Wedding problem - fake DJ

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This happened to a friend of a friend who I occasionally see, and I'll try to keep this short.

This person's wedding reception was somewhat ruined by the DJ. He really turned out to be a poor amateur rather than the professional he had claimed to be. Not only did he have a poor selection of tracks, he kept repeating them. There were some gaps / interruptions, the sound quality was poor and on top of it all, he turned out to be a bit of a sleazebag on the mic and also around the room. It sounds like he was a real disaster, but he himself didn't think so.

The story is that they found him through, of all places, a church. Apparently he was doing the AV work for this church. They took him at his word that he'd DJ'd for a long time and of course had some "faith" in him because of the connection with the church, which in hindsight they realize he had played up to them.

They did a bit of investigating afterwards and discovered the church he volunteered at was not that big and that he was really a second choice only called upon reluctantly when the first choice was not available.

They googled his name and found a fishy Linked In profile where he claimed to be a professional full time DJ for a number of years.

They then discovered that his real full time job had been a minor one in some local govt department. He had left that job a couple of years ago. But he was claiming on Linked In that he had been a full time professional DJ for the entire period in which he had the govt job.

The couple were thinking about suing him for misrepresentation and the ruining of the wedding reception.

My viewpoint was to forget about it. With time they would see the funny side and in the meantime they should really pity this person who probably has mental issues and delusions of being something he isn't.

And they should consider themselves lucky that it was the DJ and not their caterer, or even worse, their photographer, who turned out to be a fake.
 
here's the thing. what do they want?
Would getting the $500 or whatever judgement out of the DJ (who most likely can't pay) make them whole again?

Start with what they want for themselves and work backwards to get to the steps.

I suppose wrestling with these are the issues what one goes to therapy (or church) to figure out how to live your life.
 
The whole DJ thing is kind've ghetto and low rent. I've never seen one that I was impressed with,no matter what the occasion was. I also hate the cliche C/W bands everyone seems to want at their weddings where you're tortured with bad 80s and 90s contemporary slop all night.

I think having a classical ensemble would be really classy for a wedding.
 
Not enough alcohol was served. After enough alcohol any DJ and music sounds good. Alcohol works wonders.
 
Maybe its a cheap lesson on getting references? A good time to learn this before hiring a contractor to build their dream home?
I doubt any people in the couples close friends and family really care what the DJ was playing?
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Maybe its a cheap lesson on getting references? A good time to learn this before hiring a contractor to build their dream home?
I doubt any people in the couples close friends and family really care what the DJ was playing?
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Happened to my sister in law. DJ was a sleazebag on the mic, very unprofessional, terrible music selection, started packing up his stuff to leave half way through the reception. Actually demanded more money or he would leave. Caused a pushing, shoving, and yelling match with the father in law.

Good old "Uncle Buck" solved the problem. Pulled the DJ aside and told him that he had already been paid upfront, he wasn't getting any additional funds, and if he attempted to leave before finishing the reception he would have four slashed tires and a bunch of busted out windows on his van. Thus, the DJ was persuaded to finish the ceremony.
wink.gif


***Uncle Buck's name has been changed in the above story until the statute of limitations runs out***
wink.gif
 
You don't want to start off a marriage with such negativity.

I'm assuming the contract stipulated that the DJ would spin tunes between the hours of x and y in exchange for a preset amount of money. The guy showed up and spun tunes between those hours and they paid him. The guy did what he was paid to do.

Wedding DJ by its very nature is a part time job.
 
Originally Posted By: Benito
My viewpoint was to forget about it. With time they would see the funny side and in the meantime they should really pity this person who probably has mental issues and delusions of being something he isn't.


I'm with you 100%. Fuggetaboutit. What will they gain by taking this guy to court? I can think of much better ways to spend the first months of marriage than in a courtroom trying to get $500 back from a crummy DJ.
 
$10 says it was all pirated music. I used to know of a few "DJs" that would show up with a laptop full of pirated music, Windows Media Player and some cheap big speakers.

They were pretty bad.
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
$10 says it was all pirated music. I used to know of a few "DJs" that would show up with a laptop full of pirated music, Windows Media Player and some cheap big speakers.

They were pretty bad.


Even if you own the CDs if you don't have public performance licenses from ASCAP and BMI you aren't 100% legal.

I wedding photographed for some friends of friends, and darn if the same DJ didn't keep showing up. He was a pro and Emceed the reception pretty well. Had good timing, coordinated the father daughter dance, did some hokey thing where for $1 you could dance with the bride to start her life off on the track to riches, but was a pro.
 
I think there are a lot of people out there who do not realize that. Even having the radio playing (depending on who is playing the radio - venue vs the people in the wedding) could be questionable.
 
Those guys who volunteer to do the A/V stuff at church are always a little weird, and generally have a higher opinion of themselves than everybody else does.
 
The wedding dress, church, reception hall, caterer, minister/officiant, and honeymoon get planned way ahead of time and get money from the budget.

The photographer, videographer, organist, and DJ get called up last minute, and short shrift. Since Jane Blow assumes it's just "pressing buttons" and anyone can do it, they don't hire quality, always.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: Benito
My viewpoint was to forget about it. With time they would see the funny side and in the meantime they should really pity this person who probably has mental issues and delusions of being something he isn't.


I'm with you 100%. Fuggetaboutit. What will they gain by taking this guy to court? I can think of much better ways to spend the first months of marriage than in a courtroom trying to get $500 back from a crummy DJ.


Yep. Everything I hear about the DJ tells me he's mentally unstable and a bit of a loner. He was also really creepy with the women at the wedding so he's probably experienced a lot of rejection in his life. So definitely not the kind of person you want to tick off.
 
I find DJ's and paid bands at weddings are not that great...

Seriously, you have to HIRE someone to play MUSIC? [censored] is wrong with people, nobody in your family has a musical instrument? SAD.

It is really nice to cover some good hits, with your own spin. Every family should have musical talent. Just like the old days with Grandpa and his bucking wings, the same pair Great Great Grandpa used in the log cabin!

Seriously, I play the Banjo, Great Grandma played the Harmonica, cousin plays the recorder and wash board, another cousin is good with Rap.... bring them together would make a GREAT reception band.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Maybe its a cheap lesson on getting references? A good time to learn this before hiring a contractor to build their dream home?
I doubt any people in the couples close friends and family really care what the DJ was playing?


Yep +1 to this!
 
Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
I find DJ's and paid bands at weddings are not that great...

Seriously, you have to HIRE someone to play MUSIC? [censored] is wrong with people, nobody in your family has a musical instrument? SAD.

It is really nice to cover some good hits, with your own spin. Every family should have musical talent. Just like the old days with Grandpa and his bucking wings, the same pair Great Great Grandpa used in the log cabin!

Seriously, I play the Banjo, Great Grandma played the Harmonica, cousin plays the recorder and wash board, another cousin is good with Rap.... bring them together would make a GREAT reception band.


I can picture this redneck "band" in my head. Who in the [censored] wants to hear your cousin play Hot Cross Buns on the recorder at a freakin wedding? Get real.
 
Originally Posted By: RhondaHonda
I can picture this redneck "band" in my head. Who in the [censored] wants to hear your cousin play Hot Cross Buns on the recorder at a freakin wedding? Get real.


LOL.
crackmeup2.gif
That's the funniest thing I've read for a while. Classic!
 
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