Band & DJ scenarios I have ??s on

I attended a wedding this past weekend and was wondering if any band or dj can answer the following scenarios for me and anything I can do about it at my wedding since I plan on having a band and dj as well.
Thanks in advance.

1. They had a band that was really good. But FH, me and the rest of the people that were at our table had a hard time talking. We were practically screaming! I think this was due to the fact that we were two tables up from where the band was set up. Does this normally happen? Is there anyway to control this?

2. They also had a dj which which was fine and all. But what irked me was that after the band came back from their break, while the dj was still playing tunes, the keyboard player started playing the keyboard!! I found that so rude on top of the fact that people were dancing away including myself. Do bands do this after they come back from a break or was he just being obnoxious?

3. What is the transitioning between the two and how much time does one or the other have to 'perform'?

To make something like this work you have to be very specific in your instructions to the band and the DJ. The only time this type of set up really works is when the Band and the DJ are both from the same music office and has done this before. When it is a separate Band and separate DJ you immediately run into personality conflicts and one trying to out do the other. The transition should be very smooth between the two. This is the same approach when two bands perform. Last weekend my personal band alternated with a Greek band from my office. This past Saturday my personal band alternated with a Portuguese band from my office.Next week I perform another wedding alternating with a Greek band from my office.The bride and groom get the best of the ethnic and dance music.
Both weddings were great-no problems-no conflicts. I have also done this with Band and DJ - no problems as long as all the ground rules are set and the amount of performing time for each is very specific.
STAN WIEST
A.STAN WIEST MUSIC
www.stanwiest.com
www.stanwiest.com/li_wedding_dj2.htm
Featured in BRIDAL GUIDE MAGAZINE
January 2003 Wedding IssueA.Stan Wiest Music Website Stan Wiest Email

Here's my opinion...

1. I have found in my experience as a musician in a wedding band and as a DJ that many bands are often louder than DJ's! It is true though that tables which are placed closer and in front of the speakers will usually get more volume than those sitting further away. I've also noticed that the volume levels that bands/DJ's choose are consistent from showcase to actual wedding performance. If they seem too loud at a showcase, then it's a good bet that they will also be loud at your wedding. I have had limited personal experience hearing excellent bands that could also play at tolerable volume levels... maybe I've just had tough luck. Then again, I never have been one to prefer loud volume.

2. The case of the musician starting to play while the DJ was still performing is very inappropriate. I wish that I could say that I haven't heard of that before... but 23 years in the business has proven otherwise. There are classy, elegant, high energy bands and DJ's around but there is also a great deal of 'ego.' You experienced the 'ego'... the keyboardist obviously has little respect not only for the trade of the DJ but also for the guests who were enjoying the performance. Could you imagine the reaction if the tables were turned and the DJ started pumping out tunes while the band was playing? I don't think that there is much that you can do about this in advance if you are choosing a Band/DJ combo. There are multiple personalities in the band, and although you relay instructions to the leader, there's no telling what any member will do. I have had the same thing happen to me on occasion when a client hired a band as well.

3. The transitioning time depends upon the Band and DJ. There is no standard. As Stan suggests, it might be a good idea to choose bands and DJ's who are associated as there is a greater liklihood that there will be mutual respect and planning. When I work with George Nichols Music as a band/DJ combo we split the time into sets. The band may play twenty minutes to a half-hour, and then I'll take a set for the same duration. It works very smoothly when the two have experience working together.

As you can see, it is very important to have the opportunity to meet with the actual performers so that you can relate your expectations of how you would like your wedding to progress. There is no substitution for personal contact. Pay attention to how the vendors respond to your requests. They should not seem bothered in any way by your questions or interest in the particulars!

Regards,

Michael

http://www.musicbymichael.com

I would like to expand on some excellent comments Michael made. First- I agree it was totally inappropriate for the keyboardist to interrupt the DJ. This shows total lack of professionalism as well as lack of courtesy for the DJ as well as the guests. This is something to expect from an amateur not a professional.
Regarding the volume levels I have constantly run into the opposite situation. Many catering locations have movable partitions to change the configuration of rooms or to break up a room into several smaller rooms. Unfortunately there is no sound proofing with these partitions.The perfect example is a wedding I played this past weekend.At the beginning of the night I though I had a low end (bass) feedback problem with my PA system. It was not my system -but the DJ in the next room -placed directly in back of us behind the partition-and his bass was so incredibly loud and distorted that the sound came right into our room. Bride's should be aware of this when you contract your catering location and room. Are you in a room that will be partitioned- and if so where will your Band or DJ be placed in relationship to the music in the next room? If they will be back to back -expect sound problems. Unfortunately I have run into many DJ's in next rooms that not only played at ear splitting levels for their clients-but also caused problems in the room my band was performing as well as for adjacent rooms.If the volume level is incredibly loud in the hallway outside the room-what is it like to the guests in the room. I compliment Michael on his volume approach. My policy for both Bands and DJ's from my office is that guests come to a wedding for dancing and also for conversation. Family member may not have seen each other for a while and want to catch up on events. Also members of the different families want the opportunity to meet and converse. Once the volume overpowers conversation there is a negative return
in the ambience created.
Regardless of Band or DJ performing -at the end of a successful wedding every guest-regardless of the age group should be able to say 'The Band or DJ played my kind of music and I was also able to carry on conversations without volume problems'. I also agree with Michael about volume levels at showcases. The level you hear is the level you will get. I have never heard of a showcase band or dj turning down the volume for a wedding. If anything- expect it to be louder at the wedding than it was at the showcase.
A wedding should be a cut above all other receptions.This is the special day for the bride. Attitudes between performers, personality conflicts among band or dj members or vendors have no place at a wedding.This is one of the big reasons why some Bands, DJ's and Vendors are more successful than others.

Stan Wiest
A.STAN WIEST MUSIC
www.stanwiest.com
www.stanwiest.com/li_wedding_dj2.htm
(631)754-0594
Featured in BRIDAL GUIDE MAGAZINE
January 2003 Wedding Issue

A.Stan Wiest Music Website Stan Wiest Email

Thank you both for your responses. We are going back and forth on using a band and dj or just one. Each of you has made good points that we have to keep in mind. I do know that our room is not partitioned because all our guests will take up the entire room. And we have the entire floor to ourselves.
Thanks again for your input.
And would you mind passing along your contact information?
Thank You.

You can contact me at
A.STAN WIEST MUSIC
(631) 754-0594
Office hours 11 AM to 11 PM Daily by appointment.
Closed Sundays
271 Bread And Cheese Hollow Road
Fort Salonga NY
email [email protected]
You can set up an appointment to go over all the possibilities and options and see the multiple page questionnaire we use . Everything depends on the the specific date and time of the reception as to which Band, DJ or Band/DJ combination is available- and most important -which one would suit your specific needs and requirements. If you send me your address by email I will be happy to send you a detailed package of information.
STAN WIEST
A.STAN WIEST MUSIC
Recommended in the new Wedding book by
JOAN HAMBURG of WOR AM RADIO
Stan Wiest Website Contact by Email

My contact info is as follows:

631.928.5918
http://www.musicbymichael.com

More info on the band that I work with can directly be found as follows:

George Nichols Music
http://www.gnmusic.com

An additional option to keep in mind. Several bands from my office are also equipped with DJ set ups.With this option you can have the elegance of a band yet have your certain songs by the original artists.There will always be some songs that are studio produced and impossible to be performed live by a band.There are also certain songs that may have a specific meaning associated with the original artist. These should be performed with the DJ setups the bands have.
This might solve the problem for you and at the same time enable you to have everything you want. It also eliminates the the problem of the space that both a band and dj will take up and solves the problem of having to pay for both a band and a dj.
STAN WIEST
A.STAN WIEST MUSIC
www.stanwiest.com
www.stanwiest.com/li_wedding_dj2.htm
(631) 754-0594 Stan Wiest Website