For a DJ, there are two dream scenarios and they were both here! One is easy access….there’s nothing worse than facing stairs/doors/winding corridors/goods lifts, and thankfully at Maidens Barn, you unload your van right next to the stage door and within two yards you’re right where you need to set up. It’s also curtained off, so if you want to arrive early and set up at your own pace, you won’t disturb any of the diners or staff.

The second encouraging sign is a sound limiter….yes, I know what you’re thinking….I always moan about these things……but this one at Maidens Barn has a very high tolerance and not once throughout the evening did we get anywhere near to tripping the power. At last a sensible installation that doesn’t compromise the evening’s music (take note the Plough House, Shenley Cricket Club, Mangapp Manor and many more…)

The function room has a very airy feel about it (I guess it would do…it is a barn after all!) and there’s excellent dancefloor space. Plenty of room for any DJ rig and good scope for uplighting the venue. Really polite and helpful staff too.

The owners do prefer that you’re packed up and gone within an hour of the finish, but that’s enough time for most acts. Overall, a very pleasing experience and we look forward to playing there again very soon!

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Picture the scene…..a large and very well-presented marquee in the grounds of Shenley Cricket Club in Herts…..almost two hundred guests in very good spirits…….fabulously helpful and friendly staff….a dream scenario for any DJ. Until they introduced me to their sound-limiting system……

Unlike other sound monitoring technology which simply cuts the power if you get too loud, this one had the ability to reduce the levels directly fed to my speakers, thus preventing any total silence moments and keeping it within the preset parameters. Therein lay the problem……it was set at 85dB and the microphone picking up the sound was no more than 8 feet from the speakers. Now, a standard electric lawnmower is louder than 85dB at 10 feet away, so you can kind of imagine just how quiet the music was playing. And to compound matters, as soon as the crowd made any noise at all, the music was cut even further, to almost silence!

I am definitely not an ego-driven performer, but this venue did me no favours for anyone who was perhaps looking for a DJ and didn’t realise the predicament I faced all night. Luckily, a large number of the guests were aware of the situation, and some even commended me on my persistence to the end of the function.

It makes me very angry that once again, fussy local authorities and petty kill-joy residents (the nearest being over 200 yards away) have completely ruined another nice venue. The staff of Shenley Cricket Club were amazing, the work that’s gone into creating a classy marquee is evident, yet in order to keep their licence they must totally kill any musical entertainment.

So, if you’re a DJ and you get asked…….DON’T PLAY AT SHENLEY CRICKET CLUB!! It will truly be a waste of your talents.

The post I won’t be going back there again……DJ’s worst nightmare Vol.1 first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

If you would like to know our DJ-perspective critique of the Mangapp Manor (or any other venue that we have played) then please email us via the Contact page.

The post Mangapp Manor, Burnham-on-Crouch first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

The Manor was formerly the famous/infamous Berwick Manor, the scene of some great house music raves in the late 80’s and early 90’s. That building was destroyed by fire some time ago, and the new hotel built in it’s place is a little gem! Aimed mainly at the smaller wedding functions (up to 150 evening guests), it is a very smart, modern and high quality venue.

The main room is quite small, with the DJ set up restricted to one corner. No need for a massive sound system and access for DJs is very good. There’s no sound limiter (yippee!) and they are one of the only modern venues to permit the use of a smoke machine, which adds real ambience to the room when using disco lighting. It’s a real treat to play there, the staff are very friendly and helpful and the food is probably the best we’ve seen on our many travels. Highly recommended!

The post The Manor Hotel, Rainham, Essex first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

The whole dancefloor area is very much like a nightclub interior – black soundproofed walls, purpose-built DJ booth, large wooden dancefloor and overhead speakers. It’s all been put together very tastefully indeed. The dancefloor opens out into a large marquee-style room with star-cloth ceilings and drapes, again looking very classy.

Overall, if you’ve got about 150 guests and you’re looking for a really tasty venue to impress your friends, then I’d certainly recommend this one on it’s presentation alone!

The post The Fennes, Bocking (Braintree) first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

The Monks Barn

Quite a large room, holding up to 180 guests I reckon, and with great old charm character. Access is a bit of a trek for DJs, and so setting up before the meal is advisable. ‘Stage’ area is good and faces down the long hall. Unfortunately the bar is behind the DJ, in a separate room….which creates all the usual problems of announcements being heard, etc. There is a sound limiter installed and it’s set on one of the lowest thresholds I’ve ever worked with, so try not to excite the crowd too much or their noise will trigger it to cut the power!  

The Cavalier Suite

A much smaller room than the Monks Barn, still with the same olde character. The dancefloor area is squarer and more compact, and again the DJ position is fairly central to the action. I quite like playing in this suite because it feels more like a nightclub set-up, the dancefloor being on a lower level than the bar. The dreaded sound limiter is included, but here it is much less sensitive than the Monks Barn, and you basically don’t need as much power anyhow. Access is slightly easier, but setting up is advised after the meal due to space confinements.

The post DJ Venue Guide – Ye Olde Plough House, Bulphan, Essex first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

The Whitmore Suite

From the brief glimpse I got whilst visiting a working colleague, very modern and plush. The DJ’s position was a bit cramped and the dance floor quite small, but it did appear classy. Not as big and spacious as the old Whitmore Suite though, which was always a favourite of mine. Access for equipment is good (no stairs!).

The Gold Room

I love this suite! Perfect size and shape for most parties…it holds around 150 people I think, and it looks a million dollars. DJs can set up at one end or in the middle of the room, and again access is easy (two entrances to choose from). The original Gold Room was very historic and ornate, but a complete pain in the arse for a DJ, as the bar was in a separate room away from the action. This is a 100% improvement and highly recommended!

The Graham Thomas Pavilion

Built to replace the massive summer marquee and intended for very large functions, this suite is difficult for any DJ due to it’s sheer size. Unless you have around 350-400 guests to entertain, the place looks empty and the sound rings around it unimpressively. It’s great to look at, with glass apex ceilings and all the modern trappings, but a little too ‘cold’ for a good party atmosphere.

The Jaguar Bar

Underneath the Pavilion is a hidden gem, the Jaguar Bar. It holds around 100 people at most, and it’s very reminiscent of a classy city-centre wine bar. Can feel a little claustrophobic with it’s low mirrored ceilings, but essentially it’s a great venue for corporate drinks and birthday parties. DJs require minimum PA equipment and only one or two lighting effects (you can use the mirrored ceiling to double your display!).

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Please bear in mind that I’m not commenting on the hotel rooms, the food or the service…it’s purely based upon how the function suites are conducive to a good party atmosphere. There are a number of factors about the lay-out of a venue that can affect the whole ambience of the night, and below are a few pointers from the DJs perspective…

Starting with the Ivy Suite (Ivy Hill), it’s a small L-shaped suite with the bar in a separate room. This always makes life difficult for DJs, but the music (and announcements) are still audible at the bar. The dancing area is small and the DJ position is pretty much pre-determined by the size of the suite, so not much flexibility there. Acoustics are fine as there are lots of soft furnishings and there is currently no working sound limiter although the staff will let you know if you overstep the mark! It’s a good room for older guests who wish to escape the music, whilst the cosy dancing area is big enough to hold around sixty people doing their stuff!

The Margaretting Suite (Ivy Hill) is currently my favourite Essex wedding disco venue. It’s a newly-built long hall with the DJ position at one end and the bar at the other. The DJ can set up right in the middle of the back wall (so no corner problems) and fire his speakers straight down the hall. Acoustics are very good, dance floor is as large as you’d need and there’s even a store cupboard to lob your cases in until the party’s over! Only drawback is the low ceiling (and smoke alarms….there’s a surprise). There is a sound limiter fitted but it isn’t unreasonable. Every party I’ve played in this room has been a success, and I put a lot of that triumph down to the well-thought-out design. Thoroughly recommended.

Furze Hill is another newly refurbished suite, albeit slightly smaller. For DJs, the immediate problem is that the suite is on the first floor, accessed by a metal exterior staircase at the rear. Having overcome that, you are then faced with a small area in which to set up system (in a window bay). It is central to the room, right opposite the bar and creates a decent atmosphere. You don’t need much in the way of hefty sound systems to fill the place with noise, and again the acoustics are fine. All the usual gripes apply such as low ceiling, smoke alarms, etc and there is a restaurant downstairs so you may be asked to tone it down for the early part of the night. A very swish looking venue, and apart from the stairs, a pleasure to work in.

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