Ever since the Terminator movies, there has been a rippling undercurrent of dread that one day, machines will take over the world and make all human activity redundant. The supermarkets are certainly trying their hardest to leave us facing just a screen and a scanner, Amazon keep promising aerial parcel drops from robotic drones and even the humble vacuum cleaner can now do its rounds on its own. But when it comes to entertainment, can AI really cut the mustard?

As a DJ, I am inundated before every gig with the dreaded ‘playlist’ – a lengthy (often Spotify) roll-call of the party organiser’s favourite songs. Sometimes, there has been consideration for other guests within their list….and sometimes not! Quite often I’m left staring at a collection of ballads and slow tempo tunes that would serve no useful purpose on a dance floor that I’m trying to fill. Now imagine this same list is given to an AI device, controlling the music for a party or a wedding. Whilst AI will have phenomenal music recall powers (especially if it’s linked to Spotify), it doesn’t have a pair of eyes to monitor the dance floor. It’s yet to be able to sense the mood of the room and the people therein, and most importantly, it lacks empathy.

On average, I get asked about four times a year if I would install a sound and lighting system for a wedding client, but ‘we don’t need a DJ because we’ve got the music sorted ourselves’ – i.e. they’re playing it all from a stand-alone pre-programmed iPad. Sometimes they can be persuaded otherwise, but on the odd occasion that I can’t convince them of their terrible mistake, I’ve witnessed some truly lifeless events! I normally hang around long enough to make sure the kit is working well, and return an hour before the scheduled end of the party. In almost every case, there are very few guests left at the venue, and not a soul on the dance floor. Without the human touch, there is simply no atmosphere created.

I’ll leave you with a line that I have repeatedly told clients every time they mention the possibility of a DJ-less party…

“I have thirty-five years of extensive DJing experience and expertise, and if I cannot predict the music direction of an evening before I even get there, then no-one can!”

The post Real DJ v AI – Should DJs and their clients be worried? first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

On Saturday, I was taking a break from wedding DJ duties and hosting a 50th birthday party at the Halstead Conservative Club. Usually, these well-established social clubs are a bit stuffy and cramped, but this little gem on Halstead’s High Street is a good venue for parties. Dedicated stage area, bar in the same room, plenty of dancing room. Everything you need for a great night. Sadly for the birthday girl, lots of her friends couldn’t make it on the night due to illnesses and bad weather, however those that were there created a wonderful atmosphere and made my job much easier! At the end of the evening, I received some glowing feedback from all the guests as they were leaving (none offered to carry the gear out though!) and that is all I needed to reassure me that I’m still doing it right after 35 years!

The post 50th Fun in Halstead! first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

Our industry is still reeling from the aftershocks of Covid, so 2023 was always gonna be a tough year for weddings, as most people plan 2-3 years ahead. It didn’t come as much of a shock that wedding reception gigs were down by about 25%, but I am part of a fantastic network of DJs who provide the finest quality acts for some very nice Essex & Suffolk venues, so I made it through unscathed! A lot of part-time mobile DJs have fallen away since Covid in 2020, but I’m very proud to still be a fully-professional DJ (and quiz host/writer) and I’m excited about the coming year. August Saturdays are almost fully booked already, and even January (traditionally a very quiet time for entertainment) is providing a respectable month’s wages.

On the QuizHire side of things, I’m hoping to add another two residency quiz shows to the calendar. It means a lot of writing but I really enjoy creating new and totally unique quizzes for my clients. I’m still proud of the fact that I have never used exactly the same quiz twice!

So, as we count down the final few days of 2023, I would like to wish you all a very, very Happy New Year and hope to see you soon on my dance floor!

The post 2023 and all that… first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

The post The teachers deserve a Prom too! first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

I last saw these guys back in the late nineties at The Forum (I think!) but I never dreamed that I’d one day share their stage for an awesome return to form. I had the simple job of playing my favourite old skool hip hop tunes inbetween the acts (4 in total) and it was a real pleasure to look out upon two thousand nodding heads enjoying the vibes! The support acts were all very, very good – Da Mighty Elementz, L Marshall & Clement Marfo…..check them out on YouTube, new UK hip hop is in safe hands!

A big thank you to the promoters OneManMelt (Zane & Kim, Thurrock legends!) and also to Barry from 2Groove for being such a legendary assistant & driver (mind that big orange post, mate!)

The post De La Soul – Kings of Hip Hop triumphant return to London! first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

Invariably, there’s a bar wherever I turn up to DJ. And where there’s a bar, there’s always someone eager to take advantage of it’s contents. Below are some of the great examples of how not to behave on a night out in front of your family and friends…

• It was a hot night so most of the 20-Somethings took to skinny-dipping in the hotel pool. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they dragged themselves back into the function suite still dripping and semi-naked…a lovely site for Gran and Auntie Beryl I’m sure. And I wasn’t to be left out……shortly before midnight I was hit with a sopping wet pair of boxer shorts thrown from the jubilant revellers.
• A few too many vinos got the better of one particular bride. I thought she seemed a bit vacant when I arrived but I put it down to nerves. By the time the First Dance came around, she was led very slowly to the floor by her new hubby, whereupon she clung on to him for dear life for the duration of the record. By 9.00pm she was back in her room, unconcious on the marital bed and not to rise again until morning…she missed a good party!
• Every DJ has a tale or two about people falling into the equipment, but one young lad was so battered that whilst watching him try to dance and impress the girls, myself and my roadie were in hysterics…. laughing so hard that we didn’t even see him knock the speaker over because we were doubled up.

There are countless more tales I could regale, but most involve drunken people getting aggressive when their request doesn’t get played within five minutes! Oh the joys of being the only sober one in the room……

The post Wedding Stories Part 2 first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

First one comes from my very early days as a wedding jock. Really nice venue out in the wilds of North Essex, wonderfully sunny day, Pimms on the lawn as the evening guests began to arrive, you get the picture….. I was being helped by my 13-year-old brother for the first time. He’d actually been more help than hindrance for a change, and the gear was put up in record time. We strode out onto the lawn and grabbed a glass of Pimms each as it was the only drink available before the bar opened. I didn’t consider it too alcoholic for my young sibling as it mostly consisted of apples, orange peel and floating pineapple bits. We sank them pretty quickly because it was so hot….and he returned to the table for another one…..and another one….and another. By now, it was time for the First Dance so I beckoned everyone inside to gather round and welcome our new bride and groom in the traditional manner. Only problem was, the two people stood in front of me were dressed in ripped jeans, heavy metal (well-worn) t-shirts and scruffy boots. I asked them to step aside and let our bride & groom take the centre stage (at which point I was still scanning the room trying to find them. It isn’t usually difficult to spot a huge white dress..) They laughed at me and insisted I just ‘get on with it.’ As politely as I could over the mic, I asked them again to move back and allow our new happy couple the centre of the floor for their dance. Looking increasingly agitated, the heavy rocker bloke strode towards me, leant forwards and whispered into my ear, “We ARE the f**king bride and groom. We got changed.”  I hit the play button immediately……

With tail suitable between legs, I looked round to my brother for whatever morale support a 13-year-old could possibly give me at this point, only to see him sliding slowly down the wall he was leaning against, Pimms in hand and silly grin on face. He spent the rest of the evening slouched on the floor, complaining of headache and dizziness. He’s still very much the same today, seventeen years on. But he doesn’t drink Pimms anymore.

The post Wedding Stories Part 1 first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.