What makes a good DJ?
The age-old question but something that’s critical to how your night will pan out. We’ve compiled a list of crucial things to consider when booking a DJ for your event.
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Reading the crowd:
An obvious one but you don’t want to end up booking a DJ who’s extended their bespoke bedroom mixes into your night, ignoring any requests or playing death metal for a conservative wedding. Reading the crowd and being able to quickly adapt and keep the flow smooth is vital to make sure your night goes without any awkward tumbleweed moments on the dancefloor.
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Good manners:
In an ideal world, we’d all be polite to each other, sadly that’s not the case but if you’re paying someone for entertainment you want to make sure your DJ is well-mannered, polite and courteous. You don’t want a DJ being rude to your Great Aunt who’s travelled the country to help you celebrate your wedding for requesting Robbie Williams nor do you want someone to be dismissive of your musical interests.
Good people skills, on the whole, is what you’re looking for. If they are a bit abrupt from the offset, take that red flag as a signal they might not be the DJ for you.
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Communication:
Good communication for a successful event is key. From organising extra equipment to liaising with the venue, you want to make sure that everything is going to go as smooth as possible so as not to have any disruptions on the day/night itself.
A professional DJ will have PAT and PLI certificates, checked their equipment is in working order and have some sort of back-up equipment just incase something fails on the night.
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Good all-rounder:
Just someone who is generally charismatic, thoughtful and proficient. If you set out what you’d like from them, chances are they’ll be able to deliver and follow through no matter what the event.
Checking their feedback and asking for recommendations from previous events you’ve attended (that you’ve enjoyed) is always a good start.
Or you could throw all inhibitions to the wind and have your guests as the DJs! It’s your call.