7 Ways a DJ Can Ruin Your Event

• NO SHOW!    Make sure your DJ has a back-up plan in the event of illness or a family emergency. Does he/she closely network with other DJs? Is there more than one DJ on staff for the company? These are the questions to ask.
• Total System Failure  Electronics are proven to fail and certainly will at some point. When a failure occurs, it’s important to be able to solve the problem quickly. Ask your DJ how he or she handles a failure and which backup pieces they carry.
• Ugly Set-up  Aesthetics are important at an event.  Tangled wires hanging haphazardly from a lighting stand is not attractive. The speakers should definitely be on stands. The listening experience is greatly diminished for all those behind anyone if the speakers aren’t raised enough. View some photos of the equipment and set-up.
• Volume Too Low / Mic Squeals  We’ve all heard the touching father of the bride toast where the microphone squeals with horrible feedback. DJ’s get asked often, “Do you know what all those knobs do?”  While they might make a joking reply, it’s true that the DJ needs to be more than a guy who picks songs.  Understanding the audio equipment and knowing how to properly operate it is essential to the job and to the success of the event.   Ask your DJ what speakers he uses and why.  Make sure you are hiring an audio technician as well as a DJ.  
• Boring or Sporadic Lighting  There have been great advancements in availability for programmable lighting at the consumer level. It is now relatively easy to achieve concert style lighting through the use of specific programming and recall. DMX and MIDI combined with color changing LEDs with strobe and macros can contribute so much to the party feel. Don’t settle for plug and play lights that strobe on the slow songs. Ask your DJ if there are any videos available from past performances.
  
• Wrong Personality Type   Not just anyone can perform well as an MC. A DJ should be charming and articulate, and obviously comfortable speaking in front of crowds.  When meeting your DJ for the first time, he or she should be well-spoken and confident, but most importantly, should be concerned about how involved you want them to be during the event.
• Thinks It’s About Him  Your DJ should be extremely accommodating to your every desire from the first meeting. You want him/her to show concern for the success of the occasion, not just their part of it.  Asking about playlist flexibility or previous experiences could give you an idea of how a DJ prioritizes the client above themself.