Discover our Virtual DJ Service

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We are asked all the time “what actually IS a virtual DJ service?”. We understand. It’s a new term and one you only hear in relation to live bands.

A virtual DJ service is a great thing. It has many benefits, adds value and saves you money. All good things, right? But what actually is it?

In this article we’ll do our best to explain exactly what a virtual DJ service is and how it can benefit you.

What is a virtual DJ service?

Our virtual DJ service is when we provide recorded music during the times that we are not performing. In more common terms, it’s a disco. Like the ones you will already be familiar with. The main difference is that we are DJ’ing for you as part of our service and you are not having to book an extra DJ.

It looks, sounds and feels like a normal DJ or disco and operates in exactly the same way. Music plays from our digital music library of thousands of tracks via the band’s PA system.

!daft! provide a DJ service alongside our live performance so that you have a busy dance floor all night long.

 

Virtual DJ Service guests

Our virtual DJ service is perfect for weddings, parties and corporate functions.

Benefits of our Virtual DJ service

There are many benefits to using our virtual DJ service, here are few to note:

It Keeps Things Simple and Easier to Manage

A major benefit is that it reduces the number of people you have to deal with and when you’re planning an event. This can help make it easier for you to keep track or your suppliers, plans and logistics during your planning stages.

It Looks and Sounds Great

Our band PA system is superior to that of the typical mobile DJ’s. This is a big advantage when you want music to sound rich and clear. Additionally, it all works alongside our impressive stage lighting which looks fantastic.

It’s so much more affordable

One of the key advantages to our virtual DJ service is that it is cheaper than a mobile DJ option. Our virtual DJ service can save you hundreds of pounds in comparison to a traditional mobile DJ.

A nice lady dancing at disco

A disco service that appeals to all.

Virtual DJ Service FAQ’s

Here are some of the questions asked most about our virtual DJ service.

Yes! ! It is as good, if not better. Our virtual DJ service is a perfect, low-cost modern day alternative to a separate mobile DJ. We are your DJ and live band in one neat service. You will get a fantastic party DJ experience like you had booked a more traditional mobile DJ.

It does, if not better. Our virtual DJ service music plays via the band’s PA system, the sound quality is incredible. The band’s PA is equipped with dual 18 inch subs as well as full range, band-ready top speakers. Overall, our set up is much more “heavyweight” than a small DJ rig offering brighter, richer sounds. And it all works in harmony with our lighting, which again, is usually superior to that of a typical mobile DJ.

Like any other professional DJ we will play music that is appropriate for your event. You can also provide feedback on what music you would like during the planning process.

Yes, of course. Like any good DJ we want you to have the music you want to hear at your event. We can include a small number of tracks you would like to hear at no extra cost, however there may be a charge incurred to provide fully bespoke or customised playlists.

Yes. Like any other professional DJ we will have a very large music library with us at your event. Guests can make requests, and we will do everything we can to accommodate them. If we don’t have it immediately available we can download it (subject to having a wifi or data signal). You can also make requests in advance of your event.

Yes. We use industry DJ software to play the tracks and this allows us to mix the tracks for seamless playback.

Yes. There are no curious versions or copies. We use the authentic, original tracks and can play your chosen mix or version if you wish.

Yes. The great thing about our virtual DJ service is that it can continue as long as you want it to. It is very cost effective as well to extend to the virtual DJ service once the band has completed its live sets.

 

We hope you have found this info helpful and that has given you an insight into our virtual DJ service. One last thing to note is that this is how WE do it, it might not be the same for other bands. They may not take requests or customise playlists like we do. If you are talking to bands then this might be something you want to check.

You are also very welcome to contact us to discuss this, or any other, of our live entertainment services. Call us on 0333 456 4556.

Book A Christmas Party Band

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Who doesn’t love a Christmas party?

After a long year you can finally let your hair down and start looking forward to spending some time at home with your family.

You also get to spend time with your work colleagues in a social setting at the office Christmas do. With all the food, drink and high spirits about the company Christmas event can be the talking topic of the office for weeks. We’ve all been there.

Work Christmas do’s come in all shapes and sizes. They can be modest affairs for small numbers and held in the office, or much larger, corporate events.

Whatever type of office Christmas party you’re planning one sure fire way to make your Christmas party amazing is to book a live Christmas party band.

Wedding band guitarist

!daft! guitarist Adam getting ready to rock a Christmas party crowd.

Why book a Christmas Party band?

DJs are often the “go to” entertainment for parties and we all know they do a phenomenal job.

But is there a way to really push the boundaries, break tradition and do something new and different?

Booking a live band is one way to create a wow factor and a guaranteed way to fill the dance floor all night.

How can !daft! help?

!daft! are Christmas party experts and we’ll help you create an amazing Christmas party by:

  • Offering a convenient combined live band and DJ service for non-stop entertainment.
  • Bringing energy, excitement and engagement to your event.
  • Providing a smooth and efficient booking process with regular communication.
  • Further enhancing your party with impressive sound and lighting, sound & lighting engineers, photographers and videographers.
  • Offering expert advice based on years of experience performing and planning private, public and corporate events.

But don’t just take our word for it. Hear directly what previous clients have to say about !daft!.

LETS TALK ABOUT YOUR EVENT

Click here to enquire now or call us on 0333 456 4556 and let’s get planning!

To theme or not to theme?

Winter Wonderland Theme

A beautiful winter wonderland theme.

Something that ensures a Christmas Party stands out, is a theme. There are so many to choose from that will add that extra special element and fun to the night.

From Santa’s grotto to Winter Wonderland to Christmas Movies! If you’re in the mood for dressing up why not ask !daft! to dress as part of your theme?

Need inspiration?

If you need some help you should take a look at Eventa’s awesome Christmas party theming ideas here to really get the creative juices flowing!

Or contact us. !daft! have performed for various companies over the years including Deloitte, The New Victoria Hospital, Dell, Royal Air Force, BBC, Allianz, Fujitsu and many more and we have some fabulous ideas and contacts that will help you.

Start now by calling us on 0333 456 4556 or visiting our dedicated Christmas Events page to discover how !daft! can get you all rockin’ around the Christmas tree this year.

Amazing Projection Mapping Wedding Cakes

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Ever heard of projection mapping wedding cakes?

This impressive lighting and projection technique turns your wedding cake into a colourful, moving and modern age work of art.

They are great fun and look fantastic. As the technology is relatively new it is still uncommon to see them about making them very appealing to those who like to do things differently.

PLEASE NOTE

Since we published this blog piece we have received a number of enquiries for projection mapping wedding cakes, however we would like to remind you that we are a wedding band, not a cake or projection company. Therefore, could we please ask you not to enquire to us about these wonderful pieces of wedding brilliance.

Pacman being projected onto a projection mapping wedding cake

Where to Buy?

Angie Scott Projection Mapping wedding Cakes

If you would like to talk to someone about booking or hiring a projection mapping wedding cake, then please see our friends over at Angie Scott Cakes. You can contact Angie and her team on 07854 208 288.

Personalised, Custom Designs

The great things about projection mapping cakes is that you can personalise them. Angie Scott and her team are able to create specific projections unique to you.

Do you and your partner share a hobby? Or love a particular place? Angie Scott can create a beautiful projection mapping cake that reflects both you and your partner down to the finest detail.

Here is a STUNNING Disney inspired projection mapping wedding cake.

Edible projection mapping wedding cakes

Contrary to what you may have been told, the projection mapping cake you get from Angie Scott will be real. You can actually cut it and eat it. And they taste sublime!

In addition to that, the cake will be made specifically for projection mapping and will use ingredients best suited to showing off your projection.

In conclusion, we LOVE Angie’s cakes. Not only are they fun and interesting but they bring a touch of magic to your wedding.

Give Angie a call today on 07854 208 288!

Caroline & Brett Wedding at Magnolia Park

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Huge congratulations to Caroline & Brett who held their wedding celebration at Magnolia Park, High Wycombe, and who booked us to provide their entertainment.

Bands have no better weddings to play than the ones with fun, friendly and up-for-it people. It makes for a great night all round when the crowd are ready to let their hair down. Thankfully, Caroline & Brett’s friends and family had this all in abundance.

Magnolia Park Country Club, High Wycombe

Magnolia Park Wedding Venue High WycombeCaroline & Brett held their wedding at the very cool Magnolia Park Country Club in the Hughenden Valley. The Country club is very easy to get to and  also idyllically set just outside of High Wycombe.

Magnolia Park is set in acres of beautiful grounds with lots of space for marquees and even fairgrounds!

It is the second time !daft! has had the pleasure of playing at Magnolia Park, something we will never tire of doing as the venue is such a pleasure to be at and the staff are always incredibly friendly and helpful. Big thanks to Greg for looking after the band so well!

Find out more about Magnolia Park here http://www.magnoliaparkwycombe.co.uk.

It was awesome and everybody loved it, it was fantastic!

What we provided

Caroline and Brett booked our Gold Package and enjoyed 2 x 60 min live sets along with our disco service.

Their wedding was booked in mid-2016 which ensured the date was free in our diary and secured it for them nice and early.

It also gave the Caroline and Brett lots of time to have all the necessary conversations with us to ensure we planned correctly for the event.

To The Future!

We’d like to say a heartfelt thanks to Caroline & Brett for booking us, we thoroughly enjoyed the wedding party and we hope to see you and your guests again soon!

Burnham Park Hall Festival 2017

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Festival Fun in the Sun for all the family

The sun has set on this year’s Burnham Park Hall Festival, and oh my, what a success it was!

Only in its second year, the festival hosted 9 local bands throughout the day.

  • It’s a Swing Thing
  • Bitteroot
  • The PFJ
  • Dacoda
  • Anna Nightingale
  • D A W N
  • Dan Pryde
  • The Blarney Pilgrims
  • !daft!

In addition you could chill out in the hall’s secluded, sun-trap courtyard with a variety of acoustic soloists, duo and trios.

Thankfully, given the nature of the heat on the day, the festival has a food and drink angle to it too. For the peckish there was selection of food vendors including an incredible African street food stall.

For the thirsty, as most seemed to be, strangely, there were a range of Rebellion ales from the local Marlow Brewery and a perfectly-pitched Pimms & Prosecco tent for the ladies.

A Summer scorcher

The event basked in the ridiculous glory of the British summer peaking at around 32°C. For events like this it is nice to have a dry day, great to have a warm day but it was something else to have had a day like we had. I am not sure we will ever be that lucky again and it made all the difference.

Thousands Packed the Park

Going off the first year the attendance this year was through the roof. Estimates are that around 3500 people visited, many with children and most sticking around for most, if not all, of the day.

Festival goer Janice Young said:

“This was my first music festival and i had a fantastic time thank you to all the acts and the organisers and security I’m definitely going again next year.”

What We Provided

We were delighted to have provided our Live Music Festivals & Media package to Burnham Park Hall. This included:

  • A headline performance from !daft!
  • Line Array PA system
  • Sound engineer & stage manager
  • Videography
  • Photography

!daft! are truly delighted to have been part of this amazing event and we look forward to seeing you all again next year.

Event Photos

Clare & Darren Wedding at Holiday Inn

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The Holiday Inn, Shepperton hosted a fantastic wedding which we were delighted to be a part of.

Huge congratulations to Clare & Darren who celebrated their wedding in May 2017 and who booked !daft! to provide their wedding entertainment.

The Holiday Inn, Shepperton

Clare & Darren had their amazing wedding at the excellent Holiday Inn, Shepperton.

Set alongside the hotel’s lake with a wonderful open space to relax with their guests and their evening party inside the hotel come the evening.

The hotel team led by Chloe and Sarah were phenomenal and amongst some of the best, and most helpful, wedding teams we have ever worked with. A massive thank you to them both for all their hard work and assistance to us.

wedding highlights video

We were also delighted to make a highlights clip of the wedding which you can on this page.

We love making these kinds of clips and hope to many more of them in the future.

“I found the whole process seamless. Graeme is a pleasure to deal with, and the band on the evening were fantastic. We, and all our guests, loved them. Would happily recommend them.”

Book early and enjoy your wedding

Clare & Darren booked in early 2016 for their 2017 wedding and enjoyed our Gold Package meaning that they didn’t have to worry about anything music-wise, leaving us to take care of the DJ’ing and provide our inimitable live performance.

To the future!

Thank you to Clare & Darren for booking !daft!, we thoroughly enjoyed performing for you and hope to see you again soon.

LETS TALK ABOUT YOUR WEDDING

Click here for more information or call us on 0333 456 4556

 

 

Miki & Wesley’s 40th Birthday Party with DJ Events

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Maximum Birthday Party Entertainment

!daft! is the perfect band for birthday parties and we were delighted to have joined up with DJ Events to provide entertainment for Miki & Wesley.

DJ Events Party Planner

DJ Events are an events supply and organisation company based in Maidenhead. You can hire all manner of things to enhance your wedding, function or party including:

  • Dance floors
  • LED uplighting
  • Entrance kits
  • Confetti Showers
  • Staging
  • Dancing in the Clouds
  • LED Lettering
  • And much more

We highly recommend DJ Events, they are a great team and great guys who know what they’re doing. They know how to get the most out of an event and party and how to make it truly spectacular.

If you’re having a wedding, party or function you should definitely give them a call. You can contact James or Harvard on 0333 577 7050.

A joint 40th Birthday Party

Rather uniquely this party was a double celebration. Husband and wife Miki & Wesley celebrated together in true, all-out style.

The event was held at the beautiful Northcote House, found on the grounds of Sunningdale Park.

To add the extra touches they had overflowing jars of Ferrero Rocher, roaming drinks girl, light up “40” LED numbers, indoor fireworks, live band, DJ and the most incredible staging and production.

Client, Miki, said:

“The band were AMAZING. I’ve got people from all walks of life here, old and young, they all loved it, everyone was up dancing and that’s all you can ask for.”

What we provided for DJ Events

DJ Events booked !daft! to provide our inimitable birthday party live music experience, sound engineer and stage manager.

We performed 2 x 45 min sets for the clients and featured our decades set list performing music from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s to today.

Our repertoire and delivery style is perfect for 40th birthday parties. We had an amazing response from the clients and audience and thoroughly enjoyed playing for them.

Many thanks to DJ Events for booking us, it was, and always is, a great pleasure to work with them.

LETS TALK ABOUT YOUR EVENT

Click here to contact us and talk about your special event. You can also reach us on 0333 456 4556.

40th Birthday Party Event Photos

Sound Limiters: What You Need to Know

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Sound limiters are electrical devices that measure the amount of volume, or noise, in a room. If that volume reaches a certain level the sound limiter is designed to cut the electric supply to the stage.

Ultimate sound limiter guide for live bands at weddings, corporate functions and parties. A guide to sound limiters.

The visual indicator on the limiter works most commonly on a “traffic light” system, green = no problem, amber = sound levels approaching the threshold, red= threshold breached. If the light stays red for more than a few seconds, the limiter will then cut the power to the stage. This will leave you with no lights, action or music.

BEFORE YOU BOOK A VENUE WE RECOMMEND:

THAT YOU ASK YOUR VENUE WHETHER THEY USE SOUND LIMITERS

To safeguard both of us we will contact your venue as soon as you book us to enquire to whether one is in use.

THAT YOU VISIT THE VENUE

Whilst there take a look in the corner of the function room. If you see a small box or unit with obvious red/amber/green lights on the front, the chances are it’s a sound limiter.

THAT YOU REQUEST TO TURN OFF THE SOUND LIMITER FOR YOUR EVENT.

If you have exclusive use of the venue this is usually more than acceptable. Once granted please get this confirmation in writing. We wouldn’t want to end up in a discussion on the night with someone who denies all knowledge of the agreement.

WHY DO VENUES HAVE SOUND LIMITERS?

ENVIRONMENTAL

Where venues are near residential properties they have a duty to keep any noise to a reasonable level. In rare cases your venue may also have been instructed by the local authority to have one installed.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

There isn’t yet any legal requirement to protect customers or party guests, who are there voluntarily, from loud noises. But there is a requirement for employers to protect employees and contractors.

OTHER REASONS

The venue may want to keep noise down for other resident guests or simply just have greater control over the band’s volume.

WHAT LEVEL SOUND LIMITERS USUALLY SET TO?

You will find in most cases that sound limiters are set to between 80-90 decibels (db). This is an average based purely on our experience and you may find yours is set to a different level. Most live amplified rock & pop gigs register at between 100 and 115db. Acoustic drums kits alone can easily register 105 – 110db.

80-90db might not sound like much less than 100dB, but in fact the decibel scale isn’t a straight line. For example 110db actually sounds almost twice as loud as 100db, NOT a “tenth” louder.

HOW LOUD IS 80-90DB?

It’s really not very loud at all. In our opinion this is too quiet an environment to host a live rock band.

DECIBEL INFOGRAPHIC

Check out the detailed infographic showing you what kind of decibel levels are produced in everyday, typical situations.

OUR OWN TEST

We held a professional sound measurement device next to a tap of running water. The tap was fully open and was falling into a stainless steel sink. We held the measurement device around 6 inches from the sink and it registered at around 76db.

SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH SOUND LIMITERS AND LIVE BANDS?

Unfortunately there are a few issues that sound limiters can cause, here is a summary:

THEY ARE SET TOO LOW

Sound limiters are frequently set lower than what is reasonable for a live band to work with. The reality is anything below 95db is too low for any party band to perform properly.

SYSTEM INSTALLATION 

There is never a guarantee that the limiter at your venue has been correctly installed, or that it is being operated by someone qualified in sound engineering. The system must be correctly installed, calibrated, maintained and operated for anyone to have total confidence that everything is being measured accurately.

INCONVENIENCE

Not only are sound limiters inconveniencing but you also have to wait for them to be reset by a venue representative. If said person is not in the immediate vicinity then this can mean the power is off for an indeterminate amount of time. If the limiter keeps tripping then you can see how this can begin to turn into quite a ridiculous exercise.

THEY THINK IT’S US!

The audience will always assume the band have messed up! To go from a live band playing a party track to total silence in a fraction of a second often in results in 150 confused faces staring at us in the assumption that our equipment has failed or we’ve done something wrong.

MOOD AND ATMOSPHERE

In our opinion sound limiters tend to adversely affect the mood that you and we will be trying to create at your wedding by essentially “dulling” the atmosphere.

DAMAGE TO BAND EQUIPMENT

Sound limiters can, and do, damage the band’s equipment. PA’s, amplifiers and mixing desks require an uninterrupted supply of power and to be switched on and off in the correct manner. The fuses and valves in our equipment can be damaged when suddenly powered off and on again, speakers can pop and blow too as a result of signal spikes when the limiter kicks in.

“WE HAVE BANDS HERE ALL THE TIME AND THERE’S NEVER A PROBLEM”

This is something we hear venues say all the time but we urge you to take this statement with a pinch of salt.

We would not suggest for one second that venues would state a deliberate untruth. But you have to bear in mind that no venue is going to want to willingly deter you from booking their building and services by revealing that their noise policy doesn’t allow anything louder than a dishwasher at your wedding party.

No sound limiter sits there doing nothing and if there is never a problem, then why have one?

They have to, at some point, come into effect during live performances. Saying “there’s never a problem” isn’t enough, in our view, to confirm that we won’t have a problem.

IT CAN AFFECT THE BAND’S PERFORMANCE

We certainly find it very difficult performing the same volume as let’s say, a hair dryer (80db).

We are a rock & pop party band and you may well have booked us because you saw us performing in a way that you wanted to have at your wedding. You don’t want the band to be watching the traffic lights and trying to stop the red light coming on. Instead they should be focusing on giving their performance and keeping your dance floor full.

THEY CAN AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO ENJOY YOUR OWN WEDDING PARTY, AND WE’RE NOT COOL WITH THAT!

We have heard many horror stories of sound limiters affecting the band’s ability to perform resulting in the constant stop-starting of music, circuit resets, audience confusion etc.

We know of one wedding where the band tripped the system during the bride and groom’s first dance just 25 seconds into the performance. The first dance track was the beautiful Chasing Cars which as you may know is hardly a loud or powerful song, certainly in the first few minutes. This, for us, is just crazy.

We are not divas and we do not care to be selfish or play at ridiculous volumes, but we do expect to be able to deliver what you have paid for and asked us to do. Sound limiters can, in some cases, make this virtually impossible.

HOW WE CAN HELP IF YOUR VENUE HAS A SOUND LIMITER?

NEGOTIATE ITS USE

Prior to booking we are happy to talk to your venue about their sound limitation policies. We’ll seek to ensure our mutual compatibility and we have done so many times before. We have also been successful in finding a compromise where required.

For example at some weddings it may be the case that the wedding party have booked out the vast majority (if not all) of the venue’s accommodation. This means that there are no other non-wedding guests to disturb. Therefore a sound limiter would seem unnecessary.

DAMPEN THE BAND DOWN

We will also employ various tactics to minimise our peak volume impact where limiters are in operation. We have many ways of reducing sound impact without having to drastically affect the overall quality of sound.

USE OUR EXPERIENCE AND COMMON SENSE!

!daft!, and practically every other band out there, do not have any desire to play at uncomfortably high volumes. We want our clients and audiences to enjoy every aspect of our performance. Therefore it is in our interest to play at an acceptable volume level for the room and the event overall.

You will find us to be experienced performers with the ability to set acceptable sound levels. This will create the right atmosphere without shattering the ears of others.

In our experience, band members can dictate sensible sound levels simply by using their common sense, an ability which does not, unfortunately, always apply to sound limiters.

If you have any questions about sound limiters, or if we can help in any other way, please feel free to contact us.