there is someone that will phone the police!!!

On the other hand, unless you can see the two spark Guys, stay back. or you will become the fight, not the stopper.

I would Never recommend that anyone gets into a fight stopping situation without the correct Training!!

In clubs I have work in there is normaly a code word the DJ can use to call security to the area needed eg Mr Bond to the the dance floor please or Mr Bond to main Bar....

when this kind of thing happens its nice to have a good roadie who will stop people falling into your gear while you stop the music turn the lights on and wait for it all to settle down.....

Think you'll find we've already had dilemma 32.574(a)

Not sure though

Interesting. My thoughts were centred on a gig without security - a pub or village hall do, for example.

Your reply stunned me Gary. I know you like to communicate with your audience but you are almost setting yourself up as a target there. I imagine the female DJ's may be able to get away with this - after all, a bloke wouldn't hit a girl...would he?

Didn't think about the lights, that's a good point. So, kill the music and turn up the room lights. Turn off the DJ lighting and be prepared to defend your gear in a controlled manner.


I've always thought I'd just play the Benny Hill theme and everyone would laugh and shake hands.

I'd just hire Big Ben the resident bouncer.

At the end of the day you are hired as a DJ and not a Bouncer or Cooler. Do you help with the catering and the wedding Photos as well?. If the answer is no, then why would you venture into the realms of security enforcement as part of your fee?.

If the trouble is directed at you, then that is a different story and you'll do whatever you need to do. However if the problem is between two 40 year olds going on 12 who can't handle their ale, and share the same space on the dancefloor, then that is the responsibility of those who invited them in the first place. Usually the Bride / Grooms Father or the Best Man or the other guests would intervene. Leave it to them, it's not your Job (unless you started it ). Most Hotels will often have security staff or at least one trained designated person to deal with these matters.

If you got involved and the police were called, and you just happened to be amongst those fighting trying to resolve the matter then you may find yourself being arrested as a suspect in affray / public order / Assault offence, and then who would look after your gear whilst you were being arrested / interviewed?.

What about if it is the groom and his sister ?

Where's the good old Mrs Mills disc and a barrel of oil when you need it?!

What about a bit of Bobby Crush? Oh no, that would just start more trouble

I think this might be quite rare - any agro is usually spotted and sorted
out before I've had to consider changing the music etc. I'd have expected
to have had more problems being based in Glasgow

I had this at a local Cricket Club do on NYE, at about 11.30pm! It wasn't the best way to see in the new year. Best thing to do is let them get on with it, stop the music and put the lights on static, whilst trying to protect your gear.

After the police had sorted a few people out, I couldn't resist playing a well-known Sophie-Ellis Baxter song!! After that, I played on till 1.30am and the remaining guests had a great time.

Never had any aggro directed at me though, thankfully.

Cheers, Ian

Hi

I really think the Benny Hill suggestion is the best yet.

The problem I can see with Gary's more than reasonable request for them to take it outside is that they're full of testosterone and their blood is pumping, most ppl fighting don't listen to reason, mixed with a bit of falling down water just makes it worse.

this actually happened to me and it was only my 3rd ever private function...

The party was gatecrashed by a gang of the groom's mates who were known troublemakers, it all kicked off and several ambulences and police vans later, the night drew to a close.

We just switched off, started packing the vulnerable gear away and prayed.

Being blind has it's advantages, I don't have to get involved.

Darren

If I were a guest at a function and the DJ played something amusing whilst my family were involved in a fight then I might be a little annoyed with him. So no Benny Hill.

If the DJ started to pack away, contract clause or not, I would be pretty annoyed to. After all, I would be adamant the party should continue as soon as the fracas was over...and the DJ is paramount in that situation.

I'm beginning to come around to the 'carry on as if nothing has happened' approach. Night clubs don’t stop if trouble breaks out, unless it is widespread violence. True they are generally very large venues and the door staff will deal with the trouble, but our parties have family members who will try to help. I would definitely change from cheese to soul, knock the volume down a bit and chill the lights though.

I think it is very difficult to decide before the event, which way to go and what to do. Unfortunately these things never happen at the best time and while you are playing a good song. our job is to finish the night for the promoter and punters, if the disco packs up then is spoiled for everyone.

This said if you are in danger, get the hell out ASAP.

Shout on the mic that the cctv camera`s have just picked you all up and that the police are on the way.



Me personally.......................

Turn my gear off put the lights on and get stuck in......

Quite amazing this. I play five-a-side football on a Wednesday night in Congleton (not far from Chrissy Boy!!). It's pretty tame, a load of overweight, middle-aged blokes trying to recapture their glorious youth on the football field....However, last night there was a tournament on or something, so I watched one of the games whilst warming up.

It was pretty heated, hard tackles flying in and lots of pushing and shouting. Then a really bad late challenge went in and it all kicked off. About a dozen lads kicking ten bells out of each other. Normally, I would have turned away - can't stand violence - but I decided to watch in the interests of this topic.

Fighting for real is not like it is in the films. One punch does not knock out the bad guy, and they don't stand toe-to-toe trading blows. It's a quick rabbit punch then back away, looking around to see if anyone else is going to drop one on you, then hit someone else at random and back away again. The strangest thing was seeing this big lad running away from the trouble and this other lad just belted him...he didn't break stride, carried on running and didn't even look who had hit him square on the face. When he reached near to me I could see his nose bleeding, maybe even broken.

The reason for mentioning this is that these guys would have ripped the dance floor up to hit each other with. Something else we should be prepared for is that if trouble flared at a gig these guys would be running away, throwing things, looking for weapons, hiding behind people/the console, etc. If one of them hid behind our gear then we would be right in the middle of stuff being chucked, and he'd be looking for stuff to throw - the wireless mic, a torch, case of CD's, etc.

How on earth can we protect oursleves from that lot?

Hi

In those awful circumstances, I'd sod off and let them get on with it.

Then, I'd fall back on the Booking Contact in that the customer is responsible for the behaviour of their guests and that any damage or theft of equipment will be fully paid for by the customer.

My life's too precious to begger about with pillocks.

Darren

We have had a couple of fights, its not our job to sort it, basically lights on music off dead and call the venue management. They mainly happen at the end of night, once we two guys fighting over one girl....she went home with another guy.....and last time it happened it was two women outside the venue at the end and we were already stopped and packing away by that time.

I generally stand in front of the kit to try and move peoiple away from it of required, but its not worth putting yourself at risk, the kit is insured, and the contract states that should anything of this nature happen the client is liable for any damage.

I always feel sorry for whoevers wedding or birthday it is etc etc it puts a damper on the hwole night.