» Listings for 2009

1. Gigs, weather and glitter

   Posted on 2:05am Monday 30th Nov 2009

   Hi all. Had an unexpected last minute booking this week for a sixteenth party in Oving West Sussex. The father of the birthday boy Tom was talking to us as we set up and had obviously had a full life, having lived in Italy selling shoes and earning himself a Porsche 911 for his efforts to playing bass in the Gary Numan Band! What a life eh?  I was asked to play current chart stuff with some drum and bass. I downloaded all the 2009 drum and bass anthems for 2009 just to make sure and as happens sometimes, this type of music never really took off on the dance floor. So often you get to a gig totally prepared to specialise in one type of music for at least some of the night and when you get there it never really materialises.
   Never mind. they seemed to have a great time anyway. I've asked them to write a review but for some reason my emails are just not getting through yet. I've got the right address I know, as I asked the man to write it down for me at the gig. it was the same one he gave me over the phone beforehand.  It's a real life mystery man!
   
   Is this weather depressing or what? For the last four Sundays now Becky and I have been out driving and every time it's been windy as hell and chucking it down with rain. Pretty soon I think I'll be sailing to you all...I'm definitely getting a water for gas  gadget for the van this year. I'm sure we're all becoming victims of the mad oil barrons and the resulting co2 emmisions. Maybe it's a one-off but floods are flooding with apocalyptic regularity. Don't tell me you aren't thinking the same thing as you look out the window and watch the "end of the world" weather. I know we had a winter like this in the 90's where it rained and rained nigh on for 6 months solid. I hope it's just only that bad. 
   
   Onto cheerier things. I'm doing the wedding for a sweet young couple next May and they just sent me the itinerary the other day.  I'll be honest with you. It's more than just a wedding. They have an extremely fun packed afternoon something along the lines of a game show for the guests and it's taking a lot of preparing as "you know who" is hosting it. Such a lovely couple though. As I opened the envelope, a load of gold stars fell out! I like that. You know what a big softy I am!
   
   Enough said. Have a great week. Hope it get's a bit drier!

2. Partying and real life weight loss without effort!

   Posted on 12:42pm Monday 23rd Nov 2009

   Hi all. This week I did a party for Lisa Prudente for her 16th birthday at A place called Lodsworth near Petworth in Sussex.
   She had a local band on as well who went by the name: "Bad Luck Thursdays". All in all I think they had a great time and so did we. Read her testimony on my
   feedback/guestbook page now.
   
   I've just seen an article on "South Today" about "devorce parties". Could this be a "Catch them after the wedding" new line of business? I'm a devorcee and flying back from the event in America was the guiltiest flight of my life. I didn't cheat or anything, I just felt really bad. Still, I have a friend who put up with a total bastard of a bloke for 18 years and I reckon she might have grounds for a celebration. 
   
   I got a text this morning from another DJ who shall remain nameless. he was telling us all that he's inundated with gigs for December and January next year and to text him back if we were available. I like him as a person and he helped me get into this business, but unfortunately he takes forever to part with his cash. The expression: "Short arms and deep pockets" comes to mind. I always feel a bit like "Terry" to his "Arthur Daly" character. Last year it got so ridiculous I had to threaten to take the bugger to court to get my dosh. I don't know how true it is but I heard of another DJ going to his house, Punching him and carrying him over his shoulder to his cash point to expidite payment! Sounds like a scene from a movie doesn't it? I guess it ain't worth the hassle and the stress. Shame but there you are.
   
   Another friend said to me yesterday she is trying to lose some weight. I suggested the diet that Becky and I are on whereby we just try and juice raw organic veg every night. We drink the juice and cook up the leftover pulp in some garlic and olive oil for something solid to eat. Unless off course I've already juiced some raw garlic as this is brilliant for your immune system. I haven't had a cold since I started doing this and I used to get quite a few. I always put a bit of sea salt and herbs on it as well to give it some taste. Also I think some sea salt is good for your body, as opposed to the neat rock salt we all grew up on. I know it's controversial but a little bit of sunlight helps to boost your immune system too as it produces vitamin D. This is why most of us get colds and flue in winter because we aren't getting any. A few trips to the sunbed might help. we've been on this diet for a couple of months now and the weight is just falling off. I, like my friend am a certified chocoholic but since starting this, the urge has largely gone away for deserts and chocolate. I think it's because for the first time in my life I am finally getting all the nutrients my body needs. A long time ago I was briefly tempted to work for a company called "Herbalife" who, apart from at the time having an awful pyramid selling scheme, maintain that you're only hungry when your body needs some nutrient or other and if you fill up on nutrient free food, you're always going to be hungry and so potentially put on weight. this theory seems to be proving itself true. I'm told that the ideal diet to prevent over weight and cancer is a 90% raw plant based one with about 10% animal protein. This creates a largely alkaline body environment which is good for your immune system. The typical western "beige food" diet being a largely acid and potentially cancer-friendly one.
   
   I'm not trying to be "holier than thou." We did have cod and chips the other night and I still love my sandwiches, albeit the best rustic brown bread I can find. But I've lost my love handles and a slight double chin thing. Even though we go to the gym every week it wasn't losing me the excess weight/fat. So this would appear to be the other "prong of the fork" if you will. Since I've gone off on this much of a tangent I might as well tell you that the "cherry on the top" is to drink at least 2 litres of the purest water you can create, as this really helps keep your body clean and lean. I use one of those filter jugs from Tescos but a "reverse osmosis filter" is the best if you can afford it. I've heard of one guy who has one and sells his water to his neighbours, as the lack of hormones and drug traces in his "product" makes them feel so much better than with what we shall call here: bog standard southern tap water.
   
   All I need now is some way of growing back my hair so I look less like Bruce Willis as every body is telling me these days.
   I wondered what they meant, but then I saw "5th Element" last night and Becky looked at me and I said NO! don't say it! And my (work out) vests aren't ever that dirty either..I guess it could be worse. I could be a double for John Prescott...
     

3. Watch out for the sharks!

   Posted on 12:00am Tuesday 17th Nov 2009

   Hi all. Not much to say this week as Nothing happening gigwise. November is the time of year when you are usually able to go to that party or dinner as you are for once not working when everybody else is going out. Only trouble is you'd better have saved up some readies to keep paying the bills.
   
   I Have, and have had a few parties. Mainly children and teenagers. Not rent paying money but always fun to play to younger crowds. The children don't have to have had 2+ pints of Stella to get on the floor and the Teenagers always like a bit of Pendulum (drum and bass - Get's your adrenalin going!) or some such heavy stuff you don't always get to play at weddings etc.
   
   Right now I'm getting constant phone calls from companies that want me to advertise with them. When I tell them I am doing ok already with yell.com and my own search engine optimization techniques plus let's face it, not a bad site as far as customer facilities goes, they tend to give up and in the case of today just slam the phone down without even saying goodbye. Bastards. Some of these companies just don't give you a good service at all. I'm dealing with one at the moment that took a large payment out of my account twice in row for the same thing. If you're running a young small or medium business, my advice is to Google them before agreeing to ANYTHING! I wish I'd thought about that myself a few times. I won't hesitate in the future. If they're in a hurry to sell over the phone, the most likely reason is that they've got some chink in their service that they don't want you to find out about. Seems a bit wary? I speak from experience. Always insist on paying by cheque afterwards instead of giving out your card details. Then the onus is upon them to do their job just like in the old days. if they don't agree, they ain't telling you everything. Drop em without emotion and move on with your unhassled life!
   
   Have a great week and I'll see you next time.