There is a particular person who attends parties.
I don’t know their name. I don’t know where they spend most of the evening. I don’t even know if they’re actually invited.
But at precisely the moment I play the final song, turn down the music and wish everybody a safe journey home, they appear.
“ONE MORE SONG!”
Where have you been all night?
I’ve been standing here for the last five hours. I’ve played everything from Motown to Motörhead, 80s classics to current chart hits. I’ve taken requests, filled the dancefloor, emptied it again with somebody else’s request, rescued it, filled it again and watched several previously respectable adults discover they know the entire dance routine to Candy by Cameo.
And yet I’ve never seen you before.
Suddenly, Music Is VERY Important
The interesting thing is that our newly arrived music enthusiast is rarely sober.
By this point they’ve usually enjoyed the hospitality rather thoroughly and are standing approximately four inches from my face, displaying the determination of somebody negotiating the release of hostages.
“Come on, mate. ONE more!”
One more song sounds harmless enough.
Unfortunately, experience suggests that one more song is not a recognised unit of measurement. Play it and, four minutes later, the same person will be back demanding another one.
Then another.
There is apparently no upper limit to One More Song.
Why Does the DJ Have to Stop?
There are actually several reasons why your wedding DJ or party DJ can’t simply carry on indefinitely.
Venues have finishing times. Staff have working hours. Entertainment licences and noise restrictions exist. Bars close. Lights come on. Somewhere nearby, a venue manager may be staring at the DJ while making a surprisingly convincing throat-cutting gesture with one finger.
And sometimes the agreed finish time is simply…the agreed finish time.
A professional DJ will normally plan the end of the night rather than suddenly pressing STOP at midnight. I’ll be watching the clock, choosing those final few records and trying to finish with a song that sends everyone home smiling.
It’s part of the job.
Requests Are Always Welcome – Preferably Before I’ve Packed Away
I genuinely welcome requests.
They’re useful. They tell me what people want to hear and can sometimes take the music somewhere I hadn’t expected. Some of the best dancefloors I’ve worked have been a combination of my choices and great suggestions from the guests.
So come and talk to me.
If there’s a song you’re desperate to hear at a wedding reception, birthday party or celebration, ask me during the evening. If I’ve got it and it fits the party, there’s every chance I’ll play it.
Just don’t wait until the lights are on, half the guests are wearing their coats and I’ve got a speaker under each arm.
And Finally…
Of course, most people demanding one more song aren’t actually being difficult. They’ve had a brilliant night, they’ve possibly had three sherries more than originally intended and they simply don’t want the party to end.
As complaints go, that’s not a terrible one for a DJ to receive.
So when the music stops and somebody I’ve apparently never seen before staggers enthusiastically towards me shouting “ONE MORE!”, I’ll smile.
But somewhere inside my head, I’ll still be asking:
Where have you been all night?
