DJs in Berkhamsted

Having spent several years in the music business as musicians, Buzz Events are perfect for anyone wanting to add high quality tailored music entertainment to their event. Keep reading for some fascinating insights into their history and good advice on what you should know about booking a DJ for your event.

What do you need to know from an organiser in order to provide a comprehensive quote?

In order to provide an accurate quote, it's very important to know how much performance time is required and the time that you're expecting the party to get started, this allows us to factor in the correct arrival time for set up. For most events, this will typically be 8pm-midnight, with some low-level background music being provided between 7pm-8pm.

If you are specifying that only laptop/storage device is required, it is useful to know exactly what equipment is going to be provided by the venue e.g. DJ booth, sound system, professional lighting etc.. Many DJ's have invested thousands of £'s in their equipment and so are likely to want to make use of it on most bookings and to charge an appropriate fee.

It is always useful to get an idea of budget, and also to get a feel for what kind of other equipment may be of interest e.g. projector screen, glitter ball etc.

What advice would you give to a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

When looking for a DJ or Mobile Disco, it's worth considering the balance between knowing who your DJ is going to be on the night vs. ensuring that if something went wrong i.e. they fell ill, your booking is protected and you would never be left without a replacement DJ. The larger the company, the harder it would be to build up a personal connection with the who you're going to get on the night so that they can get to know your personality and music preferences.

If you have a good budget available, you might want to ask for suggestions on how you can upgrade the standard services which are on offer, like potentially adding a bongo player, saxophonist or vocalist.. or all three.

Please tell us a little bit about how and why you started the business.

Music has been in my bones from a young age. My own parents were in a high-end function band for 30 years and I had the pleasure of being on stage during various performances whilst still in the womb! Once on the outside and old enough, I embarked on my own musical career, starting off with the piano. A highlight for me was at age 10 - I had a real drum-kit and remember performing 'Fever' with my Dad on double-bass and my Mum singing. Throughout my childhood, I enjoyed sneaking downstairs to listen in on my parents' band rehearsals and I well and truly got 'the bug'. Later on, I picked up the bass myself and started playing in function bands around the UK which led to the creation of my own music agency, and in recent years I turned to professional DJing which had started out as another one of my passions/hobbies. I have often teamed up with a percussionist and sax player to provide a DJ Live trio for events where there may not be the space or the budget for a full band, and the client wants the feel of a band but the convenience of a DJ to play all their favourite tunes, exactly how they should sound, but with the fun and energy that goes with live percussion and instruments. A good sax player will get stuck into the crowd on the dancefloor and always goes down a storm!

Please tell us about a booking you've had through Add to Event, how did it go? Would you recommend us to others?

Within a week of signing up to Add to Event, I had my first confirmed booking for next summer. I have been truly amazed at the convenience of the service and how good it is at connecting events organisers with potential suppliers. Being still quite new to the site though, all my events are still in the future and I am therefore still waiting for my first review.