There is a strange period at many evening events.

Dinner has finished. The plates have disappeared. Everyone is pleasantly full. The bar is doing reasonable business.

And the DJ is ready to go.

Unfortunately, nobody else is.

Starting the disco immediately after a three-course meal can sometimes feel a little like asking people to compete in the 100 metres immediately after Christmas dinner. Everyone knows dancing will happen eventually – but right now, another glass of wine and a comfortable chair seem considerably more attractive.

So why not fill that gap with a pub quiz?

Alongside my work as a professional DJ, I’ve spent more than 20 years writing and presenting pub quizzes and corporate quiz shows – and combining the two can work brilliantly.

Rather than expecting guests to leap immediately from coffee onto the dancefloor, I’ll host a lively quiz after dinner.

Nothing painfully academic. Nobody needs to revise the chemical elements or memorise the kings and queens of England beforehand.

The idea is to get people laughing, talking and competing.

And once you’ve persuaded a room full of respectable accountants that the table next to them must be destroyed at all costs, the evening has generally come alive.

Particularly Good for Corporate Events

A quiz and DJ package works especially well for corporate parties and company events because you’ve often got several generations in the same room.

Some of the older guests may thoroughly enjoy the quiz but have absolutely no intention of dancing to the latest club tracks later. Meanwhile, younger members of staff might enjoy the quiz before becoming considerably more interested in the dancefloor as the evening progresses.

Nobody is left waiting for their part of the night to begin.

It also gets departments and colleagues mixing, creates a bit of friendly rivalry and provides some shared entertainment without forcing anybody to participate.

Well, apart from Dave in Accounts, who will insist he knows every answer anyway.

It Works at Weddings Too

There’s also a natural place for a wedding quiz.

That gap between the wedding breakfast and the evening reception can occasionally lose momentum, particularly while rooms are being turned around or evening guests are arriving.

A short, entertaining quiz can bridge that gap beautifully.

It could even include a few questions about the happy couple – although I’d recommend checking the answers beforehand if you’d still like them to be married by the First Dance.

One Host, Two Jobs

The biggest advantage is simplicity.

Instead of booking separate entertainment, I can arrive equipped to provide both the quiz show and DJ entertainment. We can tailor the quiz to your guests, choose an appropriate length and then, when the time is right, move naturally into the evening party.

Quiz first. Disco afterwards.

No awkward lull. No empty dancefloor at 7.30pm. And hopefully no questions about obscure 14th-century Belgian monarchs.

If you’re planning a corporate event, Christmas party, wedding or dinner dance and fancy something a little different between the food and the dancing, get in touch.

I can provide the questions, the music and – crucially – somewhere to direct the blame when your table comes last.

The post Brains Before Boogie – Combining a Quiz Show with Your DJ first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

As a professional DJ, I don’t particularly like playlists.

There. I’ve said it.

That’s not because I don’t want to know what music you like. Quite the opposite. Knowing your musical tastes is enormously helpful when I’m preparing for a wedding, birthday party or special celebration.

But there’s a difference between giving your DJ some musical direction and handing them a six-hour running order.

Your Playlist Should Be a Clue, Not an Instruction Manual

My usual advice to clients is simple:

Give me around 20 songs you genuinely love.

Your First Dance and any other important ceremonial songs don’t count towards that. They’re obviously going to be played.

Those 20 choices, however, tell me an enormous amount.

Perhaps there’s some Motown, 80s soul, a couple of current tracks, Oasis, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac and something gloriously embarrassing from 1997.

Excellent. Now I know you.

What I don’t necessarily need is 147 songs arranged in chronological order with instructions to play track 38 at precisely 9.17pm.

At that point I’m no longer really your DJ. I’m Spotify with a shirt on.

Why Not Just Choose Every Song Yourself?

Because the people attending your party haven’t read your playlist.

A good wedding DJ or party DJ spends the evening watching what’s happening on the dancefloor. If a particular style of music is working, I’ll explore it. If it isn’t, I’ll change direction.

Sometimes the song I was convinced would work doesn’t.

Sometimes something completely unexpected fills the floor.

That’s part of professional DJing – reading the room and reacting to the people actually standing in it.

A rigid playlist removes much of that flexibility.

The ‘Do Not Play’ List Can Be Even More Useful

Interestingly, knowing what you hate can be just as valuable.

If you can’t stand ABBA, tell me. If Come On Eileen causes you to develop a nervous twitch, I need to know. (It’s ok, it gives me a twitch too…)

A short Do Not Play list prevents an enthusiastic guest requesting the one song guaranteed to ruin your evening.

And yes, guests will make requests.

Lots of them.

Trust Your DJ

When you’re choosing a DJ for your wedding or party, you’re not simply hiring somebody who owns some speakers and knows where the Play button is.

You’re paying for their music knowledge, experience, judgement and ability to read a dancefloor.

So by all means, give your DJ a playlist.

Just don’t give them the playlist.

Twenty carefully chosen songs will tell me far more about you than 200 tracks copied from a streaming account – and still leave me enough freedom to do the job you’ve booked me to do.

After all, if you’ve chosen your DJ carefully, hopefully there’s a reason you trusted them with the music in the first place.

The post How Much Is Too Much? A Guide to Making Playlists for Your Party first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

White stilettos. Bleached blonde hair. Ford Capris. Romford Market. And, more recently, The Only Way Is Essex, which apparently confirmed to the rest of Britain that everybody in Brentwood spends Wednesday afternoon having their teeth whitened.

We’ve taken a bit of stick over the years.

The infamous “Essex Girl” stereotype really took hold during the 1980s and 90s, with the white stiletto becoming almost part of the uniform. 

But there’s rather more to Essex than that.

Essex Has Always Known How to Party

Long before reality television discovered Brentwood, Essex had already made a serious contribution to British nightlife.

If you loved soul, funk and jazz-funk during the 1970s and early 80s, The Goldmine on Canvey Island was one of the places to be. DJ Chris Hill’s residency there helped establish it as an important part of the southern soul scene. Then there was The Lacy Lady in Ilford, another celebrated haunt for the soul boys and girls. 

These weren’t simply places where somebody put a few records on.

People travelled for the music. The DJ mattered. The records mattered. Dancing mattered.

And I rather like that.

I’ve always had a particular love of soul music myself, so there’s something pleasing about working as a DJ in a county with that history behind it.

Then There’s the Other Essex…

I moved to the north of the county in 2018, and anyone whose mental picture of Essex begins and ends somewhere around the M25 might be in for a surprise.

It is beautiful up here.

Open countryside, fields, tiny villages, winding lanes, historic houses and some genuinely magnificent places to hold a party or wedding.

You can celebrate in a Norman castle at Hedingham Castle, whose estate covers 160 acres, or choose grand country-house surroundings such as Gosfield Hall. 

And that’s barely scratching the surface. Essex County Council’s list of licensed wedding venues alone runs from country estates and historic houses to racecourses, hotels, barns and more unusual locations across the county. 

From Canvey Island to Castle Hedingham

That’s perhaps what I like most about being an Essex DJ.

There’s no such thing as a typical Essex event.

I could be providing music for a stylish wedding in the countryside, a 50th birthday party in Chelmsford, a corporate event around Brentwood, an engagement party near Colchester or a celebration in a village hall somewhere that requires Google Maps, local knowledge and possibly a search party to find.

And the music can be just as varied.

I’m as happy digging into soul, Motown, funk and disco as I am moving through the 80s, 90s, indie, rock, dance and current music. The important thing isn’t imposing my musical taste on your party. It’s working out what your guests want and creating a dancefloor around them.

Looking for a DJ in Essex?

I’m based in Essex and provide professional DJ services for weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries, engagement parties, corporate events, Christmas parties and celebrations throughout the county and beyond.

Good equipment matters. Good music matters.

But after many years doing this, I’ve learnt that knowing when to play something is every bit as important as knowing what to play.

Perhaps those soul DJs on Canvey Island knew a thing or two after all.

So whether your Essex party is taking place in a castle, country house, hotel, barn, pub or somewhere considerably less glamorous, I’d be delighted to talk about the music.

White stilettos entirely optional.

The post Essex – More Than White Stilettos and TOWIE first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

Unfortunately, there’s rather more to it.

Whether you’re organising a wedding reception, birthday party or corporate event, here’s my checklist for choosing a professional DJ — and avoiding a few expensive surprises.

• Check who will actually turn up. Are you booking the person you’ve spoken to, or a company that will allocate someone later? Either arrangement can work, but you should know which you’re getting. The charming chap on the telephone may not be the chap introducing your first dance.
• Look for experience relevant to your event. A brilliant nightclub DJ isn’t automatically a brilliant wedding DJ. Weddings, mixed-age parties and corporate functions need different skills, music and levels of microphone involvement. Ask about events similar to yours.
• Read the reviews properly. Look for recent feedback mentioning reliability, communication, music and how the DJ handled the evening. “Great bloke!” is encouraging, but you’re booking entertainment, not choosing someone to help move a sofa.
• Ask to see photographs or videos of real events. These can give you an idea of presentation, atmosphere and the sort of functions they handle. A polished promotional video is useful; footage from an actual party helps you see beyond the sales pitch.
• Have a conversation before committing. Do they ask about your guests, venue and musical tastes? Do they listen? You don’t need to become lifelong friends, but you should feel comfortable putting your evening in their hands.
• Discuss the music — including what you hate. Favourite tracks, essential requests and a “please never play this” list are all useful. A good party DJ can work with your preferences while responding to the room. You shouldn’t need to programme all five hours yourself.
• Agree the microphone style. Some people want an enthusiastic host; others want clear announcements and very little else. Establish this beforehand, particularly if the thought of compulsory dance routines makes you consider cancelling the entire wedding.
• Check the equipment suits the venue. Sound should comfortably cover the room without overwhelming it. Lighting should suit the occasion. More equipment doesn’t automatically mean better entertainment, and a clean, tidy setup can look far smarter than a small branch of Blackpool Illuminations.
• Clarify the practical arrangements. Arrival time, access, parking, stairs, power, setup space and sound restrictions all matter. If you need everything installed before guests arrive, say so. Early setup may involve additional time and cost.
• Get the hours straight. Confirm when the music starts and finishes, whether breaks are planned and what happens if the timetable slips. Also check any charge for extending the evening — and whether the venue permits it. Uncle Dave requesting “one more” doesn’t override the finishing time.
• Ask about backup equipment and illness. What happens if a controller fails? What happens if the DJ cannot attend? Nobody can promise that nothing will ever go wrong, but “I’m sure it’ll be fine” isn’t much of a contingency plan.
• Check the venue’s paperwork requirements. Ask about public liability insurance and any electrical inspection or testing documents the venue requires. Equipment should be safely maintained, with cables managed sensibly. A PAT label is useful paperwork, but it won’t tell you whether someone can read a dancefloor.
• Get a written booking agreement. It should identify the supplier, date, venue, services, timings and price, together with payment and cancellation terms. Check what happens if either side cancels, and keep receipts. A deposit is normal; a vague promise in a disappearing message is less reassuring.

What Should a DJ Cost?

There isn’t one national tariff. Location, date, duration, experience and equipment all affect the price. These are broad guide figures, assuming you need the DJ to supply sound and lighting:

• Around £250: worth investigating carefully for a full evening event. It could be a reasonable local booking with a modest setup, but check experience, reviews, equipment and backup arrangements. Cheap doesn’t automatically mean bad; it does mean you should understand how the service is being delivered at that price.
• Around £500–£1,250: a useful starting budget for many established DJs providing evening entertainment. Private parties and wedding receptions can sit at different points within — or outside — this range. Compare the actual service rather than assuming everyone quoting £750 provides the same thing.
• Around £1,750 and upwards: a substantial investment, so ask what justifies it. All-day wedding hosting, several sound systems, specialist expertise, live performers or extensive production may explain the figure. A premium fee should come with a clear explanation of the value.
• Check the complete total. Travel, parking, VAT where applicable, early setup, extra hours and additional equipment should be clear before you book. Compare an evening-only quote with another evening-only quote, rather than an all-day package with a four-hour disco.

I’m always happy to discuss these points when you enquire about my DJ services. Tell me what you’re planning, and I’ll explain what I can provide and what it will cost.

Above all, book someone you trust. Someone who listens, communicates clearly, puts the details in writing and gives you confidence that they understand your evening. You’re putting an important celebration in their hands — you should feel comfortable with that decision long before the first song plays.

The post Your DJ – A Comprehensive Checklist For Success first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

I’m joking. Mostly.

Barn weddings have a character all their own. They can feel grand without being stuffy and relaxed without feeling thrown together. But a barn is also a building that may have spent its early years accommodating livestock rather than a wedding DJ, 120 guests and a first dance.

A little planning makes all the difference.

Where Will the Party Actually Happen?

This sounds obvious until you visit a venue with a ceremony room, dining barn, courtyard, bar and separate space for dancing.

Guests tend to follow the bar. If it’s some distance from the dancefloor, you can end up with a perfectly good party happening in two places at once. Nobody has done anything wrong; half the guests simply haven’t noticed that their favourite song is playing in another building.

When planning your barn wedding entertainment, ask the venue where the evening music will be, where guests are likely to gather and whether the spaces can be brought together once dinner has finished.

Lovely Acoustics? Let’s Check

High ceilings and hard surfaces look wonderful in photographs. They can also make sound bounce around like an overexcited table tennis ball.

That doesn’t mean the music needs to be louder. A suitable sound system, sensible speaker positioning and a DJ who pays attention to the room will usually serve you much better than turning everything up and hoping the beams absorb it.

It’s also worth asking about sound limiters and any restrictions on amplified music. Some barns are close to neighbouring homes; others have their own rules about volume and finishing times. They’re much easier to work with when everyone knows about them beforehand.

The Unromantic Questions

Before the big day, I’ll want to know where I can unload, when I can set up and where reliable power is available.

That may not sound quite as exciting as choosing flowers or tasting cake, but it helps avoid a DJ wheeling equipment across a gravel courtyard just as you’re lining up for photographs. Nobody wants a flight case making a guest appearance in the wedding album.

If the ceremony, drinks and evening reception are in different parts of the venue, we can also discuss whether you need music or a microphone in more than one place.

Then Forget About the Logistics and Enjoy It

Once the practical details are sorted, a barn makes a wonderful setting for a wedding party. You can begin with something easy-going while guests eat and chat, then let the evening grow into a proper celebration beneath those beams.

I provide wedding DJ entertainment across Essex, Suffolk and the surrounding counties, and I’ll work with you and your venue to get the sound, setup and music right for your particular day.

Tell me what you love, what you’d rather never hear again and how you picture the evening. I’ll take care of the soundtrack.

You can concentrate on your guests, your first dance and watching the best man discover that moonwalking on a 300-year-old flagstone floor is harder than it looks.

The post Barn Weddings: Beautiful Beams, Brilliant Parties and Where’s the Plug Socket? first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

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?

https://www.djianscott.com/

The post Where Have You Been All Night? first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

Music creates atmosphere. More importantly, it can tell people that something is happening.

Whether it’s an in-store promotion, new store opening, product launch, brand activation, exhibition, shopping centre event or corporate promotion, a professional DJ can provide much more than somebody standing in the corner playing loud music.

In fact, sometimes the last thing you need is loud music.

Not Every DJ Job Needs a Dancefloor

Promotional events are very different from weddings and parties.

Nobody expects customers at a new product launch to suddenly abandon the display stands and form a conga line through the building. Well, hopefully not.

The job of a promotional event DJ is to understand what the event is trying to achieve and provide the right atmosphere around it.

For an in-store DJ event, that could mean upbeat background music creating energy without making it impossible for staff to speak to customers. At a product launch, the music might build towards a particular reveal or announcement. At an exhibition or corporate event, it could simply provide a polished soundtrack that makes the space feel welcoming and alive.

And if the event eventually develops into a party? That’s fine too.

Your Brand – Not Mine

One of the most important parts of providing music for a corporate promotional event is understanding the audience.

A fashion retailer launching a new collection probably doesn’t want the same soundtrack as a prestige car dealership, a sports brand or a family shopping centre event.

Beforehand, I’d want to know about your business, your customers and the atmosphere you’re trying to create.

You may already have very specific ideas about the music associated with your brand. Alternatively, you may simply tell me the sort of audience you’re expecting and leave me to get on with it.

Either works.

More Than Just Background Music

A professional DJ setup can also provide a useful focal point at live promotional events.

Depending on what’s required, I can provide microphones for announcements and presentations, professional sound equipment and lighting – without turning your carefully organised product launch into the Dog & Duck on karaoke night.

Timing matters too.

Music can welcome people as they arrive, increase the energy during busier periods, accompany presentations and help prevent those slightly uncomfortable gaps when nothing much appears to be happening.

Those gaps always seem considerably longer when you’re the person organising the event.

In-Store DJs, Product Launches and Promotional Events

I’m always interested in working with companies, retailers, agencies and event organisers looking for something a little different.

From an in-store DJ for a retail promotion or store opening to music for a product launch, exhibition, corporate event or brand activation, I can tailor the equipment and music to suit the location rather than arriving with a standard party package and hoping for the best.

I cover promotional events throughout the South East and East of England and can travel further afield for larger events.

So if you’re organising something where you need people to stop, look, listen – or simply feel that they’ve arrived somewhere worth staying for – let’s give them something better than the sound of the air conditioning.

https://www.djianscott.com/

The post Make Some Noise! Why Music Works at Promotional Events first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

An engagement party occupies a rather nice spot in the celebrations. It doesn’t have the formality of the wedding itself, there are no speeches that need to last precisely seven minutes, nobody is worrying about the photographer disappearing before the cake is cut and, best of all, the happy couple can simply enjoy themselves.

Two Families, One Dancefloor

One of the nicest things about an engagement party is that it’s often the first occasion when the two sides properly meet.

Friends from work encounter childhood friends. Parents meet parents. Aunties are introduced to university mates. People who will eventually be sharing tables at the wedding get a chance to discover each other beforehand.

Music is remarkably good at breaking down those barriers.

A good engagement party DJ isn’t simply there to play a collection of favourite records. The trick is finding the music that connects a room containing different ages, tastes and friendship groups – and gradually turning a gathering of separate little groups into one party.

Don’t Make It a Rehearsal for the Wedding

An engagement party should have its own identity.

If you’re already planning a big wedding reception, there’s no need to reproduce it six months early. Engagement parties generally work better when they’re a little more relaxed.

That might mean a favourite local venue, a private room in a pub, a village hall transformed for the evening, a marquee at home or somewhere completely unexpected.

The music can be more relaxed too. Requests from guests can work particularly well because they get people involved, and there’s usually far more freedom to jump between decades and genres without worrying about traditional wedding formalities.

And no, you don’t have to spend the entire evening listening to songs containing the words love, marry or forever.

Give People Something to Celebrate

It sounds obvious, but an engagement party needs to feel like an occasion rather than simply drinks with a larger-than-usual number of people.

Lighting, decoration and music make an enormous difference. Even a fairly ordinary function room can feel completely different once the lights are lowered, the room is dressed and there’s a proper soundtrack playing as guests arrive.

That’s also where an experienced DJ earns his keep. The music at 7.30pm while people are arriving and saying hello shouldn’t necessarily be the music you need at 10.30pm when everyone has decided tomorrow morning can look after itself.

Reading that change in mood is a big part of the job.

Your Party, Your Music

I’ve been DJing at parties and celebrations for many years, and I never arrive with a predetermined playlist that gets inflicted upon everybody in the room.

Tell me what you love. Tell me what you hate. Give me some essential songs beforehand and encourage your guests to make requests on the night. From there, I can build the music around the people actually standing in front of me.

After all, the wedding may be the main event – but there’s absolutely no reason the party before the party shouldn’t be a memorable one too.

https://www.djianscott.com/

The post Engagement Parties — The Party Before the Party first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

It may feel ridiculously early, but September is precisely when many UK businesses begin planning their corporate Christmas parties. Venues are booked, menus are chosen and somebody in the office is given the unenviable task of organising an evening capable of pleasing everyone from the 19-year-old apprentice to the managing director.

No pressure, then.

A successful office Christmas party gives colleagues the chance to relax, celebrate the year’s achievements and discover that the person from Accounts does, in fact, know all the words to Mr Brightside. It can lift morale, bring different departments together and finish the working year on a genuine high.

However, there is an important ingredient that can make or break the evening: the entertainment.

More Than Someone Playing Music

A professional office christmas party DJ does considerably more than arrive with a laptop and press “play”. The music needs to suit a room filled with different ages, backgrounds and tastes—and it needs to change as the evening develops.

Guests may want familiar, easy-going music while they arrive, chat and eat. Later, the dance floor might move through disco, soul, 1980s classics, 1990s favourites, current chart hits and a few gloriously cheesy Christmas songs. Reading the room and knowing when to change direction is every bit as important as choosing the individual tracks.

Not every office party needs an endless stream of forced participation, embarrassing games or a microphone being waved under the managing director’s nose. My approach is friendly, professional and adaptable. I am happy to make clear announcements and help keep the evening flowing, but I also know when to let the music and the guests take centre stage.

A Professional Setup for a Professional Event

Corporate parties come in all shapes and sizes, from an informal gathering in a local venue to a large hotel celebration involving several hundred guests. Each one needs an appropriate sound and lighting setup—not equipment that overwhelms a smaller room or struggles to fill a larger one.

I use high-quality professional sound and lighting equipment, presented neatly and operated at a sensible level. The aim is to create a lively party atmosphere while still respecting the venue, the organisers and those guests who would occasionally like to hear each other speak.

I can also work alongside venue staff, event planners, live musicians and other entertainers, helping the evening run smoothly from the guests’ arrival through to the final song.

Book Before December Arrives

The best Christmas dates—particularly Fridays and Saturdays in December—are usually the first to be booked. Starting the conversation early gives you a better choice of dates and venues, and one fewer job to worry about as Christmas approaches.

If you are arranging a corporate Christmas party in Essex, Suffolk or Herts, I would be delighted to discuss your plans. Whether you are organising an intimate office celebration or a large company event, I can provide experienced, reliable and vibrant DJ entertainment tailored to your guests.

https://www.djianscott.com/corporate-christmas-party-dj/

After all, your colleagues have worked hard all year. They deserve something better than a hastily assembled playlist and a speaker borrowed from the stationery cupboard.

The post Why A Great DJ Makes The Office Christmas Party first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.

I’m not sure anyone sets out to become a mobile DJ…you just kind of fall into it, and fall in love with it over time, and eventually you realise that it makes you way happier than the drudgery of your 9-5 office job. And people actually pay you a wage for doing it. So, where did it begin…?

For me, it probably started in a front room of an Edwardian terraced house in East Ham, circa 1982. It was my aunt’s place, and my cousin and I would make a beeline for his older brother’s 12″ record collection, which was pretty much all soul and jazz funk. Up went the lid of the Hitachi stack system and we’d spend hours listening to his latest purchases (often before he did!) Somehow, and definitely influenced by East London culture at the time, we progressed to buying hiphop singles and albums of our own, including the incredible StreetSounds series of ‘Electro’ tracks. My cousin was a pretty adept body-popper and breakdancer, whereas I was more of an enthusiastic spectator, although I did achieve a fairly good moonwalk. Well, I thought so…

Professional Music Equipment For DJ, Live Performance, Scratch and Playing Vinyl Records

My cousin managed to get hold of a couple of vari-speed hi-fi turntables and a little two channel DJ mixer and that pretty much sealed our fate. Whilst he was clearly the frontrunner in mixing and scratching (with a 2p piece on the stylus arm to stop the track skipping), I was interested in building a set using more than just hip-hop and electro tunes. I dug deeper into his brother’s collection, and that’s probably where my affection for all things Disco comes from. Earth Wind & Fire, Dan Hartman, Chic, Candi Staton…all dance floor fillers even to this day.

Fast-forward to 1988 and a chance meeting with a mobile DJ from Walthamstow gave me the leg-up and inspiration I needed to start my own journey in professional DJing. Within just 18 months, I’d managed to buy myself a pair of Technics 1210 Mk2 decks (thanks, credit card!), a decent mixer and some basic lighting. Every night after work, I’d be slaving over a pair of hot decks in my bedroom, practising my technique and taping the results for the car stereo the next day!

And that’s it, really. Totally hooked. And still loving it 44 years later.

The post This DJ Life: Where It All Began… first appeared on DJ Ian Scott.