There’s a saying that goes ‘prepare for a rainy day’. This couldn’t be more applicable for private event DJs who are a part of once-in-a-lifetime celebrations. We don’t get a mulligan.
We’re expected to perform and provide an entertainment experience a t the highest level every time we’re booked, with no excuses. Nowada ys, it’s much harder to hide any blemishes of our service. With online reviews easy for clients to write and potential clients to find, we can’t lea ve anything to chance. Back-ups are therefore essential to make sure that the show can go on when things go wrong.
I suggest you think through every aspect of your performance and the service you provide and make sure that you carry with you spares of anything that is crucial to the success of an event . To help with this thought process, here are four areas where I think you should definitel y ha ve some type of back-up in place: Back-ups: Wha t You Need And Why You Need Them : WHAT YOU NEED AND WHY YOU NEED THEM If you are a multi-op, this is critical. Let’s assume your DJ is a no-show or worse gets in a car accident and can’t perform.
All the event information (key names and details, timelines, music requests, etc.) shouldn’t be all in that assigned DJ’s possession. I recommend an online shared solution (Google Docs, Dropbox, a CRM etc.) or an app like VIBO. This ensures that any of your staff can get access to that info at any time (this is also a great back-up feature to tout to your clients during the sales process). Additionally, I recommend multiple hard copy print-outs be brought to each event.
This means that you can always have one to hand and it may also allow you to put yourself in good graces with other suppliers if they have forgotten to bring one. Buying multiples of each piece of gear you own would be ideal but could be expensive and not feasible, especially if you’re just starting out. The goal, however, is to make sure you can get through a crisis if something happens at your event. Assuming you own self-powered speakers, I think you’re good if you own two and bring them to an event.
If one goes down, you can make it through the event with one. Is it the perfect solution? No, but you still have sound in a pinch. I do recommend having a secondary controller in place.
There are some very small and affordable options that you can keep on hand should something go down (Akai AMX or a Pioneer DJ WeGo as examples). You should also consider having a back-up laptop on hand as well. At the very least, make sure you have something that can play music as a backup. If you get the black or blue screen of death, you need to be able to pivot quickly.
For mics, if you can’t afford two wireless units, buy a wired mic and have that as a back-up. I also recommend carrying a slave mixer (there are cheap options – Behringer, Yamaha to name a few) and plugging both your controller or main mixer and backup music device into it, and then connecting from there into your speakers or amps. If your main controller or mixer goes down, you can quickly utilise the slave mixer. If the slave mixer goes down, you just swap the main output connections to your controller or main mixer and you can be back up and running with minimal delay.
Another piece of gear to consider having is a wi-fi hotspot, so that you don’t have to rely on the venue’s internet access. You may be able to turn your phone into a hotspot in lieu of a dedicated hotspot device. Music is the main tool in our DJ toolbox. I personally put all of my music on an external hard-drive and leave some party classics and top 40 on my internal hard-drive.
That way, if my laptop goes down, I can easily switch my music to my back-up laptop. If my external goes down, I still have music to play. For each event, I also have all formality songs (first dance etc.) backed up on an iPod as well as a few warm-up and dancing 30-60 minute mixes, just in case. Lastly, I think it's essential to have a back-up external hard-drive, kept at home or in another safe place.
Back it up once a month, or at the very least once a quarter. This means you’ll never have to face the DJ’s ultimate nightmare: losing your music collection. This is the toughest back-up to put into place, but you have to make it a priority. If you’re a single op, it’s a necessity.
Find two or three reputable DJ companies that you can rely on to help you in a pinch. Form an alliance and offer the same ‘insurance policy’ to them. Obviously, make sure you have seen their work and are comfortable having them perform on your behalf. You want to be able to give your client at least the same calibre of service (or better) as a replacement.
If you run a multi-op, I’d recommend leaving one person on your staff ‘unbooked’ every night, just in case you need to utilise them. This has saved me more times than I can count, when someone has suddenly gotten super ill or had a family emergency. These are just the essential areas. The more back-ups you can put in place, the better off you (and your company) will be.
It can also be a selling point to your clients. Like I alluded to above, they love having assurances that you have thought of everything. The cost is relatively minimal on your part, but the consequences of not having backups in place can be truly disastrous. Remember, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ you will need a back-up but ‘when’ .
If you have more questions or need help, feel free to reach out to me directly.
